Not Enough Freight Shipments

[zacnlinc 4]

I know this matter has been hashed over a lot but I can't seem to find a reliable solution as to how to get freight shipments up to par for demands.   One mod that looked favorable indicates that it only works with newly build cities.  Is there one out there that works with existing cities.   My very small city (pop: 900) is asking for more freight deliveries for business already.  

 

Thanks for tips/suggestions. 

[Panos 29]

You shouldn't have this issue on 900 population town, if you actually had at least 6 factories built. 

 

Usually the complains about freight shipments occur when the commercial buildings to to level 3, and the town doesn't have around 15-20 factories. 

[zacnlinc 4]

Thanks...   That must have been it.   Was trying to start city off as pollution free as possible.  Will play around with it a bit more...  Shame this game was a bust as such.  Oh well.... 

[Panos 29]

The game is pretty much ok since you need to produce something to sell.

[Agente Silva 28]

Download Nicola´s RCI mod - I´m using the industrial files only ($; $$; $$$) and my freight production problems are completely gone. If you develope a kind of Industrial city with, let´s say 15 factories, it will produce more than enough for all 3-4 neighbooring cities.

[zacnlinc 4]

Agent Silva,

 

I was turned off with Nicola's RCI mod when I attempted to download it a few weeks ago.   I didn't like the fact that there were several files one had to download to get the complete mod to be used as intended.  I wanted all the perks I guess.  Plus, I noticed that my browser settings were changed and a lot of my defaults were set by other stuff contained in the download.  I hate that kinda stuff...  I knew he did another mode for just industry but I just didn't want to mess around him it or him at that point.  Since then, I just shelved my game for the time being.  

 

Was thinking about playing again this weekend and came over to the forum to see "what's new here"...  I'm learning to just live with the game as is at this point.  When I get backed into a corner with bugs, I just delete the city and start over in a few days.  Now those days are turning into weeks I don't play the game...

[rmjohnson144 42]

Not sure exactly what issue you have with freight, but I have zero issues.  The game is designed to stay imbalanced so you don't end up with one type of city.

 

One thing to remember is that the game only cares about low-wealth.  You only need to make them happy.  I just ignore the middle and high wealth demands as they don't matter to the game and won't penalize you for it.

 

also, taxes play a role is freight demand.  If you lower your commerce taxes it will ignore freight demand, or lessen it's demand.

 

There are a lot of quirks and bugs in the game and there is a workaround for most everything.  It's just a learning curve to figure them out.  It took me a good 4 months at release time to figure them mostly on my own.  You can watch youtube videos on all the bugs and workarounds.  I suggest watching skyestorme's videos.  He's covered everything by now.

 

But if you can go into much more detail of your freight issues, I may be able to offer some advice.

[zacnlinc 4]

RMJohnson, 

 

Thanks for the offer of assistance.   I think my initial problems were that I was playing the game as I did with SC4.  Due to the small footprint for the entire city, I was trying to develop high tech industry as fast possible so that there would be less ground and air pollution issues.  And I've even tried making my industrial area as small as possible while developing the other sectors too.  Often my business zones begin closing due to no shipments being received even though there are no or little traffic issues. 

 

But with the latest city I shelved two weeks ago, I am taking it as slow and long as possible to get things better (think this is the 6th time I've completely restarted the one city map I keep playing for several weeks until it gets bugged!!).  I am now doing exactly what you suggested.  I am focusing my efforts on the low wealth people and marginally getting medium wealth types too. (I keep getting messages that low-skill people are hindering my factories).  No high wealth types yet so I have a lot of jobs available for them!!!

 

I will have to see if I run into freight issues in this version of my city.  I see the trucks making freight deliveries and my depots is full of the excess too.  Time will tell!!!

[rmjohnson144 42]

RMJohnson, 

 

Thanks for the offer of assistance.   I think my initial problems were that I was playing the game as I did with SC4.  Due to the small footprint for the entire city, I was trying to develop high tech industry as fast possible so that there would be less ground and air pollution issues.  And I've even tried making my industrial area as small as possible while developing the other sectors too.  Often my business zones begin closing due to no shipments being received even though there are no or little traffic issues.

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm having difficulties with Cities: Skylines because I'm trying to play it too much like SC2013.

Just the way it goes I guess.

Remember, pollution has a negative factor in this game. Make sure you zone it at the edge of the map and downwind so the air pollution blows off the map. The is also ground pollution that will creep in all directions and start polluting your city. Make sure you have a dsmall buffer between your factories and the rest of your city. It just takes a skinny row. Also, trees die off in this game so you need to replant often. Also, there are trees for roads. They help with pollution too and need replanting as well.

But with the latest city I shelved two weeks ago, I am taking it as slow and long as possible to get things better (think this is the 6th time I've completely restarted the one city map I keep playing for several weeks until it gets bugged!!).  I am now doing exactly what you suggested.  I am focusing my efforts on the low wealth people and marginally getting medium wealth types too. (I keep getting messages that low-skill people are hindering my factories).  No high wealth types yet so I have a lot of jobs available for them!!!

Hopefully you have all of your other games still saved. You should be able to work around the bugs in most cases.

Low-skilled people? Can you post the actual wording. I think it might say unskilled workers. But that means educated workers. not wealth levels. You just need more schools. Education is extremely important in this game and gives a boost in almost all aspects of the game.

I will have to see if I run into freight issues in this version of my city.  I see the trucks making freight deliveries and my depots is full of the excess too.  Time will tell!!!

If your depot is actually getting full of the specific bin called freight. Then you should plop another, "Freight" bin. If the bin is a freight type like coal, oil, raw ore, etc. you need to export it. or build a factory that will use it. I have noticed that when a bin gets full it seems to bug out the depots occasionally, so try to keep them from getting full. When some bins get full, they turn themselves off, and then they don't reactivate sometimes.

[zacnlinc 4]

Thanks RMJ!!

 

I didn't play SC2013 this weekend.  Kinda got busy with garden chores since it was a great weekend to be outdoors!!  But I will play soon.. Garden cleanup and planting is done for the most part. It's just the maintaining stuff from here on out into the summer...

 

Anyway...

 

Pollution and education are the two thing I now keep in check early on indeed.  I tend to max out the grammar school as the population grows.  Then upgrade to the HS and demolish the grammar school.  But once I place the comm. college, that's when the fun stuff starts happening when factories start upgrading and begin saying they can't find a manager as well as the unskilled messages too.. (yes, it was unskilled.)  My thoughts were that there are too many low skilled workers until the college education catches up and start placing sims in those jobs.

 

As for the freight, I have been building the small storage warehouse and maxing it out with freight modules as needed.  My last region has three neighboring cities only.  My plan this time around is to grow the cities at the same rate as possible.  I recall seeing fright trucks coming from neighbors to deliver to stores then to the warehouses with the extras.   It's all going well for now.  I just got bored this this version after becoming frustrated with the last mega city I created in which the middle class bottom fell out of it and the city began hemorrhaging simoleans like crazy.  Regardless what I tried, there was no fix so I zapped the region and started over... 

 

Stay tuned!!!  

[Agente Silva 28]

Zaclinc

 

You really should consider using the Industrial mod from Nikola. When I first applied it the effects were imediate, even on an existing city. Althought I find it strange you saying that you have an excess of freight production (with full freight storage lots at Trade Depots) - usually, WITHOUT the mod, it´s very hard to have such excess. Once you have the mod working you should be able to have one Industrial city supplying for all 3-4 neighboors.

 

In order to balance worker availability you should aim for Hightech Industry since it uses much less low-wealth workers.

 

"Plus, I noticed that my browser settings were changed and a lot of my defaults were set by other stuff contained in the download..." - I have NEVER ever had such similar thing (I do not run any antivirus or firewall... for years). All files in Simtropolis are safe, ad free...

 

Instead of quiting your cities so much, try to reach the cause of your problem before assuming it is a bug - Simcity has been bug free for quite a long time now (if you have all patches applied).

[zacnlinc 4]

You're right Agent Silva,

 

I need to work out my problem plagued cities until they go bust!  My issue(s) do get researched here on this forum as some time too before I nuke the region. 

 

So currently, I began playing my mothballed city this week and noted that my excess freight isn't the case anymore.  I do have some freight in the smaller depots but all of the bins are full and my cities haven't grown that much.   I am on the fence still have getting Nikola mod though.  You're talking about the first mod he made that's just for freight correct?  When I finally was breaking down to get it, he had come out with another mod that had perks to be use for the business and residential areas as well.  But it was several-several files one had to download and install and that's when I began having issues with hidden apps being installed as well.

[Agente Silva 28]

Yes, I am using the first edition of Nikola´s Industrial mod (Industrial files only). It included three files for each tech class (low; mid; high). Later on, he published a second mod including tweaks to R+C - I tried these as well but what I noticed after sometime was "too much balance". Just like rmjohnson said the game is designed to stay imbalanced. It is exactly this constant RCI demand that pushes your cities forward and upward So, long story short, I suggest you to download Nikola´s RCI mod and pick all 3 Industrial files ONLY, you´ll notice a huge increase in freight production (and trucks as well). Don´t install R+C

 

In my opinion it could be a bit fine tuned to produce a bit less freight so I could have a bit more Industrial buildings (I like Industry ) but it´s far better than the original values.

[zacnlinc 4]

Thanks Agent Silva!!!!

There was a post here yesterday that was advising me that I shouldn't blame Nikola for my downloading issues. But I see it has been removed. Thank you too who ever posted it too! I headed your advice and noted that the hosting site did indeed trick me into believing I was downloading his files. But instead I was downloading their apps instead!! All is good!!

I have the industry only files installed and noticed indeed my industrial demands are dramatically reduced! And I too like industry as well, but will settle for this greatly improved version of the game now.

I apologize for my comments about Nikola's too!! My bad!!!

[rmjohnson144 42]

I'm missing something.  I don't know how you guys are having such issues.  My current city have 5 Industry for my whole RCI only city.  I have a little complaining, but nothing tremendoulsy game breaking or anything.

 

Here's a youtube video of the game:

 

[Agente Silva 28]

@ Zac

 

I´m glad you sorted your download "issues" Now, if you wanna push you Industrial demand up you´ll need more Comercial - and these guys ask for a considerable amount of workers as well You´ll notice your game strategy change a bit, only by applying Nikola´s Industrial Mod. I suggest you consider having a Residential only city (with train tracks) so you can promote commuting - this works I have a 275k R only - 16k unemployed - provides 6800 to a neighboor city and 5500 to another. I can place a screen here later...

 

Be well mate,

[zacnlinc 4]

Thanks Agent Silva,

 

Building a residential city is just what I have been slowly tinkering with over the weekend.  I currently have $$ commercial demand at 100% and all three levels of residential demands are closely behind.  This is all in my 3rd city that I'm just starting now.  I only had to plop for industrial building to zero out the demand for industry in the city. 

 

Now that I have my two other city off to a good start, I will tinker with this 3rd one until it's at about the same population level as the other two.  Going slow and steady this time around.

 

Thanks again for the assistance.

 

Cheers!

[Agente Silva 28]

Zac

 

Building Residential only is relatively easy... Just lower your taxes to 1 or 2% - mind that your budget will be always in red considering you still have to spend in public services as school (in the beggining you can have your students being picked up by another city´s educational service, but as your city grow, that "neighboor deal" won´t get the job done), police and clinic... I have this ultra rich casino+tourism city and for time to time I just send 10 million and budget problems are solved.

 

Do not forget to visit your other cities frequently (this is somewhat important, specially when you have a residential provider, or a service provider like recycling or even power/water/sewage. Consider a 30 minutes interval; 1 hour mx ) even if it´s just for a 5/10 minute "sinchronization". This helps "refreshing" regional RCI demands.

 

You mentioned "Going slow and steady this time around"... I always play in turtle mode since Simcity4. I don´t like speeding time, specially in this Simcity. One more hint - you get much reliable data from your population table at around 15:00 - 19:00 PM. If you look at your numbers at 2:00 AM you might get the wrong idea about your population/economy (specially in jobs and freight).

 

Be well

[zacnlinc 4]

Thanks for the latest tips as well... 

 

Yeah, I do tend to cycle through my other two cities to be reminded what's going on there before closing the game.  Thinks are going well...  Once I get millions and millions of simoleans in my gambling city, I will be sending gifts of money too.  For the moment, I'm working on getting them off to a good start and will tweak things accordingly to keep the each city on track as best as possible.

 

Just wish that education bug wasn't present.  I try to avoid duplicating educations goals in each city. Otherwise, students are returning home!!  Waaaaaaa!!!   But now that I have a college in my education city, students are driving off to it and seem to be coming back home for the moment.  None of my cities have the regional buses (yet) and I'm on the fence about relying on trains at this stage of things as well. 

 

But that's all another story indeed!!!  May be time to start new thread on those matters when they come up... LOL

[Agente Silva 28]

That is odd... I´ve seen a few complaints regarding that "student commuting" issue but I never experienced that. I have Municipal buses for every city in region and even see school buses from other citys helping in pickups. Educational grade is high and buildings are green for education. Are you playing SimCity online?

[zacnlinc 4]

Not playing online Agent Silva...  Since I'm start "fresh" this time after zapping my region, I tend to now keep a close eye on the education icons, the effectiveness of schools as well as monitor households that do not have students at home before 6 AM.   I learned about this glitch in my last version I was playing of the region too late.  Students were systematically not returning each day at some point so I nuked the region and here I am now... 

[Agente Silva 28]

I don´t usually pay attention to the Not Enrolled Vs Educated numbers... what I do, when the student pickup routine starts, is making sure all students get picked up until 13:00 (open educational data layer and see if every lightblue column goes down). After 15:00 I just check if there is any purple column (meaning there are not enrolled kids in that building).