Trade logic being stupid?

[Daonar]

I've set up a simple trade between 2 ports, using ONE ship that has THREE cargo slots. Trade is set up as following:

Port 1: Load A, Load B, Unload C, Load D
Port 2: Unload A, Unload B, Load C, Unload D

The loaded/unloaded amount is the same for each type of good. I've manually checked the ship and each time it unloads completely in each port.

Problem is, it's not even trying to trade good "D", and the tooltip says "there's a minor problem with one of your trade routes - not enough cargo slots". But, THERE ARE ENOUGH CARGO SLOTS.

It should be like this: arrive at port 1, load A, B and D resulting in 3/3 slots occupied. Move to port 2, unload all goods resulting in 0/3 slots occupied. Then load C resulting in 1/3 slots occupied. Then move back to A and repeat.

It looks like AI simply checks that there are 4 types of goods configured for the trade route and ship only has 3 cargo slots, and doesn't even try to do anything with 4th good type. Even if the trade is perfectly doable.

Is this a known bug?

[Smokerbait]

It's not a bug. The game does not treat ships cargo slots the way you want them to. As logical as your reasoning is, the game simply isn't programmed that way. Slots are reserved for one type of cargo and trip.

[Daonar]

So the AI is that stupid indeed and unable to utilize cargo slots properly.

Why does it even allow creation of a trade route with more types of goods involved than total cargo slots?
Are they going to fix it?

[Smokerbait]

No, it won't be fixed, because in their mind it's not broken. Whether it's a limitation of programming or an intentional game mechanic, this is how they intended it to be. It's been this way for over three years.

Essentially, if you need more goods transferred you have to build more or better ships.

[Daonar]

"this is how they intended it to be. It's been this way for over three years."

I know some games where bugs have been reported years ago waiting to be fixed.

Did they ever confirm this to be "working as intented"? Because a trade ship not loading cargo while having a free cargo slot is anything but "working as intended" in my opinion.

[kmmacman]

If you set the route up with 4 items EX: 1 2 3 4 on a 1 2 3 ship it will no recognize the #4 item.
You need to: Load A, Load B, Load D and then at the other port unLoad A, B and D and Load C in the same slot as D and then Unload It at the first port and D will load because now the slot is open.
This will work until either D or C become full in the warehouse then it will load the one that is not full and eventually fill all three slots with that item.
Hope that's clear enough. You can do that with any size cargo ship...just keep an eye on it.

[KoV]

Throw cargo overboard if full helps theres a button ffor it so it allows you to refill with other goods

Or

Take a neutral AI island in between archi or prison or kahina and sell all leftover goods before you load more

Combine the 2 above tips and you can easily load your slots with all kinds of goods at the cost of longer trade routes if you use the neutrals instead of just throwing stuff overboard to make space

In the end you just want to either have enough ships or only trade neccesary goods

[Daonar]

Funny how a supposed developer marks incorrect statement as a correct answer. It's incorrect in this part: "Slots are reserved for one type of cargo and trip"

Slot is NOT reserved for one type of cargo and ship. Game DOES allow creating a trade route when the same slot is used for more than one type of cargo

Proof: https://imgur.com/a/nyOCMJA

[Dragonrubi]

Not bug or anything wrong it works as intended, it has been like it in all Annos since I remember, so i assume you are new to the franchise.

Yeah they empty all merchandise when unloading, however is not uncommon as the game progresses the warehouses fills, in such case not all the merchandise will be unloaded, so the game considers that slot is for that type of merchandise when you planned the route.

So when you plan your routes you must consider that, is one slot only per type of merchandise, if you need more build other ship and other route or wait until you can access to better cargo ships with more slots.

[Daonar]

OK I got you. It works as intended. The intent was wrong, it has been that way for many years across the series, it was never changed so obviously nobody will change/fix it now.

Again: it's NOT one slot per type of merchandise, proof link above.

[Ubi_TheBerry]

Hey there guys,

Thanks for sharing your advice here, we appreciate it!

Daonar - as noted, this is indeed working as intended.

We're more than happy to pass your comments here onto the game team as feedback as something for them to consider, however with feedback there's no guarantee these changes will be implemented, as this it at the discretion of the development team.

If there's anything more you'd like to share here or anything more we can answer, please let us know!

And thank for raising this!

- Ubisoft Support

[Daonar]

And yet we have to get back to this, because the assumption that "a kind of trade good configured for a cargo slot can't go into another cargo slot" seems to be wrong, after all.

Screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/ru2csWq

This trade ship couldn't unload Beer in San Durano at some point, due to the storage being full. What happened when it visited Varbonne, with slot#2 being full of 50/50 Beer and it needed to pick up another 10 units of Beer? Did it just ignore it because the beer slot was full?

Hell no. It just proceeded loading Beer into the _first available slot_. Which results in TWO slots being occupied with beer (slot 2 50/50 and slot 3 10/50), which in turn ruined entire trade route, as it couldn't load Cotton fabric because of no slot available. Fixing it required manual intervention.

Now tell me please: if the ship can ignore the logic - the logic you described as "working as intended", the logic where a certain type of goods can only go into SPECIFIC cargo slot, the slot that is EXPLICITLY configured in the trade route's setup - and ruin the trade route, then why on earth couldn't it ignore it to actually be more efficient and behave exactly as people expect it to be, as it was described in my original post?

[Dragonrubi]

Originally posted by Daonar:

And yet we have to get back to this, because the assumption that "a kind of trade good configured for a cargo slot can't go into another cargo slot" seems to be wrong, after all.

Screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/ru2csWq

This trade ship couldn't unload Beer in San Durano at some point, due to the storage being full. What happened when it visited Varbonne, with slot#2 being full of 50/50 Beer and it needed to pick up another 10 units of Beer? Did it just ignore it because the beer slot was full?

Hell no. It just proceeded loading Beer into the _first available slot_. Which results in TWO slots being occupied with beer (slot 2 50/50 and slot 3 10/50), which in turn ruined entire trade route, as it couldn't load Cotton fabric because of no slot available. Fixing it required manual intervention.

Now tell me please: if the ship can ignore the logic - the logic you described as "working as intended", the logic where a certain type of goods can only go into SPECIFIC cargo slot, the slot that is EXPLICITLY configured in the trade route's setup - and ruin the trade route, then why on earth couldn't it ignore it to actually be more efficient and behave exactly as people expect it to be, as it was described in my original post?

Yes you got it. This is what we told you since the beginning ,

[Daonar]

"Yes you got it. This is what we told you since the beginning"

I guess you didn't read it? I provided a link to the screenshot that proves your statement, statement about it being impossible to use more than one type of goods within a single cargo slot, incorrect.

But anyways, game is ridden with bugs and faulty UI. So I don't care why you refuse to understand. Good riddance I didn't had to pay for it first.

[Dragonrubi]

Originally posted by Daonar:

"Yes you got it. This is what we told you since the beginning"

I guess you didn't read it? I provided a link to the screenshot that proves your statement, statement about it being impossible to use more than one type of goods within a single cargo slot, incorrect.

But anyways, game is ridden with bugs and faulty UI. So I don't care why you refuse to understand. Good riddance I didn't had to pay for it first.

Yes i saw your link that you posted twice, i made a longer reply but edited it, there is no case keeping this argue, I repeat you have the right answer since the first reply you got longer and dedicated explanations.

The game is what it is and works fine there is nothing to fix, the routes works fine when you understand the logic, if you don't or is not as you would like they "should" to work is your "opinion" but not a "bug". and most anno hardcore fans love it, if you don't like it, feel the mechanics a chore perhaps is just that the game is not for you and that's not bad, it had happened to me too, I hate games that are very priced and loved by others.