Brand newbie feedback on stock and buyouts

from Offworld Forums

I wanted to write this up before I read the forums or keep playing and figure this out.

It's hard to determine the outcome of buying shares, especially in the late game. For instance: two companies remain. I own most of the other, and most of my own. They buy out the last of my stock, and I'm fired. I have no idea what happened -- and that may not even have been what occurred, but it's how I was reading the relative shares. I don't have a concrete suggestion on how to resolve that besides throwing up a "buying this will end the game with you being fired: go do x, y, or z" warning.

And conceptually, here's what's causing brain pain:

- I thought that it would be *majority* share that mattered for control, and let off the gas when I had 50%+

- I don't understand why it's that last chunk being bought that triggers everything, since in real life if I own 80% and my opponent 10% of a company, they're borked.

- As a result of those, I feel like I'm lost about what to do except when it's "buy all of the other person's stock and shut them down"

- The changes in valuation are confusing: if my company uses cash that was part of its previous valuation to buy another company, if both were fairly valued, neither company's fundamental valuation should change -- any change should just be perception

- In real life, if I'm a company and I buy back x% of my shares, I don't own those at all -- they're retired, and the price/share of the outstanding ones goes up. I don't understand why this isn't the case here

 

I felt like I got through the intro and entirely understood claims, and enough to start figuring out managing debt and resources, but the thing that wins and loses the game is entirely beyond me right now. And if people can't understand why they're winning or losing, well... that's no good.

 

4,071 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Offworld Forums Top

If it helps, Imagine that the "buyable" shares are only 51% of the "total" shares.  You only win when you get "all" the shares, because hidden from the screen is the rest of the shares that you dont have to buy, cause you only need 51%.

 

But (I assume) some simplification of the whole "shares" thing had to be done, for either or both of balance or gameplay reasons.

 

Because, lets imagine 2 players both own "all" of their shares. Great, now they are private companies, and cant be brought out, and we have a stalemate.  Not great for a game designed to be a competitive multiplayer game.

Reply #2 from Offworld Forums Top

I think the share purchase and buyout mechanic is pretty good, but it's counterintuitive because it doesn't work like real stock. New players need it explained to them, and I'm not sure what a good way to do that in-game is.

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Reply #3 from Offworld Forums Top

There is definately something wrong with it.  I went four on one against the UI and I owned 80% of 3 UI's companies yet the 4th UI took all three somehow AND killed me even though I had twice the money and resources.  Once you are locked into a position where neither can buy the other persons stock there is no end game, the UI just wins by default.  I can't even figure out the end game on single player after I make 12/12, vast resources, still lose.  I even tried violence since I cannot figure out the win using stocks when I own ALL of my stock and most of theirs.

 

EDIT: I found my issue.  When you are stalemated you should be able to hover your cursor over the + symbol when all their stock is out and it will give you a total buyout price.  This was not showing up for me.