Virtual Resort - Spring Break aka Beach Life

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[CoconutKid]

... 1. How does the workers' hours of operation affect them in happiness, job performance etc (if at all)?

2. Is the only way to make a worker happy, to increase their wages?  And if so, how does it work, I mean how much of an increase must be given to make them get xx% happiness increase?

3.  Does workers working together (i.e. set at least # builders to work the same timeshift have anything to do with performance and or happiness of said workers? ...

#1. - Workers have a mood - indicated by the Smiley & '%' as used for the guests. If it drops below 50%, that staff member probably becomes pretty worthless. They all work a 10 hour shift which you can't vary in number of hours, but you can change the clock hours they are assigned so as to keep them at work a longer (or perhaps a shorter) period. They need time off, so if you frequently use that kind of mico-management of their clock hours - you can wear them to a frazzle and ruin their 'mood'. Once in a while to accommodate a 'long term' change won't make much difference. I suspect they are happier settling into regular clock hours and not being constantly juggled about. I do not recall any staff preference for time of day for their shift.

#2. - Working them too long can drive their mood down. I don't recall any way to raise their 'mood' other than giving them a pay increase. I do not recall a direct link between amount and % of increase. There may be comparison between staff members - but I'm not sure.

#3. - I do not recall any interaction among staff members other than possibly comparing their pay slips. As I recall, they seemed fairly autonomous. Grouping Builders per building seemed not to have a synergistic effect. That is, if a building takes five shifts of work - there is no difference between five shifts simultaneously and five shifts sequentually as to total effort. Perhaps closer observation could correct that. The other workers seem not to have any potential from group effort; indeed, sometimes it is a problem to keep them from grouping or repeating too quickly.

These replies suffer from my poor memory, and from a limitation of experience imposed by the campaign. I was discouraged by not being able to use the 'sandbox' mode (particularly without all the buildings) and so dropped out sooner than I would have otherwise. I opine that one has to use the 'sandbox' over a longer period to learn really well how to use the staff.

[CoconutKid]

To group or not to group group builders?

Your island comes with one "Builder's Yard" that employs a maximum of six builders. You can not demolish or build (another) this building. So, you have a maximum of six builders, and that obviously limits the speed of building for those players with a fixation on building buildings. Mistake! The building allows eight builders, but comes with only six -- you have to hire the additional two. A maximum of six may work on any one building.

Based on my poor memory, it seems that the builders work on buildings in the order that they are placed on the map for construction. I have not yet discovered a way to set priorities. The manual indicates that if there are several buildings placed for construction when the builders go to work, they divide themselves amongst them. Caution! If your finger twitches, and the building is placed before you are ready -- bad luck. I haven't found a way to stop construction. So you have to let it be built and then demolish it.  

It's important that you don't place too many buildings down in one go, otherwise you may end up spreading your builders around too thinly.

I do not recall how that division works out.   Later observation indicates that they are divided by simple division of the number of buildings sited, i.e. 8 Builders with 8 buildings under construction = one Builder for each. If one adds a building while they are working, one will leave another building which has more than one to go to the new construction project.  IIRC, the builder's walking around time is on the clock. When a building is completed, the builders engaged there walk back to the Builder's Yard to get their work order for the next building, and then (if they have time left on the shift) walk to the next work site.  Mistake! They go directly to the next job if they have time left to work.

It seems that in managing your crew of builders there are several considerations:

• How many buildings to lay down at once
  • A short queue is best
  • Select from a pre-plan or "build-order"
  • "Winging it" will get you into trouble
• When to site them
  • Coordinate with builder's shifts
  • Consider distance from Builder's Yard ?
  • Do NOT site more than 8 at once, probably not more than four for efficiency.
    • Size is important!
• How to organize crew
  • All on the default clock hours or
  • 1\2 on default (09-19) and 1\2 on 06-16

.
The problem is perhaps illustrated by how to set an effective priority between an Accommodation Block at a short to medium distance from the Builder's Yard and a Beach BBQ at a long distance from the Builder's Yard.

[CoconutKid]

The one thing that I seem to remember most about this game was the "stock" purchases and how they were likely added as a faux way to absorb our profits to make the game more difficult financially.

I don't recall that at all (- which is not a real test of anything).  

... I'm looking for that elusive optimal build order that I feel really must exist in SB.  In other words there must be certain buildings that should be built first to keep the patrons happy while earning money at the same time so that other buildings can be built. ...

optimal build order
(elusive)

edit = There may be such a thing for the first few days. However, I think there are some significant limitations on how far it can be carried.

[CoconutKid]

Sandbox Mode

I'm just getting started again.  

I had forgotten (or never knew) that all you get to start is:

• Entry (dock or gate)
• Complaints (tickets¹) Office
• Main Hotel - 100 accommodations
• Power Plant - 7500 units
• Builders Yard - six Builders (Two more may be hired.)

Did I miss anything?

I wonder if my eyes are playing tricks on me. Has anyone else noticed a number of tiny red cylinders forming geometric patterns in the sandy areas?

¹"Get your 'ticket' punched here" fits the US practice of 'take a number' in customer service lobbies.

@ CB, I fear that the "optimal" build order has to be fairly general for attractions because of the variations between islands as to weather and space. Probably the Infrastructure Overhead lends itself much better to a standard prioritization.

• Immediate Phase
  • Maintenance Dispatch - five Mechanics
  • Lifeguard Tower(s) - one Lifeguard
    • Control Radius of ? about one inch of screen on far zoom.
  • Cleaners Central - five Cleaners
  • Toilet(s) (remote from accommodations) Assume this essential facility exists in no other buildings.
• Second Phase
  • Water Cleaning Plant
    • requires Maintenance Dispatch building
  • First Aid Post - sells 'Medical Care' at variable prices
  • Security Station - Five Guards
• Gold Plating Phase
  • General Store
  • Happiness\Feedback Mongers (Holiday reps) Dormitory - five Mongers
  • Souvenir Shop
    • requires General Store building

.
Then there is the "Expansion" accommodation block(s) for use when your attractions are not running at capacity.

To organize the Eating & Drinking and Leisure & Pastimes attractions into a "build order," we have to organize them into a matrix which counts several elements:

• Day vs Night
  • Some buildings are open only during the day or the night
• Weather
  • Indoor vs Outdoor (beach)
• Balance between men's and women's interests
• Fee \ Social Class
  • Coordinated with the settings of the Hotel!
  • Perhaps too complex or exceeds buildings available?
• Variety vs Volume
  • Investment and Overhead vs Revenue
  • For financial micro-manager?

I suppose that may take a bit of experimental play to develop.

[City Builder]

I honestly don't know that a build order is that complex, however what I have noticed is that the peeps in the game do seem to hang out near to some buildings more than others, especially more so once you start moving up the chain on buildings that are higher class (like theme bars etc), and placing something like the beach bbq nearby to a theme bar will often produce people to go use that beach bbq briefly and then they don't bother using it anymore.  And in my last played game, forget about all those ammenities that I put on the other side of the island in the beginning, because after placing things like the themebar or jacuzzi on the other side of the island then the initial objects are pretty much abandoned as everybody gravitates towards the buildings that are higher up in the chain.

Anyway, it seems to me that it doesn't need to be as complex as you've listed it.  I'm pretty sure that a simple build order of what the people would use in the beginning more than what they wouldn't use could be created without too much trouble, maybe when I have more time I'll jot it down to try to refine a build order to some degree, atlthough at the moment, Simcity 4 calls my name again.


Edit Oh and yes I do notice the tiny red cylinders and thought it's a bug in the game that it's dropping trash when there are not people around to drop it at times.

[CoconutKid]

You are probably correct; and it's just my anal attitude.

The red cylinders could be what you say, but why would they be in 'formations' as if outling something?


Gameplay note: I discovered that one does not have to reset the game after unlocking the campaign. Just start-up as "play" rather than "sandbox" and you may pick any island to play in the campaign mode. That is, you can repeat any campaign game (and lose disastrously yet again); but it gives you the chance to see and to review the starting set-up which is sometimes (usually) really ridiculous except for the landscaping. (For one thing, you have to hire all those to fill-out the staff. The buildings never include more than one of the multiple essentials, e.g. toilets.)

[City Builder]

That is strange indeed and obviously I have no answer to it.  I have to wonder if we are seeing two different things.  Maybe I really am seeing the red cups in some form of a bug and you are seeing something entirely different.  Maybe if you play again you can catch a screenshot of them?

[CoconutKid]

I am finding that rediscovering this game is really great fun! I hope that someone (anyone) else is getting a bit of enjoyment out of reading all my babbling around about it.

Please note that I did edit some of my 'stuff' begining with my second Ides of March post -- improved a bit, if I say so myself.  

Building Notes
Eating & Drinking

• Pool Bar (beer) M\4 | F\2
  • Hotel Pool
  • $2.5k
  • ~250
• Theme Bar #1 M\4 | F\5
  • Cleaners Central bldg
  • $5k
  • ~500
• Theme Bar #2 M\4 | F\5
  • Theme Bar #1
  • $5k
  • ~500
• Beach Bar M\4 | F\2
  • Hotel
  • $2.5k
  • ~250
• Beach BBQ equal
  • Beach Bar
  • $1.5k
  • ~150
• Cafe #1 M\3 | F\2
  • Soft Drinks Stand
  • $5k
  • ~650
  • Hours: 09-18
• Cafe #2 M\3 | F\2
  • Cafe #1
  • $5k
  • ~650
  • Hours: 09-18
• Restaurant #1 M\2 | F\4
  • Soft Drinks Stand
  • $7250
  • ~750
  • Hours: 21-04
• Restaurant #2 M\2 | F\4
  • Restaurant #1
  • $7250
  • ~750
  • Hours: 21-04
• Ice Cream Stall M\2 | F\3
  • Hotel
  • $2k
  • ~250
  • Hours: 09-18
• Soft Drinks Stand equal
  • Hotel
  • 1750
  • ~250
• Burger Bar aka Fast Food Stand M\3 | F\1
  • Hotel
  • $2250
  • ~400
  • Hours: 09-18
• Theme Club #1 M\4 | F\5
  • Theme Bar #1
  • $9k
  • ~1000
  • Hours: 21-04
• Theme Club #2 M\4 | F\5
  • Theme Club #1
  • $9k
  • ~1000
  • Hours: 21-04
• Cocktail Bar (no beer) M\2 | F\5
  • Restaurant #1
  • $4.5k
  • ~250
  • Hours: 21-04

FWIW - and caveat: the male\female stars may not be global.

[RhiannOn]

I remember that the icecream stall, hamburger barbie (especially this stall)  on the sand and the lemonade stall were very popular most of the time. The jucuzzi once you could build it was always busy day and night till the early hours in the morning.  The disco was good entertainment at night on some scenarios and on other scenarios not and when the more 'established" entertainment buildings were built the disco would became deserted.
Oh, yeah the holiday/tourist advisor (helper?) can't remember the name was also a goodie to put down to aid the tourists with information.
The biggie I found was keeping the place clean with lots of cleaners and having lots of decorations - especially the fountains, the tourists just love those.  Buildings breaking down was not good either 
Thats just what I can remember with my cloudy brain 

[City Builder]

Yup, you've got to keep up with the trash from the beginning or it might take forever to get it cleaned up again.  I gave up on one game because I forgot to place the cleaning shack until one areas of my resort was completely covered with the red cups that they throw on the ground even when there are trash cans right next to them.

I found that the beach bbq was abandoned once there were better restaurants available.  In one sandbox game the power units are constantly failing and even though I have 2 mechanics huts fully staffed and have the power generators set for inspection every 1 hour, they still break down and of course cause other buildings to lose power until they are fixed, really annoying.