Best self sustaining industry seems to be cigars?

[Dave1029]

Importing is important to make real money, but as far as place and forget industry, cigars seem to be the best as they appreciate in value. Rum is amazing for world wars, but is horrible in modern times. Textiles is decent but requires wool to be competitive, requires a ton of workers, low job quality, and then requires a fashion company in modern times to remain competitive. Cannery is kind of crap since electricity is scarce until nuclear, AND it takes food to be fully functional. Obviously steel, jewelery, etc is awesome, but requires importing.

[[PHNX]Kordarus]

low job quality can be countered by...

Sorry it's hard for me to say it...

All you need is to give salar...

Sorry...

You need to give better salary to your work...

Damnit arrest these whinney worker and kill their familly!

Ah, that feel better...

[Kunovega]

Tobacco drains the land it's planted on eventually destroying its production value. I don't like the micro management of having tobacco land expire, plus in modern times the health boost of banning smoking is notably large for maintain a skilled working population

Tobacco and cigars are often the one industry I avoid entirely

In short missions I'll use whatever is most suitable for the land and/or mission requirements, in long games I often end up with every industry, or every industry minus cigars

I don't see requiring wool for textiles as being a problem, so what? Lama farms are cheap and easy to place and if clustered together add a boost to the value of a circus (and a variety of entertainment options is always a good thing). Cotton doesn't drain the land it's planted on and the fashion industry in modern times is competitive with some of the higher output 3rd tiers, while also boosting entertainment values if upgraded.

The best part of the fashion industry is that unlike other top tier modern times options (cars, jewelry) it's stuff you can't run out of (cars and jewelry will eventually use up iron, coal and gold deposits)

The only other top tier industry that is self sustaining is chocolate, which requires coco, milk and sugar, not a terrible option if you started with a cheese industry early on to coincide with your early milk production, but mlik and cheese are best very early and chocolate doesnt become viable until late game. So it's a very imbalanced path.

Compared to cotton wool early, textile mid, and fashion late game, its the only sustainable path that functions well in all 3 era well.

It's not that cigars is actually best, its that it feels braindead simple to use, but its actually destroying your land value for crops and kills off your educated population faster, and it lacks a 3rd tier modern times upgrade

It's all just options, theres not really a best in all scenarios, theres a case by case best, or you stick to not thinking and always have a sort of usable economy just by picking any industry and waiting

I'd just as soon go with logging camps into lumber mill into furniture, 2 upgraded logging camps started in a dense forest patch can be self sustaining while regrowing trees, lumber is a solid performer early and furniture does well late game, and if you happen to have gold (or willing to import) you can expand its production further (but its not required to be competitive, its bonus money really)

So if you don't want the employee requirements of the textile mill, try furniture.

As for the stuff that requires import (long term), so what? Steel into cars can be massive, and the car plants (upgraded) not only require fewer workers but also boost farm production island wide

[Synavix]

I've read tobacco is only bad if you buy the upgrade that degrades the soil (which I never do). By itself it's the same as other fields. But I haven't really paid enough attention to know for sure. I like doing at least one cigar factory because it's easy to keep supplied with just one farm and provides a steady income.

My textiles make way more money in the long run, but that requires so many workers and always seems to be the first factory to shut down any time my teamsters get backed up.

[Dave1029]

Originally posted by Kunovega:

Tobacco drains the land it's planted on eventually destroying its production value. I don't like the micro management of having tobacco land expire, plus in modern times the health boost of banning smoking is notably large for maintain a skilled working population

Tobacco and cigars are often the one industry I avoid entirely

In short missions I'll use whatever is most suitable for the land and/or mission requirements, in long games I often end up with every industry, or every industry minus cigars

I don't see requiring wool for textiles as being a problem, so what? Lama farms are cheap and easy to place and if clustered together add a boost to the value of a circus (and a variety of entertainment options is always a good thing). Cotton doesn't drain the land it's planted on and the fashion industry in modern times is competitive with some of the higher output 3rd tiers, while also boosting entertainment values if upgraded.

The best part of the fashion industry is that unlike other top tier modern times options (cars, jewelry) it's stuff you can't run out of (cars and jewelry will eventually use up iron, coal and gold deposits)

The only other top tier industry that is self sustaining is chocolate, which requires coco, milk and sugar, not a terrible option if you started with a cheese industry early on to coincide with your early milk production, but mlik and cheese are best very early and chocolate doesnt become viable until late game. So it's a very imbalanced path.

Compared to cotton wool early, textile mid, and fashion late game, its the only sustainable path that functions well in all 3 era well.

It's not that cigars is actually best, its that it feels braindead simple to use, but its actually destroying your land value for crops and kills off your educated population faster, and it lacks a 3rd tier modern times upgrade

It's all just options, theres not really a best in all scenarios, theres a case by case best, or you stick to not thinking and always have a sort of usable economy just by picking any industry and waiting

I'd just as soon go with logging camps into lumber mill into furniture, 2 upgraded logging camps started in a dense forest patch can be self sustaining while regrowing trees, lumber is a solid performer early and furniture does well late game, and if you happen to have gold (or willing to import) you can expand its production further (but its not required to be competitive, its bonus money really)

So if you don't want the employee requirements of the textile mill, try furniture.

As for the stuff that requires import (long term), so what? Steel into cars can be massive, and the car plants (upgraded) not only require fewer workers but also boost farm production island wide

Never get the tobacco plantation upgrade lol. Also, you want to keep your production buildings at an absolute minimum. More production = more required teamsters = more traffic = loss of overall production. This idealogy is why cigars seem to be the best... as the times change and running expenses increase, so do your exports without needing more buildings. Textiles are king of cold war- wool can be factory farmed. Rum is king of world wars- dunder still upgrade and rum is expensive in this era. Chocolate is king of modern era- hydroponic farms and factory farms allow for extensive production. Cigars are king of no era but they can keep your island in the green in all eras with only 2-3 factories and 4 plantations. Especially once you factor in tourism, banks, and proper entertainment buildings.

TL;DR Rum loses value over time. Cloth loses value in modern times. Apparel adds another production chain to an already extensive one just to make it competitive. Chocolate is good, but you have to wait until modern times to start placing buildings and it has a somewhat extensive production chain. Cigars are place and forget 3 factories and 4 plantations can fund a 2000 population city. Anything extra is well... extra money.

[soopaflyjoe]

importing is a huge ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ cause I have a map with 100K urainum and they sell it all. That could last my country 100's of years.

That ♥♥♥♥ cost a butt load of money and they still sell the imported urainum. power goes out and they become animals

game over(end)

[Lцсᶖаᶇ º¹]

Originally posted by soopaflyjoe:

importing is a huge ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ cause I have a map with 100K urainum and they sell it all. That could last my country 100's of years.

That ♥♥♥♥ cost a butt load of money and they still sell the imported urainum. power goes out and they become animals

game over(end)

This mod that gives you more power over where your resources go:

http://tropicomodding.org/viewtopic.php?t=370

[soopaflyjoe]

Originally posted by Lцсᶖаᶇ º¹:

Originally posted by soopaflyjoe:

importing is a huge ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ cause I have a map with 100K urainum and they sell it all. That could last my country 100's of years.

That ♥♥♥♥ cost a butt load of money and they still sell the imported urainum. power goes out and they become animals

game over(end)

This mod that gives you more power over where your resources go:

http://tropicomodding.org/viewtopic.php?t=370

thanks this helps alot. but I just wish it was in the base game also.