FIFO loading/queue - only one vehicle serving same line loaded at time

January 11, 2010, 12:23:39 am

When two or more vehicles from one line are loading one station cargo is splitted between them, they both leave at the same time and the result is 'burst' delivery to destination. It isn't trouble in case of trucks, they form queue on their own. For trains You have to force usage of one platform for all trains from than line and make waiting space for all trains on that line, second part might be tricky. I don't know if it happens with planes. But in case of ships it is total disaster. All ships group in one 'blob', that moves like one vehicle. In pak128 "Fishery" has very low capacity, so much cargo is lost when 'blob' does trip to port :/
Proposed solution: if more than one vehicle serving same line is loading give cargo only to vehicle that at the moment already has most loaded cargo. Before main distribution, while there are any vehicles with equal load, add 1 cargo unit to one with lower id/pointer or whatever it is internally

In OpenTTD there is simply one FIFO queue for each station/cargo combination, in Simutrans it has to be done per line, due to cargo destinations.

Re: FIFO loading/queue - only one vehicle serving same line loaded at time

Reply #1 – January 11, 2010, 07:42:49 am

:support:
It can really throw off the economics of a line when the station partially fills five vehicles on the same line with enough goods that one or more of them could have been on its way to the consumer.

Re: FIFO loading/queue - only one vehicle serving same line loaded at time

Reply #2 – January 11, 2010, 09:12:48 am

In Simutrans this cannot be done with lines. One could remember the last convoi for each destination, and load it then.

Furthermore, one of the challenges is not to using too much transportation.