Improve Computer Store

[Brutus]

Originally the computer store was a 2x2 building.

With the graphics update it had become a 3x3 building in terms of land use. However it still functions in every way and shape like a small 2x2 building in terms of sales capacity and even visually if you look at its front door ... that's a 2x2 building

> Its setup and maintenance costs are that of a 2x2 building.
> Its storage and sales capacity is a 2x2 building. (small capacity, only half of what a normal 3x3 store offers such as the electronics store)
> Its a specialty store for 'Computer' class and specialty stores are generally a 2x2 building (except for some some unique cases).
> Computer Stores are a primary location to sell software in but software doesn't have a large consistent demand and right now cannot be sold in conveniently smaller 2x2 stores which it desperately needs. Meaning you have to build larger stores and waste a lot of sales capacity to provide for the plethora of software products. A smaller 2x2 building size would provide a better option to sell software in as compared to other larger stores like department stores or electronic stores.
> Computers can no longer be sold in electronic stores since digital age DLC, this means you need a lot of Computer Stores to properly sell Computer class products. Roughly twice as many stores as before but the building is also 50% larger than it was before. So you have to build a lot more computer stores than previously was necessary to fill demand. This bloats the city map with a lot of computer stores all over the place.
- The Computer store is an anomaly in an otherwise consistent framework in building sizes, costs, storage capacities and utility function.

The computer store would also fit much better in cramped cities and expensive real estate locations if it has the 2x2 layout it originally had before the graphics update. Computer stores are high value low volume stores at expensive locations in real life so there is no need to represent them with a larger 3x3 building like electronics or furniture stores which represent stores with larger volume products. But most importantly the store takes up more space than other stores for the actual capacity that it can provide. It only has half the capacity of what you'd normally get out of a 3x3 building because it still has the stats of a 2x2 building and was never updated accordingly.

Therefore I propose two possible improvements.

Possible Solutions:
Option A: Reduce the Computer Store size to a 2x2 size to fit with its current retail function.
Option B: Increase the Computer Store sales and storage capacity to that of a proper 3x3 store.

Let me be clear that for option A the intention is not for the old building model to come back, but for the current model to be downsized to fit a 2x2 size.


P.S
Looking for the UI improvement fix? Did you do your civil duty and vote for the party I told you to vote for? If so you honorably deserve this download as a capitalism lab citizen.

UI Mod.zip

(21.23 KiB) Downloaded 101 times

For content and installation instructions of the UI mod see: https://www.capitalism2.com/forum/viewt ... 440#p35440

[David]

I've got some feedback from the dev team about your suggestion:

Yes, 2x2, make the store the same small size as it functions in-game.

The building looks nice in 3x3 and we think it would be best to keep it as it is.

Yes, 3x3, make the store have the same function as a medium sized building (more capacity).

This is a sensible suggestion. But increasing its capacity will require increasing the store's setup costs and monthly operating costs and this will affect gameplay balance. Right now, the gameplay balance seems okay, despite that the land acquisition cost is higher than usual. Making this change may potentially create an unwanted effect of making AI companies harder to survive in their early stages of expansion under the Digital Age DLC.

Since nobody has complained about the gameplay balance of the computer stores, it may as well be grouped under the category of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", as changing it would run the risk of introducing new gameplay balance issues.

[Hans_Lemurson]

I've got some feedback from the dev team about your suggestion:

Yes, 2x2, make the store the same small size as it functions in-game.

The building looks nice in 3x3 and we think it would be best to keep it as it is.

Yes, 3x3, make the store have the same function as a medium sized building (more capacity).

This is a sensible suggestion. But increasing its capacity will require increasing the store's setup costs and monthly operating costs and this will affect gameplay balance. Right now, the gameplay balance seems okay, despite that the land acquisition cost is higher than usual. Making this change may potentially create an unwanted effect of making AI companies harder to survive in their early stages of expansion under the Digital Age DLC.

Since nobody has complained about the gameplay balance of the computer stores, it may as well be grouped under the category of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", as changing it would run the risk of introducing new gameplay balance issues.

The construction-price of a store is mostly irrelevant.
The costs of setting up a store are minor compared to the land purchase costs, especially if you try to put them in high-traffic areas. Setting up a 3x3 store will have a land cost 225% that of a 2x2 store.

The expanded Computer Store is basically the equivalent of setting up a Convenience Store in the footprint of a Supermarket.

Some actual numbers:
Let's assume a land price of $800,000/tile (the outskirts of an average-cost city).
A 2x2 store requires $3.2 million of land, and $0.5 million to construct. Total cost: $3.7 million, Monthly Overhead: $0.05 million, sales factor: 1x
A 3x3 store requires $7.2 million of land, and $1.0 million to construct. Total cost: $8.2 million, Monthly Overhead: $0.10 million, sales factor: 2x

Computer Store:
A 3x3 store requires $7.2 million of land, and $0.5 million to construct. Total cost: $7.7 million, Monthly Overhead: $0.05 million, sales factor: 1x

Compared to a normal 2x2, you're spending an extra $4 million with nothing to show for it.
Compared to a normal 3x3, you're saving $0.6 million/year, but it's costing you half of your sales capacity.
To match the sales capacity of a normal 3x3, you'd need to build two of them, and spend an extra $7.2 million on land.

It's bad enough you'd be better off selling computer products in a Department Store, except that those have anemic sales growth without expensive high-traffic land. So it probably breaks even compared to building two Computer stores.

It's clearly a problem, but here's the question: Is it really a problem? All it really means is that "Computer retail is more capital intensive than other retail". But...so what?

I don't think it really breaks the game, it just creates some odd inconsistencies.
It means that specialty stores like Computer Stores and Sports Stores have a 3x3 footprint, but are only half as effective as Furniture Stores or Automobile Outlets.

It means that those products can probably be more effectively sold in Discount Megastores than their own specialty shops.

[David]

It's clearly a problem, but here's the question: Is it really a problem? All it really means is that "Computer retail is more capital intensive than other retail". But...so what?

What's your preferred way of changing it? Which option did you vote at the poll?

[David]

Update: The dev team has decided to increase the operating capacity and setup and operating costs of Computer Stores and Sports Stores based on its 3x3 footprint.

[Hans_Lemurson]

It's clearly a problem, but here's the question: Is it really a problem? All it really means is that "Computer retail is more capital intensive than other retail". But...so what?

What's your preferred way of changing it? Which option did you vote at the poll?

I was a bit uncertain myself until I realized that there were other 3x3 specialty stores. It took me a while to set up a situation where I could verify that a Furniture Store has the same sales capacity as a Department Store.

Update: The dev team has decided to increase the operating capacity and setup and operating costs of Computer Stores and Sports Stores based on its 3x3 footprint.

Sounds fine to me. So long as 2 small stores are equivalent to 1 medium store it all balances out. And since they clearly like the larger graphic, making it a "medium" store is the way to go.