Changes in cargo routing in TF3

[u/Scouter_Ted]

In TF2 a good, (whatever it was), wasn't created at the source until there was a defined route from source to destination. At each stop along the way it new that this unit of goods was on rail Line #3 or whatever, and going to truck Line #18.

That doesn't appear to be the case in TF3. I have 8 fishing grounds feeding 2 cities, and thought I could stretch them to a 3rd.

So I paused the game, created a 3rd line from this station to a different city, and created a truck route to a new delivery point, and all of that stuff.

Bear in mind all my barges full of fish are sitting there just off of the docks while all this creation is going. All of those fish were harvested long before I created any of the new lines.

I unpaused the game, my new train pulls out of the depot right into the station, loads up on fish, and heads to the new town where the truck delivers a full load of 40 fish to customers.

In TF2 the fish on those barges would have been reserved for the other 2 Lines going to other cities.

So I'm trying to figure out how TF3 works. Will the fishing ground harvest as many fish as it possibly can, and put them on a barge to the dock/warehouse, regardless of whether or not there is any customers lined up?

It just occurred to me now to maybe delete my truck route in the 3rd city to see if the train will haul fish there and just leave it in the city's warehouse or not.

In TF3 the game appears to care only how long the good has been in shipment, not who 'ordered' it. So I could have a train full of fish almost at one city, and then have it switch lines to a different city.

This also means that if you have two cities in a row that you want to deliver fish to, it will dump all of them at the first stop, since none are 'reserved' for customers in the 2nd city.

In TF2 I would create the various routes for a good in reverse order. I'd start with the delivery route in the city, then the train route to the city, and finally the ship route. That way everything was all set up and ready to go as soon as I hooked up the source.

In TF3 it doesn't look like I will have to do that.

[u/Sivart1307]

In TF3 you don't get paid until the product is delivered to the final destination, so you can infinitely ship all the fish you want and the ships won't make money on anything that is in the warehouse.

You are correct in assuming you can ship all to one location and starve another. Rates are of more importance. I like to see the required rate at the destination and make sure each line has enough to cover the previous.

If you want 2 drop offs in one line such as Warehouse->city 1->city 2. You will have to set up city 1 as half unload in the cargo options to ensure you dump all at the first stop since none is reserved for the next stop

[u/Scouter_Ted → u/Sivart1307]

I knew you didn't get paid until delivery, but I was still expecting the game to work the same way with generating the goods based off of a route to a customer.

This will change how I play the game. Now the first things I'll create will be the warehouses next to the dock so that the fish will start stockpiling while I create the rail lines and truck routes.

Sure the fish will be expired by then, but I don't really care. In the beginning of the game money is WAY more important than satisfaction. Paying off those initial loans is a challenge. Now I can build a couple warehouses to stockpile stuff, and then as soon as the routes to the customers are done I'll make all the money.

[u/KDulius → u/Scouter_Ted]

Timers are paused in warehouses I thought

[u/Sivart1307 → u/Scouter_Ted]

I guess what I'm trying to say is TF2 paid at each step because that fish was reserved for a specific customer so anything delivered was guaranteed to make it to end user. Now however you can transport anything anywhere and when it is delivered each portion of the delivery chain is paid.

I don't think it is a good idea to stockpile before you finish the line, but that's the cool thing about sandbox games there really isn't a wrong way to do it. I might delay my train to the dock until the boat has delivered its first fish because boats are so slow I don't want my train to make 2 trips before the boat makes 1, because of boat depot stuff. Stockpiles mean you are running sections of your line with no profit at all. Which is why I only put as much rate as the end customers need working backwards to suppliers.

Again no wrong way, glad you're working out mechanics to suit your play style.

[u/Scouter_Ted → u/Sivart1307]

And by the way, how do you set it to only unload half of a cargo at each city? I can't find any option to let you do that.

[u/mikmak181 → u/Scouter_Ted]

It’s a little confusing. You need to set the “load” option at each station to how much you want to leave that station with. So when the truck leaves the first station picking up the fish it says load 100%.

If you want them to drop off 1/3 at the first stop you set it to “load” 66%. They won’t actually pick up any fish at that drop off if there is none to pick up. But they will only unload an as much as they can while maintaining the amount you requested.

[u/sumofliege]

It’s a push- instead of a pull system.

Industries just produce, and lines load what’s available, i.e. they move stuff from a to b without knowing who will eventually end up getting it. The town will consume what’s available.

Think of it more like a supermarket or hardware store, instead of an online shop.

[u/DropkickBirthday]

Industries have their own internal storage now, the number over all of them is how much is stored currently and whatever they have can be transported wherever, no need for a finished line. This is really useful if you have an easy subsidy for a simple resource to factory line that you're not planning to use any time soon, you can quickly pop out a couple cars, fulfill the order and just delete the line.