Suggestion: Duplicate firm ability

[mwyeoh]

Hi David

I have mentioned this one before, but Im just including it in the suggestions forum now.
I would really like it if a firm could be duplicated more easily.

At the moment it requires alot of micromanagement to set up a set of chain stores (Even when using the plan layout options)
If would be great if a firm could be selected, then a new site selected and a copy of the first firm be placed there (Including suppliers- unless a supplier is no longer available (Ie- AI has switched it to internal only)


EDIT:
As an extension to this, perhaps an option to be able to link duplicated firms together so that when you change one, it changes them all.

This would have to be a selectable option though, and there would need to be an option to delink a firm

[jm554]

+1

As you said, this would reduce unnecessary micromanagement. The fun in the game lies in making strategic decisions, not in clicking the mouse endlessly

[City Builder]

Something along those lines would certainly be most welcome. In my opinion, something like which is suggested above would really go a long way to making me really feel that the CAP is being updated or getting a real expansion.

Yes, even I get bored silly with the vast amount of old style mouse maneuvers that are in Cap Lab and would welcome ways of reducing the things that we do over and over and OVER again and replace that with the fun bits of the game.

[Purifier]

I also support mwyeoh's idea. Atm im in a game where when i setup a new product line, i build 3-4 factories, set them up, then set all the prices, build a warehouse, set it up, set prices, then i build 1 or 2 retail stores in all 7 cities, set them up, set prices...

A copy/paste option for factories, farms, warehouses and stores would be most welcome saves me alot of setting up and clicking :p

[David]

This will be improved in version 1.97 in the following way:

Reduced the total product demand of all product types in an effort to reduce micromangement. It will be less likely that the player has to open many retail stores and factories for a single product type in order to satsify all the demand. Since AI is playing with the same rules, the game is supposed to be as challenging as the previous version. But the player company’s total revenue and the AI companies’ total revenues will be smaller than the previous version, thus reducing the amount of micromanagement.

You may try the new version and see if there are still needs for duplicating firms.

[Purifier]

This will be improved in version 1.97 in the following way:

Reduced the total product demand of all product types in an effort to reduce micromangement. It will be less likely that the player has to open many retail stores and factories for a single product type in order to satsify all the demand. Since AI is playing with the same rules, the game is supposed to be as challenging as the previous version. But the player company’s total revenue and the AI companies’ total revenues will be smaller than the previous version, thus reducing the amount of micromanagement.

You may try the new version and see if there are still needs for duplicating firms.

hmmm no disrespect meant, but i think the demand is good atm. When i look at my current game (i can give you the savegame, if you want to take a look at it) im playing for 19 years (started at 1990) and if i look at the car's demand i see the following:
Chicago: 4.4M citizens. I have 2 outlets selling cars, for a total of 260 cars a month. My market share is bout 1/5 in that city so the total demand would be about 1300 cars a month. This makes 15600 cars a year.
I have no idea what the numbers are in RL but 15600 cars a year in a city of 4.4M citizens seems reasonably to me. Given the average number of 4 people in a household, the demand is 1 car per 64 households a year (1M / 15600).

Another example is frozen pork, same city i sell 540.000 units a month, marketshare is bout 40% so total would be 1.35M units. For 4.4M citizens (everyone eats pork for sake of keeping it easy :p) thats 1/3 of frozen pork per citizen per month... thats seems even low to me.

Having multiple factories to supply multiple stores is not the problem (its even realistic...) the micromanagement of setting them up, can be a bit tedious later on in the game.

[mwyeoh]

As purifier pointed out, this change does not really solve the issue as there is still alot of work required to set up firms which is tedious (But I put up with it as I enjoy the game), but would quickly put off a new player

[Grashopa]

Thoughts:

Duplicate firm or as I noted elsewhere a recent builds menu item would be great. Combined with improvements in the auto linking as you don't always want the same links.

Anything that reduces the number of retail locations needed in a city is good. This really penalizes the AI and makes it so you can't just be a producer and must build out your own retail in every game. Perhaps it is better to increase the factory and retail volume though than reduce demand in case people calculate it out and feel it is unrealistic?

[David]

Since there are increased interests in this suggestion, I have added it to the poll on http://www.capitalismlab.com/forum/view ... =14&t=1171

[mwyeoh]

Ive changed my vote!