Trees: What Your Mother Never Told You 1

[calm_blue_sea]

The Ecology and Economy of Tropican Flora (Part 1)

1.  Introduction:

   In recent months a theory, hereto cited as the “Loggers Myth” (Calm_Blue_Sea, 2001), has emerged and has rapidly become ingrained in popular dogma. The theory holds that using loggers (lumberjacks) to clear areas of trees will decrease the time required to erect buildings on these lands. The theory has gained further credibility from its admission in an online gaming guide (Gamespot, 2001).
   It has long been the opinion of this author that this hypothesis is completely unfounded, and indeed a total fallacy. The need for empirical evidence to back this claim has precipitated the following study. Although still ongoing, preliminary research is indeed undermining popular opinion, and is revealing some important truths.

2.  Methodology:

   A new map was started on the second difficulty level and edited in editor mode. A large area was leveled (reduced to sea level). Numerous experiments were performed in which logging camps, labour camps, and trees of various species were individually placed. In a second set of experiments, cleared land was watched closely to determine rates of natural succession, while an old growth tree lot was observed in an attempt to estimate natural mortality rates. Although run in editor mode, preliminary observations suggest that this data also holds true in vivo (or more correctly, in gamo).


3.   Tropican Flora

   A variety of tree and shrub species are indigenous to the island of Tropico. Although both monocots and dicots are well represented, curiously it would appear that that gymnosperms and lower land plants are completely lacking.


3.1.      Growth Rates:

   The excellent soils of Tropico permit very rapid growth of the native vegetation. Most trees appear to mature within 12 years of germination, although the large palms may take longer. Dicotyledonous trees (generally broad-leaved ) appear to mature faster and may require as little as 7 years. Tropoican environmental law forbids the harvesting of under age trees.

3.2.   Tree Mortality Rates:

   Of course trees on Tropico undergo normal life cycles including death. Upon dying, only a stump remains. The maximum lifespan of Tropican trees is currently unknown. Funding permitting, this topic will be the focus of a future study. (Please note, it is with deep regret that this author must withdraw his previous statement that stumps are capable of regenerating new trees. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused among my colleagues in the scientific community).

[calm_blue_sea]

The Ecology and Economy of Tropican Flora (Part 2)

4.      The Tropican Logging Industry:

   The importance of logging to the well being of Tropician economics cannot be easily dismissed. Of course, the effectiveness of this industry relies on the efficiency of its workers, the lumberjacks. Tropican lumberjacks are powerful fellows, yet the number of axe swings required to fell and remove a tree can be quite variable.

4.1.   The Whack Index:

Note: numbers given below are for workers of medium skill working at a camp that has NOT been upgraded. For highly skilled workers working at an upgraded camp, chop numbers (the “Whack Index”) may decrease to as little as 3 chops per activity

There are three (3) steps in the logging process:

A)The tree must be felled, this generally requires 5-7 whacks, and an ugly stump is left behind.

B)The felled tree must be further processed. A large felled tree consists of 11 subunits. 5 subunits represent small branches and leaves – these are left to ‘rot’. 6 units represent the trunk of the tree – these must be processed further, which requires 5-7 whacks per segment.

C)The trunk units are then carried back to the camp where they are picked up by a teamster. Each trunk unit represents 0.6 of a load.

Therefore, One tree can require as many as 49 whacks to process completely, while under optimal conditions this Whack Index may be reduced to as little as 21. Each tree yields 3.6 loads. These values appear to be unaffected by the species of the tree being harvested.

5.    Tropican Laborers:

Before building, Tropican laborers must not only clear the site of trees, but also of stumps left by the loggers. Unlike in the case of the logger, an upright tree that has been felled by a laborer magically disappears, leaving no stump. Both trees and stumps require 5-7 whacks to be removed by a laborer. As in the case of the logger, I can find no pattern to the variability of the Whack Index, although it may correspond to skill level (future studies will examine this utilizing a larger sample size).
The following parameters were considered:

A) Tree type:
All indigenous tree species have the same Whack Index. However, ornamental trees and shrubs (those placed using the build menu) are an important exception. These plants are dug up rather than chopped down. They require five scoops with the shovel and are thus said to have a “Scoop Index” of 5 (Calm_Blue_Sea, In Press). It is of interest to note that the scoop index appears to be fairly constant in this case. These species are apparently not considered to be of economic importance and are therefore not harvested by the loggers (which, in any case, lack. shovels).

B)Build or Bulldoze Command:
The Whack index does not appear to differ whether laborers are directly ordered to clear trees or are ordered to build on a treed area.

C)Topography:
Terrain is not expected to have an effect on the Whack/Scoop index of tree removal. This is an exciting area of research and will undoubtedly be the focus of future studies (pending appropriate funding).




6.  Clearing of Felled Trees:

The following discovery came as a shock to this researcher. If a laborer must clear a freshly fallen tree left by a lumberjack he is required to not only chop the stump, but also to scoop all 11 subunits from the ground (see above for explanation of subunits). These subunits require 5-8 scoops each to remove. Therefore, the removal of a freshly fallen tree and its associated stump may require a combined Whack/Scoop index as high as 86!

7.   The Bottom line For Would-Be Tropican Developers:

Wood and lumber are valuable sources of income for the government of Tropico. On some islands, forests may be sparse or located far from the work force. In these cases, it may be best to log first and then build on the cleared land in order to keep the logging industry alive and prosperous. If this is done, it is imperative that loggers clear all deadwood from the ground before building is commenced. However, in cases where an area must be cleared for building immediately and the loss of trees is not an issue, it is best to build directly and let the labor force clear the land.



This study was funded by a grant from Café Tropico in cooperation with the Tropican Ministry of the Interior, The Union of Tropican Laborers, and the Ministry of Stumps And All Things Stump-Related (I’m still waiting for my check guys).

[Mercator]

Hehe, he said Whack.




Smashing good read young man!  Just smashing!  I do believe a congratulations is in order for all your hard research!  It is definitely an interesting find you have unearthed!  I shall remember such finds in my future islands.


Feel free to say 'I told you so' anytime.  

[BananaBaron]

You definately know you need to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and see the world if you are counting whacks.

However, the report is extremely informative and will be filed..er ah..someplace.

[ueriah]

calm blue--

thanks!  that is super helpful and...  blue?  senors, why is he drooling?  what is that blank stare in his eyes?

[flagator_]

Very useful info... and a fun read to boot.

What's your next project? Mining seems natural. What's the relation between skill level, mineral deposit "color," pick swings and amount mined per trip?

Construction... how much "weariness factor" is a hammer swing worth? How much WF is in walking ten squares to the job site? How many WFs does a worker have before going home for the day? Is the number of hammer blows needed to construct a building related to its size in squares, volume (squares x stories), price, skill of the workers, some factor of all these?

The fishing industry needs clarification too, I think.

Once you become an expert on this kind of thing maybe you can even figure out the enduring mystery of the Souvenir Shop. (As in: HOW in GOD'S NAME are you supposed to EVER make a PROFIT on those things!?!  )

[Lost_Soul]

*blinks*

*blinks again*

Please leave your house. Now. Turn off your computer and get out of the house. Now. Do it now. Right away.

[Coffeebean]

Good research calm_blue_sea. I did notice though that my tabacco farms did much better when I had logging camps in the area.

[Mjara]

Awesome Job on the research.

I can see Poptop scratching their collective heads on this one.  I'm sure they don't have this kind of info on the whack index

[Lachrymologist]

Wow, nice research Calm.  Perhaps we can include it in the Cafe Tropico Game Guide?

Lach

[Maus]

Ahhh, it's good to know that I'm not the only Whack-job who likes to scrape at the game engine 'till it bleeds  

The "cleared land = faster build" fallacy manifests immediately when playing the "Foresta" prebuilt: high hopes of uber-construction speeds are dashed as you watch the workers beating on all the stumps before pounding a single nail.  Next time, I'll attach Calm's Whack-O-Meter (calibration requires calling the Smithsonian to obtain values for the International Standard Whack).

[calm_blue_sea]

Calm_Blue_Sea reads Falgator's post

Calm_Blue_Sea holds his head in his hands and weeps.


Yes, these concerns weigh heavy on my mind. There is much to be done. It is indeed an exciting time to be a Tropican researcher.

[Eddy]

I am MOST impressed with your intellectual learnings.  I will send a grant to you immediately.  Don't worry senor, it is in cash so you may "allocate" as you wish.  Heh heh heh.

[Pattycake4554]

I am so impressed, Calm Blue Sea!! What a superb research effort (and an imaginative humorous prose to boot!) Thank you for all that work. I am going to print it out and keep it close as I play. And Flagator reminds me of a boss I once had, who greeted every completed mission with "Yeah, yeah, ok, that's done..what's next?"  He became a favorite.

Patti

[flagator_]

Well, I don't just delegate, I pitch in myself too. I'm currently researching high schools for the Cafe Tropico Game Guide. (So far I've discovered only there's no apparent correlation between intelligence, courage, leadership or Intellectual-faction support and the propensity to go to school.)

And yesterday I started counting how many hammer-blows it takes a construction gang to construct a building; so far, a 2x2-square marketplace takes 90, and a 2x2-square blue house takes 150 (both approx., I could have missed a few, even counting at Very Slow Speed). So hammer-blows are apparently unrelated to size. More research is due, though, to figure out what it is related to... I wonder if it might be base price?

[Chris]

We all have way too much time on our hands.

Keep up the good work!

[flagator_]

We all have way too much time on our hands.

I actually have very little time on my hands.

How'd you like to take over the hammer-blows-counting project?

[BananaBaron]

In addition to the "hammer blows" project (or, to quote an old song...It's Hammer Time!) I also would like to request research on the following:

1.  Fisherman time in a boat.  Units expected in green water, light green water, yellow water (don't got there) and red water.

2.  Length of church services.  When a Tropican goes to "St. Tarantula of Tropico" church, just how long do they sit in the pew before returning to work?

3.  Farmer "whack factor".  When farmers clear land to plant more crops, are their whacks equal to that of a lumberjack or a construction worker?

4.  Length of service "pub" and "restaurant".  How long does it take a barmaid and/or cook to serve 'em up and get the Tropican back to work.  Also, how does this time improve when they are more "experienced"?

5.  Miner "pick factor".  How many pick whacks does it take a miner to make one unit of ore?

6.  Tropican Race.  On flat land...going 10 grid squares. Who walks faster?  Does the teamster pace slow when pushing units?  

I am certain there are others.  But research must continue!

[Eddy]

Well, I can give you my observation on teamsters and dockworkers.

Teamsters will take the load of valuable gold to the dock as quickly as is possible considering that they want to look at the ruins which are 45 miles away, then take a jaunt down the beach, then have a looksy at the new airport at the other side of the island, and when they finally realize that it is 4.59 pm, they race to the dock and dump the goods in a sloppy pile while getting their wallet ready for the show at the cabaret.

Dockworkers on the other hand will wait until you desperately need them to take that gold to the ship which has been waiting and they will time it so they are barely inches from the ship when it weighs anchor.  They will return the gold to the pile and chuckle quietly as you pull your hair out.  The bureaucrat meanwhile is tugging at your sleeve and showing the timetable for the shipping lanes and noting that the next ship is two years away, and would you please pick up line 1, it's the World Bank and they would really like to discuss an urgent matter involving a bounced check...

ARGH!!!!

[Pattycake4554]

Oops! No offense intended, Flagator. I was truly fond of that particular Supervisor because he got things done! And he was always there later than any of his staff.

But I must admit I am wondering about the point of all the whack counts? What if PopTop just threw in what sounded good? How will knowing all these things help with strategy?

Patti

[BananaBaron]

Speaking on behalf of well intended posters...the only revelence out of this whole thread was to lay to rest the fact that you could put loggers on land, they would clear the trees, making it easier to build.  What Director of Tropico Whack Research calm_blue_sea did was point out that this was not true.  Construction workers actually do a quicker job in land clearing for construction.

Of course, if you are not in a hurry to build in an area you can get loggers in to cut down trees, hence making money on land clearing.

After that was explained...this thread went straight downhill in terms of strategy.  

[Crandaddy]

Now THAT's a detailed guide.

Next topic:  How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop?

[Maus]

I have observed rare abnormal behavior by Farmers as they clear trees for planting.  I've seen it on Pineapple farms; I assume it can occur on any farm type.  The abnormality is that, during the tree-clearing and first planting of a square, farmers may destroy and then re-plant the seedlings.

In the  "normal" clearing/planting sequence, a farmer uses an axe to cut down the trees in a square (as Calm notes, about 5-7 whacks, and every tree in the square vanishes).  The farmer then works the square with a hoe to create the seedlings (for pineapples, between 18 and 32 strokes are required, typically 24).

The "abnormal" sequence appears to trigger when two farmers target the same square for clearing.  Usually, farmer A is much closer to the square than farmer B.  Farmer A performs the normal clearing/planting sequence.  Farmer B then arrives, and refuses to believe that the square is already cleared (I 'spose you could say he's still aggroed and his hate list includes any plant in the square, including seedlings).  So, farmer B proceeds to clear the square of seedlings.  Not with 5-7 whacks with an axe, mind you, but with 24 strokes of the hoe.  Having rid the land of the vile seedlings, Farmer B then expends another 24 strokes to replace them.

Thus, the abnormal sequence requires three times the effort of the normal sequence. Strangely enough, farmer A does NOT pound the bejeezus out of farmer B if A is planting while B is clearing.

This peculiar event is pretty rare, and occurs only once in a square.  I don't know if it's possible for three or four farmers to get caught in the loop, or if two farmers could become locked in an infinite loop if their opposing efforts were perfectly synchronous.  Weird.

[Kilgaard]

Another oddity that I've observed is that a farmer select a tree to whack, and promptly walks three or four squares away in a random direction. (s)He then swings the axe at an apparently empty square. Miraculously (sp?) after the required 5-7 whacks the tree (some three or four square away) is cleared. The farmer then walks back to the target square and proceeds to hoe away.

I've also observed this with construction workers where they will wander away from the construction site and let fly with either whacks or scoops in an aparently unrelated square ... only to have the desired effect back at the actual construction site.

Maybe they just have really long handles on those there axes  :-/

[Maus]

This is a bump, posted for no other reason than to nudge this thread to the top of the heap  .  The issue of logging and clearing is being discussed in related threads; calm_blue_seas work here is an excellent reference point.