Stacking contracts

[Hytaki]

I had through I had this work earlier, but it is not allowing me to do it currently. Scienario follows:

You take 2 contracts. 1 from Houston to Shanghai and 1 from NY/NJ to Shanghai. Ideally, the shgip would load the first and then transit to NY/NJ and load the second before heading to Shanghai. I just tried this with a tanker and it was only giving me the option to go Houston-Shanghai-NY-Shanghai.

Am I missing something obvious? Thanks :)

[SunnO)))]

The logic behind the queued contracts because of all the variables is little hard to explain. But the main factor is that:
When you are at a port we check if there is something to be loaded/unloaded first then proceed with the first in the contracts list. That's why the ship went from Houston to Shanghai first and then came back.
If you have placed the NY/NJ contract first it would have loaded from Houston (because it's there), then go to NY/NJ because it's first on the list and then head to Shanghai to deliver both contracts.

[Hytaki]

Originally posted by SunnO))):

The logic behind the queued contracts because of all the variables is little hard to explain. But the main factor is that:
When you are at a port we check if there is something to be loaded/unloaded first then proceed with the first in the contracts list. That's why the ship went from Houston to Shanghai first and then came back.
If you have placed the NY/NJ contract first it would have loaded from Houston (because it's there), then go to NY/NJ because it's first on the list and then head to Shanghai to deliver both contracts.

OK, that makes sense. It does limit taking too many contracts that transit halfway across the world though if the ship will zig zag back and forth instead of picking up at, lets say NY?NJ. Savannah and Tampa before heading to China.

Thanks for the answer!

[div1]

Add port visits and sort them for the quickest route, I can pick up from 4+ ports and deliver to 4+ ports with some micromanagement.
Never leave with more than 12k cargo empty.

[Hytaki]

Originally posted by div1:

Add port visits and sort them for the quickest route, I can pick up from 4+ ports and deliver to 4+ ports with some micromanagement.
Never leave with more than 12k cargo empty.

Do you mean sort by dragging the tiles for each voyage to figure out the most time efficient voyage? I wish I could figure out how to manipulate the right hand display of routing, but assumed that was a fixed display of however you arranged the left hand one?

[Kris]

I sort from shortest distance I have to travel...I try and pick the shortest but most profitable routes and then I look at the next contract and try and do 2-3 contracts as close together distance wise as I can.. no point in taking 1 contract and travel for 60 days unless it's the most money..better to do more short trips then 1 or two long trips if the profit is close to the same... a little more planning will save you from travelling from one side to the other and doing it without being delayed and getting penalties.

[Hytaki]

ahhh, I've only done the highest rewards and then filled in the distance with intermediate contracts that give extr revenue as I am already traveling past their ports.

[Kris]

Originally posted by Hytaki:

ahhh, I've only done the highest rewards and then filled in the distance with intermediate contracts that give extr revenue as I am already traveling past their ports.

I will do that also. But the more contracts you can do will help your ranking against the AI and also your Star ranking when it comes to getting the bigger contracts with weight and money.

[Hytaki]

Originally posted by Kris:

Originally posted by Hytaki:

ahhh, I've only done the highest rewards and then filled in the distance with intermediate contracts that give extr revenue as I am already traveling past their ports.

I will do that also. But the more contracts you can do will help your ranking against the AI and also your Star ranking when it comes to getting the bigger contracts with weight and money.

Ahh, yes, I've struggled to break the top 2 in the race to 10000 pts.

[div1]

Originally posted by Hytaki:

Originally posted by div1:

Add port visits and sort them for the quickest route, I can pick up from 4+ ports and deliver to 4+ ports with some micromanagement.
Never leave with more than 12k cargo empty.

Do you mean sort by dragging the tiles for each voyage to figure out the most time efficient voyage? I wish I could figure out how to manipulate the right hand display of routing, but assumed that was a fixed display of however you arranged the left hand one?

Step 1: use button Acquire contract to check for contracts from ports in the area (you change port on the top search, where you see all available contracts), without adding them but noting the origin, destination and time.

Step 2: Click x so you go back to the previous screen, use button Add to queue to add the origins and destination ports, sorting them in order from closest to furthest with the red arrows in the left screen above the buttons and see if you can make the limits on the right screen.

Step 3: without removing any of the added ports, Acquire contracts to find your desired contracts, add them.

Step 4: sort the contract ports and remove the surplus non-contract ones of the destination ports added in step 2 and add 1-3 en route port stops for fuel, consult the map if you're unsure what ports are close to your path.

Step 5: If the ship are fueled and crewed, click start contract for stonks and profits

Tip: Add every Amenities and Upgrades (the two rightmost icons in the top right) on the ship screen; for every ship in a Shipyard port, this levels up your crew faster (amenities) and makes your ship quicker, fuel saving and more eco friendly (upgrades), but you need at least 3 ships and 4 - 6 millions of cash as a lowest point available.

Happy sailing

[Yuccasu]

Originally posted by div1:

Step 2: Click x so you go back to the previous screen, use button Add to queue to add the origins and destination ports, sorting them in order from closest to furthest with the red arrows in the left screen above the buttons and see if you can make the limits on the right screen.

Thanks for explaining this step. Unfortunately the Contract Acquire does not let me acquire additional contracts due to cargo limitations. What do I miss?

Here is my scenario:

1. While fulfilling a contract to A I search for possible follow up contracts from A and its sourrounding harbor B which have destination C and D
   
2. I queue all origins A/B and destinations C/D
   
3. I acquire the first contract from A->C for less then half the ship's cargo limit
   
4. I cannot acquire a second contract B->D due to no enough free cargo

The reason could be that the cargo weight of the active contract is not subtracted.

Here is what I want to achieve

1. arriving at A and unloading cargo for A (active contract while trying to plan ahead)
   
2. loading cargo for C
   
3. travel to B
   
4. loading cargo for D
   
5. travel to C
   
6. unload cargo for C
   
7. travel to D
   
8. unload cargo for D

[div1]

Originally posted by Yuccasu:

Originally posted by div1:

Step 2: Click x so you go back to the previous screen, use button Add to queue to add the origins and destination ports, sorting them in order from closest to furthest with the red arrows in the left screen above the buttons and see if you can make the limits on the right screen.

Thanks for explaining this step. Unfortunately the Contract Acquire does not let me acquire additional contracts due to cargo limitations. What do I miss?

Here is my scenario:

1. While fulfilling a contract to A I search for possible follow up contracts from A and its sourrounding harbor B which have destination C and D
   
2. I queue all origins A/B and destinations C/D
   
3. I acquire the first contract from A->C for less then half the ship's cargo limit
   
4. I cannot acquire a second contract B->D due to no enough free cargo

The reason could be that the cargo weight of the active contract is not subtracted.

Here is what I want to achieve

1. arriving at A and unloading cargo for A (active contract while trying to plan ahead)
   
2. loading cargo for C
   
3. travel to B
   
4. loading cargo for D
   
5. travel to C
   
6. unload cargo for C
   
7. travel to D
   
8. unload cargo for D

I understand and concur, but not possible in the current game state.

The planner are limited to the max cargo capacity, so effectively planning several cargo holds of trips aren't possible, yet.

So currently you can only collect from A and B to deliver to C and D within your cargo capacity.

Additionally, every contract you add starts the timer on the delivery, so you can't go too far between A and B before issues arises for the delivery timers to C and D.

But for the late game ships, you have such large cargo hold that you can have contracts from a large amount of ports between A and B, with a detour checking the ports in between for even more, before delivering to C and D, with E as another option.

So with those ships I check the ports in between for even more opportunities for loads going to C and D or further along that heading.

The only issue I've had with this tactic when I got the technicalities squared away, is that sometimes you get an exceptionally lucrative load at C going the opposite direction, that you can't fit and can't make due to the planned trip to D and E.

Thankfully those are rare, so at that point you'll have a roster 10 deep in every category and can redirect an another ship in the vicinity most of the time.

[Yuccasu]

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation. iI hadn't considered that it might only be a problem in the early phase of the game. Moreover, this form of micromanagement is probably only feasible or useful to a very limited extent later in the game.