Keep struggling with transfers.

[Funkymonk86]

I have played Transport Fever for quite some hours in the past few weeks. I used to play openttd a lot in the past so I'm not new to the genre and I am aware of the demand based system this came has. I think it's great. I even decided to buy the game in order to be able to get steam mods easily.
However one problem I keep running into is transfering cargo.
The way I like to play is building big stations at every city for both passengers AND cargo.
I create one gigantic network where every train can go to every station on the map as I please.
To bring cargo and passengers to and from those stations I like to use trucks.

So oftentimes I'd have to move cargo from a factory or industry to a station with trucks, then transport it around the map by train in order to transfer again to a truck before the cargo reaches it;s final destination.

Now in some cases this works out fine. For instance, I have made a line: coalmine (trucks)->central station (trains)-> other station (trucks) -> Steel Mill. No problems, all the transfers work.
Another one I made is: oil well (trucks)-> central staton (trains) -> other station (trucks) -> oil refinery. This one was a bit more difficult before I got it to work, but it works.

At the moment I'm trying to create a Line : Construction materials plant (trucks) -> central station (trains) -> other station (trucks)-> to a truckstation in an industrial zone in a city.

No matter what I try, I can't get it to work.
The construction material plant is asking me to try to deliver more construction materials. So that's why I created this line in the first place. By building this line and building a truck cargo station (in the final city), my area of distribution should have grown. So the CMP should be able to produce and deliver more via my new line.

Somehow, nothing is being tranfered to this line.
I cant get my head wrapped around this. Why sometimes it works and other times nothing happens.

I have set up a complete infrastructure, for all the materials needed by the CMP, and I have set up multiple lines for the CMP to deliver the final product. I can deliver construction materials with trucks to a city directly... this does work. but then again, not when I transfer 2 times to- and from a train.

Someone please help, it's kind of a pain in the♥♥♥♥♥

[canophone]

It's not completely a supply/demand formula. It's more a preference formula (cheap) for which buildings can receive the input goods. Buildings make themselves available, and industries will prefer to ship the cheapest route to the buildings that are saying that they need the product.

[Funkymonk86]

Originally posted by canophone:

It's not completely a supply/demand formula. It's more a preference formula (cheap) for which buildings can receive the input goods. Buildings make themselves available, and industries will prefer to ship the cheapest route to the buildings that are saying that they need the product.

I build my truckstation in an industrial zone in a city with plenty of demand for construciton materials. Also, the transferline I'd like to use for this is the only line to this destination.

Now, I do have another direct line from the CMP to another city close by. This one works fine and is just one truck line (no transfers) Still the CMP asks me to try to transport more construction materials. So I'd say by creating this new transfer line, I have enlarged the area of distribution for the CMP right?

Are you saying it could still have a preference to deliver more construction materials to the simple line with no transfers regardless of the fact that I enlarged the distribution area of the CMP by creating the new transfer line?

[canophone]

Originally posted by Funkymonk86:

Originally posted by canophone:

It's not completely a supply/demand formula. It's more a preference formula (cheap) for which buildings can receive the input goods. Buildings make themselves available, and industries will prefer to ship the cheapest route to the buildings that are saying that they need the product.

I build my truckstation in an industrial zone in a city with plenty of demand for construciton materials. Also, the transferline I'd like to use for this is the only line to this destination.

Now, I do have another direct line from the CMP to another city close by. This one works fine and is just one truck line (no transfers) Still the CMP asks me to try to transport more construction materials. So I'd say by creating this new transfer line, I have enlarged the area of distribution for the CMP right?

Are you saying it could still have a preference to deliver more construction materials to the simple line with no transfers regardless of the fact that I enlarged the distribution area of the CMP by creating the new transfer line?

If it's the cheapest (and with the best frequency), it will fill that line first, yes. But will move to other lines if a capacity (non-precise number, except at final delivery) is reached on the line (either in final delivery, or at the stations).

[Funkymonk86]

I'll try saturating the other line first and see what happens, thanks Canophone.

[SlimNasty™]

The best way is always working back from the Demand in the town. Make sure the delivery point is the correct part of town (Commercial/Industrial/Residential). Then work back along the line making sure the complete line from Destination to Origination is complete.

You don't mention distance either or what map you're on, but if you're running experimental sizes there is a line length limitation based upon the calculation of what they will pay for deliveries. There is no hard fast rule here, but roughly most will top out around the 15 - 20 km mark and then no matter what you do won't run as it's too expensive.

Hope this helps.

[chrisasnyder]

The other limitation to cargo is total cost. If it costs too much for the complete trip it won't go. This is the problem that most cargo hub designs run into because each hop adds cost. With faster trains and trucks the cost will go up. So somthing you had working with slow trains/trucks, will stop working becuase it was at the fringe of the total cost limit.

One way people have resolved this is to make the cost on some of the fast legs cheaper, by parking a slow vehicle on the line. Line ticket prices is based on the slowest thing on the line. For example, take a fake engine, put 1 car that can carry the product, assign to the line, then stop it on a siding, you will see the ticket price for that line drop.

Or make some of the products tavel more direct.

[T3kx]

I have the feeling the chain might be incomplete too.
-Station out of range
-Not frequent enough,
-Wrong type of vehicule/wagons cargo type or
-Max travel time (aka cost) is too high (so basicly what Slim said).

It's worth noting that it takes approx. 4 month for the supply chain to kick in (I have readt that somewhere) and start supplying (considering potential). so give it a little time to confirm if it's working or not.

Let us know ;)

[Funkymonk86]

Originally posted by T3k_Qc:

I have the feeling the chain might be incomplete too.
-Station out of range
-Not frequent enough,
-Wrong type of vehicule/wagons cargo type or
-Max travel time (aka cost) is too high (so basicly what Slim said).

It's worth noting that it takes approx. 4 month for the supply chain to kick in (I have readt that somewhere) and start supplying (considering potential). so give it a little time to confirm if it's working or not.

Let us know ;)

I make sure my stations are in range of each other.
I tried getting the frequency up by adding an exaggerated number of vehicles.

I guess my train trips are just to expensive then.... or maybe the distance is too long.
But I'm on a medium sized 1:3 map shipping from one end to the other. So it's not an experimental size, but it is the longest route I've built so far.

[canophone]

Originally posted by Funkymonk86:

Originally posted by T3k_Qc:

I have the feeling the chain might be incomplete too.
-Station out of range
-Not frequent enough,
-Wrong type of vehicule/wagons cargo type or
-Max travel time (aka cost) is too high (so basicly what Slim said).

It's worth noting that it takes approx. 4 month for the supply chain to kick in (I have readt that somewhere) and start supplying (considering potential). so give it a little time to confirm if it's working or not.

Let us know ;)

I make sure my stations are in range of each other.
I tried getting the frequency up by adding an exaggerated number of vehicles.

I guess my train trips are just to expensive then.... or maybe the distance is too long.
But I'm on a medium sized 1:3 map shipping from one end to the other. So it's not an experimental size, but it is the longest route I've built so far.

It's more likely that the cost is too high.