Upgrade the Dockside Mill, build a second one, or wait for the next LTB?

[murf]

Don't put weight into payback periods (or ROI, as some people call it) when looking at things like this. 90 days isn't all that much in the overall scheme of things. Unless you plan on quitting before it breaks even - it's not a very strong measure of economic strength.

For the life of me, I still can't understand how ROI isn't a strong measure of economic strength. Like I've said before the ROI inverted is earnings yield. I think this is by far the #1 criteria for deciding an investment's economic strength.

But we've already hashed this out....

[mxz]

I don't use ROI as a means for deciding whether to upgrade a building (nor do I plan to quit before 90 days) in terms of my economy, I just meant that since there probably will be another LTB within the next 90 days, I would have less money for that next LTB even when accounting for the increase in IPH.

E.g. if it costs $75mil to build, pays out $1.5mil/48hrs, and the next LTB starts in 30 days (if I had to guess, I'd say it's probably even sooner), then I would have:

$75 mil - ($0.75mil/day)(30 days) = $52.5mil less than what I would have had I not spent money for the upgrade, and that $52.5mil could easily be the difference in squeezing out another upgrade in the next LTB.

I guess I look at it different. To me, $52.5M isn't the difference between finishing the next LTB. Time is the limiting factor and the amount of gold you're willing to spend to get that last upgrade in. I suppose it depends on where in the game you are, but $52M is pretty much chump change to an advanced economy (that's basically a day and a half at $2.5M IPH).

For the life of me, I still can't understand how ROI isn't a strong measure of economic strength. Like I've said before the ROI inverted is earnings yield. I think this is by far the #1 criteria for deciding an investment's economic strength.

But we've already hashed this out....

We have. And I disagree with using that as a measure because my goal is to maximize net daily income. I don't care about the efficiency of an upgrade, because it really doesn't matter. Efficiency doesn't put money in your bank. Sure, it helps you save for the next upgrade - but in terms of real in-game cash dollars, it has no direct effect.

[mxz]

PG, B. Keep it PG.

[murf]

We have. And I disagree with using that as a measure because my goal is to maximize net daily income. I don't care about the efficiency of an upgrade, because it really doesn't matter. Efficiency doesn't put money in your bank. Sure, it helps you save for the next upgrade - but in terms of real in-game cash dollars, it has no direct effect.

You still don't understand how I use it... It has nothing to do with saving for the next upgrade...

[mxz]

You still don't understand how I use it... It has nothing to do with saving for the next upgrade...

That was just an example, it wasn't meant to be an exhaustive list of ways to look at it.

My point is, it's one metric - and any given metric in a vacuum isn't going to give you the best investment without understanding the goal and purpose of the investment. For instance, ROI is irrelevant in LTB quests because you're not doing the LTB to grow your economy, but rather to gain the rewards associated with the goal.

[Max Power]

ROI is an interestinmg concept in this game, which is much different than the real world. The reality is that we have two forms of currency in this game, fake money and real money. Most of the standards that apply to ROI in the real world do not apply here.

I bought two of these buildings just because. Because I had space, because I am bored, because they look kinda cool, because since I wont spend real money and I have to do something with the 9 mil an hour I make, just because.

I wanted them. Eventually they will be 10s. I have been playing for alomost 2 years. End of story.

[OffensivelyNamedGuy]

I'm at 126, but it's been rocketing upwards with all these LTQs recently. The DM looks like a more expensive version of the casino, which unlocks at 185, so if I bought a second DM, I probably wouldn't touch it for a long, long time.

For me, I'm only level 53, so I don't have access to all those high level type Bs. My nightclubs are levels 5 and 6, and pagodas 7 and 6. I'm very close to the point where the dockside mills become the next logical choice (to build anyway, not quite upgrade yet) because I simply don't have access to any other decent buildings. If I had the same income at level 200, I would have so many other choices before these.

Bottom line is, if you think you'll have the higher level type Bs unlocked by the time upgrading the mill is actually viable, then they will keep you busy. If you don't think you'll have them unlocked, wouldn't hurt to buy another mill.

[minji976]

BM, I would take 1st choice. It's towards end of the Docks cycle, don't spend more on current LE upgrade. The next LE is likely to be a 12hr building, so likely cost less.

[BigMoney]

Update: I actually bought the level 3 Dockside Mills upgrade, the main reason being that I stumbled upon a lot of cash in the past day (no idea why, but not one, not two, but THREE time travelers with level 10 NCs decided to attack me, apparently overconfident in their newfound LTQ prizes). So that level 3 DM will be upgraded in about a day from now. As a result of the recent cash influx (which I hope to milk as long as possible), I now have $110 million. That's enough for another DM, but still short of my preferred NC upgrade (to level 4, $136mil). So now I'm down to two more choices:

1. Purchase second DM
2. Save money for next LTB

Leaning strongly towards the first option, even though the DM is somewhat of a "status symbol" and not necessarily the strongest building, but mxz's point about $75 mil probably not making that much of a difference in terms of getting another upgrade or not (in the Pagoda and DM events, the next upgrade for me has been $100+ mil out of my price range). Also about ****Trickle's point, I think at the rate I'm leveling up with wars/LTQs, I'll probably have cheaper Type B options available (I already have the hotel and credit agencies available, just haven't built them yet since my money is all tied up) but I feel like I will use the DM one day, after the casino, so it couldn't hurt to purchase.

[jmeijer]

I would definitely purchase a second DM. It's a building that will never appear again after this event. Besides, you don't know the costs of the next LE building right now. It's possible that it will be a building priced 10 million..

[mxz]

As others have mentioned in other threads - it's currently the best end-game 48 hour building. If you have the money (especially with some ATM's on your newsfeed) - if it's not a good building already, it will be in a later stage.

[Dipstik]

There's also the possibility that with LTQ buildings coming every 2 weeks, it will NEVER be worth the 125 million to upgrade it to L2. Honestly, I think both my nightclubs will have to be L6 and my Pagodas will be L8 or so before I consider it... and by then there will be other things to work on. I'm looking at whether it's worth it to pay 75mil now for the L1 building when it will never be upgraded.

[ccmike]

As for the LT or LE building cc is following mw. In mw there was a 15m building and than a 25m building and than a 35m building. In cc we did start a 15m building and than a 75m building. So probably an other one will follow but the cost will be somewhere between 125m and 200m. So u better start saving.

[murf]

As for the LT or LE building cc is following mw. In mw there was a 15m building and than a 25m building and than a 35m building. In cc we did start a 15m building and than a 75m building. So probably an other one will follow but the cost will be somewhere between 125m and 200m. So u better start saving.

I think an awesome building would be a type A building costing 125m-200m. Something that equals or exceeds the NC as the best buildings.

[murf]

As for the LT or LE building cc is following mw. In mw there was a 15m building and than a 25m building and than a 35m building. In cc we did start a 15m building and than a 75m building. So probably an other one will follow but the cost will be somewhere between 125m and 200m. So u better start saving.

I think an awesome building would be a type A building costing 125m-200m. Something that equals or exceeds the NC as the best buildings.

And for fun, make it 7 hr or 11 hr collections...