Your Prison Design?

[BOYCOTT]

first off do you typically refine the same layout of your other prisons, or do you like to create ones that have interesting visual things like the one with the heart lake in the middle?

personally i have more or less stuck to the same design for most of the game and seen each new prison constructed as the best time to change larger design issues with my builds.

what about planning? walls? items? how large of a cell block? the rest of the prison as well?

typically for me i'll rough out a large 12x24 (speaking in how many cells x and y, not floor/wall tiles) at first and then duplicate a few outwards of that until i run into something on the map that makes me break the symmetry of each cell block room, in general my philosophy is the more you plan out before starting to build the better it'll run.

one of the things to not forget when coming up with my cell block placement is how the holding cell or entry room will fit and also how the prison over all will connect as a result, i typically fence or wall in any doors or room exits as possible with walls but in a lot of scenarios this can mess up the rooms and they connect where they shouldn't so you need to use a fence instead.

next up i start thinking about the inner and outer fences, it's also here where i start considering which directions land expansions will be bought in first and in general, but the main concern is gating off that road and sealing it up tight, once there's a few layers to relax on then i can start considering things like perimeter fencing and doubling up in areas that escapes tend to burrow towards.

it's interesting too that i'll refine my designs each new prison to the next as far as noticing where a single or double prison door will slow prisoners moving through it down and causing fights, also thinking of how far the workshop is from the cell block and things.

the kitchen/canteen is typically where i first have to do a large amount of work because before long i find the "feed all prisoners" goal is impossible without multiple kitchens and canteens, from there i can start considering where to place workshops and considering where generators and my main water pipelines can go as well as figuring out a location for a shower that is nice and spacious.

now i'm not saying i wait for building until all of that is done, but what i'll usually go back to doing is getting the holding cell up first, then one cell block and work on each building separately or mass hire and fire workmen if needed, i leave my planning marks on the ground until i've built the corresponding room and objects, you can see when you've cleared the planning marks even through walls by drag selecting as if to cancel, if you want to cancel band-boxing by the way, press escape or bring up the reports menu.

at any rate, this post started gigantic and is only getting more so, i'd like to hear how some of the nicer looking prisons are designed and maybe offer insight to people who struggle with it as well, i consider myself an expert player but as you've read there's a lot of things i don't account for right off the bat and quite honestly a few i still struggle with.

anyway, tell me about how you all design a prison as well, should be interesting i think.

[Dodsmania]

I have lakes and building on, so makes for interesting change

[Your Majesty Padded Gamer]

I personally always go with this werid design where the shower is attached to the cell block and the yard is also attached to the other side *which thanks to gangs I now have to change that design in my next prison so people can leave the cell block without paying the gangs*

then I put workshop classroom laundry ECT in one area the offices go down at the bottom right corner. and I always have the canteen near the front of the prison so food get's dropped off quicker.

[Deadpan Serious]

i build a fence all around to make expanding easier, and to avoid contrabant throwing. i use Unlocked Roadgates, so i can close them in case of a runner, and fence both sides of the Road.

i always have one front gate next to Deliveries, leading up to a side entrance to each side for Workmen and possibly Cooks, and a main entrance for everyone else. Armory and Kennel goes between the front gate and the main entrance.

next to the main entrance is Visitation and Reception.

[Markus Reese]

Originally posted by Star Fire:

I personally always go with this werid design where the shower is attached to the cell block and the yard is also attached to the other side *which thanks to gangs I now have to change that design in my next prison so people can leave the cell block without paying the gangs*

Do you do superyards? If not, one I like are having small cell clusters with the yard in the middle. It keeps the "value" down for gangs and easy guard oversight.

[BOYCOTT]

Originally posted by twistedmelon:

Originally posted by Star Fire:

I personally always go with this werid design where the shower is attached to the cell block and the yard is also attached to the other side *which thanks to gangs I now have to change that design in my next prison so people can leave the cell block without paying the gangs*

Do you do superyards? If not, one I like are having small cell clusters with the yard in the middle. It keeps the "value" down for gangs and easy guard oversight.

what's a superyard?

[Terra]

Originally posted by Too-DAMN-Much:

Originally posted by twistedmelon:

Do you do superyards? If not, one I like are having small cell clusters with the yard in the middle. It keeps the "value" down for gangs and easy guard oversight.

what's a superyard?

Just a guess, but a Superyard is a single gigantic yard that, realistically, cannot be conquered by gangs due to sheer logistics.

Bigger area = more soldiers required to wrest control. And since it's yours by default, it's in your best interest to stack the deck.

That said, my first design was a gigantic open-ended wreck that ultimately had such a massive contraband problem due to a lack of effective checkpoints. I typically go with seperate wings now, with services in the center.

[flyingthruwater]

If by Superyard you mean a masive Yard kitted out with toilets, showers, benches, weights, prayer mats and stuff then I admit to building Superyards.

Although not for the area = more gang members needed, more for guard and need logistics as if all your inmates are in one place and seeing to whatever need they have at the time you need less guards to watch them. The showers in the Yard have also allowed me to cut Shower time out of the Regime completely and replace it with Yard time.

[Captain Einsicht]

i build a small prison .. research all techs build a lot of solitary cells and put them in !
:D

[BOYCOTT]

Originally posted by flyingthruwater:

If by Superyard you mean a masive Yard kitted out with toilets, showers, benches, weights, prayer mats and stuff then I admit to building Superyards.

Although not for the area = more gang members needed, more for guard and need logistics as if all your inmates are in one place and seeing to whatever need they have at the time you need less guards to watch them. The showers in the Yard have also allowed me to cut Shower time out of the Regime completely and replace it with Yard time.

actually pretty smart idea, kudos.

[Terra]

Originally posted by Too-DAMN-Much:

Originally posted by flyingthruwater:

If by Superyard you mean a masive Yard kitted out with toilets, showers, benches, weights, prayer mats and stuff then I admit to building Superyards.

Although not for the area = more gang members needed, more for guard and need logistics as if all your inmates are in one place and seeing to whatever need they have at the time you need less guards to watch them. The showers in the Yard have also allowed me to cut Shower time out of the Regime completely and replace it with Yard time.

actually pretty smart idea, kudos.

You can also extend this idea to canteens.

Really, any time you can force a prisoner into an area, you should. You can guarantee that their needs will be met more effectively than leaving them to their own devices.

[Sween]

I sometimes load my saved games ofl my previous failed attempts because it's fun to see how far you've come with designs. I enjoy tweaking my previous designs in an effort to increase security and functionality. I have tried making one big ass canteen to feed everyone, I've done showers in the cells, in the yard, tried making 'admin' buildings that house the offices, classrooms, etc. Then industrial buildings which house the laundry, workshop, mailroom, and so on. It's fun to change things around and see what works and what needs tweaking.