TIRED OF RESOURCE SHORTAGES? Easiest Solution.

[NerevarineGMSV]

The game has some of the most ridiculous resource management. UGH.
Doesn't really show much as far as upkeep, and what it does show is just not able to be managed in a more realistic fashion, some stuff is down right uncontrollabe.
Eventually, you end up waging war with massive deficits and penalties.

FORGET ALL OF THAT. Here is the solution:

Use the Game Editor.
ADD Food, Metal, Coal to the game as items you can produce in your factories!

HOW? Well, I haven't tried making it out of thin-air.
I like the idea of using an existing resource and **converting** it to another.

I made it so I can convert Oil into Food, or whatever I need.

Here are the steps, and describes what I did.


DISCLAIMER: at maybe at like Turn 1000, do these changes bug out the game? I don't think so, it's a solid setup, but some games, like Superpower 2, has an economic bug (Atarky Bug I believe it's called) where if you get really far into the game, with massive surpluses, the economy crashes (everyone has everything they need, so no one is buying anything anymore, so you start losing money, eventually, go into major deficits, that affect your ability to upkeep your military). So what I'm doing here? Who knows. I'm 200 turns in, it's all good.
**UPDATE** I've gotten that far, and it doesn't. Everything is great. Only issue is when I have like 50,000 total divisions (land, sea, air) or is it 80,000? In any case, some cities will produce 0 IPU per turn, that is, stop producing units. That's ok. Just set to Pause. As the war rages, and you lose units, they'll start producing again. I've only had two games go so long that I reached ridiculous sized armies.

Since you'll be creating a custom scenario, if it breaks, only this custom scenario gets broken and you can always go back and mess around and make adjustments.

-START-

1. When you go to use it, instead of creating one from scratch, select one of the ones listed that already come with the game.

2. It will prompt you to name it. Call it whatever. "My Scenario" or you could call it "Whatever" if you really want.

It will load up all the tabs of things you can change.

3. Go to FACTORY OUTPUT.

This shows all the units in the game, how much it costs to build them, including resource units, which are "Non-Units".

*WARNING*: ---do not mess with Upgrade Industry, Light/Heavy/Advanced Industry IPU/cost stats. In fact, don't even mess with these at all. If you try to do ANYTHING (like reducing cost, faster upgrading speed), IT WILL BORK YOUR GAME. It will trigger a bug where it will max out and produce 0 every turn. Effectively rendering completely useless. Just leave them alone.

--SO HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF THE CONSTANT SHORTAGE PROBLEM HERE?--
...you might be asking...

What I did is setup to where

4. You'll notice there is Arms, Goods, and Sythetic Oil (3 of them, just tiers, no worries), as well as how much it cost to produce them, and how much it will OUTPUT.

5. Look at bottom where you can ADD new things to the list of producable items.

6. Click it, select from the list "Resource", then select the Resource from the list.

7. Select the resource type (like "Food").

8. Enter very brief description (like "Produce Food").

9. Set costs, like IPU, to 1. (you'll see it have -1 or 0s by default). There's like three things, I don't recall, but I think I set the last to 0.

10. SELECT TO MAKE AVAILABLE AT START! <---this will ensure it will be in your list of producable items by default once in the game.

10. Set the "flag", change to "Non-Unit". (it's easy to forget this step).

11. Enter what the in-game item description like "Converts Oil into Food".

12. Add what it will cost to produce. Add the Oil resource. Set cost to 1.

13. Select what the Output will be, select the Food resource. Set Output to 10 (or whatever).

14. Select Validate to make sure no errors (easy to miss setting up the flag, again just set to "non-unit".

15. Apply.

---

16. Then I went to Synthetic Oil, set it all to 1 IPU, nixed the cost.

17. REMOVED all resources it costs to produce.

18. Set Output to 10 (or was it 5? I don't recall).

19. Repeat process to add "METALS" and "COAL. (remember to setup flag to Non-Unit, and "MAKE AVAILABLE AT START"!!!!)

20. Go to ARMS and GOODS, EDIT the stats, have it at 1 IPU as well, nix any costs, them to cost 1 Oil to produce with an Output of 5 (or 10 if you want). This means I can produce 5 Arms with 1 unit of Oil. SWEEET!

21. Remember to Apply and run Validate.

22. SAVE the scenario, then go try it out.

You will see the scenario listed now with the other scenarios when you go to start a game.
(**you have to start a new game, as it's a custom scenario you've created**)

In your build list for your factories, you should see "FOOD", "METAL", "COAL" listed along with however much you setup it will cost in resources or whatever to produce.

23. *NOTE* - that you NEED to RESEARCH Synthetic Oil before you start "building Oil".
You already have your wells and some in stock. This could all be changed, but I left this as-is for the sake of retaining some of the challenge of the game. In any case, my default Oil supply/production was enough for all of this work without shortages.

23b. "But why not just add OIL too?"
i. I haven't tried making a "separate" Oil to be producable, because I wanted to focus on this first, and I'm sure if having "Oil" and later "Synethic Oil" producable, if it would *conflict* with each other and bug out the game.
ii. You COULD try setting Synthetic Oil to "Make Available at Start" but that might bug out the Technology tree. i.e.: what will the game do if you research something you already have available?
iii. The safest route, seems to be to try and reducing the time it takes to research through to Sythentic Oil, by reducing the costs/IPUs to complete (YES, you can get costs on just about everything....AGAIN DON'T MESS WITH INDUSTRY ONES!).

Tips:

-The more the IPU rating of your factory/city, the more the amount. So if you set to cost 1 IPU, and 1 Oil to produce 10 FOOD, and your Factory/City IPU level is 100, it will make 100 Food. The game is wonky so sometimes this can vary, of if you have penalties. You can mess the the x (times) factor all you want in the Editor though.

-It helps to delete the Resource cost to produce military units and for Research (it costs 1 Coal per IPU/research unit point. So a city producing 100 Research is taking 100 Coal outta your butts. That's lame). If you don't do this, you'll find the Edits/Adds you may not be sufficient as you'd like! You'd probably have to go back and increase the Output amount.

-The resources used to "build" a military unit, also seem to be part of it's upkeep. Once I removed this, I wasn't losing resources so darn much. (I also reduced the $$$ upkeep, for kicks).

-BE SURE NOT TO MESS AROUND WITH INDUSTRY SETTINGS AT ALL IN THE EDITOR, IT WILL MESS UP THE GAME.

I personally wanted to keep SOME challenge so I made it to where ARMS/GOODS, cost 1 Metal, Coal, Oil each to make. (since I left Industry alone, it requires this as well to build up).

-Isn't this cheating? No, it's creating a Custom Scenario with new rules. The point of the game is to build a big-huge-army and conquer the world (basically), not play around with resource production/multi-click-fest like I'm some merchant.

-Doing all this also allows you to forget about constantly upgrading land for food, or micromanaging Mines and Oil Wells. Short on something? Just have your factories build it!
I see it as more of a marrying all of the "production" industries together.

-Lastly, you can of course...sell any excess resources on the World Trade Market for mega $$$. This is okay though, because your units still have costs/upkeep, so you have a better chance to balance your budget now. I personally took off a couple of zeros on unit upkeep. It shouldn't cost a Bajillion simolians to upkeep one cruddy Destroyer.

-**THE AI***. How the AI uses this? I don't care. I was playing as US, I loaded up the UK, they had only small shortages of food, oil, but hefty surplus of ARMS/GOODs. They don't seem to use the "added' producable items (FOOD, METAL, COAL). By default, they can manage their Oil/Mines, and Food (upgrading land). I also setup extra resources at the start for each main player so they have some breathing room by default in case of any bugs (and to help at bit with balance if they don't "build" the resources I've added).

-DOES THIS BUG OUT THE GAME? So far, it looks like despite selecting to ZERO OUT trade with other nations, the game ignores this and I keep trading resources. Only small amounts, appears to be the DEFAULT amounts anyways. I'm like 200 turns in and some stay away, some seem to come back. I rarely mess with World Trade so maybe I'm just doing something wrong. Can always go into Editor to update Scenario to remove all default Trade Treaties (that'd be starting the game over). Just be sure NEVER to mess with the Industry settings (for Light/Heavy/Advanced/Upgrade Industry) in the Editor or you'll get that 0 output problem. You can Google it, people have had whole Scenarios go belly-up because of it.

-Why not try to increase Output at mines/oil well/farmland instead? Because the Editor is limited and won't let you. You can set the base-output but not anything with Maximum. So if one land by Default produces 1 Food with max of 5. You can only set to 5. If you set to 6, will it produce more? I tried that once, and was having like -1,000,000 food or some weird bug (don't give yourself more than 1.4 million $$$ (or is it billion?) it bugs out and gives you -15 mil. instead, but Editor will show this if you click on different item, then click back in $$$ again). INSTEAD, you'd have to go in the games various XML files and dig all around and mess with all sorts of funky lines and stuff. And who wants to try and memorize Min./Max. Output?! My way is easier, faster, better, more flexible. I wrote all this so people don't have to mess with XML to edit production amounts. I kept seeing this in forums.

HAVE FUN!

You can play around and do whatever you want. Make it to where you can "build Metal" using Food, or whatever. You can leave the Resource costs with units, or make them cost more, play around with it however to make your game easier or less challenging. Increase costs/upkeep, requiring you to rely more producing resources that must be balanced with production and selling for $$$. So many ways to play around with this!

I hope this helps other players alleviate their resource woes, so they can focus on waging war, tactics, strategies, etc. instead of constantly worrying about being in the red.

(I hope I didn't forget anything.)

[Sadpan]

These are the forums, not the guides page; The resources of this game are meant to be fulfilled via trade and/or taking another nation's lands.

[NerevarineGMSV]

Don't be a hater.

This is General Discussion so one can post about whatever they want about the game. There is no "Guide section".

The game comes with an Editor and many have questions how to create scenarios and adjust resources. Why? Because everyone knows the game's economic system is flawed. (countries that can't produce their own food, mines that only produce 1 unit of Coal and max at out 2, especially ones that are well known in past times-and current-as being a major source for the globe). Typically, you'll seize territory in the game where doing so yields 0 new resources or a small handful at best -- because those countries were already in the -1000s, so seizing territory doesn't yield anything that helps boost your nation. Rather, you "inherit" their starving mouths and it further burdens everyone.

In late-game play scenarios, on all my playthroughs, all countries have used up their resources and are spamming the World Trade section looking for 10,000s of resources, everyone has billions or trillions in debt. This isn't the European Union where you can win by incurring debt.

This offers one an alternative to correct/mitigate those issues via the Editor be creating their own scenario.

Have a nice day,

[Sadpan]

Originally posted by nerevarine:

Don't be a hater.

This is General Discussion so one can post about whatever they want about the game. There is no "Guide section".

The game comes with an Editor and many have questions how to create scenarios and adjust resources. Why? Because everyone knows the game's economic system is flawed. (countries that can't produce their own food, mines that only produce 1 unit of Coal and max at out 2, especially ones that are well known in modern times as being a major source for the globe).
This offers one an alternative to correct/mitigate those issues via the Editor be creating their own scenario.

Have a nice day,

You do realize that Steam guides do really have their own section? Also, if you think it is so broken for smaller countries not meant to normally be played, then please do go ahead with a fix mod for the game.

[NerevarineGMSV]

Broken for smaller countries? Where did you come up with that?
System is broken for all countries. See prior post.

If you don't like reading what someone posts, don't bother reading it. lol.

[Sadpan]

Originally posted by nerevarine:

Broken for smaller countries? Where did you come up with that?
System is broken for all countries. See prior post.

If you don't like reading what someone posts, don't bother reading it. lol.

I did read it, I never made a statement that I dislike your guide, thus I turn the question on you, where did that point come from? Larger countries aren't broken, you simply are incapable of managing your country effectively.

I have no problems with economy for the main superpowers of the game, though smaller countries have huge economical issues. Never did I say anything about you mentioning minor countries, however I instead made a separate point related to the "broken" economy.

[NerevarineGMSV]

OK, I understand then. I think we just disagree on a few things.

The economy/resource flaws of the game are not reflected by how I manage the country I'm playing as, but rather how these systems were implemeted, and further observed by the AI's own managed itself. As I mentioned, conquering nations (which I'm sure you understand that means those controlled by the AI--I certainly don't play against myself), yields their population and a pittance of resources. I will conquer all USSR and they yield 100 Coal, 10 Metal, 200 Food, etc....their Resource producers are in the very low double digits. That's pretty absurd.
Most of the time, I will incur ultra-debt, and take the the penalties, so I can spam units and win the game (without any custom scenario/modifications).

The interesting things, is I noticed with my custom scenario, the AI (while it doesn't utilize the added Resource items that can be added as producable in the factories, it is able to gain and maintain surplus of Arms/Goods. Since I also nixed the upkeep (which I mention was just a pesronal choice), the AI is able to maintain a strong force with very minimal (or no) penalities due to resource deficits (the ones they have are minimal because I also nixed the Oil/Coal/Metal requirements for some production).

In the current game I'm playing, it's up to turn 600 (I extended the end-date), Japan, China, I conquered, but fighting UK/French/USSR alliance who destroyed Germany and Italy.
Their producing challenging forces as we fight for Asia (bad place to get into a "land war" at). And constant naval engagements as their combined forces, and smaller allies, go against my fleets. Since everyone has more resouces to spare, it upped the challenge. I focused on my navy with 803 ships, about half protecting North and Central America, Pacific holdings, the rest fighting battles in SE Pacific/W.Indian Ocean as they attempt to push through (they already liberated New Zealand from me, so I'm having to reallocate ships to blockade it for re-invasion).
I have over 2200 Advanced Tank divisions, but their combined might is over 3500. USSR is massing about 100 or so division to take back Siberia. the UK/French/others, launched an offensive to liberate India from me. Thousands of units have probably been wiped out in the game overall so far.

Anyhoo.

Hope you have a great day.

[Sadpan]

Originally posted by nerevarine:

OK, I understand then. I think we just disagree on a few things.

The economy/resource flaws of the game are not reflected by how I manage the country I'm playing as, but rather how these systems were implemeted, and further observed by the AI's own managed itself. As I mentioned, conquering nations (which I'm sure you understand that means those controlled by the AI--I certainly don't play against myself), yields their population and a pittance of resources. I will conquer all USSR and they yield 100 Coal, 10 Metal, 200 Food, etc....their Resource producers are in the very low double digits. That's pretty absurd.
Most of the time, I will incur ultra-debt, and take the the penalties, so I can spam units and win the game (without any custom scenario/modifications).

The interesting things, is I noticed with my custom scenario, the AI (while it doesn't utilize the added Resource items that can be added as producable in the factories, it is able to gain and maintain surplus of Arms/Goods. Since I also nixed the upkeep (which I mention was just a pesronal choice), the AI is able to maintain a strong force with very minimal (or no) penalities due to resource deficits (the ones they have are minimal because I also nixed the Oil/Coal/Metal requirements for some production).

In the current game I'm playing, it's up to turn 600 (I extended the end-date), Japan, China, I conquered, but fighting UK/French/USSR alliance who destroyed Germany and Italy.
Their producing challenging forces as we fight for Asia (bad place to get into a "land war" at). And constant naval engagements as their combined forces, and smaller allies, go against my fleets. Since everyone has more resouces to spare, it upped the challenge. I focused on my navy with 803 ships, about half protecting North and Central America, Pacific holdings, the rest fighting battles in SE Pacific/W.Indian Ocean as they attempt to push through (they already liberated New Zealand from me, so I'm having to reallocate ships to blockade it for re-invasion).
I have over 2200 Advanced Tank divisions, but their combined might is over 3500. USSR is massing about 100 or so division to take back Siberia. the UK/French/others, launched an offensive to liberate India from me. Thousands of units have probably been wiped out in the game overall so far.

Anyhoo.

Hope you have a great day.

I see your point, but you are missing mine. This is a forum, this post doesn't go on the forum. It goes on the steam guides page of this game.

[NerevarineGMSV]

General Discussions. "Let's discuss how to deal with that Resource issue."
Let's move along.

[Sadpan]

Originally posted by nerevarine:

General Discussions. "Let's discuss how to deal with that Resource issue."
Let's move along.

Now you're completely ignoring what I had said. Are you from an Eastern Bloc country by any chance?

[NerevarineGMSV]

Who says I'm "ignoring" you? You have your opinions. I have mine.
You can't just "Let It Go", you don't have mental health issues do you?
Is it time for Judge Wapner, Rainman?

[Sadpan]

Originally posted by nerevarine:

Who says I'm "ignoring" you? You have your opinions. I have mine.
You can't just "Let It Go", you don't have mental health issues do you?
Is it time for Judge Wapner, Rainman?

Yeah, clearly you are an edgy prick likely from an Eastern Bloc country (which would explain why you failed to acknowledge my initial point, and the relatively ♥♥♥♥♥ insult about mental health).

[NerevarineGMSV]

Don't be such a commie. You need to understand the difference between "listening" and "agreeing or disagreeing". Two different concepts. Disagreeing does not meant I didn't hear you out.

I heard what you said.
I've decided that I disagree with you.
You disagree with me.
That's it. Case closed.

Either, you're just having a bad day, or you inheritly are confused about the difference, or believe that if someone doesn't agree with you, it means they didn't listen (which is pretty aweful, and reflective of totalitarian leadership qualities. Is that why you keep mentioning this "Eastern Bloc" thing? Playing too much USSR?), and "only if they listened, they'd 100% agree with me". That's a form of mental derangment, you know that right? I'm not your keeper though, so WHATEVER, Stalin.

[Sadpan]

Originally posted by nerevarine:

Don't be such a commie. You need to understand the difference between "listening" and "agreeing or disagreeing". Two different concepts. Disagreeing does not meant I didn't hear you out.

I heard what you said.
I've decided that I disagree with you.
You disagree with me.
That's it. Case closed.

Either, you're just having a bad day, or you inheritly are confused about the difference, or believe that if someone doesn't agree with you, it means they didn't listen (which is pretty aweful, and reflective of totalitarian leadership qualities. Is that why you keep mentioning this "Eastern Bloc" thing? Playing too much USSR?), and "only if they listened, they'd 100% agree with me". That's a form of mental derangment, you know that right? I'm not your keeper though, so WHATEVER, Stalin.

I'm saying those things about the USSR and related countries because people from there are usually very thick headed. You never said a word about my initial point past your first reply. It seems like you can't accept that you were wrong and I was right about the damn right place to put your guide. If you disagreed with my main point, then you would speak of it more than once, as you did on my side point that is completely off of this argument's subject.

You are truly misguided and I hope you find help to correct that, kid.
Please, for ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, just move this damn post to the guides section and end this nonsensical argument.

[NerevarineGMSV]

Originally posted by Techi:

Originally posted by nerevarine:

Don't be such a commie. You need to understand the difference between "listening" and "agreeing or disagreeing". Two different concepts. Disagreeing does not meant I didn't hear you out.

I heard what you said.
I've decided that I disagree with you.
You disagree with me.
That's it. Case closed.

Either, you're just having a bad day, or you inheritly are confused about the difference, or believe that if someone doesn't agree with you, it means they didn't listen (which is pretty aweful, and reflective of totalitarian leadership qualities. Is that why you keep mentioning this "Eastern Bloc" thing? Playing too much USSR?), and "only if they listened, they'd 100% agree with me". That's a form of mental derangment, you know that right? I'm not your keeper though, so WHATEVER, Stalin.

I'm saying those things about the USSR and related countries because people from there are usually very thick headed. You never said a word about my initial point past your first reply. It seems like you can't accept that you were wrong and I was right about the damn right place to put your guide. If you disagreed with my main point, then you would speak of it more than once, as you did on my side point that is completely off of this argument's subject.

You are truly misguided and I hope you find help to correct that, kid.
Please, for ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, just move this damn post to the guides section and end this nonsensical argument.

Shut up, pee wee.

Don't be such a SNOWFLAKE. This is a General Discussion forum, tard.
Maybe you should look like that up in your prissy Hipster SJW Dictionary?
Or ask your mama, what that means, I'm confident she'll know, son.

F-ng cry baby Millenials. LOL.

This is a General Forum. Does my post make your wussy eyes bleed?
That's YOUR problem, not mine, Snowflake. LOL.

Maybe you should write to Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders so your weaksauce can feel better about yourself? OR check into a psycho-ward, whichever comes first?

Your name is probably lame, something along the lines like "Francis", fat nerd-tard, MoFo, living in his MAMA's basement, crying FOUL/HEINOUS/ENDOFWORLD, at anything outside your POS "OCD" issues.

Here is a life hack for you: Don't share your OCD problems with the rest of us.
You'll just embarass yourself (TOO LATE), and squirm, quite publically, like a worm.

BTW, I've seen your other posts, where you attack people (consistently), call them F words, F-this, F-thats, and then you deign to come here and pretend you never did that before.
PRO-TIP: Set your Profile to PRIVATE so no one sees that mumbo-jumbo-BS. MMM-kay?

You've been eaten for breakfast. Ready for lunch, Snowflake?

You being Triggered is hillarious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fTQM5H0qiY

Your tears are a luxury.

[Sadpan]

Wow, I think I just got cancer from that. Please leave the internet and die in a hole, it quite clearly isn't the right place for your sensitive ass. Your rage is hilarous, please keep the show going kid.