What's a good starting strategy you use?

[twiigss]

So when I start, I'll build 2, build chassis, 4 of fit body, 4 paints, down the line and all into 1 export. Problem is, if I get to something like $1,067,528, it's as if the number hits a max and then I'll be right back down to $900,000, $800,000, $700,000 and it's like no matter what strategy I use, I'll make some money, but lose a ton of money. And at that point in the game, taking out a loan would only hurt more because now you've got payments coming out of your pocket.

So what's a good starting strategy you might use, to where you make tons of money? I have used marketing, which helps only for a little bit, but in the end, I just keep losing money.

[Doc Savage]

Random thoughts...

A screen shot of your floor would help a lot.

Are we talking the base big stations or a specialized line here..?

Just having stations isn't the way to cash. Having stations well timed to take advantage of throughput is. 4 fit bodies doesn't match well with 4 paints, something is going to spend a lot of time waiting.

Game start is a delicate balance. I build a small line at first just to get the 10 cars off to start all the research into the line components. During this time (for me), the game is about making enough to cover my research, I'm not really trying to sell cars and I don't give a rats left testicle what the AI are doing.

I stay small at the beginning. I only build what I have to to keep the line moving. Look at the station times, try to match them up to the lowest (ie fastest throughput) time. Multiples are only built to get a station down to that target. Anything lower just changes the bottleneck location. You will have bottle necks.

Assuming early game: Don't build 4 body slots to feed 4 Paints if the body slots are 20 minutes and the Paints are 30, cars will end up waiting. You're just pushing bodies into line, not building cars faster. The line can only move at the speed of the slowest station. Maybe try 3 body slots and 5 paints instead. (yes, there's a "best way", however that only applies if you want to build exactly what that person wanted to build, not what you want to build)

After specialization, you'll need multiple slots for paint and windshields and such, but don't just build a bunch because you can. Try to split the line and match the time of the other stations. The key is flow...throughput. Lines are like living things, feeding them paint booths won't make axles get done any faster.

Research the faster robots, the 1st two are quick if you're hammering your research. I hit the last one as soon as I'm stable. Do NOT install them everywhere. Use them as throttles to streamline your station speeds. It does no good to cut down the time on a station so a car can wait at the next one.

Stay small. Don't build what you don't have to. And research. As much as you can focusing on specialization and faster production, not silly AI option whims. Once your line is going you will be able to hammer researching all the options and catch up very quickly.

Remember cars can only get produced at the speed of the slowest station. Anything "faster" than that anywhere else on the line is overkill; just an excuse for a car to sit in line. Don't bother spending that money. If you want faster, you need multiples of the slower stations, not all the stations.

If you have Marketing, you should be on specialized lines not the beginning all in one stations. They are incredibly slow and only meant to be starters. It would be nice if you could use them for specialized cars later on, but they're worthless once you can use all the specialized stuff. (this is where the pics of your line come in, so we know what you're looking at)

Cheers..!

[twiigss]

Originally posted by Doc Savage:

Random thoughts...

A screen shot of your floor would help a lot.

Are we talking the base big stations or a specialized line here..?

Just having stations isn't the way to cash. Having stations well timed to take advantage of throughput is. 4 fit bodies doesn't match well with 4 paints, something is going to spend a lot of time waiting.

Game start is a delicate balance. I build a small line at first just to get the 10 cars off to start all the research into the line components. During this time (for me), the game is about making enough to cover my research, I'm not really trying to sell cars and I don't give a rats left testicle what the AI are doing.

I stay small at the beginning. I only build what I have to to keep the line moving. Look at the station times, try to match them up to the lowest (ie fastest throughput) time. Multiples are only built to get a station down to that target. Anything lower just changes the bottleneck location. You will have bottle necks.

Assuming early game: Don't build 4 body slots to feed 4 Paints if the body slots are 20 minutes and the Paints are 30, cars will end up waiting. You're just pushing bodies into line, not building cars faster. The line can only move at the speed of the slowest station. Maybe try 3 body slots and 5 paints instead. (yes, there's a "best way", however that only applies if you want to build exactly what that person wanted to build, not what you want to build)

After specialization, you'll need multiple slots for paint and windshields and such, but don't just build a bunch because you can. Try to split the line and match the time of the other stations. The key is flow...throughput. Lines are like living things, feeding them paint booths won't make axles get done any faster.

Research the faster robots, the 1st two are quick if you're hammering your research. I hit the last one as soon as I'm stable. Do NOT install them everywhere. Use them as throttles to streamline your station speeds. It does no good to cut down the time on a station so a car can wait at the next one.

Stay small. Don't build what you don't have to. And research. As much as you can focusing on specialization and faster production, not silly AI option whims. Once your line is going you will be able to hammer researching all the options and catch up very quickly.

Remember cars can only get produced at the speed of the slowest station. Anything "faster" than that anywhere else on the line is overkill; just an excuse for a car to sit in line. Don't bother spending that money. If you want faster, you need multiples of the slower stations, not all the stations.

If you have Marketing, you should be on specialized lines not the beginning all in one stations. They are incredibly slow and only meant to be starters. It would be nice if you could use them for specialized cars later on, but they're worthless once you can use all the specialized stuff. (this is where the pics of your line come in, so we know what you're looking at)

Cheers..!

Yes, I'm talking early game, like, you have an empty factory floor, what's the best strategy?

I had an "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ok" moment when you talked about, if you want faster, build more of the slow stations. Okay, that makes sense. Yea I just build 4 lines, one of each station per line, so 4 fit body, 4 paint, 4 fit accessories, 4 quality control, I didn't even think about building more of the slowest station.

Yes, I hammer on research, usually the robots, but I always upgrade them all. Now that you said about don't upgrade them all, that makes sense too. So I will try out some of what you suggest.

Thanks a bunch!!!!

[Doc Savage]

Most welcome.

Those big starter stations are really, really slow. Don't hang on to them too long, get your specializations researched and them tear it all up and build a real line.

As you go through the specialized stations try to match them up as best you can for an appx 2 minute total time for that particular operation.

The first one you will run into is the Fuel Tank install. If you want to handle all the incoming cars with no waiting, you'll have to build 2 of this station for every "line" as it's a 4 min station.

It will never be exact, some stations are slightly under, some slightly over. Some stations like Windshields or AC you may need 3 for a single line for no waiting. Paint is another one where you can get really creative to keep traffic flow going.

Get it as close as you can down the line with station counts and then use the robots and stretches of conveyor to adjust the timing to match up as best you can and keep the cars moving with as little waiting as possible.

Also remember to leave space for Maintenence Stations and to leave space around stations that have a lot of options available in case you get a bottleneck and need to expand that part of the line to compensate.

Sell a bunch..!

Cheers..!