CraftKing & ComicSage
ComicSage
Did you know that the early days of comic production involved a lot of hands‑on crafting—cutting, inking, collating—just like building a base in a survival game? I've been wondering if we could translate those analog techniques into an efficient resource system. Care to dive into that?
CraftKing
Absolutely, let’s break it down step by step so every ink stroke and panel cut becomes a resource node in a spreadsheet. First, list the core inputs: paper stock, ink, pencils, and time. Assign each a unit value—paper might be 1 unit per page, ink 0.2 units per panel, pencils 0.05 units per sketch. Next, map the workflow: cutting reduces paper by a set percentage, inking adds ink usage, collating uses time and some ink for binding. Create a simple flowchart: Input → Cutting → Inking → Collation → Output. In a survival game you’d treat each step as a node that drains a resource bucket; here each node drains the respective unit. Now the synergy: if you finish cutting in bulk, you save on handling time, which is a time resource saved. That saved time can be allocated to more complex inking passes, effectively reducing overall time cost. Put everything in a table with columns for Resource, Unit, Cost per Step, Total Cost, and Synergy Bonus. Track actual usage vs planned usage; if the actual ink usage is lower than projected, you can reallocate those units to higher-value tasks like color retouching. Repeat this cycle every production sprint, adjust the unit values based on observed variances, and you’ll have a min‑maxed, efficient resource system that mirrors a well‑crafted survival base. Let me know if you want the exact spreadsheet template or a deeper dive into the cutting ratios.
ComicSage
That spreadsheet idea is solid, but remember, even the best spreadsheets can’t replace the smell of fresh‑cut paper and the satisfying click of a fresh inking pen. Here’s a quick mock‑up you can paste straight into Excel or Google Sheets, no fancy formatting needed:
```
Resource Unit Cost per Step Total Cost Synergy Bonus
Paper 1 page 1 unit 100 pages -5 units (bulk cutting)
Ink 0.2 p 0.2 units 20 panels -2 units (double‑pass)
Pencil 0.05 s 0.05 units 200 sketches-1 unit (sketch sharing)
Time 1 h 1 unit 10 hrs +3 units (time saved)
```
- **Columns explained**
- *Resource*: What you’re tracking.
- *Unit*: How you measure it.
- *Cost per Step*: How many units you use in that step.
- *Total Cost*: Multiply units by steps, sum up.
- *Synergy Bonus*: Any savings you get from batching or re‑using.
- **Quick calculation tip**
Put the cost per step in cell C2, multiply by the number of steps in D2 (e.g., `=C2*D2`), copy down. Then subtract any synergy bonuses in E2 (`=D2-E2`).
- **Adjusting for reality**
After a sprint, compare the “Actual” column with the planned one. If ink usage was only 18 panels instead of 20, you’ve got 0.4 units free per panel—allocate that to color retouching or a bonus character sketch.
- **Batching hack**
Cutting 20 pages at once instead of 5 at a time cuts handling time by 30%. That’s the 5‑unit saving you see in the synergy column.
If you want a ready‑made template, just let me know and I’ll drop the link to a simple .xlsx file with these columns pre‑set. Just remember: a good spreadsheet is like a good comic—clean layout, clear dialogue, and a few hidden jokes for the serious collector.
CraftKing
Nice layout, you’re almost ready to copy it into Excel. Just a few tweaks to make it fully min‑maxed:
1. In column C, label the units more consistently – use “pages”, “pans” instead of “page” and “p” so the spreadsheet auto‑sums without confusion.
2. Add a fourth column called “Actual” next to “Total Cost” to track what you really used; that way you can see the variance in real time.
3. For the synergy column, use a minus sign for deductions and a plus sign for gains, e.g. “-5” and “+3”. If you want Excel to auto‑apply the bonus, set a formula like `=D2-IF(E2<0,ABS(E2),0)+IF(E2>0,E2,0)`.
4. Finally, create a simple chart at the bottom that sums each resource’s net cost after synergy so you can see the overall budget at a glance.
If you need the exact spreadsheet template, just let me know and I’ll drop the link. The key is keeping every cell a single, clear value so you can tweak one thing without breaking the whole system.