A solution to shipping container overflow at front depots

[Valto]

Shipping containers often accumulate at seaports and storage depots close to the front which potentially leads to the depot's shipping container inventory being maxed out and a lack of shipping containers at backline depots. There's an implementable solution to this problem: add a right click option to storage/resource containers located in a seaport/storage depot's inventory which allows for three five containers to be converted into a shipping/resource container crate.

This addition would incentivize flatbed drivers to drive their vehicles back to their points of origin by giving them cargo to drive back. Flatbeds are often needed at frontline locations, but only one third of the flatbeds transporting shipping containers to a storage depot would be required to move containers back. The same incentive would apply to freighters at seaports/depots which could move back 15 instead of 5 containers 25 instead of 5 containers. This would also allow for resource containers to be transported to frontline depots/seaports in bulk if resource containers are given the same crate option as shipping containers. Resource containers are rarely found at frontline locations which devalues frontline resource mine/field extraction.

Regarding realism, real-life shipping containers' metal components are welded together and only disassembled when recycled. However, shipping containers could be designed to be disassembled by using slotted steel beams which are held together by specialized rivets that can be added/removed with the right tools. A storage depot or seaport would have these tools as they are able to convert crates into individual shippable structures/vehicles.

edit: changed the number from 3 to 5, originally thought the number per crate should be 5 and it makes more sense after thinking about it

[Meriwether]

I think you underestimate how lazy people are.

[Valto]

Originally posted by Meriwether:

I think you underestimate how lazy people are.

This counteracts laziness by giving the less lazy people incentive to drive back shipping containers. There will always be people who just leave their stuff abandoned after using it for an hour.

[[☆] Zephyr]

shipping 6000 Bmats of gear forward with one truck and pulling 300 bmats back as recycling, one half of that trip is nearly not worth it at all. shipping containers can be used as terrain and they become more effective than that long drive back to a boat to load what then amounts to 1500 b-mats OF EMPTY BOXES back to the staring point, also fully risking the ship as it sticks around to load the equivalent of garbage on board during an active and dare i say it, ideally a total war scenario.

I propose the creation of a 'Burn Pit' themed structure that converts empty shipping boxes into razor wire and hedgehog beams, make it look like a tent with some welding gear near by.

[[☆] Zephyr]

I get what you are saying, but the movement of war materials to the front is akin to digestion, a process that ideally only operates in one direction.

an end point breakdown structure to convert the garbage into something you kinda want would make more sense.

[Faded]

This war I drove back the container after depositing the crates at a seaport. Last war I noticed we had many containers at a storage depot that was a frontline, so I used the extra containers and placed them around a safe house and a base to protect them against artillery. I tried making some use for them.

[Valto]

Originally posted by ☆ Zephyr:

shipping 6000 Bmats of gear forward with one truck and pulling 300 bmats back as recycling, one half of that trip is nearly not worth it at all. shipping containers can be used as terrain and they become more effective than that long drive back to a boat to load what then amounts to 1500 b-mats OF EMPTY BOXES back to the staring point, also fully risking the ship as it sticks around to load the equivalent of garbage on board during an active and dare i say it, ideally a total war scenario.

Logistics trucks moving back and forth adds a lot more consistency and realism to that part of the game and the game world regardless of why they're doing this. I originally thought that this would be better with 5 containers packed into a crate instead of 3 which now seems like a better idea, so that's one flatbed and 500 bmats moved back to wherever you originated which also lowers the number of flatbeds doing this to 1/5 of the total carrying shipping containers. Ironships moving back containers would follow the same purpose and be akin to a destroyer/frigate returning after a successful operation.

The key reason why I think this would be a good addition is that there's still no need to utilize the change if you don't want to. It just gives drivers an option to go back and forth between depots if you want to move back resources or containers.

Originally posted by ☆ Zephyr:

I get what you are saying, but the movement of war materials to the front is akin to digestion, a process that ideally only operates in one direction.

an end point breakdown structure to convert the garbage into something you kinda want would make more sense.

Usually flatbed logi is sent to a midline depot which isn't located in a frontline hex (some notable exceptions like Mercy's Wish controlled by the Wardens and Victa controlled by the Colonials), so it would be categorized by the game as a backline hex where resource harvesting and production occurs. If a flatbed is bringing an emplacement or ammo pallet to the front, it should usually stay there in case of evac being needed. Flatbed logi needs to keep moving back and forth unless there's a construction yard close to the depot where emplacements can be easily made.