Import Companies - Some thoughts and suggestions, What about a proper world map?

[GnoSiS]

I really thought I'd like this feature, but after playing with it, I must say it feels a bit shallow.

First of all, it's twin is missing from the game: the export company. If infinite products of a givel quality are availiable from beyond, we equally need infinite customers with money to export our product to.
yes I know I can export to another city, but it's not the same.

And on the details/depth of the feature, I think it needs more detail, like adding logistical costs and perhaps other concerns, that I can't recall right now.

But to expand some more on this, I think the world map needs a major overhaul. Along with a world economy update, and proper logistical pathing & costs between cities.
Also, have 10-20 cities there, that the player can't visit/enter or build, but can interact on a macro level, including doing said imports exports with them, and have them work with some macro simulation.

Just my quick 2 cents.

[rafaeltodero]

I confess that I also thought I would like this Import Company, but playing with it a little I didn't like it as much as I should have.

I think it's really good when you play with MODs. I even saw David talking about it in another post.

我还很好奇，制作组最初设计进口公司这一玩法的目的是什么，还有什么后续计划吗？

Whenever an AI company tries to make a product, if a semi product is missing, it will attempt to import it via its import company. This would be especially useful for the Modern World MOD where complicated products require lots of materials that are expensive to produced vertically.

I like the idea of ​​having an export company as well, but I'm afraid this will break the balance of the game. At Capitalism Lab our focus is to sell in cities and not export. The question would be how to make the exporting company not break the game's goal. How to make you or the AI ​​not only use the exporting company as a way to earn money. Perhaps if the exporting company bought its products at a lower price compared to retail in cities.

It's an interesting discussion, I would like to see more people giving their views on this topic.

[David]

One of my strategies is to set up Private Label units turning the import goods into my own brands.

By setting the import quality to high, the cost saving in research can be quite apparent over the long run as import products are not subject to the effect exerted by the Technology Disruption setting (on the Environment tab on the new game setting menu). Whereas your competitors have to constantly invest into researching better tech to keep the product quality from diminishing, you have no such worries with import products as quality is being maintained by their overseas suppliers.

Having said that, it is true that import companies are most profitable in the first few years when the competitors have not fully developed their research capacity. After enjoying the first few years of decent profit with imported consumer products to give my corporation that cash inflow it needs to have a head start, I usually just use my import company for importing semi products.

What are you guys' strategies with imports?

[rafaeltodero]

One of my strategies is to set up Private Label units turning the import goods into my own brands.

By setting the import quality to high, the cost saving in research can be quite apparent over the long run as import products are not subject to the effect exerted by the Technology Disruption setting (on the Environment tab on the new game setting menu). Whereas your competitors have to constantly invest into researching better tech to keep the product quality from diminishing, you have no such worries with import products as quality is being maintained by their overseas suppliers.

Having said that, it is true that import companies are most profitable in the first few years when the competitors have not fully developed their research capacity. After enjoying the first few years of decent profit with imported consumer products to give my corporation that cash inflow it needs to have a head start, I usually just use my import company for importing semi products.

What are you guys' strategies with imports?

Very interesting your strategy David, I hadn't thought of it. Do you import and then use a warehouse to put your brand on, and then you sell it to the stores?

I keep thinking about putting my brand on the products inside the stores, however there would be a lack of advertising unit.

I will test this strategy in the next games.

[GnoSiS]

The labeling of imported products goes way back decades ago in this game, and was/is the defacto way to play with ports. If you weren't labeling, you were playing the game wrong!!!

I love the imports of semi products and raw resources, don't get me wrong. Especially given the state that mines are in right now, and the micro it takes.

However by provinding another global econoly layer, where products and money are exchanged, this is only 50% of the game, the other half would be:
1. exports.
2. A simulation of the global economy, that would affect product availiablity and prices.

Right now imports are like "infinite products in the sky" with no simulation or care in the world.
And since they do effect our city economies, it's only fair that there should be exports that could affect the wolrd economy as well.

[GnoSiS]

I confess that I also thought I would like this Import Company, but playing with it a little I didn't like it as much as I should have.

I think it's really good when you play with MODs. I even saw David talking about it in another post.

我还很好奇，制作组最初设计进口公司这一玩法的目的是什么，还有什么后续计划吗？

Whenever an AI company tries to make a product, if a semi product is missing, it will attempt to import it via its import company. This would be especially useful for the Modern World MOD where complicated products require lots of materials that are expensive to produced vertically.

I like the idea of ​​having an export company as well, but I'm afraid this will break the balance of the game. At Capitalism Lab our focus is to sell in cities and not export. The question would be how to make the exporting company not break the game's goal. How to make you or the AI ​​not only use the exporting company as a way to earn money. Perhaps if the exporting company bought its products at a lower price compared to retail in cities.

It's an interesting discussion, I would like to see more people giving their views on this topic.

In most cases, a factory built anywhere has the target of exporting its products everywhere, so I would say that having exports as well is a natural thing! No factory expects to sell goods just in the city/village it is built!
As for game balance, this is why I propose a global economy simulation layer. Global imports and exports imply there's another world out there tha is not simulated within our cities, same with ports. And it is only natural for the global economy to affect a city.

Macro events in that simulation would lead to business leaders taking action in the cities, in response.