Thoughts On Removing Vehicle Selection from Marketing.

[Eric.B]

Hello everyone,

I'm in the process of rewriting the backend to our marketing system to both improve speed, functionality, and AI's ability to use it. As well to implement new features for 1.19.1 and beyond.

In the middle of this, I thought for a second about removing the ability to specifically market for a vehicle. Instead you would assign marketing for the entire branch. The effect of your branch marketing would equally effect the vehicles sold from that branch. (Where as now each vehicle's marketing effectiveness is calculated individually.)

From a player standpoint, this will reduce the micromanagement of marketing. If you have 20 models, You only have to manage a maximum of 274*8=2,192 combinations instead of 43,840 combonations (Assuming you don't use the autotools for everything!) This would also free up space in the World Map GUI so I can put in more data, such as how your marketing is actually effecting vehicles...

Since this is a major functionality change, I would like your thoughts:
1) Keep specific Marketing for individual vehicles.
2) Move marketing to branch level and have it evenly spread out for each vehicle sold at the location.


We'll have a few days(Monday-ish) before I decide. Thanks!

[WolveNZ]

Never used vehicle marketing per vehicle, so removing it wont bother me but I dont think its a problem having it there.

[Eric.B]

Never used vehicle marketing per vehicle, so removing it wont bother me but I dont think its a problem having it there.

Behind the scenes, branch level would be much easier to program, much easier for the AI to use, and much easier to calculate (thus speeding up turn times slightly.)

So If you don't use specific marketing, you'll probably be in the branch level camp for the added bonuses of changing it.

[Shepherd]

For me you can just put it to branch. I generally set it globally for everything (using mega menu, cloning either New York or London to all branches) One size do fit all

Everything that can improve the AI's gameplay is welcome.

[Fieldmouse]

Havent played in a while now but I usually have the same advertising all over the world, but specifically for vehicles. I will have to fire up the game, barely remember how marketing works.
The way I think marketing SHOULD work is:
You may choose to advertise your brand or a specific vehicle.
You may choose what kind of advertising, a family car for the billboards, trucks in business magazine. That sort of thing, where different kind of ads affect different customers.
An ad directed at specific vehicle will have better punch than a generic ad for your brand.
Marketing campaigns that can be applied easily in individual or groups of branches.

[Frankschtaldt]

Hey, been a bit quiet for a while but I am still playing.
Trying to play a game where I engineer LHD and RHD vehicles separately and sell them to the correct markets atm.
I'm beginning to understand why Australia misses out on all the cool stuff.
Anyway, I digress.
I realise I'm probably too late for this but I just stumbled across it and thought I'd add in my 2c.

I do use just brand marketing and vehicle marketing but only in the sense that I advertise everything for the cheaper marketing types and just the brand for the expensive stuff.
But, I don't really care if that all goes away.
A system that's easier for the AI to use gets my vote. They seem to be terrible at it at the moment.