New Aircraft Purchase Queue

[Unknown98]

Looking for suggestions/input on the length of time brand new aircraft should be held in the "order queue" or whatever you want to call it. This system is already in-place and working, I just need to tweak the formula that determines the amount of time you have to wait before your new aircraft are delivered. Currently this is how the system works:

You configure a batch of new aircraft, selecting # of seats, quantity & delivery location. The system will calculate a delivery date of the first aircraft based on production time for the aircraft you are ordering and the current queue of aircraft currently on order by other players. See screenshot:




Two things affect how long you have to wait:

1) Production time 
-----> This is calculated by the size of each aircraft. Specifically, the number of seats in a maximum capacity single-class layout. The current formula is (max seats/20). This gives a number, in days, that it takes for the manufacturer to theoretically build the aircraft. 

2) Queue time
-----> This is the wait time depending on current aircraft on-order for the particular model (so each model has a separate queue. B737-8 is separate from B737-9, etc). Current formula is +1 day for each aircraft on order regardless of aircraft size or anything else. This part is probably what needs tweaking the most.

So the delivery date of each aircraft you order is calculated by this formula:

Current time + Production time + Queue time. 

So for example lets say you order 5 B737-800s. There are currently 10 aircraft on order from another airline. The delivery date for your first aircraft will be:

(189/20)+10 = 19.45 days

Second aircraft:

(189/20)+11 = 20.45 days

...and so on. 


This isn't going to be the final formula, its just something I came up with fairly quickly to test the system and get it working. So my question is what would you guys like to see as far as wait times? Keep in mind this ONLY applies to orders of brand new aircraft. Not used aircraft, and not leases.

[skifans]

Im not realy sure how I feel about each of the ideas as I had't had chance to think about the effects fully but just wondered from a technical standpoint if/how any of the following could be looked into:
1. Could it be possible to store aircraft? As in, if all orders have been filled could the system then add to a pool of aircraft which would be available for immediate delivery?
2. If so, could the system begin to automatically increase and decrease delivery rate, doesn't have to be a complicated system, if pool>x -> production-1. And if orders>y -> production+1.
3. Can the system except floating point numbers for the delivery rate (as in 0.5 per day?) I do agree with you that this is what needs tweaking the most, would it be practical to add an extra field to each aircraft for this, and does anyone have any idea how easy it would be to find real world data and how frequently this changes? I do think some sort of dynamic system like above would be better as it would just deal with changes as the amount of players increase. If not to deal with this would it be possible to find how often real world aircraft role off the production line and divide this by 5,000 (Approximate number of airline with ITA codes) and then in order to work out the production per day have the game multiply this number by the amount of in game airlines.
4. Could anything be done with the delivery destination to effect the time? As in, the aircraft is built in x (Settle for Boeing ect.) and then has to be flown the to delivery destination, which for long range aircraft this would probably have minimal effect, but could be interesting for regional aircraft.
5. Also, I do think the system should apply to leased aircraft (alough I agree that used aircraft should arrive instantly), they have been built by the manufacturer, then why no wait. Also, assuming it is possible to buy the aircraft off the lessor this makes it possible to skip the wait time by leasing an aircraft and imidatly buying it off the lessor.
6. Is payment taken at ordering or delivery (or some mixture)?

[Carde]

Two things:

1: Put a cap on the wait time, waiting 2 months just aint fun (Gameplay vs simulation)
2: Payment should be a 50/50 deal 50 at ordering and 50 at delivery (wich means watch your cash)


Also will we have any bulk discounts?

[POTKC]

I think even a few days is too long to wait for delivery. Real time flights - sure, but having to wait a week for your plane is...way too long.

[Carde]

I think even a few days is too long to wait for delivery. Real time flights - sure, but having to wait a week for your plane is...way too long.

Makes sense for a real time game Honestly it is all about planning, buy when you can put the 50% down and make sure you have the other 50% when it is delivered, end result you get it just as quickly as you can earn the price it costs

[Unknown98]

Im not realy sure how I feel about each of the ideas as I had't had chance to think about the effects fully but just wondered from a technical standpoint if/how any of the following could be looked into:
1. Could it be possible to store aircraft? As in, if all orders have been filled could the system then add to a pool of aircraft which would be available for immediate delivery?
2. If so, could the system begin to automatically increase and decrease delivery rate, doesn't have to be a complicated system, if pool>x -> production-1. And if orders>y -> production+1.
3. Can the system except floating point numbers for the delivery rate (as in 0.5 per day?) I do agree with you that this is what needs tweaking the most, would it be practical to add an extra field to each aircraft for this, and does anyone have any idea how easy it would be to find real world data and how frequently this changes? I do think some sort of dynamic system like above would be better as it would just deal with changes as the amount of players increase. If not to deal with this would it be possible to find how often real world aircraft role off the production line and divide this by 5,000 (Approximate number of airline with ITA codes) and then in order to work out the production per day have the game multiply this number by the amount of in game airlines.
4. Could anything be done with the delivery destination to effect the time? As in, the aircraft is built in x (Settle for Boeing ect.) and then has to be flown the to delivery destination, which for long range aircraft this would probably have minimal effect, but could be interesting for regional aircraft.
5. Also, I do think the system should apply to leased aircraft (alough I agree that used aircraft should arrive instantly), they have been built by the manufacturer, then why no wait. Also, assuming it is possible to buy the aircraft off the lessor this makes it possible to skip the wait time by leasing an aircraft and imidatly buying it off the lessor.
6. Is payment taken at ordering or delivery (or some mixture)?

1. It would probably be possible, but that's not how manufacturers work in the real world (at least not to my knowledge for commercial aircraft - maybe there are a few exceptions). Boeing is not going to build an aircraft until they have secured a buyer for it. Imagine if Boeing had built 50 747-8I's and then only received 20 orders. They'd go out of business fast.

2. See above

3. If I understand your question correctly... yes, I think so. Not sure exactly what you mean by floating point numbers.

4. I suppose that's possible. Hadn't thought of that.

5. Good point, now that I think about it you're probably correct.

6. A mixture, see below

Two things:

1: Put a cap on the wait time, waiting 2 months just aint fun (Gameplay vs simulation)
2: Payment should be a 50/50 deal 50 at ordering and 50 at delivery (wich means watch your cash)


Also will we have any bulk discounts?

For payment I was thinking of allowing several options to choose from, for instance a 40/60, 50/50 and 60/40 or something along those lines. Just to have options as to how you want to manage your cashflow.

There will bulk discounts introduced but I have not implemented the actual payment function yet. Any ideas as to what the discount should be in relation to number ordered?

[POTKC]

3. If I understand your question correctly... yes, I think so. Not sure exactly what you mean by floating point numbers.

...

There will bulk discounts introduced but I have not implemented the actual payment function yet. Any ideas as to what the discount should be in relation to number ordered?

By floating point numbers he means that when decimals are converted to binary and back issues tend to be caused. That's the...overly simplified explanation. You can get around that by converting days into hundredths (ie instead of 1.55 days have 155 hundredths), eliminating the need for the programming to deal with decimals. Someone else can probably explain this much better.

Regarding discounts, Airbus and Boeing have been known to give discounts of around 50% (or even more) on uberlarge orders of planes (by which I mean 100+), this would be hard to implement. Perhaps cap the discount at 40%, with that rate being applied when 50 aircraft are ordered at the same time, with 0% discount being applied when one aircraft is ordered, and then have the discount scale accordingly? The percentage cap and the number of aircraft it is applied at are just estimates.

[asianmattdog]

Just one problem I foresee. If a new player decides to purchase a new aircraft, they have to wait 20 days. If they wait 20 days, they're waiting for a good 20 days, doing nothing, they forget about the game, never touch it again. So, my question to counter this, would they be forced into purchasing an used aircraft to begin, or possibly get an "automatic starter aircraft"?

[Dokhu]

This is a good idea having a realistic game but the game needs to be dynamic. I suggest the queue should be for every airline itself. I mean If I order a plane then a must wait a day and If I order two planes I must wait two days etc. But if I have orders for several suppliers then every supplier will have its own queue.

[USA]

I'd say new players should have to either buy a used plane or can lease a new plane from a leasing company (the game).