2nd gear - set production to demand in range

[Eric.B]

You posted this in AeroMogul Suggestions. I moved it to the FBS Suggestions since it relates to GearCity: 2nd Gear.


Sadly, there aren't very many good options. And if some future bounties get added, you'll be typing a lot more, at least once for each component. On the flip side, there is a chance that the trim system gets merged, and so there will be a reduction in typing for trims.

Anyway, the big issue with your suggestion and with any sort of automatic setting of the production limits, is that the game does not know how many units needs to be produced before units have sold. If you don't have the design set for sale, the production system and estimation systems don't know the price, so demand calculations are not accurate. If the game waits to set production until after the first month of sales, then production is a month delayed. People will complain. If it gets the number wrong, especially too low, then you end up retooling often. And retooling is getting more expensive with balancing. Again, people will complain. If you put any sort of margin in, people will complain that the margin is too much or too few. Then with any sort of auto-systems, how does the AI know which factory to pick, since it can't spread it out like it did in the old system?

The old system cheated for the AI and when autoproduction was enabled. In that the vehicles sold, then the game set production numbers to match those sales, and if it couldn't get the sliders exactly right in a set amount of time, it fudges the numbers to match so there would be no inventory. (Because people complained about missing sales and inventory. So it's exact every time.) This can't be done in the new system because of the time delay when changing production limits.

Also note, the latest balancing efforts have significantly reduced the amount of vehicles that can be produced in a factory.

Here are some ideas for bounties, let me know if any of these appeal to you:
-Similar to the suggested price, we default fill the production limit for new designs based on estimated sales (if there is a price) or the estimated sales based on suggested price if no price is set. Add a +5% margin.
-Create an auto-tool that lets you assign unassigned designs to a factory. You can use the existing Mega Menu to limit location. You select a unproduced designs by selecting the design, the marque, or just all designs from a panel. In another panel, you set the guideline for demand (one month delay, estimated sales priced on current prices, estimated sales based on suggested price.) Additional production margin as a percent. Limit region based on mega menu selections. Etc.
-In conjunction with above, we make another auto-tool that lets you increase production limits with a broad range of designs or regions with simple button or slider. For example you select a region from the mega menu, click this tool, click the marque you want, then adjust the slider and hit apply. If you increased the slider for example 25%, then the game will increase production limits by 25% for that marque (or model, or everything) in that region. It will then retool.
-Final suggestion is to enable autoproduction and let the user use the same system as the AI. You will miss sales, you will over produce. Often by a lot. When people complain, point them to manual control or the old production system.


Which brings me to the final point. The old production system is still in the game. If you find the new system too cumbersome or plainly don't like it, please use the old system. There are bounties for improvements. Many of the new systems added to the game will still work with it. I spent a few weeks of my time to make sure both systems can work in the game. And I did warn in the mk2 production system bounty that it would be cumbersome to use in many respects. It's a tradeoff with realism. Which is why I left the old system in the game and great expense to myself.