(edit) Exploring Patent Auctions.

Bushdoctor · Post by **Bushdoctor** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:17 am

Gday guys,

I would like to know if anybody ever noticed an entry where the
default starting bid of 50.000 in a patent auction can be adjusted.
(Bridge Truss, Maleable Rails, Sandbox, etc).

I've emailed Snoopy about it and we kind of concluded that it must be
hardcoded in the Railroads.exe somewhere, but if somebody has other information:
Please let me know. Thanks.

CalmDragon · Post by **CalmDragon** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 6:00 pm

I haven't found anything to change auction prices.

Bushdoctor · Post by **Bushdoctor** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:13 pm

Me neither.
Snoopy did a search for '50000' in all(!) xml files but only a few known ones popped up.
Nothing that refered to the patents.
I guess it's safe to assume that we can't edit those settings...

Would have been nice to raise the starting amount for those auctions
in maps intended to play without AI.
Currently you get the most valuable patents for only 50.000 bucks.
Bargain!

Tijer · Post by **Tijer** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:44 pm

You can always attempt to add a cost line to the Patent.xml. Review the way that industries are base priced and go from their. I think something like <icost>xxxxxxx.xx</Icost> or something like that. What ever, if it crashed restore from the back up you made before the edit. What is the worst that can happen, CTD. You can get that just by loading it. Give it a try.

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:56 pm

<iPatentCost> or <iPatentStart> or a version of one of those might do it. Like TIJER says, can't do nothing but what it loves to do.....

Bushdoctor · Post by **Bushdoctor** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:24 am

But...but...but.. that will destroy my monitor... fry my HD's... erase the print from my keyboard!

Good plan! I'll put on my exploration outfit.
Thanks guys.

Bushdoctor · Post by **Bushdoctor** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:31 am

Wow, I thought Swift's Refrigerator Car only gave a bonus for Cattle and Pigs.
According to the Patents xml it does it for Food, Grain, Fish, Swine, Livestock,
Milk, Grapes and Cornmeal.
Now that makes the patent a whole lot more interesting to bid on.

One learns something when one starts to dig!

On a side note: Earlier I noticed that there's an extra art entry for the patents
that's never used in the game. I forgot the title, but the thing looks like a copper
kind of kettle. Another example of extra's that never made it.
Perhaps we can dig up info on that patent and make it work.. Hmmmm.

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:03 am

You're talking about the Bessemer Converter ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessemer_process ). It would be rather interesting to work up. If we could get some artists to do some similar 'orange shadowed' views of other things having to do with railroads, it would be great. This one has merit as it helped produce maleable steel.
Unless we can get the capibility of selecting which ones will show up in a map, a railroad related content should be held to. A new patent on how to press grapes wouldn;t do to good if wine is not in the map.........

Tijer · Post by **Tijer** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 6:34 am

I should have a response for that problem by tomorrow hopefully.

Bushdoctor · Post by **Bushdoctor** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:17 am

Bessemer! Indeed.
I think you're refering to what photographers call Sepia.
It's an effect that's quite easy to replicate.
I can probably do the art needed.

When reading up on what it actually is, a process to speed up production of steel,
it's not so strange that it wasn't included in the patents.
All current ones are directly related to trains (speed, grip, cheaper track, etc),
while the Bessemer isn't.

Still, a set of patents related to specific industries would be cool.

Tijer · Post by **Tijer** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:46 pm

Well they did cover that topic in the Berkshaw malleable rails patent. Some other interesting patents where created during this period like the elevator which allowed for skyscrapers to exist, Telephone is another. Let me do a quick search to see what things can be added. Ill just edit this message with the data.

Edit Edison alone created enough patents. Look here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison

Marconi and the radio.
Cameras I do believe thanks to Kodak Film.
Motion Pictures and then Movies.
Player pianos and the like.
More then enough.

Bushdoctor · Post by **Bushdoctor** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 8:36 pm

Great research Tijer, but unfortunately you ignored the fact that
patents should be able to influence a game's modifier.
While Edison's inventions are all great, they wouldn't change anything
in the game.

The malleable rails patent makes building rails cheaper. It's a result of the
Bessemer patent
which, when litteraly applied, should make steel mills convert faster and more.

We would need patents that apply to our current existing industries.
There is for example an Event that causes grain farms to produce faster.
Stuff like that could be turned into an auctionable patent.

-edit-
Actually, Thomas' Electric Distribution System might be a good patent
to increase profits for a Power Plant.

Tijer · Post by **Tijer** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:28 am

Yes and Elevators made skyscrapers possible which used more steel that increased more output. Telephones increase copper consumption as well as wood for poles like electric. All of these things made cities grow which required more manufactured goods and food. Which of course allowed for the purchase of luxury goods like silver candle sticks to radios and TV set. It is all connected. Aside from the renaissance that 100 year period in history is most likely the most dynamic in the history of humans. Just look at the broad picture.

snoopy55 · Post by **snoopy55** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:45 am

Ah but the Bessemer patent effects more that just rail. It made steel malleable, hence, everything made with steel became cheeper since it took less time to shape. Engines, bridges, track, cars, automobiles, almost everything made of steel, or that had steel used in the process of it's making.

And the patents are in a 3 tone, whitish-orange, orange and grayish-orange. It might be good to stick to the three colors.....my thoughts

Bushdoctor · Post by **Bushdoctor** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:15 am

I'm not disputing the overal impact that those inventions had on the industry or society,
I'm just saying that we need them applicable for the game.

I would bid on a Bessemer patent if it would increase the output of MY steel mills,
not if it would globally influence prices for steel, engines, bridges, track, cars, automobiles and whatnot.

What you guys are describing sounds more like a random event instead of an auctionable patent.