Post by gilbertronics on Jun 27, 2024 18:50:23 GMT
First, I want to say that I realize I am not the first person or the only person to think of ways to add detail and expansion to the power industry! I am thankful to see that others are thinking along similar lines as I am, so that is encouraging, I think. I am not at all attempting to "steal" anyone's idea(s). I am not trying to take "credit" for anything that has already been mentioned in these forums. I just want to add to and/or "flesh out" what has already been expressed in the Sim Companies Forums.
My basic idea for how to expand the power industry and add detail to it would be like this:
*Power plants can specialize...much like building robots with other buildings, but instead of the output that is specialized, it determines the type of power plant it will be (the inputs are specialized).
The choices are:
1) Solar Power Plant - uses pure cash input like current power plant model
2) Hydroelectric Power Plant - uses water and cash to make power
3) Coal Fired Power Plant - uses new resource (COAL) which comes from the mine. Plant uses coal, water, and cash to make power.
[NOTE: Coal can also be used at the factory for steel production, or other things]
4) Oil Fired Power Plant - uses crude oil, water, and cash to produce power
5) Natural Gas Power Plant - uses methane, water, and cash to produce power
6) Nuclear Power Plant - uses new resource (URANIUM) which comes from the mine. Plant uses uranium, water, and cash to make power.
[NOTE: Uranium can also be used somehow in the aerospace industry]
*Some power plants are more efficient than others, yielding more power with less fuel and cash. Game balance and industry balance would be modulated by the inputs of chosen fuel and amount of cash.
*Pollution can be modeled by higher water consumption and cash input (For instance, hydroelectric plant would use least water, while nuclear plant would use the most water. Solar uses no water).
*Cash input for power plants models government regulatory costs, environmental remediation, etc.
*All power plants start off and remain Solar unless/until specialization is selected ("robots" built)
*Benefits of specialization can be reduction in employees but higher cash input (nuclear, for example) or...reduced fuel needs, higher power output, less managers needed, etc. The player will have to decide between leveling up his solar power plants and using specialization to achieve higher power output, but creating more complex supply chain. This gives players the option of staying with the current model, if they want to use only solar power plants.
*Research for information about water usage per unit of power output for different kinds of power plants can come from sources such as: nrel.gov and eia.gov (other sources can be found by doing a Google search for "how much water does a power plant use", etc.
My basic idea for how to expand the power industry and add detail to it would be like this:
*Power plants can specialize...much like building robots with other buildings, but instead of the output that is specialized, it determines the type of power plant it will be (the inputs are specialized).
The choices are:
1) Solar Power Plant - uses pure cash input like current power plant model
2) Hydroelectric Power Plant - uses water and cash to make power
3) Coal Fired Power Plant - uses new resource (COAL) which comes from the mine. Plant uses coal, water, and cash to make power.
[NOTE: Coal can also be used at the factory for steel production, or other things]
4) Oil Fired Power Plant - uses crude oil, water, and cash to produce power
5) Natural Gas Power Plant - uses methane, water, and cash to produce power
6) Nuclear Power Plant - uses new resource (URANIUM) which comes from the mine. Plant uses uranium, water, and cash to make power.
[NOTE: Uranium can also be used somehow in the aerospace industry]
*Some power plants are more efficient than others, yielding more power with less fuel and cash. Game balance and industry balance would be modulated by the inputs of chosen fuel and amount of cash.
*Pollution can be modeled by higher water consumption and cash input (For instance, hydroelectric plant would use least water, while nuclear plant would use the most water. Solar uses no water).
*Cash input for power plants models government regulatory costs, environmental remediation, etc.
*All power plants start off and remain Solar unless/until specialization is selected ("robots" built)
*Benefits of specialization can be reduction in employees but higher cash input (nuclear, for example) or...reduced fuel needs, higher power output, less managers needed, etc. The player will have to decide between leveling up his solar power plants and using specialization to achieve higher power output, but creating more complex supply chain. This gives players the option of staying with the current model, if they want to use only solar power plants.
*Research for information about water usage per unit of power output for different kinds of power plants can come from sources such as: nrel.gov and eia.gov (other sources can be found by doing a Google search for "how much water does a power plant use", etc.