Generic Versus Specific Resources
#1


So as I think more and more about city builders, I come to a common problem. Is it better to have specific resources (salmon, granite, mangoes) or generic resources (fish, stone, fruit.)




Generic resources have the advantage in that they keep things simple, and make it easier for wide-encompassing production chains.




Specific resources have the advantage in giving more life to a game and allow for more variety in harvesting.




Now some of the best games use a variety of these. For example, Banished has specific foods, but generic fish, herbs, stone, and wood.




But what do you guys thinks, what's the best way to implement resources in city builder games?


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#2

I don't mind the generic resources but I would like to see specific results when processing them. You can tin spinach and tomatoes but they come out of the tinnery as generic tinned vegetables. You can make wine from grapes and strawberries but you don't get "strawberry wine" just wine. I was just the teensiest bit disappointed when I realised that.

It's probably best however that some things come out as just "tinned vegetables" because tinned lettuce orĀ cucumber sounds particularly disgusting.

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#3

tinned cuccumbers is pickles the game is wrong.lol. the problem is the menu has gotten too huge. it sounds good to have different varieties like fish=bass,trout,catfish,salmon,etc. the problem is the "etc". i have 1 idea since i live here but someone else has another idea cause they liveĀ  there.so we have many names for the same item and several species also.it does become an encyclopedia list of items. the other side is themod coding. as you have seen with the wine,to make various wines you have to change what the input is for each different item. if i make jelly from berries,i have to list each type of berry separately and then you have to choose which berry the building will use.when it runs low on strawberry it won't just use blueberry. it will stop work until you tell it to change. it becomes tedious and does add more work for the modders too.

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