The math trap of agriculture Weed.

[Villager]

All agricultural enhancers decrease value of each Weed unit.

PGR is the main culprit. It lowers quality, but it doesn't increase profit by reducing costs, it does the opposite however so its only worth in conjunction of Grow light, making it useless at start of the game because its not cost effective.

To understand this you have to find the profit per herb. I will show it using OG Kush since its most widely used herb according to my personal observation of the internet and most guides.

So the equation to find the profit from a normal vase is : Suggested Value - (Seed cost/number of buds +soil cost/number of buds+bag)= Profit per bud sold

For a normal quality vase that is
38-(30/8+10/8+1)= 32$
So you will get 32$ for selling a normal quality OG kush

However if you apply PGR to lower the quality and increase number of buds you will have to add it to the equation, so it becomes:

Suggested Value - (Seed cost/number of buds+PGR/number of buds +soil cost/number of buds+bag)= Profit

38-(30/12+30/12+10/12+1)=31,166666666666666666666666666667$

If this game worked like reality, this would make sense, you would make the lower quality to flood the market with your product. However it's not how the game works, because there is no market competition there is no purpose to produce more low quality specially at a loss.

Additionally, the suggested cost does not attend to quality of the product, only to the product itself. So the most profitable in the game will always be sell the maximum quantity for the least added cost, as long as the npc will buy it.

And that is the problem of PGR, the added cost doesn't doesn't pay for itself, making standard quality the most profitable when you are selling it yourself (I believe there is under the hood calculations that make it more profitable in the case of dealers selling).

And when you compare it to a LED LIght's you make matters worse, because they both work same way, and the LED only requires initial purchase, no need to resupply racks for your workers.

A standard quality vase with a LED will net you:
38-(30/12+10/12+1)= 33,666666666666666666666666666667$
Beating normal kush by 1,6$

You can ask why I didn't put the LED into calculation but it's not a continuous cost like soil or bag, you buy it 1 time and done, so it will pay itself overtime by default.

However a Led+PGR generate slightly more profit than a simple vase, but not more than standard+Led:
38-(30/16*2+10/16+1)= 32,625$ for Low quality of weed with LED+PGR

Now if you look at Fertiliser it's even worse, because you can't charge more for better weed, as there is no way to differentiate when you market it on "Product" tab on your phone, so high quality weed goes for 38-(30/8*2+10/8+1)= 28,25$. *edit* You can't, in your phone, set different prices for different qualities of the same product the game will, however, do it automatically overtime *edit thanks to Nokturnal*

I understand the problem in the case of fertiliser is the game mechanics. You need higher quality to sell to npc's with high expectations and they will pay more than the others would, but there is no way to change the app charge by quality of each product

But here comes the elephant in the room, the other drugs work in a sensible and different way, making weed obsolete the moment you unlock them, because they go from low production cost at low quality to higher production cost for premium meth and coke, unlike weed that is only profitable at standard, and costs more to make both trash and premium.

As an example I will use meth
suggest price-((pseudo cost+acid+phosphorus)/number of crystals)=profit
70-((60+40*2)/10)= 56$

Normal pseudo
70-((80+40*2)/10)= 54$

With a viagra mix low pseudo
102-((60+40*2)/10+4)= 84$

Normal mix viagra
102-((80+40*2)/10+4)= 82$

Compare it to weed
Green crack standard with green bean
83-(40/8+7+10/8)= 69,75$

Green crack standard with green bean+LED
SP-(Seed/buds+bean+soil/buds)
83-(40/12+7+10/12)=71,833333333333333333333333333333$

Green crack low quality (PGR) with green bean
83-(40/12+30/12+7+10/12)=69,333333333333333333333333333333$

Green crack low quality (PGR) with green bean+LED
83-(40/16+30/16+7+10/16)= 71$

Green crack high quality (fertiliser) with grean bean
83-(40/8+30/8+7+10/16)= 66,625$

I understand you can get high quality with drying rack, but it costs time, and you could also argue that because time has a monetary cost, the for 4 extra buds from PGR pay themselves with time.

HOWEVER, LED says hello, it's a one time payment that makes that time investment invalid, it's just 80$, so =2.6 PGR cost. Maybe LED is too cheap, and it's in fact mathematically better than Grow light 30%faster production of 8 units is 2.4 extra buds over time vs 4 extra buds each harvest, 4>2.4 and 80$ is cheaper than 200$ I don't understand the math here

Kush with Grow light
38-(30/10,4+10/10,4+1)=33,153846153846153846153846153846$

Kush with LED
38-(30/12+10/12+1)=33,666666666666666666666666666667$

Kush with Grow light+PGR (low quality)
38-(30/14,4+30/14,4+10/14,4+1)=32,138888888888888888888888888889$

Kush with LED+speed grow (low quality)
38-(30/16+30/16+10/16+1)=32,625$

Kush speed grow+PGR (trash, no one will buy it)
38-(30/16*3+10/16+1)=30,75$

So agriculture additive are trash, unless combined with a LED light or Grow light, and they still lose to just a LED/grow light alone, and the worse part about it all is that that in the moment that you unlock lights and vases you are about to unlock meth that makes them all invalid (for growing weed)!

Additionally I have used single soil in all examples because triple soil is a commodity so it's understandable to lower profit. However LED is also a commodity and it increases profit, so ♥♥♥♥ game logic.

In conclusion, I'm enjoying the game a lot and this will not deter me from keep playing , but there is no purpose what so ever to use PGR or speed grow, specially alone. Maybe in the future if there will be a competing organisation it can make sense to have low quality weed, but right now its pointless aside for unlocking new costumers.

[Kigre]

On coke i use all 3 additives. I dont run numbers cause i suck at it and generally dont like it.
I only do it when ♥♥♥♥ is in the red. I figured, in the game sense of things that it seemed fitting to use all 3 to begin with at least.

I'd love to see your take on that.

[WillowWisp]

It can be useful at the start of the game provided you remember to strip the RV of all furniture before it explodes, otherwise yeah not really worth

[galadon3]

Actually the stuff that gives you more per planting but lowers quality by one increment can make sense when you are just in the sweatshop and have too little product to sell, while still only having the low-expectation customers.
But yea in general the utility isnt that high since drying takes a lot of time so making up the quality loss is probably not worth it and you can just grow enough for everybody once you have the barn and the warehouse.

[Villager]

Originally posted by Kigre:

On coke i use all 3 additives. I dont run numbers cause i suck at it and generally dont like it.
I only do it when ♥♥♥♥ is in the red. I figured, in the game sense of things that it seemed fitting to use all 3 to begin with at least.

I'd love to see your take on that.

You can use any additive if you want, this is a min max, so in that scenario world you would not run into problems.

Base coke profit should be something like this
Suggested price+(seed/leaves+gasoline+soil/leaves+bag)=profit
150-(80/9+80/9+80/(9*0.22222222222222222222222222222222)+5+10/9+10/9+10/(9*0.22222222222222222222222222222222)+1)=~125§

It's more complex for coke because its not a 1:1 ratio between leaves to grams

[Villager]

Originally posted by WillowWisp:

It can be useful at the start of the game provided you remember to strip the RV of all furniture before it explodes, otherwise yeah not really worth

I left that out because I don't think its intentional for new players that you can dismatle all the stuff in the van for free to headstart you

[Nokturnal]

Originally posted by Villager:

"Now if you look at Fertiliser it's even worse, because you can't charge more for better weed, as there is no way to differentiate when you market it on "Product" tab on your phone, so high quality weed goes for 38-(30/8*2+10/8+1)= 28,25$."

You can and are able to charge more for better quality products given that the customer has had enough of it in the past. Even for customers who don't have high quality standards. Each customer becomes addicted to strains you're selling over time (taking about an in-game week to become fully addicted given they've had enough of the product) Higher quality has them automatically ask for the product at higher prices and allows you to raise the price further.

For an example, The best gold quality mixed coke can be sold for over $1200 per unit when it's recommended base price is only around $700

The best gold quality mixed weed can be sold for around $300 per unit, when it's recommended price is $164 per unit.

Meanwhile for Meth, since you can only produce Pink Quality meth, the best mixed meth can only be sold for an average of $400 per unit when it's recommended price is $340.

All these price increases are for when the customers are fully addicted to the product.

[Villager]

Originally posted by Nokturnal:

Originally posted by Villager:

"Now if you look at Fertiliser it's even worse, because you can't charge more for better weed, as there is no way to differentiate when you market it on "Product" tab on your phone, so high quality weed goes for 38-(30/8*2+10/8+1)= 28,25$."

You can and are able to charge more for better quality products given that the customer has had enough of it in the past. Even for customers who don't have high quality standards. Each customer becomes addicted to strains you're selling over time (taking about an in-game week to become fully addicted given they've had enough of the product)

For an example, The best gold quality mixed coke can be sold for over $1200 per unit when it's recommended base price is only around $700

The best gold quality mixed weed can be sold for around $300 per unit, when it's recommended price is $164 per unit.

Meanwhile for Meth, since you can only produce Pink Quality meth, the best mixed meth can only be sold for an average of $400 per unit when it's recommended price is $340.

You are right and I will phrase my point better

You can't, in your phone, set different prices for different qualities of the same product the game will, however, do it automatically overtime

[Nokturnal]

Originally posted by Villager:

Originally posted by Nokturnal:

You can and are able to charge more for better quality products given that the customer has had enough of it in the past. Even for customers who don't have high quality standards. Each customer becomes addicted to strains you're selling over time (taking about an in-game week to become fully addicted given they've had enough of the product)

For an example, The best gold quality mixed coke can be sold for over $1200 per unit when it's recommended base price is only around $700

The best gold quality mixed weed can be sold for around $300 per unit, when it's recommended price is $164 per unit.

Meanwhile for Meth, since you can only produce Pink Quality meth, the best mixed meth can only be sold for an average of $400 per unit when it's recommended price is $340.

You are right and I will phrase my point better

You can't, in your phone, set different prices for different qualities of the same product

Yea sadly, there's a lot of problems with managing selling multiple products. Like certain customers like certain effects, but you can't only sell certain products to certain customers. Meanwhile there's also an addiction meter on customers when talking to them, that is almost completely pointless because customers become addicted to each product individually and the meter doesn't show how addicted they are to each product you're currently selling.

[Induced Apathy]

I've ignored all additives. Always stuck to 10 dollar soil too. It's just not worth it. Drying racks will be unlocked by the time you need to care about quality imo.

[Cavalier_Sabre]

Originally posted by Nokturnal:

Yea sadly, there's a lot of problems with managing selling multiple products. Like certain customers like certain effects, but you can't only sell certain products to certain customers. Meanwhile there's also an addiction meter on customers when talking to them, that is almost completely pointless because customers become addicted to each product individually and the meter doesn't show how addicted they are to each product you're currently selling.

Does the addiction bar on customers at least affect how quickly they become addicted to individual products, or is it really just completely cosmetic?

[Nokturnal]

Originally posted by Cavalier_Sabre:

Originally posted by Nokturnal:

Yea sadly, there's a lot of problems with managing selling multiple products. Like certain customers like certain effects, but you can't only sell certain products to certain customers. Meanwhile there's also an addiction meter on customers when talking to them, that is almost completely pointless because customers become addicted to each product individually and the meter doesn't show how addicted they are to each product you're currently selling.

Does the addiction bar on customers at least affect how quickly they become addicted to individual products, or is it really just completely cosmetic?

The addiction bar just raises the more addicted they become to ANYTHING you've sold them even if you're not selling it anymore lol. So, pointless in the long run.

Prices they offer for buying your current products are a better indication of how addicted they are to it. Once fully addicted, customers who only want 1 meth or 1 coke can be convinced of buying 2, meanwhile Customers that only want 3 weed can be convinced to buy 5+.