Q about production

Gamble · February 27, 2002, 17:51

I looked through some data dumps but didn't find this info there, so I'd like to ask here how the planet production queue is handled, and hope it's not the odd way which is used in most other cases. Like in Civ for example when you would have enough output to produce 2 units but for some odd reason they stop after the first and wait till next year to start with another.

So assuming I get directly involved and tell a planet to build 2 smaller ships and there are enough production points per turn to build both, will I have my two shiny new ships the very next turn?

LordEd · February 27, 2002, 23:27

Will there be any penalty for changing from one type of production to another (a la Civ) or will it be free to switch production (a la MOO2)?

Stormhound · February 28, 2002, 12:46

First off, there are multiple build queues per planet...you don't build warships in the same queue as you do new buildings, for instance.

That said, yes, if there's enough money to finish two items in a turn, AND neither item has any restrictions on how fast it can be produced (the "nine women can't make a baby in one month" rule), then yes, you'll get both items done that turn.

The "switching production types" doesn't apply because of the multiple build queues. If you remove the first item in a build queue entirely, then you lose all the money you'd put into building it. If you merely bump it down to a later position, though, you don't lose any of the investment (but it stays tied to that item, it isn't shifted to the new first item in the queue).

LordEd · March 1, 2002, 01:38

Thank you for the enlightening reply Stormhound. This does seem like a much more realistic production process. In World War II, the US would not be able to switch production between the Manhatten Project and the building of the Liberty ships... and its great that what is put into one thing will not be shifted to other projects.

Zealot · March 12, 2002, 06:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Stormhound
First off, there are multiple build queues per planet...you don't build warships in the same queue as you do new buildings, for instance.

That said, yes, if there's enough money to finish two items in a turn, AND neither item has any restrictions on how fast it can be produced (the "nine women can't make a baby in one month" rule), then yes, you'll get both items done that turn.

So, how's it going to be built? In MOO2, all you needed to do was to put some popualtion on industry, and that was waht said how long would something take to produce. How different is it going to be in MOO3? Or is it with pop too?

Stormhound · March 12, 2002, 11:25

To start with, you get a very low base level of production just from having people on the planet (and no, you don't have to shift people around between jobs as in MOO2).

To improve that, you build one or more Manufacturing DEAs (DEA = Dominant Economic Activity...think of it as zoning). That improves your production rate for the planet.

Then you can build various buildings (as you discover the required tech) inside the DEA which further boost production.

That's part of the equation; the other part is money. Your "production base" determines how efficiently your money gets spent; you can "overdrive" your production but it costs you increasingly more to do so. So if you have lots of cash but a low production rate, you can burn through the cash to make up for it. If you don't have much cash, though, you won't be able to produce much regardless.

That's about as detailed as I can get for you at this point. It's a much more intricate system than in prior MOOs.

Zealot · March 12, 2002, 11:49

How about if I run out of money?
Will it halt production, as if I pushed something down the queue, and keep its production for later, or will I lose it all?

Stormhound · March 12, 2002, 12:32

It'll just halt production and wait for money to show up so it can resume.

Skanky Burns · March 13, 2002, 10:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Stormhound
the "nine women can't make a baby in one month" rule

For some reason, that struck me as really funny!!

Stormhound · March 13, 2002, 13:26

Me too. It's just one example of why I enjoyed so much my first opportunity to read Alan's design work (he loves little quotes like that), and eventually to join the design team. It's been a whole lot of fun playing around inside the workings of his mind, and we've complemented each other's styles pretty nicely.

tishco · March 13, 2002, 16:41

this has probably been anwered before but:

can you still see your planets city area like in MOO2?

i heard somewhere there is regions on a planet, do they produce different things?

Stormhound · March 13, 2002, 16:53

It won't be quite like MOO2, no, but I can't give specifics.

The regions don't specifically produce different things (at least, not in the sense of production that we've been discussing here), but you can "zone" them differently (or all the same if you wish) to turn the overall output of the planet in different directions. Also, different regions can have different attributes and special bonuses.

It's really a pretty nifty system.

LordEd · March 13, 2002, 20:31

Would there be certain penalties for some areas as well? Perhaps your population would prefer to move out of an area zoned as heavy industrial in favor of an area zoned as garden or park (etc).

Stormhound · March 14, 2002, 09:44

There are never more than 12 regions on a planet, so regions are pretty big. People will move around for various reasons, but the "zoning" isn't generally one of them.

GodKing · March 18, 2002, 12:56

Wow. Sounds like quite a lot has gone into this.
Can't wait to try it out.

Thanks for the updates!!!

Sarxis · March 19, 2002, 12:53

Good stuff! MoO3 is sounding very good (not that it ever sounded bad). You guys are finally 'getting' it as far as what fans have been wanting in their 4.. er.. 5x games.