Automatically assign taxi calls to drivers

[Fernando]

Short description: Automatically assign taxi calls to on-duty drivers

GOAL: Making the taxi driver job FAIR

Detailed description:

 

Currently the taxi driver job is race to see who types the fastest to accept taxi calls. Of course if you use key binds you can easily ruin it for everyone.

During the past few weeks the server has had an increase of taxi drivers as the job rises in popularity.

 

Here's what I suggest to make it not only actually fair for everyone, but also realistic.

The process of accepting a taxi call is to be changed. It should work as described:

 

- Caller makes a taxi request.

 

- The nearest taxi driver automatically receives the request.

 

- This taxi driver has 15 seconds to type /taxiaccept to take the request that was automatically assigned to him.

 

- If he does, the caller gets notified and everything works like it already does.

 

- If the taxi driver does not /taxiaccept because he's either AFK or doesn't feel like it after 15 seconds, another driver is assigned the call automatically, and the process repeats itself.

 

- When the taxi driver is assigned the call and prompted to accept it he should be told how many miles the customer is away from him.

 

- The taxi driver should have the option to do /taxireject or /taxidecline to decide not to take the call and pass it on to another driver.

 

- Remember the driver choosing algorithm always takes in consideration the distance from the caller.

 

- If the 15 seconds run out and there are no more drivers willing to take the call / or no more to pass the call to:

 . The client is notified that unfortunately the call did not get accepted. Asked to try again later.

 

- Drivers that do not react to the call assigned to them after 15 seconds should be forced off duty and notified. They'd have to /taxistart again to get back to receiving calls.

 . Why is this fair? Only way to fight against people AFKing on the job. And if you were indeed not AFK it's no big deal, just go back on duty.

 

- Additionally, when you are assigned a request and prompted to accept or decline it you should also be able to /taxipass [targ] to pass the request on to another taxi driver friend of yours! Should only let you do it to someone who's on-duty and not busy (not on a request already). Very useful if your character works with other people such as in a faction, and wants to offer them the possiblity to take the request. Literally harmless and doesn't affect the fairness of the job, just a fun command!

 

Commands to add:

 

/taxiaccept - Accept the assigned request

/taxireject or /taxidecline - Decline the assigned request and pass it on to another driver

/taxipass [targ] - Pass the request that was assigned to you to another on-duty taxi driver that is not already on an on-going call. It should give an error message if the target player does not meet this condition

 

How would your suggestion improve the server?

It makes for a finally fair and balanced taxi driver job that I'm sure dozens of players will enjoy on a daily basis.

 

It very much simulates a realistic taxi dispatch!!

 

ps I can help script it.

 

Items to add:  None

Edited April 18, 2020 by Fernando

[Fernando]

Here are other different suggestions to make the job more balanced.

 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by Fernando

[croozerdog]

Yeah, had several times when I literally saw people calling cabs across the street, only to see it be accepted by a guy on the other side of the city who's quicker at typing. Not realistic, not fun.

[tomatoz]

10 minutes ago, Fernando said:

Short description: Automatically assign taxi calls to on-duty drivers

GOAL: Making the taxi driver job FAIR

Detailed description:

 

Currently the taxi driver job is race to see who types the fastest to accept taxi calls. Of course if you use key binds you can easily ruin it for everyone.

During the past few weeks the server has had an increase of taxi drivers as the job rises in popularity.

 

Here's what I suggest to make it not only actually fair for everyone, but also realistic.

The process of accepting a taxi call is to be changed. It should work as described:

 

- Caller makes a taxi request.

 

- The nearest taxi driver automatically receives the request.

 

- This taxi driver has 15 seconds to type /taxiaccept to take the request that was automatically assigned to him.

 

- If he does, the caller gets notified and everything works like it already does.

 

- If the taxi driver does not /taxiaccept because he's either AFK or doesn't feel like it after 15 seconds, another driver is assigned the call automatically, and the process repeats itself.

 

- When the taxi driver is assigned the call and prompted to accept it he should be told how many miles the customer is away from him.

 

- The taxi driver should have the option to do /taxireject or /taxidecline to decide not to take the call and pass it on to another driver.

 

- Remember the driver choosing algorithm always takes in consideration the distance from the caller.

 

- If the 15 seconds run out and there are no more drivers willing to take the call / or no more to pass the call to:

 . The client is notified that unfortunately the call did not get accepted. Asked to try again later.

 

- Drivers that do not react to the call assigned to them after 15 seconds should be forced off duty and notified. They'd have to /taxistart again to get back to receiving calls.

 . Why is this fair? Only way to fight against people AFKing on the job. And if you were indeed not AFK it's no big deal, just go back on duty.

 

 

Commands to add:

 

/taxiaccept - Accept the assigned request

/taxireject or /taxidecline - Decline the assigned request and pass it on to another driver

 

How would your suggestion improve the server?

It makes for a finally fair and balanced taxi driver job that I'm sure dozens of players will enjoy on a daily basis.

ps I can help script it.

 

Items to add:  None

This is for sure needed. All IC taxi drivers will understand why this should be put into the game. This is a wonderful idea.

[Fernando]

Edited the thread by adding /taxipass [target player] command.

Those who work like me in a taxi business know this would be an useful feature to let your mate have a go at the call ?

[ItsChris]

It's important sure, but taxis need a whole rework in general to be honest. This is a good start, but people driving taxis and charging $50 or something crazy high kind of ruin the whole taxi job for everyone since nobody wants to pay $1500 to ride a minute up the road at 10-20mph under the "speed limit"... Not to mention that you have awkward RP with taxi drivers who don't know the map, I'd like to see an App implemented where we are also able to preplan taxi routes and stuff like that, to try and keep RP more steadily flowing, it's not ideal when someone says "I've been in this city for x years" just to turn around and not know where common places are on the map. 

[Fernando]

14 minutes ago, ItsChris said:

It's important sure, but taxis need a whole rework in general to be honest. This is a good start, but people driving taxis and charging $50 or something crazy high kind of ruin the whole taxi job for everyone since nobody wants to pay $1500 to ride a minute up the road at 10-20mph under the "speed limit"... Not to mention that you have awkward RP with taxi drivers who don't know the map, I'd like to see an App implemented where we are also able to preplan taxi routes and stuff like that, to try and keep RP more steadily flowing, it's not ideal when someone says "I've been in this city for x years" just to turn around and not know where common places are on the map. 

 

Tbh I think someone suggested before that taxi drivers should be able to see waypoint that passenger sets on their map. That's a solution for drivers not really knowing the map.

 

As for the fares... Yes it's open for discussion ?

[ibbi]

+1

Couldn't be any better.

Also, maybe decrease the hourly payment from $4000 to something like $2000..

I've seen many players just AFK in their taxi for three hours everyday, and getting paid $12,000 for that. This way they earn $84,000 a week by doing nothing.

Also, you do get the distance from the caller on bottom left, in your mini map, after accepting the call.

[Chaishi]

I'd suggest instead of making it the closest one, it could go with a queue type of thing with current taxi drivers on job. Once one request falls on one, the next one gets next request. That is fairer if you ask me, rather than closest.

[St3fan[NL]]

No, many people AFK in game, if a taxi driver afks and they get a job assigned the player can wait for minutes. The taxi job needs rewriting and a better system than the quick accept stuff.