Already Software out but Game starts at 1980?

[Chaos234]

So I tried a bit out but even on easy mode it's not rely playable for me. I mean ... easy means that my stuff can nearly do many things and they are cheap and so on. But nope, they are even unable to handle 3+ contracts and trying to start to make smth. like an OS, Game, ... is unthinkable. I mean ... it needs +1 year srsly? But contracts are only worth a month? This is not rely what I call balance.

After all I started to take a look into already existing software but why should I? Game started recently in year 1980 so what could be ... uhm, wait ... what is this:

https://i.imgur.com/AWENfMD.jpeg

That I would have other companies around me is fine but they are much higher then I am and that on easy mode? I mean ... starting year is 1980, not 1970. At last on easy I wouldn't like to see any advanced corp. A few ones on medium, a bit more on hard and all on insane/undoable difficult.

In addition why are my employees complaining about "social need" and "I feel lonely" when they are at last 2 man with +150% compatibility? I have only one furniture which would rais this up at the start but this should never be triggered with at last two man. Also it shouldn't be a problem when different shifts are using the same room with an overlapping 1-2h but nope ... "we want our own room" ... and I think so "you are working all at the same project(s), so keep working -.-" ... for me this behavior makes no sense. It would make sense if dev's and sales would be in one room but not dev's.

So sadly and tbh. I have to wait until a few next game changing patches but for now it feels like an unpolished diamond.
It's a nice game after all, with high potential, but a few things are holding me back from playing it further more in it's current state.

[ZaeRoe]

so let's tear this apart: without other companies there would be no OS in the beginning. So what are you making your software for? thin air? an OS was a multi-year project back then, too. a game is easily doable within half a year at this stage with only 1 person - which is realistic. this game starts in 1980, companies like apple (the apple II was released in 77) and atari (the vcs was also released in 77) were there already. this is represented in the game and as mentioned - you need them.
Also look closely into the screenshot you sent. most of them have 0 active users. meaning: they are ood and no competition. might be crazy to think, that Tesla complains that the Flocken Elektrowagen once existed and sees it as competition.

The social need thing seems so be a you thing. Are you building an open office in which the persons can talk to each other? are you providing food and an opportunity to sit while eating? if you only build closed cubicles it's the same thing as in reality - pretty much no interaction which is pretty lonely. and of course they don't want to work with another team in the same room. I give you the point, that it would be nice if the game would recognize that they are working on the same project - but the game doesn't and maybe in the future the teams won't. I would think that this might be a distraction in reality, too.
Also - to close this point - these are minor complaints even on hard. Get a team-lead, let them handle the problems and they are pretty much gone.

I would suggest that you look at something like city game studio. maybe this would be more to your liking? still not easy in the beginning but maybe more your cup of tea?

[druzilsupreme]

Read a guide

[nosedigger]

1. Easy mode makes you earn more, fastest development and AI not utilizing Marketing and some other stuff to the fullest. But the biggest point here is fast development

2. You are aware that you can create 4 Founders at the beginning ? The game was intended to be played like others, with one founder building the company from the ground up, however Software Inc. is the most complex game of this type and it's really hard to start with only one (even on low difficulty, especially if you are a new player). With 4 founders, you have 4 employees that dont get sick, take wc break, lunch break or vacation. They are more than enough to build your company from scratch to 4* Business reputation competitor with few millions on the market. before you actually start designing Software.

3. Working in the IT I can vouch that multiple teams working in a single open space office is really distracting (unless there is iron-hand discipline). This problem in game is easy solvable if you make 1 hour between two shifts, so the ones late from first can still finish up work until the second team arrives, and no notification of this kind ever. I run with two shifts 02-12 and 13-23, but you can even go with 05-12 13-20 21-04, and there will be no complaints.

4. For socialization, you need to have at least one kitchen, where all the employees will go for lunch and will socialize during it. It even works with teams of one, that don't have contact with anybody in the office, tested.

4. As for competition, I totally agree what ZaeRoe wrote. Also, there is a mod where you can start at 1970, but there is no OS, nothing can be developed until at least one is released, and also wait for 2d/Audio tool. The AI is (still) not that great, and I agree that the polishing of it should be done before final release. Do contract until you have several millions and can support one design/ one development team and then start working on your own Software. It will give time for AI OS to gather Active users, since more active users -> more sales -> more profit.

[EternalNooblet]

Every year is exactly the same. The game will generate random companies that do anything at any point in time. If you make enough money to buy out every company in your game, on the next turn the game will generate new random ones. This way there is always a pool of companies/products for you to compete against. Simulating an actual competitive market is well over the head of this single game developer. Instead the game is more about placing furniture and making pretty buildings.

[Super Arthritis ⁧⁧ ⁧⁧Man]

Originally posted by EternalNooblet:

Every year is exactly the same. The game will generate random companies that do anything at any point in time. If you make enough money to buy out every company in your game, on the next turn the game will generate new random ones. This way there is always a pool of companies/products for you to compete against. Simulating an actual competitive market is well over the head of this single game developer. Instead the game is more about placing furniture and making pretty buildings.

Nice VAC ban.

[WittiW]

just dont care about quality the first few years, tier 1 is fine.

https://imgur.com/a/Xbygp9E

That's on impossible mode. Just design 1 tier, develop, release. Dont waste time

[Kyoss]

@Wittiw: 580 bugs dude! :D