New Age Cartel — Solo Dev Project & Public Beta Soon!

Hey all! 👋

For the past couple of months, I’ve been hard at work solo-developing New Age Cartel — a modern PBBG / text-MMO designed with a slick, responsive UI, deep player-driven economy systems, and custom artwork.

AI was used extensively in the game’s design and development, including most of the game design and systems planning.

Core features are coming together, and Public Beta testing will be opening soon! 🎉

Feature Highlights:

• Central Dashboard: Real-time character stats, profile tracking, syndicate status, and daily login rewards.
• Tiered Operations & Missions: Scale up from petty street jobs to high-tier syndicate operations
• PvP & Rivalries: Target lists, stat-driven combat calculations
• Underworld Training: Upgrade facilities from underground rings to private compounds to boost Strength, Guard, Agility, and Precision.
• In-Game Stock Market: Dynamic market charts, corporate ticker tracking, and interactive investment portfolios.

What to Expect in the Beta

Looking for active feedback to polish things before the full release:

• Balance & Economy: Testing progression pacing, combat formulas, and market balancing.
• Multiplayer Systems: Testing group mechanics, territory battles, and community features under load.
• QoL & Player Feedback: Ironing out UI flow, catching edge-case bugs, and taking feature requests.

If you enjoy modern browser games and text-based RPGs, keep an eye out for the testing link dropping soon. Would love to hear your initial thoughts or questions below!

Hi everyone, I’ve been a long-time player of text-based crime/mafia browser games, and I’ve officially started development on my own project. I’m aiming to capture that classic "persistent empire-building" feeling—committing crimes, training stats, navigating a player-driven economy, and climbing the ranks—without falling into the trap of making it feel like a "second job" or a stale spreadsheet simulator. Since this genre thrives on community interaction and long-term strategy, I want to build the features that players actually care about, rather than just guessing. I’d love to get your input: The "Mafia" Hook: In your opinion, what is the best way to handle the "Family/Gang" dynamic? Are there systems (like recruitment, territory control, or leadership roles) that you feel are underutilized or currently done poorly in existing titles? Active vs. Idle: How do you prefer the game to balance active effort (manual crimes/attacks) versus passive growth? Do you prefer a "time-based" system where everything is about efficiency, or a more traditional "energy/stamina" model? Progression & Burnout: What is a mechanic that usually makes you quit a browser-based RPG after a few weeks? Is it power creep, a stagnant economy, or perhaps the lack of meaningful endgame goals? Social Friction: What kind of player-to-player interactions (like markets, bounty systems, or coordinated attacks) actually make the world feel alive to you? I’m currently in the early stages, so I have the flexibility to prioritize mechanics that the community is actually hungry for. I'm not looking for marketing hype—just honest feedback from those of you who live and breathe this genre. Thanks in advance for your time and expertise!

Sharing a quick peek at the early dashboard for my Mafia project. It's still early days and definitely a WIP, but I’m looking for some constructive criticism on the UI. What’s working for you here, and what would you change to make the daily grind more intuitive?