Dungeon is no Exception

Dungeon is no Exception is the fifth level of Tavern Tycoon.

New items

 * Express Shop
 * Gambling Den

Overview
When you first start to play this level, you will realize very quickly that your chances of failing at it are huge, as is the layout of the map. This time, you don't buy extra space as you need it (and can afford it), because the entire space that is available for play is all already open.

Tips
There are also a couple of new rooms to build: the Express Shop, and the Gambling Den. Both are used extensively by a fair range of characters, although I will say that building a small shop is more important than the gambling den at the very start.

The Express shop will be required by all patrons except for Locals.

The Gambling Den is used by all characters, but, the trouble with building this too early is that the Slot Machines and the Card Table are now set to make cash payouts of winnings, which can be very problematic for your cash bar. Only build this once you have in excess of 20,000 gold to be able to handle payouts without going under.

I usually build the Gambling Den with the charge for the slot machine at 30g, so that no-one uses it, but instead, I provide more smoking chairs, and charge an entry fee to the facility as well.

As in level 3, it is crucial to get your maidens researching new meals right away. You get a large reputation hit of -16 every time a patron asks for a recipe that your maidens cannot cook yet. Start with one bar, four tables, the smallest kitchen you can manage, and a research facility that takes two maidens. Build a staff room with four couches, a rest room with at least six toilets, and for every other room, only build enough to facilitate at least four patrons of the particular class at a time. You can extend them later when your tavern starts making a profit, and because the guest reservations are so large (rarely under 10 customers at a time, and up to 15 in some cases), you will need to make them larger so people don't wait around too long. The Spa is a special case: only build one bath, one changing booth and one towel rack, because Locals are rare, and the guest reservations for these are rare too.

Hire always the cheapest staff in the beginning. And then let things tick over until you get the first email that tells you the maidens have researched a new menu. Once you have this in the bag, the rest is fairly straightforward.

I have had a lot of difficulty getting through this level, and the way it seems to work best is to build the basics of everything, and then to expand them as money allows. Now that the WAIT/LEAVE function on the policy screen has been implemented, it means your guests can't storm out of your tavern in a huff when they have been waiting too long for a service...keep moving extra customers along if one area gets too crowded, so that at least you have some money coming in.

At the start only accept one or two guest reservations to keep the customers arriving at a fair rate. Your reputation is already very low when you begin, so having General Dion around to do inspections is pretty crucial, because he helps to top up valuable reputation and cash if you manage to please him. You will need both to stay afloat.

Also, the kids posing as an adult can be very helpful, because exposing them by clicking on them gives you +15 reputation as well as 15 gold, which can help to boost rep which is already so low.