Video Paradise Playtest · published · build 26328885
A new game now starts before the very first opening.
Ruth, Jo's sister, is waiting in the empty store to walk you through it.
The clock doesn't start until you open. The current step shows in the quest panel, and arrows point the way.
Keep at least 60% of your store's rental stock in one genre (with 30+ tapes) for 5 days in a row and the town starts to know you for it.
Earning that label for the first time unlocks the Specialised Shop skill. While the label holds, more fans of your house genre come in, and every weekly catalogue carries at least 4 of its titles, ones you don't own yet first.
Fall under 60% for more than 2 days in a row and the label goes. Earning it back takes the full 5 days again.
A promo kit now ships on its own, 2 days after you order the qualifying copies, instead of riding in with the tapes.
Have the standee or window poster up on the film's release day and fans line up outside before you open (3 for a poster, 5 for a standee). Open the shop and they come in one at a time, heading straight for the new film.
A movie that would run past midnight now starts anyway. It stops when the night runs out, and the tape stays in the VCR. Come back to the TV and press play to finish it: the timer picks up where it stopped.
A tape in the VCR can't be rented, shelved or sold, and it can't be ejected until the movie is over. Once it's finished it comes back to your bag.
The clock now stands still while you're talking to someone or using a panel away from the store (Fred, Diva, the storage unit...). At the store the day runs as before.
The end of the day is softer: a fade to black, then the report. The fax plays during the fade, and the music fades out instead of crossfading into the next day.
Messages stay on screen 2 seconds longer.
Messages that come in while a panel, a dialogue or the end-of-day report is open now wait until it closes. Panels where you move items around (the bag, shelves, storage) still show them right away.
A new oscilloscope sits next to the tape. It stays calm far from the fragment, gets busier as you get closer, and jumps to full agitation the moment you're over it: that's your cue to cut.
Wider paddle, faster ball, power-ups drop a little more often, balls move slower during multiball, and the aiming line is longer.
CHAIN REACTION (level 2) is redesigned.
FORTRESS (level 3) and the duel board got small tweaks.
Nephew's "?" (a console kit came back damaged) could stay over his head after the customer left.
Promo standee descriptions no longer stretch their tooltip across the screen.
New Report a Bug button on the main menu. It opens the Discord; the game itself sends nothing.
Alice is now named in her early scenes (she used to show up as "Friend").
New cartridge repair art, and a ratchet sound while a screw turns.
Updated art for one of the player characters.