The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Let's Play: Idol Manager - Making an Industry out of Melodrama
cj iwakura
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
Wait, no, not them, come back!
That's better(?).
Idol Manager is a PC management sim released in 2021 by a group called "Glitch Pitch", based on a successful crowdfunding campaign.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/821880
Idol Manager is a business sim about conquering the entertainment industry using any means you deem necessary.
Unlike Idolmaster, Idol Manager is not all sunshine and rainbows.
This industry is cutthroat, expensive, and most of all, dramatic.
There will be scandals, controversy, and possible bankruptcy if we don't play our cards right.
Still, we'll get there soon enough.
First, please, selecta you manager:
Also, their first and last name, as well as the name of their prospective group, which will totally top the charts and crush Japan beneath their iron boot(or heel),
thus ushering in a glorious reign of the Thousand Year Idol Kingdom. Maybe.
In addition, there will be a Rival. Think like SMT2's but with better hair.
They can also be a male or a female.
Unlike SMT2, I have no idea if we can turn them into demon chow, but we can hope.
So far, from the Steam thread:
Stabbity Style wrote: »Manager should be a woman, name of the group should be Jalapeno Pop.
+7
Posts
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
A man, named Jiro Kyoku.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Rival named Champon Balireau
Rivals: (male or female?)
Oh. These ones.
Senzai = Japanese for "soap"
Jiro = Japanese male name, phonetically close to Jerry
Kyoku = Japanese for "song" or "piece of music" or "tune" (coulda gone with Kageki, but I liked the way Kyoku sounded better)
So it's:
Mike and Jerry
Soap Song => Soap Opera
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Correction, it seems like you don't get to name the rival.
We have to pick a group to start with, and here's our five (RNG'd) contestants!
Ooh, a shiny!
We need a minimum of three, or could hire all five(!?)!
Steam profile.
Getting started with BATTLETECH: Part 1 / Part 2
She's a rare pull, they have higher base stats, so yeah, she's kind of an automatic inclusion. :P
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
3DS: 0473-8507-2652
Switch: SW-5185-4991-5118
PSN: AbEntropy
Now that our crew has been assembled, here comes the hard part:
managing them.
Prior to doing anything in Idol Manager, you need a staff.
Producer-san can't do everything on her own, after all(sadly).
The primary and most essential staff members are your choreographer(who trains the girls in dance and does the choreography for their singles), the music producer(who trains them in singing and does the beats), and the business manager(who handles marketing and helps ensure that they, well, make money).
There's also the doctor and fashion consultant, who are nice to have, but not really essential, especially in the early game.
Unfortunately, they also require workspaces of their own, which is one of the biggest costs you'll incur(if not the biggest), since in addition to rent, you have to pay their salaries.
Now that we have the fundamental staff in place, we also have some questions to address on just how Jalapeno Pop will be managed...
While these don't really change the course of the story, they can have a massive impact on the morale of staff, the group's reputation, and especially, their finances.
These choices primarily affect the morale of the girls, namely how much or how little free will you want them to have:
Our choreographer has some priorities to bring up, too:
It seems like(and it is) a lot, but it's basically statistical stuff that can be easily updated or changed as the tides of the industry and your idols change(and they will).
Also, we should decide how our first single should go! Don't let them sit around doing nothing.
What should it be titled, how should it be marketed, what sort of genre will it be(hip-hop, EDM, dance, etc), and what kind of dance should go with it?
Note that we'll have to do research in each area to go that route, which is accumulated over time when staff are idle in their offices, but that's not a big deal, since points can also be bought on the fly.
The competition is already stepping up.
My suggestions:
Photoshoots: We'll need the photos as promotional material anyway, and as far as TV and advertisements go we're just pretty faces at this point, so let's start there. Once we've developed some talent beyond our initial forays we can look into variety shows.
Cute: Our staff is either already fairly cute or has high cute potential Let's lean into it!
Rebellious: We're Jalapeno Pop! We don't do orthodox.
No restrictions on Social Media: You get the real deal with Jalapeno Pop - no filters, no control from "The [Wo]Man." Maximum. Soap. Opera.
No restrictions on Streams: Again, Soap. Opera.
No restrictions on Dating: Ew.
Don't automatically increase salaries: We're just starting out, we can't let things balloon out of control without our direct control. I'm assuming we can manually increase salaries if we need to?
Security: Normal. We're not going to have the screaming fanbase yet that might indicate a need for restrictive security. Neither do we want to ignore it entirely.
Short skirts with safety shorts / Long skirts: We're not running a porn business.
Energy and enthusiasm: Jalapeno Pop doesn't go for technical excellence (yet?). We keep it real!
Single: Our first single, "Spicy Beat [Of My Heart]," is an EDM Love song with Cute choreography. Since no one knows who we are yet, we need to get the word out via an Individual Handshake Event.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
Most of this looks fine, but go the complete opposite direction with some of them.
This is a business. No free will allowed. Control everything!
(It's horribly skeevy and gross irl and thus I've decided that we should be evil and do it.)
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
Steam profile.
Getting started with BATTLETECH: Part 1 / Part 2
I wish.
(And his group, if you like.)
Bad news: the single was a massive bomb, it seems like it's impossible to make any sales with a handshake event from jump street, digital is the only way to fly.
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]