What is a Prototype Product?

[Didz]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2583628499
I'm looking at the above Career Task and wondering what counts as a Prototype Product.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2583631560
According to the Tech-Tree there are several products that can be researched under the Prototype Category. Including Car Parts; Computers and Pre-Made Dinners. But I've already researched Dough and I've been selling it for ages so why hasn't this task popped?

[SGreenwell]

The prototype is basically the "end game" project. While you get the task somewhat early, you probably don't have any cities big enough to sell it in yet.

Whatever your biggest current city is - Keep the various stores well supplied with goods, and also complete any contract offers is gives you. This'll help the growth rate of the city. Eventually, one of the shops that opens will be a showroom for the car, the TV dinner or the computer. Once you supply the good to the shop - it'll take close to a year of in-game time - you complete the task.

[Didz]

Originally posted by SGreenwell:

Eventually, one of the shops that opens will be a showroom for the car, the TV dinner or the computer. Once you supply the good to the shop - it'll take close to a year of in-game time - you complete the task.

Ah! So the prototype is likely to be either:

• The Car
  
• The Computer
  
• or The TV Dinner.

Thanks!

[SGreenwell]

Originally posted by Didz:

Originally posted by SGreenwell:

Eventually, one of the shops that opens will be a showroom for the car, the TV dinner or the computer. Once you supply the good to the shop - it'll take close to a year of in-game time - you complete the task.

Ah! So the prototype is likely to be either:

• The Car
  
• The Computer
  
• or The TV Dinner.

Thanks!

Yup! You can also start producing them before you get the relevant shop to sell them. You'll just either have to sell them to State, or keep them in your inventory until the store opens.

[some moron]

This game names many important things incorrectly, but worse than that is the names make you think they are something that they are not.
A "prototype" would be the first of any product line, not for sale or for use, but to demonstrate proof of concept.
The dev (incorrectly) calls Tier4 products "prototypes", which you sell, and you can produce as many of them as you want, rather guaranteeing they are NOT actually prototypes.

[Alex, Master Penguin]

Every naming convention is based off the Product Overview Panel. Raw, Produce, Tiers, Components, Prototype.

In any case, note that the objective is to make and sell one, but sending to the state isn't sufficient. Need to max out a town so they spawn the Showroom, which is the only way to send properly the Prototype and win the game.

It's a very risky and expensive endeavour, have patience

[Didz]

Product Overview Panel?

I'm not sure what that is but its not the Tech-Tree I Assume.

This is whats called the 'Product Overview' in my version of the game but as you can see it doesn't mention Prototype Products at all. Though the Tech-Tree Does.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2584191196

This is a similar issue to the one i discovered today when considering whether to change my Head Quarters Building. The pros and cons of the various options are expressed as things like +5% For Light Industry -5% for Heavy Industry.. But nowhere could I find a definition of what is classed as a light or heavy industry. I couldn't find any report or listing that indicated what type of industry each factory/product fell into, so I had no way of making a decision and just ended up ignoring that option in the game as I didn;t have the information I needed to use it properly.

[Alex, Master Penguin]

Light and heavy industry is clearly defined in the tech tree

[Didz]

Originally posted by Alex, Master Penguin:

Light and heavy industry is clearly defined in the tech tree

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2584423399
So, the Tech-Tree defines what is a Light or Heavy Industry, but not what is a Prototype Product?

Well at least it gives me some idea which alternative HQ to go for as most of Raglanshire is Light Industry according to the Tech-Tree. But presumably HQ bonuses will affect your entire operation so if I begin investing in Heavy Industry in Rochdale I shall need to consider the impact.

[SGreenwell]

Didz, the prototype is so far at the end of the tech tree, you basically need to have research products from *all* of them to complete it. Like, for example, the dinner one will rely more heavily on fruit and food items, but I believe you still need to look into plastics and adhesives and other more "hardware"ish items. Also, by the time you're making that, you're probably ridiculously flush with cash anyway, if you're playing the game well.

[some moron]

Yeah I don't understand that "HQ mode" - by the time I can use it, I don't need it anymore.
I think it might be better if it was free from the start of the game.

[Didz]

Originally posted by SGreenwell:

Didz, the prototype is so far at the end of the tech tree, you basically need to have research products from *all* of them to complete it. Like, for example, the dinner one will rely more heavily on fruit and food items, but I believe you still need to look into plastics and adhesives and other more "hardware"ish items. Also, by the time you're making that, you're probably ridiculously flush with cash anyway, if you're playing the game well.

I understand what your saying but I'm just making the point that it isn't clear from the Career Task what you have to do. It probably needs rewording and perhaps stating clearly which products you need to make and sell to satisfy it.

I was scratching my head for a while trying to work out why my sale of Dough (which is listed as a prototype product on the tech-tree) wasn't earning me a tick in the box.

I mean I can make Berry Pies which look like they could also count but its hard to plan anything if you aren't sure what you have to do.

[Didz]

Originally posted by some moron:

Yeah I don't understand that "HQ mode" - by the time I can use it, I don't need it anymore.
I think it might be better if it was free from the start of the game.

Now I know how to find out what are Light and Heavy Industries I might have another look at it. But it costs $1M so the discount on offer has got to be worth that level of investment otherwise its just not worth it.

[some moron]

Originally posted by Didz:

I was scratching my head for a while trying to work out why my sale of Dough (which is listed as a prototype product on the tech-tree) wasn't earning me a tick in the box.

Ah good point, if dough is on the prototype screen, logically that would be a prototype product, seems to me.

[Didz]

Originally posted by some moron:

Originally posted by Didz:

I was scratching my head for a while trying to work out why my sale of Dough (which is listed as a prototype product on the tech-tree) wasn't earning me a tick in the box.

Ah good point, if dough is on the prototype screen, logically that would be a prototype product, seems to me.

Well that was my logic too, but apparently it isn't the case.

• Things under Light Industry are apparently classed as Light Industry.
  
• Things Under Heavy Industry are classed as Heavy Industry.
  
• But only certain products listed under Prototypes are considered Prototypes. according to @SGreenwell its only the Car, Computer and TV Dinner.

I'm glad I asked otherwise I would probably have been phaffing about for ages researching stuff from the Prototype section of the tech-tree and investing in production and then wondering why the hell it wasn't working.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2585280238
I'm still a bit confused SGreenwood says that for catering its the TV Dinner that counts as a Prototype Product. By which I assume he means the Chicken Dinner on the left. But in practice everything on that research screen is labelled 'Premade Dinner'. So, I'm still not sure which ones count. Clearly 'Dough' doesn't, but would 'Berry Pie' which is also the top of a research tree?

[Alex, Master Penguin]

I really think the game puts it obvious enough.

Global Market panel, plus whatever the Showroom buys: https://prnt.sc/1qk10j0