Roads

I suppose that the use of roads and paths built by the user could significantly improve the performance of the pathfinding algorithm globally.

i like it but its still not a requirement if placed the vehicles move faster and the AI would rather use it then the sand or dirt

Maybe "rather" just being able to designate routes by laying down a path on a layer that can be hidden.

Roads would be so awesome. Optionally, yes, midgame, yes. But with a considerable speed boost, please. And I want them big with several lanes and different vehicle categories. E.g. the excavator remains slow, citizens in cars move fastest. It probably will primarily scratch that itch to get more order into the logistics.

Roads are a good thing. mid to late game you would spend resources on them for their upkeep and construction. As for the start of your game a tool to lay out the travel paths for the vehicles using unity as a cost for very simple roads that would late be upgraded to roads with sped up travel on them

Here's another thought: what about layers of roads? Think bridges, tunnels, etc. Tunnels will require excavating and if it's made out of softer materials it'll collapse. Bridges or raised roads/highways can add layers of complexity.

I think the roads could be added to enhance the overall focus of the game. I read that roads were deliberately avoided for the early release, which I think was the 'right' approach for now. My suggestion would be level 1 dirt, 2 gravel, ,3 asphalt/blacktop, and 4 concrete roads. This "branch" of the roadmap (no pun intended) could include new vehicle types that would have to be developed as well: Graders, Bulldozers, perhaps even a road paving machine at research level 4. In tandem, development of asphalt having to be made in a Mixer could be added. Each tier of road (dirt, gravel, asphalt/blacktop, concrete) could provide different speed bonuses to the trucks. The roads should probably be limited to those 4 types, and limited to "simple" 2 lane roads not anything complex like 4-lanes, highways, etc. Basically the roads could "compliment" the industrial focus of the game without overwhelming it. Building roads could involve dumping the product along a game-grid path?

I really do not see why you would need roads? Yet like how the trucks AI work already, infect designing to allow for this is fun.

i also like the idea of adding something from the start of the game just called "marking" or something like that. just allows the player to say where the trucks drive with no construction and the autogenerating roads just go where you want instead of spidering with truck AI

yes, yes, yes i want it :)

i wouldn't bring roads in this game as it takes space in your blocks, so you cant build anyhthing on these roads, i find it really good that there are no roads to build, would make this game even harder with so less space to build. you dont need roads in this game

Да, это просто прекрасное предложение. Оно позволит не просто улучшить внешний вид острова, а позволит структурировать на районы, участки, зоны в застройке фабрик. Так же это большое поле для новых механик, начиная с механиками постройки самих дорог, производства, хранения и доставки материалов для них, и добавляя идеи по улучшению скорости транспортных средств, уменьшения поломок.
Yes, it's just a great suggestion. It will allow not only to improve the appearance of the island, but will allow structuring into districts, plots, zones in the building of factories. It's also a big field for new mechanics, starting with the mechanics of building the roads themselves, producing, storing and delivering materials for them, and adding ideas to improve the speed of vehicles, reduce breakdowns.

I quite like the current aspect of the road creation. Just add buffs and nerfs to the materials that have been laid, I.E +40% Movement speed on gravel, +60% Movement speed on Tarmac/ -60% Movement speed on Waste. And add tarmac to the game if not already done so :)

Well, I like the idea, just going to be hard.
as with the current truck, AI it's finding the quickest path to the location....so you have to add another array part saying that the new item(roads) has a better speed than say driving over a coal patch.
plus speed isn't really an issue due to sand, dirt, and ore having the same speed stat
and the only issue is the Grade of the incline and other factors.

Considering the real world recipe, getting a dumpable material (black, yellow and white for proper road markings XD) made from gravel, sand/manufactured sand and heavy oil would be awesome!
Personally I don't care about bonusses to speed and/or fuel usage (though it would make sense compared to driving offroad all the time), as long as the surface has a bonus _to pathfinding_ so that cars actually use roads over going offroad just because it's 5 cells shorter ;)

Personally I dont want roads. It would remove one of the unique aspects of this game

hi, I like the idea.
but at the current build, the trucks make a dirt road of ways if they keep using the same path repeatedly.
speed boosting will be cool, but at the current state, they have to account for some level of item loss as it speeds down the new road.

I like to use roads to help me organize my factory too. Farms in this grid. Food production over in that grid. Oil production down near the water in that grid. All neatly defined by nice looking roads. Also helps me decide where to plop bridges or dig pipe trenches. I wish there were better early game road survey tools to get things planned.

Hello! Anyway, I wanted to write something here. Many people write that buffs should be set to 40/60%, but this is terribly high. Trucks in the game, as it is now, already drive very fast, and if you underestimate their speed, then the game at the start will be very long and tedious. Increasing the speed by 60% will make the game not very realistic. BUT!
1) I can allow this if I create a highway. A straight section of the road where trucks can accelerate their movement up to 60%, but this requires a sufficiently long roadbed. A truck cannot drive on a winding road at a speed of 90 km/h.
2) The decision to reduce the wear and tear of equipment is also controversial, although this is really obvious. At the middle stage of the game, this practically does not play any role.

3) For some, creating a road by hand may not be very interesting. Perhaps, for the order of movement, it is worth creating not roads, but tracks / control points. Transport will move more orderly. It is possible to create automatic roads (but not randomly, but along tracks).
4) If the developers still reach the stage of creating roads, they will have to create a collision of vehicles relative to each other. What will create traffic jams, etc.
5) In general, all I wanted to say is not to focus on the roads as the main part of the game. It should be more like a nice little bonus/sequencing of movement. In particular, you must first create a PROBLEM that the roads would help to solve.