MYOB is a mining exploration and share dealing game that plans to be a perpetual world. This design was written 2017 for mobile phone play and we already have ideas to modernise many of them.
New players in 'Mine Your Own Business' (MYOB) take control of a mining company that will search a map for mineral deposits and extract them for profit.
Mining Technology - For each type of mineral discovery there will be a rating of how difficult it is to extract from 1 to 99 (99 being highest) and each company in the game has a corresponding extraction capability rating from 1-99 for each mineral.
Mines and Mining - If your company has the required technology then it can build a mine to extract the resource and start receiving income from it.
Minerals - Prices of each mineral will vary throughout the game with world events affecting prices.
Warehouses - You also have the option to store mined resources in a warehouse and sell it at a later date. Perhaps you have a feeling the prices will go up or maybe you want to undermine (pun intended) rivals, build a stockpile and dump a large quantity in one go causing the mineral prices to go in a downward spiral.
Sell Mines - If your company does not have the technology to mine your discovery then you can sell the mining rights to other capable player companys. This is done by an auction process. When and if you accept an offer you will receive a signing bonus, regular commission and technology improvements from such co-operations.
Takeovers - You can also try to Takeover a rival company that has the required technology you need. This will be more difficult to achieve, take time, require a decent bankroll and it can be used mischieviously. If the takeover is successful you get all that companys assets. Companys that are run badly or not regularly cared for are more vulnerable to takeovers.
Share Dealing - Each player in the game is effectively a trading business (Public Limited Company PLC company) with a shares traded on the stock market. Every company has shareholders and your share price will go up when you make mine discoveries, manage them well and make profits but your share price can also go down if you are absent from the game for long periods or things are managed badly.
Respawns - When restarting the game you can start afresh or take the reigns of a previously computer controlled company.
Levels - To help long established players retain interest new challenges will be introduced as they gain in achievements. For example, unlimited warehouse capacity is ended and thereafter players need to plan, build and pay for any storage facilties. There will also be restrictions to prevent bullying of new players.
Cartels - Will allow company's to join together transparently like OPEC or in secret but conditions will apply to such collabarations.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MYOB I have been thinking this over from time to time since 1987 when I first wrote a licenceware game on the Atari ST called TYCOON. It was an unfinished solo game mixing geography and economic ideas spawned by my studies in those subjects at college. The game has been altered and a little simplified to what I think would be a great 4X MMOG.
Walk Through - Follow the Surveys link that will show you the first step of searching for your first mine but it will require you to solve a basic geological type related puzzle to find the hidden minerals.
Any comments welcome at s.rush@espsoftware.co.uk
