Relatively easier feature expansion: Seaports

[torpedo_1]

The seaports currently sells industry and consumer goods. I am sure there is a easy way to calculate (or simulate) the profit they make, and allow companies to purchase, hire or run the seaports for profit.

Can even be complicated and allow user to choose what products (could be from a random restricted list or simply any product) )to be put on sell if you control the seaport.

[rmax]

Nice idea. Could even add seaports specialisation for AI companies, the amount of which would depend on the seaports quantity setting.

[David]

We are considering this suggestion for allowing the user to build and operate a seaport and would like to seek your opinions on the following:

1) Do you think private companies should be allowed to build and operate seaports? Or just the government should be allowed to do so? (The player will run the city government when he/she is elected as the major)

2) If private companies are allowed to build and operate seaports, do you see any potential strategies at all for operating a successful seaport, other than just setting up a seaport and having no control of what products will be imported (as they are determined by the sim engine at a macro level, as opposite to a company level)?

[thorstein]

private import seaports should have two different sources of products
1. outgame (low quality, low quantity, very high price, only competetive with local 'white' producers)
2. ingame beetween the ports (just minimalising costs of freight)

So in short-term AI should buy all inaccesible goods; in long-term minerals (supposing geolocalisation of minerals).
Maybe run some heavy ingame freight (furniture, car)?

'Private ports' should have a possibility export goods outgame (other Cities/Countries running auctions for satisfaying their demands). Then strategy will be clear - execute a contract and avoid too low prices or high penalties.

Edit: Also ingame public procurment auction system should be great feature (for such goods like bus, trams or trains)

[torpedo_1]

We are considering this suggestion for allowing the user to build and operate a seaport and would like to seek your opinions on the following:

1) Do you think private companies should be allowed to build and operate seaports? Or just the government should be allowed to do so? (The player will run the city government when he/she is elected as the major)

2) If private companies are allowed to build and operate seaports, do you see any potential strategies at all for operating a successful seaport, other than just setting up a seaport and having no control of what products will be imported (as they are determined by the sim engine at a macro level, as opposite to a company level)?

Obviously I wouldn't know the constraint behind that the programmers need to deal with (but I appreciate the difficulties). I would throw out the following ideas:

A. As to 1), I think private companies should be allowed to build and operate seaports, simply because more freedom would better simulate true/real economy. As oppose to the financial market, human players are more difficult to abuse these facilities (incidentally, if anyone wants to know how the SEC should better stop me from market abuse, I can talk about that in a separate post.)

As to election of mayor simulation, without more details, I would think it to be kind of arbitrary or random. If the mayor/ government has special power, of course it could be subjected to abuse (e.g. favourable policy to the advantage of player's company).

B. As to 2), I have the following questions:
BI. Even if the products to be imported cannot be changed, can the seaport set its quality and price (of course inter related)?
BII. Now when raw materials or finished products are transferred between cities, the transportation costs would jump at another level. Is it possible to change it so that inter-city transfer of raw materials or products can only be done by using, with a payment, the service of the starting city/destination's seaport.

C. If seaports or other special industry are being included, developer can also think about "government licensing". Instead of having unlimited number of media firms or seaports being built willy nilly. The player can compete for government licence to build special firms (the total number of licence can of course increase in the course of the game).

[tonnyz]

We are considering this suggestion for allowing the user to build and operate a seaport and would like to seek your opinions on the following:

1) Do you think private companies should be allowed to build and operate seaports? Or just the government should be allowed to do so? (The player will run the city government when he/she is elected as the major)

2) If private companies are allowed to build and operate seaports, do you see any potential strategies at all for operating a successful seaport, other than just setting up a seaport and having no control of what products will be imported (as they are determined by the sim engine at a macro level, as opposite to a company level)?

1) You're implementing election and political influence in the near future, so why not bringing this to a further step ? Let's say you could just give a freedom to the governing party, either AI or player, for declaring the statutory choice ? :p

2) Receiving charge/duty from other AI/player that using their seaport for export, maybe ?

Just my 2 cents though

[Keither]

I don't think privatization of seaports or airports is a good idea. If a company can determine what product is allowed to import then the whole market will change. The effect on the market is too great and thus it is "too big to fail." For example, if 4 companies are relies on a particular semi-product from a player controlled seaport and the player decides to stop importing that semi-product, unless AI gets smarter, those 4 companies are screwed.

[cantdownloadit]

I would rather see it that the existing seaport can be invested in not bought or built

for instance you can invest in the seaport allowing it to import a new product in addition the default 4 and you get 1st option on the product being imported but any you don't use any other company can buy. this would give the player (and AI's) scope to import an in demand product but not affect things so much as the default 4 imports would remain unchanged.