u/swingsetlife

400 hours in. I realized on my drive to work today that I THINK while I've been waiting to "unlock" roads, y'all have just been using foundations, haven't you?

HAVEN'T YOU?!

Sorry if this is against the rules, but so many of you wanted a game to come from my 3D Blockbuster project, and now that it MAY HAPPEN, I needed to share.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SmashHitVideo/comments/1t294rl/this_is_insane_right/

Or possibly have someone talk me out of it.

https://preview.redd.it/v9zb5j0n3uyg1.png?width=3200&format=png&auto=webp&s=e00bdab97ac1d01b6d1914ec481e77d8065e1a2e

I have such a clear vision in my head now, but i feel like this project is an insane undertaking for someone who's never made a game before. But then I think of Ken and Roberta Williams coding all of those games without real tools...

So, here it is

SmashHit Video: Aisles of Adventure

A 16 Bit point and click adventure game a la Sierra's classic Space Quest.

You begin as a lowly clerk at a failing location of SmashHit Video. Your boss is lazy and dumps on you, the customers are surly, and the store is dirty. You need to clean it up, both physically and emotionally, bringing some pride back to the location, making the customers want to come there, and shelving every goddamned tape you see.

Then you move into (assistant) management. Now it's YOU who has to deal with underlings who don't respect you and a boss barking orders as you try to convert a now thoroughly mediocre store into best in the area. You have more power to try things now, merchandising, selling movies, reorganizing.

If you do it, though, you'll be a store manager, making the big decisions, and maybe even on your way to setting up your own store and designing it from scratch.

So, it's a sim, right? A sim plus a bit of rpg leveling?

Yeah, here's where I'm a crazy person.

As a clerk you hear tales of the phantom knocker who comes after close to distract you. There's never anyone there. And then there's the caller who recommends you watch the strangest movies and always seems disappointed when you haven't. And then there's the door in the back of the storage room, you know, the one that doesn't seem like it could go anywhere but the store room in the next unit over, and you know Steve from that store. No door on his side...

Because there's something strange happening under SmashHit Video, and sure, you COULD ignore the phone calls, knocks, and recommendations. Could pile boxes in front of that door and never give it another thought, managing the video store to your heart's content...

OR you could see what really dwells between the Aisles of Adventure.

going to be styled after VGA sierra adventure games (which gets us around the whole "copyrighted box art" issue as the boxes will mostly be pixelated nothing.

takes place mid-late 90s

you are a young man or woman, probably 16/17

you are a new hiree at SmashHit video for the Video Visionary position (CSR)

when you fill out your application you get a very mild bit of roleplaying stats options, emphasizing film knowledge, job pride, lazy/gogetter, etc.

10:39 AM

in phase 1, you're the video visionary, doing the menial work, putting up with a lazy assistant manager and a demanding boss.

mini games like running tapes, dealing with customers at checkout, video scavenger hunts were movies are behind wrong boxes, etc

at the end of every shift you get to take home a movie to "watch" (we don't see you watch them) but if you've watched one a customer askes about, you get bonus "pride points"

the smashhit video is the worst rated in the "quad state area" and there are three points tracks, your personal pride in the place (which is effected by customer ratings, etc) your boss's approval/disapproval of you, and the store's rating/ranking

the better helped the customers are, the higher the customer average happiness, the more customers come, which boosts both your pride and theirs.

dialog is handled through decision trees. if a customer asks you about Movie A, your options are to bluff, admit you don't know, or, if you've seen movie A, tell them what you really think.

At a point where the store's average has gone up and your personal pride AND boss approval numbers are up, you'll get promoted to Vice Video Vanguard, it's essentially assistant to the assistant manager. Here you'll be able to decide which tasks you want to do vs your co-workers. this can lead to issues if you always stick them with menial work. But as you do menial work, your personal pride and energy drop, so you have to balance that equation. HOWEVER, making these job decisions are noticed by the big boss.

Your next promotion is to Video Vanguard, as your immediate boss has been promoted to store manager and the big boss is now regional manager. As the store is more popular now, you have to start making decisions that will bring in more money, increase rentals, etc etc. Merchandising, arranging the new releases, pushing your underlings to upsell, etc.

As Video Vanguard you face a new conundrum, a frequent renter offers to give you cash under the table if you dupe a new release for him. Morality isn't a factor here, so this is just how you want to play. If you do this, you can make a decent side business getting into the bootlegging business, however, it will dent your store profits a bit, and you could get caught by the big boss or, worse, the cops.

If you hit your goals you can be promoted to Video Viceroy, store manager. Now you have the real tough decisions, because it's make or break it time, and you need to work out what your customers want and how to give it to them. Maybe it's waiving late fees. Maybe it's bringing in new genres. You definitely understand how frustrating it is when your employees don't do as you ask and corporate is breathing down your neck. Winning the game is bringing your Smash Hit video from last in the area to first.

POST GAME/SANDBOX MODE

You're given the option to open a franchise location of SmashHit video OR start your own indie store.

if you go with the franchise, you have an upfront fee that you have to pay back, but you get a lot of the major things you need up front, a stocked library, signeage, et all. If you go indie, you get to build from scratch and the up front costs are lower, but now you have to boostrap your way up.

Yeah, i've started work on a game. Since it legally can't be Blockbuster, it'll be SmashHit Video, and you'll work your way up from lowly CSR all the way to franchise owner. Going to be less sim and more sierra adventure/rpg game. with 1990s style vga graphics.

Hate that I have to send you to a whole other site (even if it's mine) but I promise it's worth it to explore the first test photosphere from the 3D Blockbuster project. It's not VR, but it ain't half bad.