Suggestions for Software Inc

[hehe xd]

I've put around 40 hours into the game as of this moment (still playing as we speak) but I wanted to give my feedback on the game and maybe some new features that will make the game more enjoyable to play.


Suggestions:

1. CEO's: You can hire CEO's to hire new leads, as HR managers would for their own teams. Sometimes someone retires and it happens to be a Lead.. I only notice that way way later because I have quite a few teams working on quite a few projects.

2. Leads can hire specific employees (programmers/designers/artists) with specific skills (2D, 3D etc)

3. When someone retires you get a message on the top left, I'd like to see what role that person had and what team it belonged to (see point 1)

4. Project progress. Sometimes my projects are going so slow for whatever reason, sometimes its because I have too many employees on it, sometimes too less or anything else. The problem is that i dont know, I'd like to see an information button which opens a screen to see what I myself can do to make the project progress better/faster

5. Automatic deal accepting. I get quite alot of deal offers, and with that I have to check every day if something usefull pops up. I'd like to see an option where I can automaticly accept all (for example) marketing deals, support deals and hosting deals. (and assign them to a specific team/server. (also a notification if they are getting too busy with their work and cant keep up)

6. Company list and stocks. I like to buy 4/5 stocks from starting companies, for when they make it big. So when I'm browsing the company list I'd like to see in one screen how many stocks I have for each company, for example on the right of the company list it'll tell me I've got 55% stock (for example)

7. The Software Times. Since I'd like to buy IP's and stocks (or the whole company) for whatever reason, I'd like to see a notification when some other company has made something great, or like to "subscribe" on an other company so that if they release something I get a notification and I can buy their IP instandly the same day(month)


8. Unassigned teams. When I'm working on about 6 projects simultaneously I have almost no clear view of what which team is doing, I'd like to see a small screen somewhere where I can see unassigned teams

9. Automatic marketing products. Every time I release a product it asks me if I want to market the thing. If I want to, which I most of the time will, I have do disassign support (automatic team) and assign my marketing teams to it. Can you please make it so the 3 marketing teams are automaticly assigned to marketing jobs

10. On the right theres a section where you can see all of your current projects/marketing/support tickets etc etc. Could we please get a button with "deals" to show/not show deals

11. Insurance policies more important. I have about 4 billion right now, and next to nothing in my insurance policies (because I have old employees). And suprisingly no employee is bothered by that.

12. Automaticly add light (Lamps) to rooms


If anyone got any better idea's you're welcome to discuss :D

[Sistermatic™]

Good to see someone else on the same page as myself on some of the glaringly obvious. :)


I mused on your ideas. Hope you don't mind.


1. Haven't struck it yet but always wondered what happens when lead retires. I always hire young anyway, that's probably why. As an aside. Aren't I the CEO? :)

2. I max out the education slider in HR. Your lead will make your programmers/designers (you can force role) maxed in everything anyway rather than specialise. Be too much micro otherwise.

3. Totally agree here. 200 employees and I'm supposed to *remember* which team they were on. Although with HR led teams, the lead rehires anyway. Unless it's lead ofc.

4. YES please. An extremely annoying thing. A project overview (that works) prior to committing and an progress/efficiency overview. atm it's all over the place. I'm seeing project summaries apparently going to take more than a year and I get the project done in 3 months - and I have NO idea how. The reverse is also true. "Less than a year" turns into 2 years?!

(tbh I'm not happy with the whole concept of having too many employees slowing a project. The old rule is adding more doesn't neccessarily speed it up, not that it slows it down. imho, it's an excessive level of micro-management with an annoying negative side effect. Get rid of it.)

5. Not bothered with this one. I only use deals when part of the team is not busy (except maybe marketing). Occassionally I do hosting but by the time I have multiple major projects and an online store my server racks are bigger than my offices so can't spare the capacity anyway.

6. YES to this one. One of the most annoying aspects of stock purchases imho. But I'm sure I read that business/stock management etc. is getting overhauled.

7. Good idea. Atm I use the "Upcoming Releases" button and hedge on their stock before it's released. :)

8. I never strike this issue myself because all teams have a lead except my "personal" Dream Team but a "team overview" is a good idea. I asked for a similar overview (in a recent thread) to know what teams are doing - which would include what they're not doing too.

9. Yup to this. Since I have marketing team, I should be able to assign them from the getgo. Perhaps even project level. I understand that next update will "remember" the usual team to make it easier.

(Small tip in the interim. Create a Marketing team immediately, run it for a month and then change the "Core" team name. Seems game uses the longest running team name by default on marketing and I get "Marketing" on every marketing task.)

10. I'd go one further here too. How about an "ALL OFF" button. If I'm looking at all tasks, to check what marketing alone is doing I have to uncheck everything.

11. High levels of insurance enhances employment selection. Only benefit I've seen (apart from interest on desposits).

12. Lights need to be included in the clone tools if anything. Not sure on autofill.

..oo00oo..

[hehe xd]

1. Haven't struck it yet but always wondered what happens when lead retires. I always hire young anyway, that's probably why. As an aside. Aren't I the CEO? :)

- The lead retires and there's just no lead anymore :p Neither a notification that there's no lead. And no you're just another employee and you aswell retire at 65 (I think) and the game just goes on :p

2. I max out the education slider in HR. Your lead will make your programmers/designers (you can force role) maxed in everything anyway rather than specialise. Be too much micro otherwise.

- Do they actually max in everything? Then its not much of a problem indeed.

9.

- Thanks for the tip! Didnt know that

10.

- All of would be a good addition too

12.

- Why no autofill?

[Sistermatic™]

Originally posted by hehe xd:

1. Haven't struck it yet but always wondered what happens when lead retires. I always hire young anyway, that's probably why. As an aside. Aren't I the CEO? :)

- The lead retires and there's just no lead anymore :p Neither a notification that there's no lead. And no you're just another employee and you aswell retire at 65 (I think) and the game just goes on :p

2. I max out the education slider in HR. Your lead will make your programmers/designers (you can force role) maxed in everything anyway rather than specialise. Be too much micro otherwise.

- Do they actually max in everything? Then its not much of a problem indeed.

9.

- Thanks for the tip! Didnt know that

10.

- All of would be a good addition too

12.

- Why no autofill?

On 1, I jot my leads names down on paper (it's only a few). If they come up as retired I'd know. Certainly we need to know in game- no argument there. On the CEO thing, if I am only an "employee" how come I don't get paid? :)

On 2. Everytime I've done a team audit they're maxed in their respective fields so yes, that must be maxed HR budget at work. I haven't tried doing a no "force role" and see if they get educated in everything.

On 12. Maybe I misread what you mean by autofill but if a wall light is put up where I don't want it (eg: on autofill) then I have to remove the light. I always place a wall light near each desk when I setup and C&P the desk so my lights are always exactly where I want them.

[hehe xd]

Originally posted by Sista:

Originally posted by hehe xd:

On 12. Maybe I misread what you mean by autofill but if a wall light is put up where I don't want it (eg: on autofill) then I have to remove the light. I always place a wall light near each desk when I setup and C&P the desk so my lights are always exactly where I want them.

Nah i mean like prisoner architect. That the game fills up the room with ((invisable)roof) lights untill its 400 light. If you put another item on the roof it'll move itself for example so that you always have enough light but you dont have to pay attention to it every damn time :p

[Sistermatic™]

Originally posted by hehe xd:

Nah i mean like prisoner architect. That the game fills up the room with ((invisable)roof) lights untill its 400 light. If you put another item on the roof it'll move itself for example so that you always have enough light but you dont have to pay attention to it every damn time :p

I got ya. :)

While I'm here, just a quick image I took showing how the HR education budget works.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=748562345

This team is only 3 years old, lead did the hiring and every programmer is maxed skills. I have only one designer not maxed yet in this team but everyone else is.

[CulturedAbyss]

1. Taxes - If you make it big, you pay it big.
2. Larger marketing budgets and bigger loans. Or, allow for loans to get bigger as you get more money from produced software. Maybe allow to negotiate for smaller interest rates and so on. Or allow for multiple banks to offer loans and you choose what one is best.
3. Investments - this could boost company image/reputation for investing in public facilities like schools, hospitals etc.
4. Lunch time - Designate teams/employees to go to lunch at specific times (break times too?).
5. Extended areas - Allow to set up shop in different countries. Allow perks and disadvantages to each.

[Who the Fok]

1. Big yes , but call them managers are you are teh CEO

[The Questing Truck]

I have one minor suggestion/nitpick I want to add.

In my latest game I had two succesful software lines. I decided I wanted to hire a team specifically to handle one of those software lines. I got the lead. Trained him in project managment and hired his staff. Then when I went to automate I told him specifically to make sequels and I tried with and without restricting to owned IPs.

Every time he would auto generate a project it refused to create sequels of the existing line. He would make sequels of the new line he was developing himself and it was jsut as successful since the name isnt as important as every other factor. It was just kinda dissapointing that I couldnt just turn ouve my successful Software line to a team I hired specifically to do it.

[Sistermatic™]

Originally posted by Thomas Marik:

It was just kinda dissapointing that I couldnt just turn ouve my successful Software line to a team I hired specifically to do it.

Totally agree with this. Be great if I could designate *my* title the auto-team will start from when using sequels.

[hehe xd]

Originally posted by CulturedAbyss:

4. Lunch time - Designate teams/employees to go to lunch at specific times (break times too?).

- I'd like to add meeting times too, mine are way too long IMO

Originally posted by CulturedAbyss:

5. Extended areas - Allow to set up shop in different countries. Allow perks and disadvantages to each.

Could you explain some more? Sounds interesting

[hehe xd]

Originally posted by leeroy jenkemmms:

1. Big yes , but call them managers are you are teh CEO

You're not really, you're just another employee who happens to be the founder of the company (which additionally doesnt get paid etc etc).. You can educate yourself to be CEO (just like you can educate yourself to be lead) would be best I think

[hehe xd]

Originally posted by Thomas Marik:

I have one minor suggestion/nitpick I want to add.

In my latest game I had two succesful software lines. I decided I wanted to hire a team specifically to handle one of those software lines. I got the lead. Trained him in project managment and hired his staff. Then when I went to automate I told him specifically to make sequels and I tried with and without restricting to owned IPs.

Every time he would auto generate a project it refused to create sequels of the existing line. He would make sequels of the new line he was developing himself and it was jsut as successful since the name isnt as important as every other factor. It was just kinda dissapointing that I couldnt just turn ouve my successful Software line to a team I hired specifically to do it.

Had the same problem.. I was sad I couldnt proceed with my PenisSizeEnlarger 3000 game automaticlyl

[Isy]

Add discount or sales into the game for old software. Maybe some store partners can ask us if we want to hold a sale every July or august just like steam lol.

[Walter Sobchak]

#3 and #4 need to happen ASAP

[vaporous]

There are many great suggestions here for changes or additions to the game. I have just two suggestions.

Holidays
I don't like the whole team going on holiday for the same month. I can overcome this by having a second team as a backup, but I would rather be able to define different holidays for individual workers. Also to be able to do this for a group of workers at the same time.

Salaries
Much of the data is input using an imprecise slider. The one that bugs me the most is the salary. I want to be able to enter an exact number for the salary. I also want to be able to give a group of workers the same salary at the same time.

I now have nearly 100 hours into this brilliant game. Great work and keep it up!