Feature request title:
Fix and Randomize passenger / staff pathways
Description:
As they stand now, passengers and staff plot the most direct line to their destination and follow it without regard for the distance that course actually takes.
The attached image shows a line of passengers preferring to take a detour into the ‘barricaded’ area instead of walking straight (A few do walk straight, but it appears they are pushed into the staff zone by other pedestrians and then continue straight).
The line that that want to follow is clearly from the self checking directly to the escalator. They then calculate obstacles (such as the staff zones to avoid them but always try to return to that directly line.
So destination and obstacle calculations work, they just need to work together to be smarter.
Whilst you are working on that, you could also add in some randomness. Not everybody walks as the same pace (an issue I find CONSTANTLY with people walking very slowly and my military determination to reach my goal of having a smoke outside ASAP).
And almost nobody walks in a dead perfect straight line.
Once a route is calculated, each point can be adjusted by a set distance and a random direction with a maximum range between points. This may have some people walking in a zig-zag, but the overall picture will be a pattern of flocking sheep moving to a point with an amount of in-precision.
This could be further expanded on by “zoning” or pathing preferred walkways.
If a particular point on the route approaches one of these zones, it’s moved onto the route (with it’s randomness calculated afterwards). Closer points that now exceed the maximum range will be adjusted closer and possibly “snap like a long strip magnet” to the pathway until it reaches a natural curve of efficiency.
Preferred pathways could also be given a slight speed boost, making it more then just cosmetic and could be tucked away into the flooring.
Carpets and soft surfaces, slower “waiting” areas. Hard surfaces, faster and “preferred pathways”.
Why it should be implemented:
Largely it’s cosmetic. The sight of a hoard of people staying as close to a wall regardless of distance of obstacles is just un-realistic and throws me back to the reality of “this is just a game”.
However if the later ideas are also implemented, then it will further expand on the design elements on making your terminal layout the most efficient as possible.
Images, references or additional content:
