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I have seen people with just one field and silos round it. I have also seen people with several fields per silo. I know a single improved silo can keep 3 fields topped up if each has a single farm.
Question is what is the optimal use and layout for using improved silos?
Thanks
It all depends upon your layout - walking distance to fields etc. Basically they have a production of X3 compared to normal silos but once you take into account walking time its more like X2.6 or so.
I like having lots of farms but few fields as that leaves space to build other things, that means my walking time is longer than others.
You may prefer lots of fields as space isn't an issue and thereby reduce walking time and maximise production.
What is 'optimum' for one person isn't for another as its all subjective based upon placing style and resources available.
My preferred layout is attached
It isn't the best possible: for that you need to study the relative walking time etc. etc. - but this is simple :)
A single Improved Silo can't keep up with three equal level farms. The Improved Silo is three times faster than a farm but that doesn't count transport time. So a farm cycles in 12 mins plus a minimum of 24 seconds. The Silo cycles in 4 minutes plus a minimum of 24 seconds. So in the time that a farm cycles once, an Improved Silo will cycle twice, not three times.
As for the main question, the objective is really to reduce the space that you use on the island. You'll find that physical room not building licences becomes the main limit on expansion for high level islands. Having one field feeding multiple farms and served by multiple silos is far more space efficient. Normally you have many fields because it gives you a buffer when one field expires and you aren't around to replace it immediately, however if your silos are balancing the farms collection rate then you only need extra fields to reduce the walking time from farms.
Here is part of my farm complex. I never have to replace fields.
No point in having more than one field, thats just wasting space, a farm is pretty slow so even a fair distance from a field will make little difference, thats not to say you only need one field in total, just plenty of space between them
Improved silo's are one of the most expensive buildings in the game so it makes sense to utilise them as best as possible.
Their production time is 4 minutes, compared to the farm which is 12 minutes. For that reason they should go closest to the storehouse (it is nearly alwas best to have fastest buildings closest to the storehouse).
If you look at my setup you can see each Imp Silo has a storehouse next to it and a field infront of it...the best possible layout.
Then the farms are arranged around them...the max walking time for my farms is 44 seconds, but most are 32/36 seconds.
http://www.safeunderdark.com/img/TSO/TSO-113.jpg
It is commomny said that one Imp Silo will fill a field for 3 farms, this is almost the case but you have to factor in walking time.
Remember if you buff your silo then it can look after 6, 9 or even 12 farms.
At the moment my farms are level 4 and the Silos are level 5, I find this level ratio works out well...when I can get my silos to level 6 (after Xmas) I shall level up the farms to level 5.
Seems like a bit of a waste of space, I'm using the same area for farms, lvl5 silo and lvl6 farms
http://www.steven1077.webspace.virginmedia.com/Set1.jpg