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Customer Mechanics

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Anonymous

I am working on a game where each player opens a small shop with hopes of (eventually) getting rich.

I have most of the mechanics worked out. One thing I can't figure out is how to decide how much they get paid from customers... I have a few ideas:

-Customer Spaces. Players move around a board, and on that board are different spaces. One type of those spaces would be customer spaces. Depending on the type of store you own, you would get a certain amount of money for each customer. This would be jotted down on a sheet and at the end of the month (every five turns) this price-rent=income. (Note: You would get the customer as long as you PASS the space, not land on, with a maximum three per turn.)(Another Note: You would get 1/2 of the money up front, and the other 1/2 at the end of the month.)
Pros: You will always get at least on customer a month (they are pretty close together).
Cons: With a set amount every customer, there isn't 100% chance that you get equal or greater then your rent a month.

-Customer Cards. As above, but instead of a set amount of money for each space landed on, the player would draw a Customer Card. Each card would represent X customers, where X is how many shops there are of the type of product the customer(s) want. A set amount of money would be on each card.
Pros: You can get custumers on other players' turns, giving you a better chance of getting equal or greater then your rent.
Cons: It is a random amount of money you would get.

-Customer Cards(2). As above, but on each card is a price with a # that goes with it. Then, players roll a dice and get paid that much (if their shop goes with the type of product the customer wants).
Pros: Players may get more money per customer.
Cons: Players may get less money per customer.

If you have any other ideas, please share them. Thanks in advance.

Scurra
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Joined: 09/11/2008
Customer Mechanics

The three systems you propose all seem based on an inherently random system - landing on spaces or drawing cards.
One way of avoiding this might be to give all the players an identical set of customer cards at the start of the game. These could then be used up during the course of the game, inviting a certain amount of tactical play as the players would have to choose whether to use up their higher-value cards early (to get better chances to invest) or later (when they might need to cover higher rents etc.)

Does your economic model evolve during the game?

doho123
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Joined: 07/21/2008
Customer Mechanics

I think it's "Scream Machine" which has a neat little patron (costumer) rule. In addition to building your coaster/amusement park to try and get as many patron to like you, there's a patron that "sits in between" each player. This card only is awarded to one of the two players. Which makes it an interesting tug of war for the cards against the two players you are sitting next to inaddition to the cards that all the players are fighting for.

Scurra
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Joined: 09/11/2008
Customer Mechanics

Or "ZooSim", in which there are a limited number of customers and they "defect" to the zoo with the best display of a particular animal type after each tile is played.

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