Hello there; Currently designing a tycoon game in which the player owns their own take out business, bit silly I know but I wanted to stray away from the normal. The player orders in food, puts out a menu, hires those delivery guys/girls and then watches as his people deliver. The game is side on, with the whole town being massive towers connected by wires and walkways with landing pads at apartment and shop floors. Instead of moped or scooters the delivery men drive the anti-gravity equivalent. There are gardeners and police patrols like you would have on any normal city but they go about their business very differently. On to my question, I'm looking for ways to make it challenging for the player and ways he can advance, at the moment I have the fact that he can buy more shops to hit more areas quickly. Also the player will be able to improve advertising from little posters stuck on towers to full blown neon signs. Apart from the obvious lateness or crashes due to poor staff or equipment which could be improved as you go along, I can't really think of much else. I have thought about the police causing problems, but can't really think why. Maybe I should introduce a new flying faction that makes it harder? Maybe competition in the take-out business is intense? I don't want to over complicate the game as I want it to be a fun part time thing, a casual game if you will. Any inventive or innovative things that could help me out of this design block would really be appreciated. Thanks. [Edited by - Punk Designer on January 27, 2010 6:03:16 PM]

A couple of possible mechanics:

- Accepting or denying customers' refunds / running "free pizza if it takes more than X minutes" deals (affecting your popularity etc.)

- Ripping off customers with sub-standard products (i.e. juggling the lower production costs with potentially pissing off customers)

- Telling delivery staff to travel at a certain speed (e.g. making them break speed limits to avoid late deliveries - this might be a way to involve the police patrols)

- Selling illegal/black market goods (making money on the side but risking police interference if a delivery person is pulled over)