[Idea sharing] Passanger should switch between lines in multi-line serving section

[jimmy_lam]

Multi-line service is a very common application in public transport - By adding varies line in same route, This increase the service capacity and frequency of that section of route.
Now there is a problem that in the multi-line serving section, passengers will not switch between lines and only wait for the line they decide first. This makes the multi-line section become useless - no metter you add more lines to the multi-line section, it won't have the function of increasing service frequency and increasing capacity. Here comes a little comic explain such condition:



According to my memory there is only one transportation simulation game have such function - which is simutrans. The passanger system of that game is destination-oriented and not line-oriented.

Suggestion:
Enhance Passenger AI to provide multi-line switching function

 

[nuNce]

Great idea, also it would improve in general the traffic congestion and line usage.

 

[unmerged(500965)]

According to my memory there is only one transportation simulation game have such function - which is simutrans. The passanger system of that game is destination-oriented and not line-oriented.

Suggestion:
Enhance Passenger AI to provide multi-line switching function

Hmmm... The passenger system is destination oriented, but i think that passenger decides his "route" on the begining of his journey.

It would be benficial for us if CO would share some of the details about passenger system. For eg. - does the game generate passengers as needed or are the "people" pre determined on start? When does the actual route decision take place? I've seen passenger who rode on a bus 1, disembarked, traveled 3 stops by bus 2 and get back on bus 1 (the next one).

 

[unmerged(724619)]

In Simutrans I believe the passengers run on a similar system to a satnav, they automatically take the route which will get them there quickest. So if they see a train is held up down the line and slowing the traffic, they just walk to the bus stop and catch the bus! Very similar to us humans Of course in CIM a passenger may own a week pass for buses lets say, so it is fair enough that they will only want to catch the bus but some passengers wont and should be able to get on the service that gets them to their destination quickest.

+1 from me

 

[unmerged(169164)]

Reality is not abstracted. Reality is.

Games work on abstracted models that are designed for entertainment.

Liking or not liking a model does not mean the model is consistent or inconsistent.

Part of the game is to satisfy the passengers. To reach that goal, you need tools.

Lets examine how a line might be laid out:

You spot a shopping center, a type of building frequented by many categories of potential passengers. After surveying the building and the customers/workers, you define your line. The time interval is a vehicle per 2 hours.

Now you survey the other stops: when a vehicle releases its passengers, you follow the flow and see how connected lines could help the passengers.

And so on.

At one point, you stop and start to observe the stops and their flow rate. You notice that the average flow rate between departures at the shopping center is between 15~18. It allows you to adapt the downstrean connecting lines with the right vehicle. Sometimes a 20 is needed to maintain the quality. Sometimes a 10 will.

You let the game tick and notes that it might be bettered by adding one vehicle for rush hours, keeping some lines working later in night etc but all in all, you have a quality service transporation network working on a steady flowrate.

Now passengers overlap. They might arrive at the shopping stop before their planned vehicle arrives.

A passenger plans to get the 16.00 vehicle but arrives instead at 13.59.

Hence the proposition of getting that passenger on the board of the 14.00 vehicle.

Trouble starts here as a quality service transportation network is functional of an steady average flow rate at every stop.

Sometimes, your vehicle will get crowded with 30 passengers, some other times, it will drive by nearly empty.

Of course, it cascades down to all the downstream lines using the shopping center as a feeder stop.

Result:You lose total control over the flow rate.

From a game, oriented towards the satisfaction of the customers, you go to a game that is about moving passengers around driven by the quantity over the quality.

Every passenger sticking to one route ensures that at every stop, you are given a steady flow of passengers.

Without that, you are offered no tool to ensure that the customer does not grow unsatisfied because the vehicle was full, because the vehicle was late etc

Either you want a readable causation between your inputs and the outputs on the screen or you prefer it unmanageable.

 

[kellergeist79]

This is an important point, I also think this is a common application in modern networks. The game is called "the modern days"... For the performance of the game it could be a point why the passengers seem to calculate their routes only once and then stick to it. But I think there would be a way to keep it simple and make them act more destination orientated:

Lets say the passenger calculatates his route at the begining, basicly as they do now. So he designs first if he takes public transport or a car or if he walks. If he desides for public transport, he walks to the nearest (!) stop if a vehicle is setup to arrive there e.g. in the next hour. If the pre-chosen vehicle does not appear (traffic jam, too late etc) he gets angry and recalculates his route. If the vehicle arrives, he gets on and gets of at the pre-calculated intersecion or destination stop. If he has to change a vehicle there, he again recalculates his route. And so on...
This would also allow to add e.g. new stops with digital information systems, so he would get less angry when he has to take antoher line.

 

[unmerged(424960)]

It's a feature that was requested from the start. I don't know if it wasn't included by mistake, because it's too difficult to implement or due to a design decision by CO. It doesn't matter because at this point I don't think that the developers can make such a big change to the game.