An old picture of the iconic experience Lumber Tycoon by Defaultio 
Defaultio is a notable creator or influencer verified by Roblox Corporation. Learn more. from late 2008.
Tycoons are a genre of experience on Roblox in which users get to own a base, usually a business or a company of some kind, and must use “droppers” to earn cash, which can be spent on upgrades to expand the tycoon. Despite the name, it is usually reminiscent of idle genre, not the business simulation genre, which is also called the tycoon genre. These experiences often have products available for purchase with Robux.
History[]
Early history[]
In January 2008, a Roblox scripter, uberubert, created an experience called "Bread Factory Tycoon". This was quite popular at the time, receiving over 36,000 visits before being replaced by another experience.[1] As the experience was uncopylocked at the time, many scripters took advantage of this and started creating their own tycoons.
Modern[]
McDonald's Tycoon, a historical tycoon that was on the front page in 2017, but has now become irrelevant and was eventually deleted, but later re-opened as McRonalds Tycoon.
In around 2015, tycoon saw a significant resurgence, largely due to users such as berezaa berezaa is a notable creator or influencer verified by Roblox Corporation. Learn more. and Zed_Gaming who popularized the genre. They have also published "tycoon kits", which allowed many users to create their own tycoons with minimal effort.[2][3] By 2016-2017, as Roblox began promoting tycoon experiences more on the front page, YouTubers such as DanTDM, FGTeeV FGTeeV is a notable creator or influencer verified by Roblox Corporation. Learn more., and ItsFunneh played numerous tycoon experiences, with many of their videos receiving over 10 million views. This helped further popularize the genre.
Subgenres[]
Sandbox Tycoons[]
The first instance of an sandbox tycoon experience came from developer Dued1 Dued1 is a notable creator or influencer verified by Roblox Corporation. Learn more. when he created Your Store Tycoon in 2009. Starting in 2016, some modern tycoons have begun to diverge from the old model, by becoming more like simulators designed around customizability, which allow users to unlock upgrades and expand their bases and structures in new ways. Examples of these tycoons are Restaurant Tycoon 2, Retail Tycoon and Theme Park Tycoon 2. Since 2021, war tycoons such as Military Tycoon, in which troops are sent to fight at the center of the map have also gained increased traction.
Basics[]
Usually, a base is claimed by walking into a door. Then, there is generally a button to get a free dropper. This dropper requires users to manually click to create a brick. Bricks created this way will fall onto a conveyor belt, which leads to a neon material. Once a brick touches this material, it disappears and one dollar of credit is added to the user's tycoon. After clicking the button, stepping on another specified button will allow a user to collect their in-experience cash. More buttons will spawn over time, allowing users to buy more and more things. Some of these are more droppers, some of them are upgraders, which increase the dollar value of each brick passing through them, some are base infrastructure or decoration, and some are weapons which allow for combat between base-owners.
In some tycoons, such as mining tycoons or lumber tycoons, users are required to work manually. Usually, a tool is used to do this. This method usually involves going up to an object and putting the tool into the object. Another fairly common type of tycoon has cash that is automatically delivered to the player, and the cash simply comes faster more after a user buys more things.
Oftentimes, in order to purchase an advantage in Tycoons, it can be purchased with the use of Robux or, in some cases, alternatively via a lengthy process which may involve rebirthing.
Rebirth[]
Rebirthing is the act of resetting one's own current state or level in a tycoon, usually as a means to gain advantages or achievements which the tycoon offers. This is similar to New Game Plus mode in other video games.
Rebirths tend to be found around some parts of the allotted land for the base. When available and unlocked, a user's current progress will disappear and the user will have to start from scratch, but they may unlock various advantages.
Multiuser[]
There are a few types of tycoon. On top of the original single-user tycoon, there is also the 2-user tycoon, a newer type of tycoon which allows two users to collaborate on completing the same tycoon base.
Completing a tycoon[]
The tycoon ends when a user purchases the last upgrade. The last upgrade that can be bought by is usually a very expensive statue or object. At times, a badge may be given for completing the tycoon. After this, users cannot continue building their base, but may explore it or others’ bases. They may also continue to engage in combat.
Criticism[]
Users have varying amounts of dislike against tycoons for a multitude of reasons. Many users do not find dropper-style tycoons worth visiting for their style, which may be considered overused, homogeneous, and boring. Many use generalized negative comments towards tycoons, such as, "Tycoons are lazily made", or "All tycoons have Free Models". Some users also dislike that some scam tycoons change their thumbnails every day or every hour. For example, many experiences with different titles (e.g. Trick or Treat and Parkour) might just all teleport visitors to the same tycoon. Some tycoons are so poorly received that they have a like-to-dislike ratio below 25%.
References[]
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