The International Simutrans Forum

PakSets and Customization => Pak128.Britain => Topic started by: jamespetts on June 29, 2009, 11:23:27 PM

Title: Long term: industry chain suggestions
Post by: jamespetts on June 29, 2009, 11:23:27 PM
Working on balancing the industries has given me some ideas for new industry chains. I realise that these are not a high priority, but it is better that I state them while I remember so that they can remain an archive here for when somebody has the time to implement more industry chains and wants ideas.

Leather
Cattle farms produce leather, used in furniture factories and shoe factories, which produce shoes, sold in shoe shops.

Silica
Silica quarries produce silica, which is taken to glassworks to turn into (1) consumer glassware; and (2) building glass. The building glass goes to the builder's yard, the consumer glassware is sold alongside the china in the china shop. Later, electronics factories will spring up that require silica and plastics, and produce: (1) industrial electronics; and (2) consumer electronics. The consumer electronics are sold in electronics shops, the industrial electronics are demanded by later era car plants.
Title: Re: Long term: industry chain suggestions
Post by: Combuijs on June 30, 2009, 06:56:58 AM
QuoteCattle farms produce leather

No, they produce cows or maybe hides. Perhaps an intermediate factory: A leather factory or tannery which takes hides and produces leather?
Title: Re: Long term: industry chain suggestions
Post by: The Hood on June 30, 2009, 07:12:42 AM
Nice suggestions - just I'm a little wary of producing single chains which need so many inputs (e.g. builders yard) as they really clutter up the map quickly - one of the aims of pakBritain is to have a more streamlined industry structure than pak128.  Maybe if we could split the end-chain industries up a bit that might work.
Title: Re: Long term: industry chain suggestions
Post by: Zeno on June 30, 2009, 10:25:26 AM
I've seen a number of industry-chains discussions in the past, so let me contribute with my personal view/experience here:

I really think chains should be as short/simple as possible (2 to 4 steps). I always consider the current pak128 car factory as the most complex chain possible. That means, normal industry chains could use this layout:
* 2 factories involved = easy (direct) chain (producer-consumer)
* 3 factories involved = normal chain (producer-manufacturer-consumer)
* 4 factories involved = complex chain (producer-manufacturer-manufacturer-consumer)
* 5 factories involved = madness (eek!)

Goods should not be involved in more than 2 or 3 chains. As well, factories should have max 3 input/output goods. Examples:
* Coal can be consumed by coal power station and steel mills.
* Petrol can be consumed by petrol power station and chemical plants.
* Food factory: consumes fish,meat,bread, delivers frozen food.
* Chemical plant: consumes petrol, delivers gasoline, chemicals and plastics.

Increasing number of inputs/outputs would increase the difficulty of adding the correct industries to maps (many crossed goods chains) as well as industry balancing, which would be an absolutely crazy job.

Considering this, and following james suggested leather factory, I would propose it like:
* Farm -> (leather) -> Leather Factory -> (shoes/coats) -> Shoe/Coat Shop

It's only my personal oppinion, but I would concentrate in adding simple chains more than making current chains more complex. Do you agree? Maybe adding more simple chains have also bad consequences I can't see... Do you think so?
Title: Re: Long term: industry chain suggestions
Post by: stevenlim84 on June 30, 2009, 11:47:41 AM
Dear everyone,

I suggest building glass should be separated with glassware.

In real world, consumer glasswares and building glass are produced by different factory although they are glass. Factories produce consumer glasswares usually produce the glass for electronic industries.

Factories producing building glass can also supply auto glass (manufacturing process of these two products are similar). I suggest to have separate factory for glassware and building glass.

Building glass factory will supply glass to car assembly plant. This will be better.

Please feel free to discuss my suggestions.
Title: Re: Long term: industry chain suggestions
Post by: jamespetts on June 30, 2009, 02:21:15 PM
I like the car plant idea.

One other suggestion:

Gasworks

Consumes coal, produces chemicals (in small quantities comapred to the coal consumed). The chemicals are used as before.