More Newbie Questions

[Dictator_Matt]

OK, I'm getting the hang of this game.  I'm still working on my 1st island - Random, where I was lucky to get a gold mine somewhat near the docks that has helped my financial situation greatly.  I have a couple more questions that you all might be able to help with, if you could be so kind.

1)  Is there a quick and easy way to get your workers to live in the housing you want them to?  ie I have zones set up for my dockers, miners and toursit areas each with their own housing and they seem to just randomly choose where to live (usually in a difft zone).  I have tried the mass eviction (by raising all rents)someone posted here and that works fairly well, but it seems to piss the people off for a couple of years.

2)  The average worker happiness seems to take a huge hit when you have even a few "working" as students.  Has anyone else noticed this?  Ungrateful little peasants, I mean you try to help them and they spit all over you!

3)  Is there a way to prevent tourists from using the entertainment facilities you have built for the locals?

4)  Has anyone done any research on the # of doctors, priests and cops required per (100) citizens?

5)  Lastly, as a displaced New Yorker I was somewhat disappointed by the insults I recieved last time (for those of you who bothered to insult me - this doesnt include you).  I mean come on, how often do you get someone asking for punishment.  I hope you all can give me your worst.  

Thanks again in advance.

[Railnut]

1. Mass eviction is the easiest way but not always totally effective. You could go a couple steps furter with it. Raise wages in one district, then lower the rents there so that only those workers can afford it, then lower wages back to where they started. Do that in each district. But it seems like a lot of micro-managing.

2. With the PI expansion, you can issue a SOcial Security edict that pays students and retirees 2/3 of your average salary so they can afford housing and food. Without the ex pac, you could try to get those students into free housing but that's a real hassle.

3. Not that I know of.

4. I don't worry so much about the number of docs and priests. I think it's better to build hospitals and cathedrals because their quality rating is much higher.

5. You must be some real loser to get booted out of New York. They didn't kick you into Jersey did they? Or worse are, are you really one of those Jersey bums that just claims to be from New York because you know how embarassing it is to be from Jersey?

Sorry in advance, but that's the best I've got for now.

[Dictator_Matt]

5. You must be some real loser to get booted out of New York. They didn't kick you into Jersey did they? Or worse are, are you really one of those Jersey bums that just claims to be from New York because you know how embarassing it is to be from Jersey?

Very Nice!  Actually I was sent as an emisary to norhtern virginia (outside dc) because there was "just not enough attitude there".  Just doing my part to spread a little of that "HEY YOU LOOKIN AT ME!!" spirit to the less privaleged.  

[Marlow]

Hmm... Where's Egg, the evil newbie comment maker, when you need him?

[Dictator_Matt]

Elbonia with chiggers

LOL.  Are the chiggers really large in Elbonia?  Bet they cant compare to the ninja sewer rats in NY.

[Coconut Kid]

My best understanding as of this date.

1) Is there a quick and easy way to get your workers to live in the housing you want them to?  i.e., I have zones set up for my dockers, miners and tourist areas each with their own housing and they seem to just randomly choose where to live.  I have tried the mass eviction [raising all rents gambit], but it seems to piss the people off for a couple of years.

The quick answer is no. Simply, there are too many variables to micromanage to get more than than about half of the people living where you would like them to be -- especially when you wish to use such small sized "zones." e.g., Everyone wishes to live close to work, but that is only one of the weighted list that controls their choice. They also look for low rent and high building service quality and more. Men pick the house for married couples. Raising the rent doesn't just seem to piss off tenants -- it really does piss them off. When you do it to everyone at once because you are too lazy to micromange the important moves by selective evictions, duh - everyone at once is pissed.

2)  The average worker happiness seems to take a huge hit when you have even a few "working" as students.  Has anyone else noticed this?  ...

As Railnut mentions, unless you use the Social Security edict (now almost universally available), the Students will be very unhappy because they are working with no pay. The education buildings do not provide for paying the Students, only the Teachers and the Professors. None the less, the Students have the job of (duh) 'Student' and when they fill that <experience gage>, they graduate. The trick is not to lose out to overwrought verisimilitude by trying to give them sideline freebies like 'real-world' students, but rather try to make the education buildings attractive places to work, just as you do with factory buildings. Yes, it's tricky without the pay incentive.

3)  Is there a way to prevent tourists from using the entertainment facilities you have built for the locals?

The quick answer is no, at least within normal gameplay activity. However, if one wishes to modify the 'bldg.dat' file -- then, yes some entertainment buildings may be set for only citizens and others set for only tourists, while some may be left for both. That does not mean that - for example - a Pub built here is for citizens only, but a Pub built there is for tourists only. The Pub building must be set for only one of the three alternatives.

4)  Has anyone done any research on the # of doctors, priests and cops required per (100) citizens?

No one has pursued that line of inquiry because there are too many variables -- most especially their employment building location -- to make any such ratio meaningful.