Setting up E-Commerce firm

Digital Age DLC for Capitalism Lab
JerryK440
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Setting up E-Commerce firm

Post by JerryK440 »

OK, I have tech researched in E-Commerce Core and IU. (123 & 155) The game shows a Total Tech of 0. Another company has levels 54 and 60, with total tech of 56. The two E-commerce techs are the only ones they have researched in Internet. Theirs works, mine says I don't have the required tech level.

What am I missing here???
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saffgee
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Re: Setting up E-Commerce firm

Post by saffgee »

If you bought that tech, I have noticed there seems to be a lag between the tech showing up in "total tech" - basically it looks like your screen shot below until the next month (couldn't say that was the trigger, but that's when I re-looked), at which point it seems to then show up fine....
JerryK440
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Re: Setting up E-Commerce firm

Post by JerryK440 »

Interesting thought, but I did the research myself, only tech I've purchased is Carbon so far.

(Edited because I can't type/spell.)
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David
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Re: Setting up E-Commerce firm

Post by David »

We will investigate the problem.

Could you please provide us with your save game file and let us know the following?
1) Which version of Capitalism Lab you are using. You can see the version number on the top-right of the main menu.
2) If your savegame uses a MOD, please let us know the name of the MOD and the MOD's version number.

You can find save game files of Capitalism Lab from:
C:\Users\<your user name>\Documents\My Games\Capitalism Lab Post-Release Beta\SAVE

You may provide us with your save game file by posting it here on the forum as a ZIP file attachment or emailing the save game file to us at info@enlight.com.
Rython
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Re: Setting up E-Commerce firm

Post by Rython »

Hello,

I have been testing the Digital Age DLC for a few days and I really appreciate the improvements and new mechanisms of the game. So thanks a lot for all the work already done.

I have some questions / remarks that could improve in my opinion the DLC (especially around E-commerce):

- It seems that AI competitors cannot sell anything on the player's E-commerce platform. This feature could create additional revenues for the E-commerce business while providing competitors with simpler access to all markets. Of course companies would have to pay a % of the sales or an amount per operation to the platform owner.
If this is already existing, please let me know how to activate it.

- Would it be possible to classify the products by category and allow E-commerce firms to compete to attract special range of products? You may then have the opportunity to build a platform focused on selling communication devices, computer, drugs, food, etc in addition to the current “generalist” profile (closer to Amazon).
It could be done by setting up a features quality budget subdivision linked to the product categories. Strategically, a firm would have to decide whether to “open” all categories and pay the associated budget or to focus only on a certain number of product categories but let a market opportunity to competitors. The features quality would be also done by category.
Especially for late entrants it would be the opportunity to enter the market on specific market niche to foster the competition.

- In addition you may want to add special maturity linked with product category, for example e-shopers would easier purchase books, computer, software and communication devices at the beginning of the game and would slowly accept to purchase car, drugs, and food (if companies are offering this service)

- It seems it is not possible to advertise for a product if it is only sold on E-commerce, would it be possible to add this functionality? You would be able to add the brand part of the product even if you don’t have the required retail stores footprint .

Hope it would add thoughts… Sorry for the spelling or mistakes from a French fan
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David
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Re: Setting up E-Commerce firm

Post by David »

- It seems that AI competitors cannot sell anything on the player's E-commerce platform. This feature could create additional revenues for the E-commerce business while providing competitors with simpler access to all markets. Of course companies would have to pay a % of the sales or an amount per operation to the platform owner.
If this is already existing, please let me know how to activate it.
We have thought about this when designing the e-commerce system but it will dramatically complicate the e-commerce interface, creating confusion and taking enjoyment out of it. If you see a way of doing so with an accessible UI, please let me know your ideas and I will forward them to the dev team.
- Would it be possible to classify the products by category and allow E-commerce firms to compete to attract special range of products? You may then have the opportunity to build a platform focused on selling communication devices, computer, drugs, food, etc in addition to the current “generalist” profile (closer to Amazon).
It could be done by setting up a features quality budget subdivision linked to the product categories. Strategically, a firm would have to decide whether to “open” all categories and pay the associated budget or to focus only on a certain number of product categories but let a market opportunity to competitors. The features quality would be also done by category.
Especially for late entrants it would be the opportunity to enter the market on specific market niche to foster the competition.
In my opinion, Amazon actually does sell products of all categories and specialization is not a key competitive advantage of e-commerce sites.

Also, this mechanism is not supported by the current system and it will be difficult to implement it.
- In addition you may want to add special maturity linked with product category, for example e-shopers would easier purchase books, computer, software and communication devices at the beginning of the game and would slowly accept to purchase car, drugs, and food (if companies are offering this service)
While this is a good idea, I am concerned that it may further complicate the game rules, leaving some players confused as to why some products are selling better than the others via e-commerce.
- It seems it is not possible to advertise for a product if it is only sold on E-commerce, would it be possible to add this functionality? You would be able to add the brand part of the product even if you don’t have the required retail stores footprint .
Actually you could add Advertising Units in your factories or warehouses to advertise your products.
JerryK440
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Re: Setting up E-Commerce firm

Post by JerryK440 »

After deleting and re-adding it a number of times due to frustration, I just let the game run and it did eventually work itself out. It just isn't intuitive as to why it isn't there on the initial setup.

If the delay is as intended, perhaps add a line saying the servers are being initialized or something....?
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David
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Re: Setting up E-Commerce firm

Post by David »

JerryK440 wrote:After deleting and re-adding it a number of times due to frustration, I just let the game run and it did eventually work itself out. It just isn't intuitive as to why it isn't there on the initial setup.

If the delay is as intended, perhaps add a line saying the servers are being initialized or something....?
This is likely to be a bug actually. If you could provide the save game at the point where the problem was not yet resolved, we will look into it.
Rython
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Re: Setting up E-Commerce firm

Post by Rython »

- We have thought about this when designing the e-commerce system but it will dramatically complicate the e-commerce interface, creating confusion and taking enjoyment out of it. If you see a way of doing so with an accessible UI, please let me know your ideas and I will forward them to the dev team.
I would have recommend to create 3 separate pages :
- one operation page for internal sales (the current one)
- one for the competitor’s product sold on the E-commerce business (would be like a TV station operation page : the player can decide the amount/% that each competitor will have to pay to sell product through the E-Commerce Business
- In my opinion, Amazon actually does sell products of all categories and specialization is not a key competitive advantage of e-commerce sites.

Also, this mechanism is not supported by the current system and it will be difficult to implement it.
Understood for the difficulty to implement it
I was thinking about Amazon (a Generalist platform) vs Steam (focus on games and software download), Norauto (Car spareparts) with successful business models but specialized on certain categories of product.

- While this is a good idea, I am concerned that it may further complicate the game rules, leaving some players confused as to why some products are selling better than the others via e-commerce.
Ok understood. Pity, it would have been fun to have to slowly influence customer habits or to launch service offer not matching the need.
- Actually you could add Advertising Units in your factories or warehouses to advertise your products.
Thanks, I did not think about this.
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framedarchitecture1
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Re: Setting up E-Commerce firm

Post by framedarchitecture1 »

One year after top post and this bug still persists.... Just purchased DLC, teched up as in top post, somewhere around 200 in both Core and UI. Says I have ZERO total tech, exactly as in screenshot.
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