Currently there's no way to optimize any logistics with them, since you cannot keep them filled robustly unless you buy a lot of excessive stock (which (a) don't have much valuable pratical reasons, and (b) will be overriden back with auto-buying later).

Coal storage is still kinda useful to keep near generator though, since, without it, the amount of coal trash keeps driving all janitors mad.

Originally posted by Imhotep:

I built a paper storage cabinet up in the building, but never saw any paper in it.

I even read here that the paper cabinet somehow gets priority by haulers so those are always full and the printer empty. Cant prove it but thats why I never build it.

Originally posted by Imhotep:

I built a coal storage unit near the generator, but only once saw any coal in it.

Same. BUT: Coal storage counters coal dirt. So there is at least some benefit. At least its written in the game.

How would people suggest fixing storage?

Some suggestions:

1) The general storage rack should allow one to select what items it stores.

2) A priority setting for storage containers, with at least two levels, governing where haulers should take stuff to. So they'd take stuff to the high priority storage container, until it was full, and then fill the next highest priority container, and so on.

3) A keep filled check/tick box. With this ticked, haulers would take stuff from other storage containers to keep the specified storage container filled.

Imho paper delivery should feed directly into the printer. Maybe after an unlockable IP upgrade.

Then, all other stuff stays as it is because then it works.

Paper is just too much workload.

4) Another setting for storage containers that would be useful would be any vs balanced. On "any" setting, the storage container would take any of its allowed items. On balanced, it would split the storage capacity between its allowed items.

So, for example, a storage rack would be useful in the kitchen/canteen area. One could set it to store only food and coal, for the canteen's use. On "any" setting, one could end up with 100% coal being stored there, but on balanced setting, 50% of storage capacity would be reserved for coal, and 50% for food.

I see all of your points. Those are common mechanics of city builder games or similar. It would change the game to the better yes but because the game has only 3 resources and no real production lines, just storage and consumer, devs probably did not put too much effort into it.

That sounds way too complex for something which is essentially a middle step between picking up a carton and delivering it to where it's needed.

I would solve the problem by ditching the storage facilities all together. What problem do they solve? It's not like people are stealing your stuff off of the street. Though arguably being New York they probably should be. You know if the NPC newspapers s were smart they would be stealing your supplies instead of slightly debuffing your articles

I think it's probably true that storage is currently pointless.

I'd prefer to make it meaningful and functional, rather than remove it from the game, though.

I was going to suggest having supplies on the street getting stolen. One of the devs also suggested it. There'd need to be work done on logistics first, though.

So, first stage would be getting items off the street into a storage area with storage racks, and then having items distributed to other storage containers around the building: paper to printer, and also workers that use paper; coal to generator and canteen; food to canteen.

Too complex. To city builder or production line like. I stay at my point:

It's a game with three "ressources" which are only meant to be brought to the end-consumer.

No need for super micro management options. Just make it work:

Paper delivery directly into the printer. Maybe some storage options that the haulers at floor 10 don't need to got down to the ground floor alle the time. But that's it.

But just my opinion.

Or even better: drag an drop for multiple items :-D

And don't get me wrong: I love complex games like Anno 1800 or factorio, satisfactory and so on, but news tower is news tower. The core mechanic is not managing your storages and haulers.

Originally posted by lembos-hauser:

Too complex.

Compared with other popular games, that have long production chains, with many stages this could hardly be simpler.

My generator is on the ground floor, since I think that's the most realistic place for it. There's a coal storage container there, but it never gets used. Instead, coal gets taken to the storage racks on the first floor, where it then gets supplied back to the generator on the ground floor.

So the game's storage containers are actually worse than useless. They are actually detrimental. It would be better to just leave the coal on the street and have haulers take it directly to the generator as needed.

Originally posted by Imhotep:

Originally posted by lembos-hauser:

Too complex.

Compared with other popular games, that have long production chains, with many stages this could hardly be simpler.

As I said. It's too complex for the fact that this game has three "resources" and not production lines whatsoever, just end consumer (printer, meals, generators) it would be overkill to have stages with individual settings and paths and priorities and so on - news tower is a different genre.

Games storage has to be fixed, yes, but there is no need in the first place. It's wasted space because it does not work. But it's not those micromanaging options which are missing. It's the general concept.

Maybe a internal priority list would help, but even then some players would like to have it different.

I can't stress enough: paper should go directly into the input printer. It's the better storage anyway bacause it's in limited.

Then, all the other stuff would be trivial because you won't hustle with haulers for printers anymore. Just with those for kitchen and meal delivery. It's bad aswell.

Originally posted by lembos-hauser:

As I said. It's too complex...

That doesn't make sense to me. There are far more complex production chains already in the game. e.g.

Paper
>
Photographer
>
Dark Room
>
(Graphics editor - not sure which stage they come in)
>
Repro camera
>
Engraver
>
Assembler

A storage logistics chain would be:

Street
>
Storage area
>
Local storage containers

One could probably do away with storage container settings, such as priority setting, balance setting, and have a couple of simple rules.

1) Haulers take stuff from street to closest appropriate storage container. If it's full, they take it to the next closest storage container.

2) Haulers replenish local storage containers - coal storage unit, paper cabinet - to keep them stocked. There would need to be a storage container created for canteen, with dual storage for coal and food.

Originally posted by Imhotep:

Originally posted by lembos-hauser:

As I said. It's too complex...

That doesn't make sense to me. There are far more complex production chains already in the game. e.g.

Paper
>
Photographer
>
............

Ah come on why so nitpicking?

If course the photo production chain is a longer one, but it does not need resources or storages, it's always one single item handed further to the next station. Don't you see a difference here?

The same for the "logistics chain":
It's one item going into one or maybe two different destinations.

If this does not make sense to you and if you don't see an essential difference to other games with real productions chains with multiple inputs with different quantities and or different production speeds for sub-products, then I don't know what to say anymore.

Originally posted by Imhotep:

One could probably do away with storage container settings, such as priority setting, balance setting, and have a couple of simple rules.

1) Haulers take stuff from street to closest appropriate storage container. If it's full, they take it to the next closest storage container.

2) Haulers replenish local storage containers - coal storage unit, paper cabinet - to keep them stocked. There would need to be a storage container created for canteen, with dual storage for coal and food.

Yeah that's one way. And then? Fill up printer before the closest storage container? After? What's when the Telegraph is empty but the storage container is closer? What's the destination? But if you first fill workstations and then storages, when to stop? Printer is endless. And then - what about your suggested inter-storage logistics? What I want to say here: I am sure there is some backstage logic already implemented, but a different one as you want for your personal playstyle. But to implement such complex variable to set those logic by your own, is not worth the hustle for this game, because, I get redundant, it's not a factory city builder game. Logistics is not the core. It should just work.

So, I understand the devs not putting too much detail into it (and your wishes seemed, at least for me, as too much detail) but I don't understand the devs why they don't "just" make it work. There are still a lot of players struggling with the haulers (even you, you even asked how much haulers people build) but I don't think the solution is even more adjustments and details and complex code, not, it's simplifying. Why? Because it's not a factory bulding game.

But that's just my point of you. I accept that there are others.