Build Queues - Player Designed Automation Suggestion

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Watsong
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2018 6:52 pm

Build Queues - Player Designed Automation Suggestion

Postby Watsong » Mon Oct 08, 2018 7:17 pm

The game has automated planet production. But it can't handle every situation. Particularly when a new tech' is researched - there is no re-evaluation of what is best to build at that time. It also doesn't alter according to a player's current strategy. A planet on automated production doesn't re-evaluate when a new tech' is researched. (e.g. Better farms might mean you need less of them). If it is producing research, mining, or trade, it will never be changed. Furthermore, the automated production may not coincide with how you would do it.

Proposed solution:
- Customisable automated build queues, as in the game "Pax Imperia 2". But with conditional logic settings. The game will auto select the first match to the conditions that you set. Planets would auto-default to automated build, when colonised. But can be changed to manual immediately, if you wish, or even forced to one of your customised auto' build queues. To do this, you would click on the automate production button, and then select a customised build queue, or just "Full Auto", to use the existing auto' build implementation that is already in the game now.

Example player designed build queue :
Name = Small Mining Planet
Planet type = Barren
Population max < 4
Mineral = rich

Factory -> Mine -> Mine -> Mine -> Sell Factory -> Mine -> City Planning -> Mining

Example 2:
Name = My Arid Research Planet
Planet type = Arid
Population max > 6
Population max < 12
Mineral = poor
Farm Building Tech' = < 2
Specials = Artifacts

Buy Factory if cash > 1800 -> Farm -> Farm -> Market -> Lab -> Lab -> Lab -> Market -> City Planning -> Research

Example 3:
Name = Strip mine it Defended
(No conditions set, for manual activation only)

Mine -> Mine -> Planet Defenses -> Mine -> Mine -> Mine -> Mine -> Mine -> City Planning -> Planet Defenses -> Starbase -> Mining

If the build queue is longer than the number of slots - skip to the next entry in the list.
If you don't have the necessary tech' - skip to the next entry in the list.
If the number of buildings of a type in the auto' build queue already exist - skip to the next entry in the list.
When buildings are destroyed or new building tech' is researched, the auto' build queue re-evaluates the queue from left to right.
Note how the player can add conditional buying and selling of buildings to the queues. This is essential to enable the automation to match the player's desired behavior.

Benefits:
- Play the possible future multiplayer Stars In Shadow much more quickly. Quick is how it needs to be, in order to keep game times down and players not bored. I would aim for a 3 hour max game length cap. Preferably 2 hours. Automation, streamlining (with minimal loss of features), and efficiency are key.

- Ease of play, not having to constantly check the state of your planets. Colonise planets with confidence that you don't need to open the planet screen. As your confidence grows, (along with your customised auto' build queue list), you will eventually barely need the planet UI for buildings at all.

- A lot less clicking and no checking back to refill the 5 item build queue.

- Play bigger maps with less repetitive planet micro. This means more fun and more time available for players to enjoy more indepth game systems.

Cons:
- The player needs to create their own build queues to take advantage of this game feature. Provided the game has a good set of built in customised auto' build queues, most players should be ok.

- Making queues, which would need to have checkboxes for which races to apply them to, seems a bit "Beardy". That is, it has a technical quality to it that would be off putting to some. Especially to new and casual players, whom should have no necessity to use such a game system at all.

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