I am in a contstant process of updating PAK-files.
My present scenario is a NW-Europe-map of 2075*2423, quite exactly on scale (1 tile=125m) , gamespeed 24 BpM.
All coordinates via google and citysizes via Wiki. (populationgrowth 2%/yr)
This scenario is now 35 years old and I am still happy with it.
I am running EXP 11.34, wich is very stable. This is important, because such a low speed scenario makes it often
necessary to let it run in the background. This low 24BpM speed, combined with better PAK's, makes it great fun to play
with. The goal is: Simulate the real world in all era's as good as possible. Also financialy.
In 1894 I use as passenger fee: <5km=0,11HCr; <10km=0,08HCr; <100km=0,05; and >100km=0,03.
This is still more than Acworth indicates. I have however a monthly profit of ~700K, so I will make the fees lower.
I aim for: <16km=0,05HCr; <32km=0,04HCr; >32km=0,03. This is roughly the Acworth indication.
Working on this I noticed that my steamloc formula for fuel-consumption was based on a coalprice-inflation of 3%.
In reality this was however comletely different. Untill ~1930 coalprices hardly changed due to competion and
mechanisation. After 1930 prices were going up. This has a large impact on runningcost so I am studying on a better
approach.
During this reflctions I noticed a new problem: How do you handle investments.
If you look at prices for building railway in the year 2000 you see that you are talking about millions instead of
hundres. The depreciation of those expensive items has to be covered by : Operating profit - maintenance (in-
frastructure+vehicles). I have in my runningcost formula also here a mistake, by putting the depreciation in the running-cost.
So a little to gain.
The infrastructure-maintenance issue is quite simple: I use 2%/year. This is a lot less than the original PAK-files use.
After a lot of thinking I concluded that all investments have to be calculated with prices for the era. I use an
inflation percentage of 3%.
I use for conversion: 1 HCr = 1 Euro = 1 USD. Until 1940 1 Pound = 5,68 HCr Pound after 1940 tbf.
The problem in Simutrans is the use of different time-scales at the same time.
The execution (actual transportation of items) is 1 on 1. The financial timescale (depreciation) is 1 on 150 (at 24BmP)
Example: Rail in 2000 cost 1.000.000 HCR/km (light rail)
The price for that rail will be in 1890 : 1.000.000*0,97^110= ~35000 HCr/km.
An hour at gamespeed 24BpM takes ~24 sec real time. So you have 3600/24= 150 = timescale.
This 150 timescale means that, in the example, you had in 1890 (in reality) 150 times more time to cover your
depreciation or in other words you are not able, if you are using fees of the era, to cover your depreciation
of 35000HCr/km
A solution can be to use 1/150 part of the investment. So 35000/150= 233 HCr/km combined with 2%
maintenance makes 4,66/12= 0,39 HCr/km/month.
I think that the same theory can be used for vehicles. However, if you do this in the program as is, you will be
confronted with very low prices for vehicles. (All of era-reality/150 at 24BpM)
Especially for vehicles this approach will not give you the right "feeling".
A solution can be here to enter the era-price between brackets in the name and at the cost-entry the 24BpM-price.
This way it will fit in the existing .exe.
It may be clear that these values are specific for 24BpM.
Please comment!!!