Gameplay: What level of micromanagement do we want?

[vogonistic]

Do we want to go with a Dwarf Fortress style of jobs where you go to the smelter and queue up 20 smelting jobs, or do we want the job optimizer to figure it out for us?

[Grenkin1988]

I would like something like Rimworld:

• Do x number of time
• Do until amount
• Do forever

[guntherwullaert]

I would like the job optimizer to do it. I love building an automated production. But if more people like it like in rimworld, I would have nothing against it :)

[koosemose]

At least Rimworld level. Perhaps rather than just leaving it to job optimizer to choose the perfect order to do certain actions in, we could have something like an "Assembly Line Manager" where you can tell it what you want done and in what order to achieve a certain end product (and how much of said end product you want). That way on the basic level we're getting a middle of the road sort of interaction with the things, and on the other end you're actually designing the automated production, rather than just putting down the appropriate machines and letting the job optimizer figure out the perfect way.

[Tranberry]

@gunthergun please describe how that 'automated production' would work :smiley:

[guntherwullaert]

@Tranberry I do not know really, I just wanted to point out that I like having not to much micromanagement !

[Tranberry]

Well theory featuring is the best, I would still love you to write an example.

[Raketfart]

I kinda like gnomorias way of assigning roles to characters, and each role defines which kinda jobs takes priority

[kd7uiy]

What should be done is to set priorities, but otherwise let the system figure it out for you, with some overriding factors determined, or at least so I would state.

[bjubes]

I like rimworld where you can let it all happen automatically, but you have the option to micromanage if you want, especially during times of danger or when there's an urgent issue like a wounded person who's queued to be healed or when you want someone to finish mining even if their hungry

[Tranberry]

@bjubes I think you are thinking of the priority manager? This I believe is more about the workbench input. But I might be wrong.

[bjubes]

Oh I see. Yeah I think rimworld type is best for this too. I'd love a system where you can specify a target number and a minimum. So aim for 50 steel plates, but don't queue the job unless we have under 30. This prevents someone stopping to make one plate and then going back to their original task

[Raketfart]

Oh, i was thinking of character job priority too... I'd prefer having control over how much to produce for stockpiles, but wouldn't mind if a character could figure out what to make when he needs it. I.e : If he needs food, he could make a meal even though no meals were cued up. But he wouldn't make more than he needed.

[TomMalbran]

I like the idea of a RimWolrd style of micromanagement, but it would also be cool to automize the product creating in a Factorio style by using belts and inserters and/or robots. There is a possibility to start in a RimWorld style where you need to set things and characters need to do all the jobs and on a later stage of the game you can optimize the product creating by using robots that do the job or are used to move stuff around and have machines that work automatically as long as they have the required inventory and the enabled condition is satisfied.

[sboigelot]

There is a great mod adding production chain & high level job in rimworld. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=715565262&searchtext=

This is very nice mod and a proof that using a simple "Do x, Do until, Do Forever system" can be extended later on to support more complex job chains

[vogonistic]

Sounds like everyone is in favor of the user setting up jobs at the individual machines for producing items.

I'm going to open a different issue to discuss how job selection should work

[Fatalexceptionz]

I quite like the idea of a dwarf fortress style manager role that has to rubber stamp production orders, and maybe influences the efficiency / aggressiveness of the production scheduler based on skill level.

[Ralathor]

Personally I've always been a fan of complexity. For me a lot of the fun of base building games, especially those following the footsteps of Dwarf Fortress, is the management part of it. DF does also have the system for employing someone as a manager which gives you a sort of "administrative perspective" rather than having to go to individual buildings, but it is still essentially low-level management.

Having something akin to the administrator, either as a basic function or from a "management machine" furniture of some sort would be my suggestion/preference.

[alexanderfast]

Theres huge difference between Dwarf Fortress and RimWorld, In DF the control is always very indirect, "oh no what are my stupid dwarfes doing?". And it can become a tricky game in itself if you want to micromanage, say isolation an individual you think is a vampire or werebeast.

In RimWorld, on the other hand, you can take very direct control if you want, and you usually need to when theres fighting going on.

The former is more of a sandbox simulation. The latter is a more tactical strategy heavy. I almost consider them separate genres. This is probably the biggest decision we ever make for the game.

[abackwood]

When put like that I vote for a more DF high-level management role, though we can improve on DF's style by having better ways to define roles and constraints for characters so you generally know what they're up to.

For example you could have a room or rooms defined as the "working area" of a group of characters. If at all possible they'll look for jobs within that area and only look elsewhere if they can't find anything suitable there.