Poll: Potential solutions to the problem of running out of space to build factories

[colonel_truman]

One thing that should be done is to make the AI to size their factories better. Very often they choose the 4x4 to manufacture the small stuff (coconut oil?) when a 2x2 would do. I haven´t seen the AI use the 2x2 ever.

Hi colonel_truman, I have forwarded your suggestion to the dev team.

Fantastic. They often become unprofitable and then spiral down to bankrupcy because of the factory size.

If I might add here some other observation: the AI uses too little debt. It would make more sense to see them reaching out for loans to expand aggressively instead of waiting for the cash flow from operations to do so. That would spice up the games.
I´ve observed the game imposes a limit of about 1:1 debt/equity (to me at least) That could work for the AI too.

[avengerbg]

actualy in survival mode AIs build only small factories, for at least about 10 years, didnt go further in the game then that, for that period none of them build even single large factory, i imagine it have something to do with the demand of the goods, and what makes them unprofitable is the prise wars and specialy the player actions to take over market.

[colonel_truman]

actualy in survival mode AIs build only small factories

Ok, never played survival mode, thanks.

[David]

p.s. Another reason is that solution 1 is optional but solution 2 is not. Not all players would like the change. It is important that they are optional.

Solution 2 is optional too, one of large factories have capacity like now, the other one increased, you just build the one with same capacity as now and dont build the other one if you dont want.

As for confusion part i agree, also that people will start ask same for warehouses and more... probably i would be one of them too haha

I feel the same with the confusion part too.

So far, there are only a handful people who voted yes in this vote:
http://www.capitalism2.com/forum/viewto ... =14&t=7308

Thus it seems that letting users to use a script to increase the capacity of factories will be the best solution.

By greatly increasing the capacity of factories, most of the time, you will only need to build 2x2 factories. 7 cities should provide enough space for building all the 2x2 factories that are needed for producing all the products in RealWorld MOD.

What do you think?

[mrgarrettscott]

It is not my idea solution, i.e., multi-floor factories and warehouses, it is something so I'll take it. If I can fit four medium factories in the space large factory occupied, that is a win.

[avengerbg]

So far, there are only a handful people who voted yes in this vote:
http://www.capitalism2.com/forum/viewto ... =14&t=7308

Thus it seems that letting users to use a script to increase the capacity of factories will be the best solution.

By greatly increasing the capacity of factories, most of the time, you will only need to build 2x2 factories. 7 cities should provide enough space for building all the 2x2 factories that are needed for producing all the products in RealWorld MOD.

What do you think?

Hope the Ais wont keep building largest factories with this increased capacity, thus making them work always on loss .... Actualy another think come in mind, may be even dont touch capacity, but make all factories 2x2 in size, that will reduce greatly the space need to build factories, specialy in modded games.

PS. Also, its just cosmetics, but while we are on factories topic, i like to use different looking factories, to separate semi products from the rest, or food production from electronics, its not big deal, but posibility just to change the colors (theme) of factories, will be nice (not functionality or capacity, but the way they look, just different color should be sufficient)

[David]

Hope the Ais wont keep building largest factories with this increased capacity, thus making them work always on loss .... Actualy another think come in mind, may be even dont touch capacity, but make all factories 2x2 in size, that will reduce greatly the space need to build factories, specialy in modded games.

The dev team is planning to work on the AI improvement just as you suggested above.

[saffgee]

I'm genuinely surprised that someone gets to a point on vanilla that means all the space is used up and then doesn't want to play a mod, so I'm gonna say the onus here is on the modders to find a decent solution. I already implement enhanced and reduced footprint factories, but I can improve that further and I'm sure Piermario is on top of it on his mod as well.

As an aside, how about making factories modular - ie make them all 2x2 and then allow them to be joined up (or not). That way you can fit them together into funky shapes (like tetris). The only challenge is for the AI to understand how that works, but it would definitely take care of the space problem as all space could be effectively used. Lets say a maximum of 9 in any constellation should do the trick - might also carry a small bonus (4% higher production) per factory so added to add colour.

[mrgarrettscott]

I'm genuinely surprised that someone gets to a point on vanilla that means all the space is used up and then doesn't want to play a mod

This is probably true. I used to play vanilla, e.g., no DLC but that was a long time ago. The question is are the majority of active Capitalism Lab players playing unmodded Capitalism Lab? I can't remember the last time I started a Capitalism Lab game without the RealWorld Mod loaded unless I was trying another mod.

so I'm gonna say the onus here is on the modders to find a decent solution

If Capitalism Lab was no longer in active in development, I would agree with you. The games is being updated on a regular basis, introducing free content updates, bug fixes, and DLC. The team considers how the game was intended to be played, but also how popular mods change that original intent. The poll is an acknowledgement that space is an issue as the game was never intended to have landscapes dominated by factories and farms.

As an aside, how about making factories modular - ie make them all 2x2 and then allow them to be joined up (or not). That way you can fit them together into funky shapes (like tetris). The only challenge is for the AI to understand how that works, but it would definitely take care of the space problem as all space could be effectively used. Lets say a maximum of 9 in any constellation should do the trick - might also carry a small bonus (4% higher production) per factory so added to add colour.

I love this idea. Though getting the a.i. build a modular factory might be asking too much.

[colonel_truman]

As an aside, how about making factories modular - ie make them all 2x2 and then allow them to be joined up (or not). That way you can fit them together into funky shapes (like tetris). The only challenge is for the AI to understand how that works, but it would definitely take care of the space problem as all space could be effectively used. Lets say a maximum of 9 in any constellation should do the trick - might also carry a small bonus (4% higher production) per factory so added to add colour.

I added a poll to an old related suggestion here:

https://capitalism2.com/forum/viewtopic ... 645#p30645