That Machine Parts :c

[SknerusMck]

OKay, so i started new game as Sweden to build factories with state capitalism and see how they do. Maybe form Scandinavia too. So i started to encourage craftsmen and build cement and lumber mill factories. And i waited... after a year i saw, that the factories are still at 0 progress! Then i saw, that both factories didn't have machine parts, so couldn't be build. OK, i wanted to manually buy them, but i can't. Because the world production of machine parts was at 0... Prices rose in 36 months from 25 per one to 50 per one, parts are in reeeaaally high demand, and no one produce it!! How can i get them? Is it a bug? It's first time when i can't build factories - i played with Netherlands [2 times] and Prussia earlier.

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Another question is, can i [with state capitalism] automatically build factories? I started to play as China [before Sweden ] and after i westernised and got railroads i realised that i must build them... in every province... one by one... i have done this one time, and quitted the game. I don't think i will go back to it. I had sooo many money, that i could just cklick "build factories everywhere", but is anywhere sth like that?

 

[Ranjid]

There's only 1 Machine Parts factory at the start. And to build more you have to unlock "Mechanical Production" in the Industry Tech. You have to wait a few years until the production of them kicks in. Until then the only way to get them is through Artisans and high prestige.

The 2nd question: State Capitalism allows Capitalists to automatically build factories. But you have to expand them yourself. While it is a great economy policy for the first decade or so, you will want to switch to Laissez Faire or Interventionism later on. Unless you love micro management, that is. As China you shouldn't have to worry about it all that much. In the 1870's a Laissez Faire party will be available. Until then just spam expand all your factories once a year.

 

[SknerusMck]

OK, thanks for the reply.

 

[El Jojo]

Ctrl-click expands all factories near their employee limit, very useful to mass upgrade. Shift-click upgrades alla factories of a same kind.

Machine parts are always a bit tough to get early game, so set a high manual buy and just wait. A machine parts factory takes two years to build.
By the way, beware of lumber mills, one of the worse factories to have, it's easy to overproduce and it's so cheap it often doesn't cover its own costs, needing subsidies (their only function (for me!) is to give a bonus to furniture factories in the same state while having as few workers as possible)

 

[SknerusMck]

Ctrl-click expands all factories near their employee limit, very useful to mass upgrade. Shift-click upgrades alla factories of a same kind.

Machine parts are always a bit tough to get early game, so set a high manual buy and just wait. A machine parts factory takes two years to build.
By the way, beware of lumber mills, one of the worse factories to have, it's easy to overproduce and it's so cheap it often doesn't cover its own costs, needing subsidies (their only function (for me!) is to give a bonus to furniture factories in the same state while having as few workers as possible)

Thanks for the trick with ctrl-click.
And i build a lumber mill because Sweden has much timber, which is quite rare in early game, isn't it? So there won't be many lumber mills and my products will sell better. Or I am wrong somwhere .

 

[El Jojo]

Lumber can be rare early game you're right, but it doesn't last and even you will quickly overproduce it (and you'll face more and more competition on the world market), and even when not overproducing it has a very low profitability and gives only a tiny bit of industrial score.
So, to put it more subtly, I'm not saying "never build any", just don't rely too much on it and move up the production chain to furniture (and lux furniture if you want to actually make money and score with wood.

 

[maxirage]

In the late game a single lumber factory can supply your entire country's demand. If you build multiples of them for the throughput bonus then you shouldn't upgrade them.

 

[PanH]

Get more prestige, that way you'll have higher priority on the global market. Alternatively, get sphered by someone who produces machine parts (though it'll still be rare) or become a great power and sphere some country that produces it. Overall, the most easier way is to get more prestige.

 

[Will Steel]

A tip - You do not have to build railways in every single province. Use Ctrl+click to build in the entire state in a single run. It does the same thing, except for the entire state. Much more convenient.

 

[SknerusMck]

That will be helpfull too. Maybe i will gather more shortcuts and resume my China run, without them it will be painful .

 

[gregor_mendel]

Ctrl-click expands all factories near their employee limit, very useful to mass upgrade. Shift-click upgrades alla factories of a same kind.

Hundreds of hours played and I did not know that. Thank you!

 

[mattpilot]

Are some goods (like machine parts) restricted on the basis of literacy? Say your artisans are not smart enough, thus they can't build the more 'complex' goods ?

I find having a NF on machine parts hardly does anything in early game, despite resources being plentiful and machine parts in high demand ... or is some other aspect discouraging the artisans from making what i want them to make?

 

[gregor_mendel]

Are some goods (like machine parts) restricted on the basis of literacy? Say your artisans are not smart enough, thus they can't build the more 'complex' goods ?

I find having a NF on machine parts hardly does anything in early game, despite resources being plentiful and machine parts in high demand ... or is some other aspect discouraging the artisans from making what i want them to make?

I would love to know more about the Artisan mechanics, how they decide what good to produce and what not, but I don't think literacy has any effect.

As for the machine parts, they are unlocked by a tech as Ranjid pointed out.