Cargo Hubs pointless in TpF2 ?

[gGeorg]

based on the latest info, there will be just TWO cargo types for any city.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVbSRH4KQHc (Colonel Failure interview with devs)
Which means only two cargo lines (at max) for each city. It feels a like guted out.

My best fun in the game is creating bussy cargo hub, piling hundreds of goods, transfering heaps of cargo back and forth. But it looks its gone.
Every cargo to every city chalenge is gone.
On top of that, farm or mine now create/produce only 200 units at max.
Like ... whaaaat ?

What is your thoutghs of cargo transport?
Do you like cargo hubs?
What is point for modular station when you dont need it?

[canophone]

Mods? I don't see any issue with that being the case in the base vanilla game! Also, I still see potential for great cargo hubs even with the added constraint.

[Thork]

I'm also a bit on the fence about the cargo change. I guess they saw the puzzle/strategy gameplay involved in how RE did it. Only fair after all they copied. ;)
Still would've prefered a RT approach, but realise that it's very complex to do right.
However, I don't see how that would make cargo hubs entirely pointless. You would just need to think more about where it makes sense. Besides ofc, that we don't know yet how payment works.

As mentioned by the Colonel, there will almost certainly be mods to remove these limts anyway.

Otherwise, enjoyed the interview and sounds great.
I finally know who my campaign-god is. ;)

[canophone]

Originally posted by Thork:

I'm also a bit on the fence about the cargo change. I guess they saw the puzzle/strategy gameplay involved in how RE did it. Only fair after all they copied. ;)
Still would've prefered a RT approach, but realise that it's very complex to do right.

I'd say it's likely a performance-related decision. It's never a good idea to program something that copies larger arrays all the time. Having looked at how to vary cargo needs between cities and buildings (which hasn't been flexible because of the table array used), it's a preferred change for me.

[gGeorg]

I like the last capaign. I played it about 3 times. DIferent scenarios with goal to reach.

Lets asume small map, 6 cities. Means 12 cargo routes delivery. Its barely one cargo hub, if all routes are redireted to one point. And thats all. Map is done.
Current we have 6 x 6 means 36 cargo routes. Makes butifll bussy cargo hubs. almost everywhere.

I was thinking, is it possible that small vilage need 2 cargo, then it grows so need more. So finaly the biggest city need all 6 cargo to support growth.

That would make a nice mechanic.
I can understand they are saving CPU resorce from logistic maths, then reroute to graphics, its ok, just dont be so harsh.
Make a mechanic where you can develop a one megacity with need of 6 (full list) cargo.
It would add a goal for free game. Some taste of campaign, an default goal for the free game, make one city big enogh to demand all cargo.

[canophone]

I can see a setting where when creating a map to decide how many cargo items a specified city might accept for its buildings work.

I'd also appreciate if percentages were included in the towns window pane on the left for both passengers and cargo (I find myself often looking at this):
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1801523489

I'd suggest it should also be possible to restrict a town to specific zones too (some of those towns are clearly commercial and industrial buildings expanded rather than residential).

[Dirkels]

Originally posted by gGeorg:

Lets asume small map, 6 cities. Means 12 cargo routes delivery. Its barely one cargo hub, if all routes are redireted to one point. And thats all. Map is done.
Current we have 6 x 6 means 36 cargo routes. Makes butifll bussy cargo hubs. almost everywhere.

If I would use cargo hubs there would be only 1 train running from hub to city no matter how many different goods it demands. So I don't see the difference. And since cities don't demand the same goods (OK this I assume) and there will more different carco types than in TPF I would expect your hub to be more busy not less.

[General Tso]

Instead of limiting each city to 2 resources. They should have every city be capable of handling a larger number of resources. But it's all optional. Then allow the player decide the number of resources and which resources each city can handle in the map editor.

The map could start with a default of 2 resources per city and then the player could change this using the map editor if they want.

[larry_roberts]

No AI great, No Multi Player great, DLC possible yes please, Stop Time brilliant, two cargo types per city not sure (agree with General Tso on that). Colonel Failure says that once you start playing Transport Fever 2 you won't want to play Transport Fever again, wow, got to be good!. More Transport Fever's in the future, all good!. Hurrah!.

[larry_roberts]

Originally posted by General Tso:

Instead of limiting each city to 2 resources. They should have every city be capable of handling a larger number of resources. But it's all optional. Then allow the player decide the number of resources and which resources each city can handle in the map editor.

The map could start with a default of 2 resources per city and then the player could change this using the map editor if they want.

It's not just the changes to cargo for cities, it's also the changes to industry (eg raw material production), they are going to change our whole strategy in the game!.

[General Tso]

Yeah. I like the idea that raw materials get produced all of the time. Makes a lot more sense and should make the system more stable.

[jhughes]

Why would cargo hubs be pointless? They will be harder (not every town needs everything).

But many towns need many things.. So there will be overlap.

So hubs would still be important.

[jhughes]

Originally posted by General Tso:

Yeah. I like the idea that raw materials get produced all of the time. Makes a lot more sense and should make the system more stable.

Absolutely.. And you can't supply every city from one farm or one oil well. Nothing wrong with that. I mean, one oil well 8n Texas supplies the whole USA or one farm in France all of Europe? Much better idea is limited raw materials.

[larry_roberts]

Originally posted by jhughes:

Why would cargo hubs be pointless? They will be harder (not every town needs everything).

But many towns need many things.. So there will be overlap.

So hubs would still be important.

I agree, you will have to move cargo further (not just to the nearest city) so cargo hubs where cargo can be moved from train to train might become more likely, not less likely!.

[Blue Skull]

Id say it's likely a performance-related decision. It's never a good idea to program something that copies larger arrays all the time. Having looked at how to vary cargo needs between cities and buildings (which hasn't been flexible because of the table array used), it's a preferred change for me.

In Transport Fever a Industrial building required all 3 industrial cargo types

30 Industrial buildings that accept cargo type A, B, C

But what if each building only accepted one cargo type but there where different types of Industrial buildings


What would be the difference in CPU usage between

A city with

30 Industrial buildings that accept cargo type A

vs

10 Industrial buildings that accept cargo type A
10 Industrial buildings that accept cargo type B
10 Industrial buildings that accept cargo type C

[gGeorg]

Originally posted by larry_roberts:

I agree, you will have to move cargo further (not just to the nearest city) so cargo hubs where cargo can be moved from train to train might become more likely, not less likely!.

You have not understand the game economy mechanic. You are paid for distance, not delivery. e.g. it is best practice deliver goods to the farthest city possible. So, its common to see a city with food processor on outskirts, but food is delivered from other side of map.
So in fact you create a system of longest possible route for six cargo types to any city. That is current game. That is the challenge.

Planed game sounds like guted out. Look at railway empire. Limited products delivery, limited cargo hubs, boring gameplay.