You might have a transportation problem if your workers don't reliably make it to work. I'd need to see how you've laid out your metro/roads to make that call though.

1) Absent DLC you should try fashion companies. This answer changes dramatically if you can make reclaimers. The only real loser is cars.

2) Max them out. Anything at the "Bottom" of the production chain should be maxed. You should only think about lowering budget on a building which is idle because it doesn't have raw materials.

3) Canned goods are also distributed to your population via grocery stores and supermarkets, which makes them happier. Ditto for all processed goods including ♥♥♥♥ which makes no sense like boats and cars.

And yes, offices are good. Make sure you investigate the other work modes for them, each one in the same work mode reduces the efficacy of the rest.

4) Strictly speaking, you don't want your raw materials to be low in your factories, the solution for raw materials going to the dock instead of to factories is to build more factories.

As an aside, weapons and boats are good because they destroy law value goods like steel and aluminium and create high value goods in their place. The issue is that steel sucks up a gigantic amount of manpower. I recommend fashion companies because they have a short production chain, fish farm > Crocodiles > Fashion company.

Click the Trade tab and look at Goods & Prices. Nothing loses its viability. Boats are still one of the highest priced products. The way I look at it is, I've always got a bunch of uneducated folks running around, might as well have them working somewhere - so if I have room I'm logging and making Boats and Furniture. Do I want to have 3 Car plants? Absolutely, but remember that that is a LONG production chain compared to Rum or Cigars.

If you're having trouble with folks not showing up to work - fix your transportation or your districts. Concentrating all your industry in one spot and your residential in another and ensuring you have a Metro or Bus running between them can make people super happy and ensure they show up on time.

Originally posted by Oddible:

Click the Trade tab and look at Goods & Prices. Nothing loses its viability. Boats are still one of the highest priced products. The way I look at it is, I've always got a bunch of uneducated folks running around, might as well have them working somewhere - so if I have room I'm logging and making Boats and Furniture. Do I want to have 3 Car plants? Absolutely, but remember that that is a LONG production chain compared to Rum or Cigars.

If you're having trouble with folks not showing up to work - fix your transportation or your districts. Concentrating all your industry in one spot and your residential in another and ensuring you have a Metro or Bus running between them can make people super happy and ensure they show up on time.

I have every residence connected to the metro network. I have lots of stadiums and every type of entertainment. Mind you I'm not a bad player but sometimes I see massive clogging, such as factories full of raw and almost no export for years. There should be an "encouraging" to let factory workers to live close there: I have an apartment, tenement and even capsule clusterduck for emergencies yet they take too long breaks! is job quality something to do with it?

Yep, job quality, budget, several edicts can impact available time, several work modes on religious or entertainment buildings (for instance you can add Pompous Bells to the Church to decrease visiting time).

Originally posted by Oddible:

Yep, job quality, budget, several edicts can impact available time, several work modes on religious or entertainment buildings (for instance you can add Pompous Bells to the Church to decrease visiting time).

I can guess that, but for example, do you know the exact work time modifiers in a factory? I need the crunch.

Originally posted by GIGACHAD:

I can guess that, but for example, do you know the exact work time modifiers in a factory? I need the crunch.

There aren't any for factories, you need to free up their time doing other things to get them back in the factory - so reducing their religion, entertainment, food time and the time it takes to travel to those things.

Originally posted by Oddible:

Originally posted by GIGACHAD:

I can guess that, but for example, do you know the exact work time modifiers in a factory? I need the crunch.

There aren't any for factories, you need to free up their time doing other things to get them back in the factory - so reducing their religion, entertainment, food time and the time it takes to travel to those things.

Hmph, do you know the workers' algorithm? I set an enterrainment building on max budget but he chooses a SIMILAR but LESS servicey building that takes an hour to drive to! Even when the other is empty! (Sorry for vagueness because I cant remember which building)

The building type and the settings and the wealth level matter.

Depending on what wonders you get/what DLC you have, you can forego all the service buildings except shopping malls.

hmm so an industrial district with a fully stocked mall next to it?

Or put your mall next to your residential, I'm not sure if people go home first after work.

hmmmmm.... I often laid residences always tetris like wherever they fit... damn. Pre-planning is hard when you start with small budgets

I make one gigantic residential area around bigdrassil. Four malls.

Originally posted by Mason:

I make one gigantic residential area around bigdrassil. Four malls.

the thing is many maps and missions to not allow that sadly. Always German strategy game style tetris ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ maps.

Drones help quite nicely, luckily caribbean skies was at a discount. Plus the Martian colony of "Sunrise" boosts teamsters quite well.