Random Screenshots

Some of you asked for more screenshots, so here is a random collection. Nothing spectacular, just a little treat while I try to fix some big bugs.

Work is getting done

I just want to let you guys know that despite the lack of updates I'm working hard on the game. Almost all major features I wanted to add to the game for the alpha release are done.
Right now I mostly focus on getting the database ready, so I can start balancing the dynamic stat development. I don't have any cool screenshots or videos to show you, but that doesn't mean there is no progress.
Stay with me guys!

8 mins of gameplay

I realized I've never posted this video on the blog, so for anyone who missed it, here you go:

AI Studios, Franchises and Rights

I'm making steady progress on my way to the first alpha version. Yesterday I finished a feature that will greatly improve realism.
As you might know you can buy source material and franchises to create adaptions, sequels, remakes and so on. Now the AI Studios will do the same, so the rights you want to acquire might no longer be for sale. 



However you can always try to buy the rights you want from another studio. This will, of course, cost more and there is always the possibility that a studio doesn't want to sell you the rights to their most successful franchise, no matter how much money you are offering.  

 

AI Studios might also approach you with an offer to buy your franchises. If you're strapped for cash that can be a great way to make a lot of money quickly, but handing over a successful franchise to a competitor might hurt you on the long run.

Your suggestions for the Source Material Database!

I'm currently expanding the Source Material Database. Want to help? Head over to this thread in the forums and tell me which works and franchises absolutely have to be included in the Alpha.

http://filmstudiotycoon.proboards.com/thread/12/source-material-alpha

AI Sequels

Today I bring you a small but much wanted feature: AI Studios now produce Sequels of their successful movies!



One thing I can strike from the To-Do-List.

Road to Alpha

Most of you might already know that I'm planning on releasing a Alpha/Demo Version of the game soon-ish so you guys can keep busy while I work on the TV Show Feature.

For those of you interested I added a To-Do-List to the Forum Thread, so you can keep up with my progress:

http://filmstudiotycoon.proboards.com/thread/11/demo-version 

I also have another small update:
I reworked the Open Audition Feature. You now no longer get to see the complete stats. Instead you'll get a short summary that will give you a rough idea about this persons stats.





Even more important: I finally got around to implementing the dynamic development of stats.
Working on successful, well reviewed movies will improve fame, experience and skills while flops will decrease the stats. How big the effects are will depend on a persons talent. A very talented person will develop much quicker.
Not working at all is also bad as fame now decreases with every month. 
Getting nominated or winning an award will boost stats.
Attractiveness will also change throughout a persons life, increasing during puberty and the early twenties and declining after a certain age. 
I did several long term (5-10 years) test runs and it's really interesting to see how some people rise to the top while others fail.
The game is really starting to feel like a realistic movie business simulation...

Tiny Update

In light of the upcoming Oscars I made a small adjustment (that took an awful lot of time to code) to the award system. Nomination are now also listed in a persons profile and give a small fame bonus. It feels right... bein nominated for an Oscar is still a damn big achievement, even if you don't win.



In preparations for the demo version I also started working on the DVD feature and as always work on the database continues. There are now over 3800 movie titles and over 1000 persons in the database.
I'm trying to figure out a way to export and import database files, so you guys can create and share stuff if you want to.

Availability and Willingnes

Time for another progress update. Those of you who read in the forums already knew this was coming. Today I want to talk about the changes I made to the process of hiring people for your movies.
Up until now you could hire everyone at anytime for any project. Time for more realism!

First: Movies produced by AI studios no longer just appear in the game. They have a production time now and people working on these movies will be busy for the duration of the production and therefore unavailable for hire.
If you try to hire someone currently involved in another project you will get a pop-up informing you, how much longer the person will be unavailable.
(If you want to spare yourself the frustration you can now filter out people who are currently busy.)

 

If you mind is set on a certain person, you can halt production until he/she is free. 
However there is no guarantee the person will be willing to work with you, just because they have some free time on their hands.

Writers, directors and actors now have certain expectation. If your are able to hire them depends on their stats, on the stats of your movie and the people already involved in it, on the role you offered them and on your studios reputation. 
Some actors might look for movies with a high artistic value and won't be interested in action blockbusters, while others are more than willing to participate in such a movie. 



A very famous actor might not be willing to work with a unknown, inexperienced director but will be on board if Steven Spielberg is taking the helm.

Some people, like Newcomers or fading Stars, will be easier to hire, as they are just looking for a chance to work



In some cases a person might be interested but wants to negotiate the terms. They will tell you what it'll take to convince them and you'll have to decide if you are willing to go there or if you want to try your luck with a different actor.



Demands can range from a simple pay raise to adding parts for family members.




Some of you might have hoped for a more in-depth contract negotiation process and there is a very high chance I will add this later on, but for now I'm happy with this simple demand system. To be honest, I always found contract negotiations to be the most boring part in games like this.

Overall I think this update is a big step forward gameplay-wise. I hope you agree.

New Look

After the positive feedback in forum I decided to give the other menus a makeover as well. I hope you like the new style.











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Of course, none of this is final, but I think you get the idea...

Office Screen Re-Design

Initially I just wanted to make the news inbox a little bit prettier, but then I thought "Why not go all the way?", so I gave the entire Home Screen a make-over. 
What do you guys think? Should I use this "realistic" style for the other menus as well or should I keep it simple?



Tell me in the comments or head over to the forum.

More Events

After finally figuring out how to customize the windows message box (a lot harder than it sounds and than I thought it would be), I added a few more events to the game. Some of them require a decision from the player. Most of the events and decisions you make will influence the movies stats in one way or another.

Here are a few screenshots:









I want to add a whole bunch of them to keep gameplay from getting repetitious.

As always, you input and ideas are welcome. Help me out and post you event ideas in this thread:

http://filmstudiotycoon.proboards.com/thread/4/event-ideas

Movie Ratings and a teeny-tiny update on TV Shows

I finally got around to adding a basic but essential Feature: Movie Ratings. I took awhile, because I added and changed a lot of the code related to a movies quality and success. 

Each movie now has three important "scores": Quality, Mass Appeal and Artistic Value.
These three scores are influenced by a lot of variables and stats (Genre, Script, Writer, Actors, Director, Budget).
When a movie is released it get's two ratings, one from movie critics and one from the viewers. The critics rating is influenced more by the artistic value of a movie while the viewer rating depends more on the movies mass appeal. Quality is equally important.





In other news: Work on TV Shows continues. There are still my miles to go, but the "groundwork" is almost done.





These two screenshots look very unspectacular, but code wise they mean a lot. Producing a TV Show is now possible (bare bones though). The next step is writing the code for calculating the success and ratings of a TV show.