Building Query Q?

[infamousjbe 592]

Up until just recently, I've forever thought the building inquiry was the actual amount of jobs the building was employing. But now I find out that it's only the amount of jobs offered by the building, not how many sims are employed at the building at that current moment. I now learn that using the route query tool is a better insight to the efficiency of the building. This now brings up the following questions.

 

When I query certain "I" buildings, it only states freight trucks associated, no actual Sims working there. Is a building considered efficient if only supplying freight, but not employing any Sims? Would it be better to bulldoze for a building that actually employees Sims at the same time it produces freight?

 

Does the route query work the same way with R buildings? Or does the building query tool represent the actual amount of Sims living in the home? and if so, when it shows only one or two Sim's paths to their work, does it mean that ALL the Sims living in that home are working at the same employment? 

 

Is there a way to follow, or know where a Sim is working in an adjacent city tile? Or only that they are working in the adjacent tile?

[Turjan 1,048]

By the way, a Shift-Alt-Control query (just hover onto the building) gives a better job breakdown, with the Extra Cheats that is.

 

With "I" buildings, I have the feeling that the route query sums up everything in a certain area and not necessarily only one specific building. If there are no workers, you probably have more jobs than workers in your region. The jobs will appear as soon as they are needed. No need to bulldoze.

 

I take it that making all inhabitants work at the same place reduces game overhead considerably, so that's a smart way to program it, even if it's not very realistic.

 

I don't know any details about following specific Sims to other tiles. I would assume that can only be done if certain conditions are met, like all commuters find work in the next tile, or no commuters find work in the next tile.

[Prophet42 1,500]

If you see only freight leaving from an I building, then no Sims are actually employed there.  To improve that situation build mass transit stops near by.  That will usually get Sims to work in those buildings. 

 

I believe for residential buildings, the building query shows the number of Sims that live their.  It does not show the actual number of Sims that are able to work though.  The route query for R buildings only shows the number of Sims that are commuting to work.

[z1 566]

When I query certain "I" buildings, it only states freight trucks associated, no actual Sims working there. Is a building considered efficient if only supplying freight, but not employing any Sims? Would it be better to bulldoze for a building that actually employees Sims at the same time it produces freight?

 

This appears to be a game bug.  Either that, or there's an unadvertised feature in the game where there are a lot of robot-controlled factories.  Bulldozing the buildings doesn't help.  It just makes the robots angry.

 

 

Does the route query work the same way with R buildings?

 

No; the designers of this game were apparently ideologically opposed to consistency.

 

 

Or does the building query tool represent the actual amount of Sims living in the home?

 

The first of the two numbers does represent this.  The second number represents the residence's maximum capacity.

 

 

and if so, when it shows only one or two Sim's paths to their work, does it mean that ALL the Sims living in that home are working at the same employment?

 

No.  First of all, only 40% to 60% of the Sims living in the building are actually in the workforce (which makes sense).  If you have only one or two Sims showing paths to work, and the workforce of the building is larger than that, then the rest of the building's workforce is unemployed.  This is generally evident in that the building's commute becomes "Medium" or "Long", as the building's commute is the average of all the workers' commutes.  All commutes within the city are Short, all commutes to another city are Long, and all failed commutes (i.e., unemployed Sims) are Long.

 

 

Is there a way to follow, or know where a Sim is working in an adjacent city tile?

 

Not generally, as once they become part of a group crossing the border, it's usually impossible to differentiate them.  However, if there are only one or two, you might be able to trace them.

[infamousjbe 592]

By the way, a Shift-Alt-Control query (just hover onto the building) gives a better job breakdown, with the Extra Cheats that is.

 

I'll have to try this out. thanks

 

 

 

 

If there are no workers, you probably have more jobs than workers in your region. The jobs will appear as soon as they are needed. No need to bulldoze.

 

This is a possibility.

 

 

If you see only freight leaving from an I building, then no Sims are actually employed there.  To improve that situation build mass transit stops near by.  That will usually get Sims to work in those buildings. 

I have pretty good mass transit throughout the city so don't believe that's the problem. I think it might have more to do with Turjan's suggestion of having to many jobs. My R$ demand is always high. I develop rather slow.

 

 

 

 The route query for R buildings only shows the number of Sims that are commuting to work.

 

 

No.  First of all, only 40% to 60% of the Sims living in the building are actually in the workforce (which makes sense).  If you have only one or two Sims showing paths to work, and the workforce of the building is larger than that, then the rest of the building's workforce is unemployed.

 

But If more than one Sim from a home works at the same employment, that makes it difficult to know just how many Sims are working from that home. 

 

This appears to be a game bug.  Either that, or there's an unadvertised feature in the game where there are a lot of robot-controlled factories.  Bulldozing the buildings doesn't help.  It just makes the robots angry.

I have bulldozed a building with only freight to have it replaced by a building that did employ Sims, but not as much freight. That's why I was wondering if the building is still considered efficient. 

[z1 566]

But If more than one Sim from a home works at the same employment, that makes it difficult to know just how many Sims are working from that home. 

 

Yes; this number is usually impossible to determine exactly.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

The game developers used the standard family model at the time.  Momma Sim doesn't work, and there can be n kids living there as well.  This is why you only see the breadwinner going to work.

 

Automated factories are the idea, but they can employ all kinds of Sims.  There is a fix for no R$$$ working in I.  There is a sticky for it over in Bugs and Technical Issues.  If you don't have any workers in the I, it is because you don't have enough qualified workers to get there.  Make more Sims.  {giggle: Sims replace robots.  Organic, self-programming units are cheaper.}

[infamousjbe 592]

Yes; this number is usually impossible to determine exactly.

 

Maybe if Maxis didn't get all crazy with the amount of Sims that live in any one home. You don't get double digit occupancies in the US, unless it's multiple floors (even this is rare), or a complex of single floor residences. 

 

Momma Sim doesn't work, and there can be n kids living there as well.  This is why you only see the breadwinner going to work.

Well, with amount of Sims living in the home, if there was only one bread winner, and even maybe a working teen, when would the momma have any time to work when all she does is pop out more sims.....

 

 

 

There is a fix for no R$$$ working in I.  There is a sticky for it over in Bugs and Technical Issues.  If you don't have any workers in the I, it is because you don't have enough qualified workers to get there.

I do have the I-HT fix packed correctly so that shouldn't be any issue. But it might come down to the lack of Sims to work in all my employment. 

 

I do get the adviser's statement "full employment with no enjoyment" or something like that. So I'm actually wondering if I have too many over qualified sims. This is suspect to my slow play style. It gives the sims plenty of time to grow & educate themselves right out of the I-D/M employment demographic. In other words, I need to make more sims. 

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

If your education level is over 100, take a look at the population by age display.  Consider replacing underused schools with museums and libraries.  Sims to old for formal education like these.  Also try a few parks and plazas.  There are several interesting ones on the STEX.  Have you got the zoo?

 

The bluer, the more fun places the Sims need to go.  If you start laying down museums you'll soon get the art gallery and the opera house.