New Feature: Rapid (or Slowed) Deployment about expressbusservices

[Vectorial1024]

OK so this can be too long.

TLDR:

Currently, the game unbunches buses by using the "(abstract) values" obtained at 100% budget levels, which may be unoptimal due to the fluctuation of budgets. This may cause problems. When the budget is too high, excess buses get stuck near the termini and cannot depart as quickly, reducing the transport capacity of the bus line. When the budget is too low, some sections in the line will see no buses, causing fake high-demand observations and causing wrong judgements.

The solution, therefore, is to make the game unbunch using the aforementioned value adjusted for the current budget percent. This will either bunch the buses closer in high-budget situations or spread the buses further in low-budget situations, increasing the flexibility of buses overall.

[Vectorial1024]

If we are changing unbunching, might as well also see whether the existing unbunching has problems.

For example, I can see a problem with the vanilla unbunching that holds vehicles too long even if the vehicle is running late; this function may contain hints on what to do with this problem:

BusAI.GetProgressStatus(ushort vehicleID, ref Vehicle data, out float current, out float max)

[Vectorial1024]

#29 sounds similar, in that it deals with the high-budget case.

[Vectorial1024]

Well, I mean, if #29 works, then if I modify it a bit, then the low-budget case should also be doable.

[Vectorial1024]

Well, how fun it is, that with the basic comlpetion of #30, this task is completed simply by implicitly using the budget for calculation. No actual budget percentages are read or used.

This means we now have the following effects; at termini:

• When buses are too far apart (usually in high-budget cases), then this mod forces buses to depart now to fill the gap
• When buses are too close (usua in low-budget cases), then this mod uses a soft limit and forces buses to depart later to maintain the gap

The system is now flexible and somewhat self-balancing. When eg you are using Real Time, and the budget is increased to cater for rush hour, the system can now dispatch buses more frequently from termini; and vice versa for low budget situations.

[Vectorial1024]

This is now on Steam. Closing.