ladder for dummies

[conradlebarbare]

while the new lader mode has given us a very good chance to sink untold hours into the game again it came with a serious downside.
it's too easy to complete...
if you wish to do it the regular way and not be spoiled for thousands of hours of waiting for number going up don't read the following:
the simplest way to rush lader mode in three points
-1 always begin a lader in four places only. (the united states, brazil, russia, china/india), if you start in the places or a counties directly adjacent to these countries you can finish the ladder mode by developping only two countires.
-2 always upgrade ticket prices and levels 1 to 3 planes and airport. (in the long run you will only need them with the exeption of level 4 plane for verry busy routes).
-3 always wait a bit before starting unlocking countries in one go. (when you unlock new countries, you scale the drag of your network on your revenue stream so be sure that you can finish the lader mode before begining buying everything, otherwise restarting is the fastest way).

[Kuraki-kun]

What do you mean scale the drag of your network?

[conradlebarbare]

when you open new counties the game inflict a penalty in the form of a drain of money, so if you open multiple countries at once it compound just like the penalty for overcrowded airport.

[abrid]

I start my ladderruns only in:
USA, Canada, Mexico, Russia or any neighbor of Russia (except China)
I am now level 59 or 60 and a level takes about 30 minutes

[Hecate]

You can use a spreadsheet to know how much money you need to hoard.

In first column, in cells A1 to A200, you set numbers from 1 to 200, that the final number of countries you need (it's ladder level +1).
In second column :
→ In B1 (first row), you set =0
→ In B2 (second row) you set =INT(800*1,05^(A2-2))+B1
→ You copy down formula from B2 to B3:B200

Second column tells you how much money to hoard to buy all countries in a row to end the ladder's level. Minus it by 800 if you unlocked a second country at the beginning of the run.

You can use INDEX+MATCH function if ever you unlocked some more countries during the run.
e.g.
Set in D1 the number of countries you've unlocked
Set in D2 the number of countries you need to unlock
Set in E1 =INDEX(A1:B200;MATCH(D1;A1:A200;0);2)
Set in E2 =INDEX(A1:B200;MATCH(D2;A1:A200;0);2)
Set in E3 the money you need to hoard = E2-E1

PS: Well, my contribution may be a bit complicated for real dummies, tbh ^^

PPS: You can also calculate it in a single formula, but it's harder to understand what's going on if you're not good at maths.
[cash to hoard] = 800 × (1−1,05^[ladder level])/(1-1,05)

[Hecate]

Also an advice: set game to pause when you unlock all countries in a row to avoid a bad event at a bad timing (their cost scales exponentially with number of unlocked countries) — if you forgot and you only miss a few thousands bucks to finish, sell some routes.

[abrid]

pausing the game while unlocking the last country freezes my game at loading after the reward
I save before I unlock all and let the game run at normal speed - dont care about red airports at this point


@hecate
that looks good - I will use it because now (at level 60) it is getting difficult to estimate the money needed

[Hecate]

Okay. I don't have that freeze issue, but it may be safer if you have it.

edit: It seems to have been fixed:
"- Fixed a bug when the game could freeze when exiting the game on pause."

You can also unlock all needed countries minus 1 and stop pausing to unlock the last. Alternatively, you can wait the next event* when you hit your target money and just put speed to normal then, you should have the time to unlock all countries needed before next event.

*I do it a bit naturally as I let the game turn in background during that grinding phase, and add the new routes after each event, if needed.
e.g. If I predict a lvl 2-3 airport will not be overcrowded before the money will reach target, I won't build it.

[Geovanile]

Originally posted by Hecate:

You can use a spreadsheet to know how much money you need to hoard.

In first column, in cells A1 to A200, you set numbers from 1 to 200, that the final number of countries you need (it's ladder level +1).
In second column :
→ In B1 (first row), you set =0
→ In B2 (second row) you set =INT(800*1,05^(A2-2))+B1
→ You copy down formula from B2 to B3:B200

Second column tells you how much money to hoard to buy all countries in a row to end the ladder's level. Minus it by 800 if you unlocked a second country at the beginning of the run.

You can use INDEX+MATCH function if ever you unlocked some more countries during the run.
e.g.
Set in D1 the number of countries you've unlocked
Set in D2 the number of countries you need to unlock
Set in E1 =INDEX(A1:B200;MATCH(D1;A1:A200;0);2)
Set in E2 =INDEX(A1:B200;MATCH(D2;A1:A200;0);2)
Set in E3 the money you need to hoard = E2-E1

PS: Well, my contribution may be a bit complicated for real dummies, tbh ^^

PPS: You can also calculate it in a single formula, but it's harder to understand what's going on if you're not good at maths.
[cash to hoard] = 800 × (1−1,05^[ladder level])/(1-1,05)

it doesn't work :( I'm really trying to calculate how much I need, as far the best way were to use a arithmetic progression from country 1 to 49 then another one from 50 to 64, and them from 65 and above (I don't known when the ratio will change again) I would love to know when it chances, so my spreadsheet can be used on any level

[Geovanile]

Originally posted by Geovanile:

Originally posted by Hecate:

You can use a spreadsheet to know how much money you need to hoard.

In first column, in cells A1 to A200, you set numbers from 1 to 200, that the final number of countries you need (it's ladder level +1).
In second column :
→ In B1 (first row), you set =0
→ In B2 (second row) you set =INT(800*1,05^(A2-2))+B1
→ You copy down formula from B2 to B3:B200

Second column tells you how much money to hoard to buy all countries in a row to end the ladder's level. Minus it by 800 if you unlocked a second country at the beginning of the run.

You can use INDEX+MATCH function if ever you unlocked some more countries during the run.
e.g.
Set in D1 the number of countries you've unlocked
Set in D2 the number of countries you need to unlock
Set in E1 =INDEX(A1:B200;MATCH(D1;A1:A200;0);2)
Set in E2 =INDEX(A1:B200;MATCH(D2;A1:A200;0);2)
Set in E3 the money you need to hoard = E2-E1

PS: Well, my contribution may be a bit complicated for real dummies, tbh ^^

PPS: You can also calculate it in a single formula, but it's harder to understand what's going on if you're not good at maths.
[cash to hoard] = 800 × (1−1,05^[ladder level])/(1-1,05)

it doesn't work :( I'm really trying to calculate how much I need, as far the best way were to use a arithmetic progression from country 1 to 49 then another one from 50 to 64, and them from 65 and above (I don't known when the ratio will change again) I would love to know when it chances, so my spreadsheet can be used on any level

my spread sheet works like that:

C1 : "already purchased"
C2 : (number of territory you bought)

C3: =C2+D2

D1: "yet to buy"
D2: (number of territory you need to buy)

E1: "next price"
E2: (price of the next territory)

F1: "countries to buy"
F2 =49-C2

G1: "final value"
G2: =E2+(F2−1)×70

H1: "accumulated value:
H2: (E2+G2)×F2÷2

E3: =4.300
F3: =SES(C3=50;1;C3=51;2;C3=52;3;C3=53;4;C3=54;5;C3=55;6;C3=56;7;C3=57;8;C3=58;9;C3=59;10;C3=60;11;C3=61;12;C3=62;13;C3=63;14;C3≥64;15)

G3: =E3+(F3−1)×100

H3: =((E3+G3)×(F3÷2)+H2)

E4: =5.900

F4: =D2−F3−F2

G4: =E4+(F4−1)×200

H4: =((E4+G4)×(F4÷2)+H3)

if you are under lvl 49 the final value you will need is H1.
If you are between lvls 50 to 64 the final value will need is H2
If you are above lvl 64 the final value you will need is H3

**** at higher leves you probably will need a extra layer of calculation as the ratio which the price changes may change ****