Dev Log #19 — Economy Pacing Update

Zoo RPG runs in real time, so the economy should feel steady and earned — not like you can hit max size in a single afternoon. This update tunes the pacing and adds clearer levers for future tuning.

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🎯 Pacing Targets

With 60-second ticks, our goals are:

• First medium enclosure: ~90–120 minutes
• First attraction: ~3–4 hours
• Large enclosure / second attraction: ~6–8 hours

These targets keep the early game active while leaving room for long-term progression.

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✅ What Changed

1) Visitor throughput tuned down

Popularity now converts to visitors at a slightly slower rate:

• Visitors ≈ popularity ÷ 7 (was ÷ 6)

This reduces early snowballing without changing the popularity formula itself.

2) Visitor income multiplier added

Ticket revenue now passes through a global multiplier:

• visitor_income_multiplier = 0.85 (default)

This is adjustable live from the admin Economy Config screen.

3) Starting money updated

New zoos now begin with:

• $4,000 starting money (was $5,000)

That still lets you buy a starter enclosure + animals, but you’ll need to earn your next big upgrade.

4) Baseline income config

Baseline passive income is now a tunable economy config:

• base_income_per_tick = 1 (≈ $60/hour)
• enclosure_income_per_tick = 0 by default

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🛠️ Why This Matters

Real-time games live and die on pacing. This update keeps progress satisfying while preserving the feeling that upgrades are earned over time.

As always, we’ll keep adjusting based on real gameplay data. If you have thoughts, drop them in the Discord.