On balance when updating the game

Originally posted on cohost: 02/01/2024

A lot of the things I add to the game increase the players earning potential, this is a little tricky to handle as the economy and progression was very tightly balanced at launch and each addition moves things away from that.

I handle this in various ways.

1. Being mindful of when the player has access to the new thing and balancing it around that level of the game.

2. If a significant amount of extra income is available for any stage of the game, increase the cost of whatever main 'blocker' exists at that point.

3. Have the new thing be obscure or hidden, so it's available but more likely will be found later and only exploited in repeat playthroughs.

4. Make the new thing scalable so it is weak at first but improves the more the player engages with it.

5. Have it be an alternative to something existing (new choices or accessories).

6. Reduce the power of something else to make room.

7. Add it to the end-game so it's the least disruptive.

8. Unlocking the new thing has a cost of entry.

An example of 2 was increasing the midgame loan. Originally it aimed for around 8k (this varies a bit depending on how the player handles it) but as the earning power of Tutetown increased with new upgrades this became very easy to grind out and bypass entirely. To the point where it seemed so attainable that many players would feel compelled to go and do that. Grinding it out is still possible with the current value of 15k but it feels further away and so less players automatically go for that option.

Option 3 is probably my favourite route (I just love secrets) and they also adds replayability and maybe one day will be a useful speedrunning tool. Secrets are also great for building a community, people come together to share what they've found or ask for help. The discord has become very active with people helping each other.

I have some work to do on 7 because a lot of those endgame systems expect the player to explore and find them on their own. That is an aspect I want to keep but there needs to be some more nudging towards them because some players seem to reach that stage of the game and just grind out on the systems they've been using up to that point, and then they think things are taking too long and get annoyed. My plan to address that is to add an upgrade hub for those systems so the player can see that there are things they haven't found yet.