The game has significantly improved by means of the first patch, thanks for the great work so far!
Whilst playing the game I ran into a problem with stockpiles and production buildings. You need to fill them with conveyors, usually from some sort of import slot, but then the game decides that it’s quicker to bypass the stockpile made by the machines, buy the items needed and fill the stockpile with that. It usually happens because the import and output slot are close-by so the system automatically connects them when you run passed them. Can we choose whether we want this/can such an option be added? because as is, there is no way not to connect multiple outputs of for instance window-makers with the importer causing above-mentioned bypass-effect.
I will look into this. I thought the game was always prioritizing the locally made stuff. I think whats happening is it does prioritize local production, but may be not realizing stuff in an intermediate stockpile is local? I shall investigate anyway…
Hi, I just checked the game, and the actual code, and it seems like right nwo the logic code for this goes like this:
How far away (in route finding terms is the nearest locally produced (made in-house) item?
How far away (in route finding terms is the nearest stored in a supply stockpile item?
How far away is the nearest resource importer.
It then chooses the nearest of those three, regardless.
I think it makes sense to prioritize locally made stuff, as theoretically this will be cheaper, but in a situation where the import slot is nearer than the stockpile, I’m guessing players still want to get whichever is nearest?
I’m going to implement the option to prioritize local production to a researchable process technology, I just need to do the AI and GUI for it.
Personally I’d like it if it is left to the player, because the reason one builds stockpiles is that the import slots are always busy, so even though they’re close, they’re of no use (but I already mentioned this elsewhere).
I wonder though, will you allow the option to pick per production line, because usually my lines end up connecting. An option might be to have a third option: prioritise stockpiles. Then you can choose per stockpile whether or not to prioritise local stuff, and the factory should work fine without trying to get stuff from the other side of the map.
this is another option, although it involves a bit of micromanagement in that case, as people would have to select each stockpile and make that decision… hmm…
I wouldn’t be against a bit of micromanagement about stockpiles, but i’m thinking of something which may be a bit different while easier to use.
With the appropriate research, it should be possible to manage resource imports (i think cliffski has wrote about it somewhere in this forum that it’s planned). I think it should work that way :
selecting a resource importer would make a menu appear, maybe at the items display, where workstations actually served by the resource conveyor attached on it would appear. Having on the left some soft of “lift arrows” up and down in order to set the priority and a box to check on the right in order to enable/disable the import.
Should the appropriate research completed, every workstation on the resource importer would be enabled by default. A box checked for a workstation would result of a fixed batch or resources conveyed to the workstation.
-> I think the game actually “calls” for resources needed and conveys these instead of executing batches since resources conveyed are never exactly the same.
Pro :
reliable resources conveyed, since one worstation have exactly what it’s required for its task.
Con :
on big workstations, the ones at the beginning of the game, some would convey big batches, which may be an issue if the batch is higher than 8 (the station would have to wait a full batch of supplies to arrive in order to begin the next task !), reducing efficiency.
the menu would need to allow specialized batches to be conveyed since some stations requires more than 16 items in order to complete a task, which may be confuse players at first (would they think they’re on the “slots” menu or the “resource imports” one ?)
Examples :
For the full “chassis assemble” station, the supplies required are 2 axles, 1 drive shaft, 1 undercarriage and 1 fuel tank, that makes 5 supplies. With the “smart supplies” enables the station would receive 3 batches or supplies, leaving an empty space in storage and each time a chassis is made one batch of 5 supplies is provided (or more if the resource conveyor is busy delivering supplies elsewhere and there is then room for it).
For a “fit body” station, which requires a lot more since it needs 1 rollcage, 1 hood, 1 trunk, 1 front bumper, 2 rear bumpers (mistake ??), 2 bottom trims, 2 front arches, 2 rear arches, 1 front vent, 1 roof, 4 door panels, 5 windows and at last 2 wings mirrors, which makes 25 items ! In that case for the first run the resources imported would be the 14 first ones (before the door panels since there’s no room for these), which would be ordered when the rollcage and the hood would be fitted.
Nice idea, bit wouldnt that still cause the game to buy Seats for instance to full machines or stockpiles when you have a perfectly fine batch of produced Seats at half the price? It isn’t of great importance now but if prices are going to react to your buying patterns, it could make a huge difference, like how in Big Pharma you could save tons of money by splitting stuff off and re-using it where needed for upgrades rather than endlessly importing it
No, since with my idea it would be possible to de-select an item from imports. That issue may be solved by local station detection on the resource conveyor line and specify to use factory produced seats it instead of imported ones. When doing this, the game should give priority to locally produced items unless instructed otherwise in the menu.
-> Maybe checkboxes of different colors or two different rows (one with an “import” sign, the other with a “factory” in order to use locally produced ones) ?
I think my idea may be a bit complex to code, but may be an effective may to manage supplies.
Just picked up the game and I am really enjoying it!
I like the idea “implement the option to prioritize local production to a researchable process technology”.
I think it might also be nice to have an option at each Import Slot to check a box, “Do not import locally produced items”.
Another or alternative option, although probably a lot more work, would be to implement a similar setup like you have with Stockpiles. However, instead of adding what can be imported at this Location, you could add items you do not want imported at that Import Location.
So you could exclude Fuel Tanks because you have a local Stockpile, it is just not as close to the Fuel Tank Installer as the Import Location is.
Early game when you have a supply stockpile for a fit bodywork or a fit engine and you manage the stockpile with the correct amount of resources for one of these units to run well, it’d be great to have a convenient option to copy the stockpile with those same resources if the player decides to place an additional unit to improve the car flow instead of actually having to redo a new list identically in the new stockpile.
need to change Supply Stockpile so items come in one corner and leave from the opposite similar to manufacturing items
stock in one side item out other.
then you could make large stock piles to draw from.
