posted 08-11-14 13:39 ET (US)
When leaving the dock, a docker is either carrying an import or is expecting to pick up a specific export, and chooses a warehouse (WH) based on that trade good. A trade caravan also seems to choose a WH based on a specific trade good. Therefore, in this thread, I assume that a docker or caravan wants to trade a single good.
I also assume that a building does not touch multiple unconnected roads.
All my tests were done with the patched C3. I'd guess (but could easily be wrong) that there is no difference between versions.
The "access tile" of a building is the first road or gatehouse tile encountered when starting on the tile NE of the N tile and going clockwise around the building on tiles that are adjacent to a side (not a corner) of the building. The "access distance" is the shortest distance from the entry point to the access tile, going only through passable tiles and only moving NE, SE, SW, or NW. (These were defined by Trium inCartpushers, traders, etc. - which building is nearest?, although he did not use the term "access distance".)
The "crow-flies-distance" to a WH is the shortest distance from some point to the N tile of the WH, going over any tiles in any direction (NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW, or N).
A "bay" is a 1-tile section of a WH, excluding the N tile, which will either be empty or hold a single good. A completely filled bay will hold 4 of a good.
A "selection value" is calculated for each WH which might trade the good. With one exception, a docker or caravan goes to the WH with the lowest selection value. If multiple WHs have the same lowest selection value, the docker or caravan goes to the first one in the building list (which will often, but not always, be the first one that was built). The exception is that sometimes a caravan which intends to sell imports goes to a different WH.
When the trade center warehouse is deleted, the trade center is considered to be at the northern corner of the map. If another building is built and occupies the position in the building list of the previous trade center warehouse northern tile, that building is considered to be the trade center. The player may, of course, choose another warehouse to be the trade center.
A docker or caravan going to a WH will go the the N tile of the WH if there is a road to the NE or NW of the N tile. Otherwise, it will go the the first road tile encountered when starting on the tile NE of the N tile and going clockwise around the building on tiles that are adjacent to a side (not a corner) of the building, which will be the access tile if the access tile is a road.
Dockers and caravans are described in my next two replies.
I also assume that a building does not touch multiple unconnected roads.
All my tests were done with the patched C3. I'd guess (but could easily be wrong) that there is no difference between versions.
The "access tile" of a building is the first road or gatehouse tile encountered when starting on the tile NE of the N tile and going clockwise around the building on tiles that are adjacent to a side (not a corner) of the building. The "access distance" is the shortest distance from the entry point to the access tile, going only through passable tiles and only moving NE, SE, SW, or NW. (These were defined by Trium in
The "crow-flies-distance" to a WH is the shortest distance from some point to the N tile of the WH, going over any tiles in any direction (NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW, or N).
A "bay" is a 1-tile section of a WH, excluding the N tile, which will either be empty or hold a single good. A completely filled bay will hold 4 of a good.
A "selection value" is calculated for each WH which might trade the good. With one exception, a docker or caravan goes to the WH with the lowest selection value. If multiple WHs have the same lowest selection value, the docker or caravan goes to the first one in the building list (which will often, but not always, be the first one that was built). The exception is that sometimes a caravan which intends to sell imports goes to a different WH.
When the trade center warehouse is deleted, the trade center is considered to be at the northern corner of the map. If another building is built and occupies the position in the building list of the previous trade center warehouse northern tile, that building is considered to be the trade center. The player may, of course, choose another warehouse to be the trade center.
A docker or caravan going to a WH will go the the N tile of the WH if there is a road to the NE or NW of the N tile. Otherwise, it will go the the first road tile encountered when starting on the tile NE of the N tile and going clockwise around the building on tiles that are adjacent to a side (not a corner) of the building, which will be the access tile if the access tile is a road.
Dockers and caravans are described in my next two replies.
