Inventory explanation, please? (Full Version)

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WCG -> Inventory explanation, please? (6/11/2020 3:36:03 PM)

Could someone please explain the inventory system, and the discrepancies between the SHQ Inventory Bar, at the left side of the screen, and the Zone Items Bottom Tab at the bottom of the screen? Very little of that makes sense to me.

For example, in this very early game, the bottom tab shows my Industrial Points as: 57 produced, +125 "in" (which weirdly means sent from the SHQ to the zone), -125 consumed (I'm building a metals mine), 0 "out" (delivered to the SHQ, apparently), and 57 in stock.

However, the inventory bar on the left side shows that I have 83 in inventory. Or, at least, I thought it was suppose to mean that. Why the discrepancy? How many industrial points do I actually have right now?

(The left side inventory bar also shows a red down-arrow with "125" beside it. That fits with the -125 consumed, but apparently that number doesn't include what's produced? What good is it, then, as a quick check on how our resources are holding up?)

As another example, let's look at Food. The bottom tab shows 180 produced, although 65 of that was "delivered by Zone Militia." Huh? Where did that come from?

The rest of the tab shows 17 consumed, 70 "out" (i.e. delivered to the SHQ) - which doesn't seem to match up with that 65 number or... anything else, as far as I can tell - and 34 in stock. How do those numbers add up at all?

And how do they fit with the SHQ Inventory Bar, which shows that I have 705 food in stock (not 34), which is presumably a drop of 50 (70 delivered to the SHQ - again, from where? - minus 66 to military units and 54 consumed).

That latter calculation adds up (66 plus 54, minus 70 does equal 50), but the 54 consumed doesn't match the 17 consumed in the bottom tab.

None of this makes any sense to me. I can't even figure out which numbers are the right ones - or, at least, which numbers I should pay attention to. So it's really hard to plan anything.

I'm loving the game, so far, but could someone please explain this?



Soar_Slitherine -> RE: Inventory explanation, please? (6/11/2020 4:03:49 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: WCG

For example, in this very early game, the bottom tab shows my Industrial Points as: 57 produced, +125 "in" (which weirdly means sent from the SHQ to the zone), -125 consumed (I'm building a metals mine), 0 "out" (delivered to the SHQ, apparently), and 57 in stock.

However, the inventory bar on the left side shows that I have 83 in inventory. Or, at least, I thought it was suppose to mean that. Why the discrepancy? How many industrial points do I actually have right now?

(The left side inventory bar also shows a red down-arrow with "125" beside it. That fits with the -125 consumed, but apparently that number doesn't include what's produced? What good is it, then, as a quick check on how our resources are holding up?)

The inventory in the bottom bar is the zone inventory, the strategic HQ inventory is separate (because SHQs can manage multiple zones, and need a logistics link with enough capacity in order to take resources in or out). So you have 83 industry stockpiled in the strategic HQ, plus 50 in the zone. The arrows in the SHQ inventory reflect what was sent and received by the SHQ, not what was actually produced and consumed.

quote:

ORIGINAL: WCG

As another example, let's look at Food. The bottom tab shows 180 produced, although 65 of that was "delivered by Zone Militia." Huh? Where did that come from?

Maybe some of their troops disbanded due to low militancy and handed their leftover supplies to the HQ?




zgrssd -> RE: Inventory explanation, please? (6/11/2020 4:12:14 PM)

Zones have their own Inventory. But usually they are assigned to a SHQ, so they hand nearly all their Storage capacity off to the SHQ.
The zone will try to store at least 1 turn of consumption (2 for Food*) in the Zone storage. The rest is just send on to the SHQ. But it can store more, if the SHQ is somehow not collecting stuff.
If there is a sudden demand - say you started building something - usually production will not be able to keep up with consumption. In that case, the Zone will Request resources from the SHQ. This area is a bit muddy. But a rule of thumb is: "You need to have the resources when you hit End Turn". Production will only help with the next turn.

*That Food number is for Workers. Population eats Private Food.



zgrssd -> RE: Inventory explanation, please? (6/11/2020 4:20:21 PM)

Food is propably the most confusing resource of them all, but also the perhaps best example:

Private Dome Farms will produce 200/500/900 Private Food, 25/60/100 Public food.
Private food is stockpiled by the population. If they got excess, they sell it on the Market for more Private Credits. If they got a lack they either can use your Public Food (if Emergency Food is on) or spend their Private Credits to buy some on the market. They will also likely upgrade the Farm or make a new one.

Workers need 1 Public Food per 100 Workers/unit. This has to be public food, but it is distributed by the Zone they are working in/are part of the Population

Recruits and Settlers waiting in the SHQ, need 1 Food/Unit. This has to be public food and is paid for by the SHQ.
Units in the Field need 1 Food/Unit as well. This has to be public food, and is paid for by the SHQ - but units have some storage if they get out of supply. And they seem to be able to demand however much they need to eat+fill storage.



Jdane -> RE: Inventory explanation, please? (6/11/2020 6:08:43 PM)

As for « food delivered by Zone Militia », according to the following quote from the manual:

quote:

5.1.9.26. MILITIA TROOPS
Upon start of the default game all your forces are so called Militia forces.
You control the movements of Militia Units but otherwise they function
mostly autonomously. They take care of their own Replacement Troops and
Supply. Militias are Zone based and their growth depends on the Militancy
score of their Zone. Their Zone Militia will also deliver Supply Items and
possible Replacement Troops to your SHQ. The power of a Militia is rooted
in the Zone Militancy score.

(I underlined the relevant part.)

I'm pretty much sure this Food income is part of the aforementioned Supply Items. I've yet to confirm some Fuel and Ammo is sent from the Zone Militia to the SHQ though, albeit I've haven't been looking hard at it.

Although I can't tell for sure where the Zone Militia got that Food from. I'm assuming from the private sector, but that's only my guess and not at all to be taken for granted.



zgrssd -> RE: Inventory explanation, please? (6/11/2020 7:23:03 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane

As for « food delivered by Zone Militia », according to the following quote from the manual:

quote:

5.1.9.26. MILITIA TROOPS
Upon start of the default game all your forces are so called Militia forces.
You control the movements of Militia Units but otherwise they function
mostly autonomously. They take care of their own Replacement Troops and
Supply. Militias are Zone based and their growth depends on the Militancy
score of their Zone. Their Zone Militia will also deliver Supply Items and
possible Replacement Troops to your SHQ. The power of a Militia is rooted
in the Zone Militancy score.

(I underlined the relevant part.)

I'm pretty much sure this Food income is part of the aforementioned Supply Items. I've yet to confirm some Fuel and Ammo is sent from the Zone Militia to the SHQ though, albeit I've haven't been looking hard at it.

Although I can't tell for sure where the Zone Militia got that Food from. I'm assuming from the private sector, but that's only my guess and not at all to be taken for granted.

From this, I think I understood it. Militia is in a odd sitaution:
Your SHQ has to pay food, ammo, energy and fuel for them, because otherwise the supply system would not apply to them.
But they are supposed to be cost free - supply being not your problem.
So I guess the Milita part in the city itself (the one that spawns new units) is reimbursing you for all the expenses your SHQ had, send towards militias.

But I am not quite sure. There is at least one game where a overinflated militia (2 size 80 and 6 size 20 units) caused food problems. If you would be reimbursed for that, he woudl have had none of the food issues.

So I guess it is actually a flat amount. Propably something like "Population"/1000 times "Militancy" food/turn. As the militia size is also based on those values, that would make some sense.
And it would add up for one test case:
34.k times 94% Militancy = 32.336. The militia delivers 31 food, almost exactly.



WCG -> RE: Inventory explanation, please? (6/11/2020 9:52:52 PM)

OK, guys. I guess... the takeaway from this is to forget trying to predict anything, and just wait until I have the resources I need in that SHQ inventory bar before trying to make something?

I'm referencing the "Production will only help with the next turn" comment, since that was basically why I was trying to figure out this stuff.

The game is going OK, anyway. Well, I had to start over after I raised my city level and then realized I couldn't upgrade QOL buildings without a higher Civilization level, but couldn't get a higher Civ level without those QOL buildings (and a high city level made all of that impossible, apparently).

So on my second start, I was trying to make sure I knew this stuff. Yeah,... that's not going to happen. Heh, heh.

Thanks for the replies!



Jdane -> RE: Inventory explanation, please? (6/11/2020 10:00:46 PM)

No, you can predict to some extent. [:D]

The zone Items tab or the Assets screen under the MNG tab give you data on production, so you know what you get each turn.
You have zone inventories and a SHQ inventory that takes in a certain amount of what the zones under its command produce.
If your logistics are robust, the amount of Items in the zones inventories will be minimal at any rate, and most of it will be at SHQ.

There are some mysteries I haven't quite figured out yet (such as why did this zone not send what small amount it had in stock to SHQ although there were logistic points available to spend?) but I can certainly estimate what amount of Items my SHQ has, will need to send out or will receive and decide on what to build accordingly.



zgrssd -> RE: Inventory explanation, please? (6/11/2020 11:00:40 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Jdane
There are some mysteries I haven't quite figured out yet (such as why did this zone not send what small amount it had in stock to SHQ although there were logistic points available to spend?) but I can certainly estimate what amount of Items my SHQ has, will need to send out or will receive and decide on what to build accordingly.

They propably did not send it, because it is their "1 turn consumption reserve".
If they got a T2 Truck hub, they will keep 40 Fuel to make sure it keeps running. Any difference will be send on - or requested from - the SHQ.



GodwinW -> RE: Inventory explanation, please? (6/11/2020 11:00:54 PM)

Sometimes it's weird when for example I have enough metal in SHQ, my two cities happen to be plenty close of the plenty LIS I have and I start making a building requiring 200 metal/turn in the city without SHQ. I had a yellow number under Items for metal saying it only got 108 of 200 metal. With literally 3000+ Logistics Points going unused between them. And 1500+ in the SHQ.



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