Game Dev Tycoon Starting Guide
Vella Massart
As I did mention previously, this guide will mix up the core elements of every other topic without going in depth however. This guide should at least be read before starting as you will come to a global understanding that the tutorial CAN'T and WONT give you.
What area does this guide precisely cover ? Do I have to read another guide coupled with it ? This guide covers every single area that we are knowledgeable about. You don't need to read it coupled with any other guide but you can (actually I recommend it) as they're in-depth ones, thus complete.
First of all, you should read the first advices BEFORE completing the tutorial as I will give you some knowledge regarding regions to pick and how to efficiently place your first buildings and NPCs. Don't ruin yourselves !! I will also give you the definition of some concepts that will be key-points in this guide :
Overcrowding = Said of either a NPC, a monster zone or a building. It is the phenomenon where players are too much in a single place thus resulting in a lack of resource (either quests, monsters or even space). This is the most bothering thing, you must avoid it as it is the major cause of unsub.
Unsub = Phenomenon of players unsubscribing. This is a major issue right now that must be fixed so don't worry if it happens a lot unless you get a negative ratio of sub/unsub. There is a problem with how you play.
1. Actually, the first thing you should know is that the tutorial is going to tell you to start with only 1 region level one. The first region you chose should be either SMALL or MEDIUM at most, you must absolutely avoid big ones.
Why ? Because you will have to build 3 "starter regions" (lvl. 1) for your guys or you will soon face a very very sad situation where either your buildings and your NPCs will be overcrowded thus resulting in a huge loss of money regardless of the size of your first region.
2. Once you purchased your first region and ended the tutorial immediately PAUSE the game.
Yes, pause it. Now. And read.
Immediately purchase 2 other (always small or medium) regions and set them to level 1 too. Build a Starting Point on each of them wherever you want and set the price of your game to 100$. Yes, do it. This is actually a very reasonable price as the AI right now doesn't really have any knowledge regarding the true value of ether a game and money but don't overexploit it. However, you should never ever go beyond the 10 or 15$ threshold for the sub-price, this is basically the worst thing you can ever do (set link).
Once you have all your regions (empty except the first one) with the Starting Point, jump to n.3 !
3. Time to get some knowledge regarding Players and NPCs !
Your "Quest Givers" have a set detection range required for players to see them. If you build a region that is too large your players wont ever see the NPCs and that's game over for you as you will lose money for nothing. Players will unconditionally level up before reaching him and set up for the second region. They will only socialize if there is none still ignoring him. Thus, why I recommended a small region isn't for nothing, it's actually to let you fully exploit multiple NPCs, making them less susceptible of being overcrowded.
Now that you've got the gist of it, select 2 monsters you'd like to set in each region and make 2 zones with the "normal" or "high" density not too far from the Starting Points. Make them long, but not deep ! (set link)
Then, make a road that starts from the Starting Point and goes to both zones. Make at least 4 NPCs next to the Starting Point and at least 2 next to each monster zone. Assign to each of the first group NPCs the task to go to see one of the Quest Givers next to the monster zone. To the second Quest Giver group, give the task to hunt monsters. Finally, set up a Respawn Point near the roads, between each monster zone and the Starting Point so players can move back easily. As there is a problem with the AI, don't go over 4 or 8 kills/quest !
4. Now, everything you did was in order not to overcrowd either the NPCs and the monster zones. But we're missing a last type of overcrowding : the space overcrowding. Players will have the tendency to move on roads. But we'd like them to occupy the rest of the space the region offers if they want to socialize, not the roads. So what we found right now is very very easy to sort out but most of us wont think about it for logical reasons : Build inns and taverns far from roads. You should at least build a Tavern AND at least a Small Inn in each of the four major direction (north, south, east and west) not too far from roads but enough for players to get away from it. Also, try making them at equal distance from the Starting Point so players don't overcrowd a single point, that would be pointless !
5. Congrats, you solved every major cause of overcrowding ! Now, lets learn where to put Shops, Blacksmiths and Potion Stores. These are not just decorations, they are absolutely necessary for the well being of your game development. You should set one Shop near each monster zone unless you find them overcrowded as players will want to sell their loot. I would also recommend placing Smithies AND Potion Stores (at least one per monster zone) in front of where you actually put your Respawn Points close to the road as players will want to buy life saving items and weapons.
6. There you go, you know have a perfectly balanced game base. It still misses four things though. The first one would be Scenery. This is a very important part of the game as a part of a player's happiness comes from it. This is the part where you should enjoy yourselves, I wont be giving any advice, just know that every 100 elements (including Sceneries which are the cheapest) you put down, will lead to an upgrade of your game thus unlocking new features ! I would nonetheless recommend you to wait the end of your second region to massively add Sceneries as it will cost lots of money !
The second element missing for a perfect early game with tons of income is to set level 2 regions. You should do it as soon as you have enough money. I wont tell you in details how to do it because you now know how to balance a region by yourselves !
The third, and one of the most important but also expensive elements is Network. Without it, your regions will just be junk and no one would be able to enjoy your game. Place one or two Uplink(s) in each region, in the middle if one, on the sides if two. I would advise you to put two, but it costs a lot in early game. You should now link them to the space with basic Network Cables (not Fiber) until all your occupied space (NPCs, buildings and Monster Zones) is highlighted. Try to do this as efficiently as possible, it's not cheap.
Lastly, get early advertising. Don't go with Vouchers, even if it's cheap as you wont get any income from game purchases. Game Exposition is also a no go as it's too expensive for you. I would recommend either Magazine or Web advertising and even both if you want to all in early.
Now, everything is truly tied up, nothing will hold you back anymore but make sure your subs are happy by looking after them or they will leave the game ! I don't encourage you over-buffing the monsters as it will result in a massive decrease of subs. I don't recommend over-buffing the players' classes too much as it will become hell to nerf them later on without losing thousands of subs ! Be sure to read our in-depth guides before doing custom-made classes/monsters !!
So if I want to start producing Chia Plushies and the materials (3 GREEN CLOTH + 1 NEOCOTTON + 1 RARE GEM + 1 PAPER BAG) cost less than 2900np, am I FORCED to start 8 jobs for these Chia Plushies? (100*8=800 chia plushies). Or can I mix and match these jobs? For example - 4 jobs for Chia Plushies + 4 jobs for Kacheek Plushies?
Not sure anymore about the first question, it's been too long ago, but for the second: You're not forced to do 8 jobs but they will be the most profitable if you do 8 or less. With 8 you'll have more profit then if you only did 4.
The "cost", for your first few batches of plushies, are to keep you on track. Yes, stick with Green Cloth, NeoCotton, Rare Gem, and Paper Bag. And make sure it is 3900 or less, before buying. Why? If I recall correctly, green cloth is the cheapest. HOWEVER, if red cloth, for example, is on special, and your cost is 3900 or less, then buy red cloth. NeoCotton, Rare Gem, and Paper Bag all add value to your plushies, when they are sold in your store. If you use Neofoams or the Neopian Times, sure, they will be cheaper to make, but, also, will not sell as much as if you use NeoCotton, so stick with it, for the first couple of jobs. If, at any time, any of the higher priced items are on special (gems, velvet bags) and you are under the 3900 or less purchase limit, then buy those.
The reason for the 3900 cost for your first job? Take a look at SungMinty's page under "Cost Accounting for the First Build ", and you may notice that after all of your first rents, recommended upgrades, labor costs, shipping costs, etc, that you will have approx. 3992 "cash on hand", from your initial 50, 000.
Yes, you can mix & match jobs. The idea is to find which type of plushie (Chia, Kacheeck, etc) sells for the best price. That price can change though, so while Chias might sell for a good price the first two cycles, the price could go down, the next, so making different types of plushies is a good idea.
They are friendly, and someone will try to answer your question, as best they can. There are "regulars", on the board. If you look through all of the topic pages, you will get an idea who is a "regular". They usually have the "best/correct" answers.
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