Worker tile improvement spam...why??

[Boris Godunov]

Not sure if this has had its own thread...

In general, the automate function for the workers is the best ever in Civ4. Really takes a lot of the tedium out of running an empire.

However, by the late game, I notice that the autoworkers have spammed my empire with roads and tile improvements that don't do anything or help anything. Specifically, they seem to cover every tile with a road and farm or whatever improvement is right for the terrain, even for tiles outside the radius of any city.

Since roads don't provide any bonuses other than movement, I am baffled as to why they would put roads everywhere. It's completely unneccessary--just link my cities and the resources of my empire, thank you.

Furthermore, they shouldn't be plopping down farms or windmills on terrain that isn't used by any city. Having farms in no-mans land is pointless, and it seems to me it would be simple enough for the AI to be able to know not to improve tiles that aren't in any city radius (unless they have a resource for exploiting).

[Saldrin]

I've noticed that also.

Something wierd, is sometimes when a forrest is chopped down outside of one of my cities "boundries", I will get hammers towards that city, sometimes I won't. That is a complete mystery to me....

I've been using my workers on maunal as much as possible. The only thing I automate is the "build trade". Which unfortunately results in the network or roads/RRs everywhere. Only plus to that is if I get attacked, I can get to them quickly where as if there wasn't roads there...

I basically stopped automating. Not sure if I was paying for these extra farms and windmills.... so instead of taking the chance and the hit to my treasury, I stopped them jokers from doing it.

[vondrack]

Generally, if the workers have nothing better to do, it's quite reasonable to have them lay roads and railroads everywhere within your borders. You never know when the fast(er) movement comes in handy against invading units.

Likewise, having improvements ready "just in case" is better than my workers idling - though I would tend to agree that this could be dropped or at least unused tile improvements left only after everything is (rail)roaded...

But I myself would use otherwise useless workers to connect every single tile within my borders. Mobility is the key to military success.

[Boris Godunov]

I can't stop automating. It just makes the game so much more playable for me. I always found worker micromanagement the most tedious thing in Civ. So, I'd rather have the tile improvement spam than not automate, but it would just be really NICE if they could modify the AI a little to stop the unneccessary stuff.

[Saldrin]

I 've read a few posts about patch rumors, and one of the things that are supposed to be added is more control over automated workers. One of the biggest things I'm looking forward to is them leaving the forrests alone when automated.

Its been awhile since I have automated everything, but I don't remember a worker ever building a lumbermill or a workshop. Hopefully the patch will address some other issues with the workers.

[marvinkosh]

Someone else suggested ganging up workers (especially now that you can group them with a escort unit) and I've found this to be rather useful, since I can order them to do a job that takes them just one or two turns - whereas if they were all working independently, they might take three or four turns.

I find this to be the sanest way of laying down the transport links. When there isn't a use for the workers I have them sleep in a nearby city until a job comes up - cleaning fallout, for example.

[Datajack Franit]

at least workers can be stopped from automatically destroying previous tile improvements

[Boris Godunov]

I've had workers on auto build lumbermills and workshops with some regularity.

[teutonic_knight]

I have a fear of autoworkers. They always seem to do something do intefere/impede my progress to some degree/ Granted, I have not used autoworkers in Civ IV yet, but I am glad I saw this thread.

[Datajack Franit]

BEWARE

[DrSpike]

I think if you automate your workers in a game with such little micro you deserve much worse than superfluous improvements.

[Balderdash]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
So, I'd rather have the tile improvement spam than not automate, but it would just be really NICE if they could modify the AI a little to stop the unneccessary stuff.

Why? Seriously, how is this ruining your gameplay so much so that it merits a full-blown forum rant?

Now, had you complained about idle workers changing your farms to towns like they often like to do regardless of the starvation factor, then you'd have a case. But to complain that idle workers build roads instead just sleeping and wasting a valuable turn is just plain silly.

[My PitBull Tank]

Automation, as said above, is one of my favorite things the Civ series added. Could not sit through my early memories of moving workers constantly around for much longer...

I figure i've got bigger fish to fry. I pretty much only use manual workers to chop forests to produce settlers at the beginning of the game.

[Kc7mxo]

I road and railroad every square of my empire. Its too damn useful for defensive purposes to not do it.

[MasterDave]

I wish there was a way to automate your workers and not have them tear down every forest in sight. Forests matter now that they add a health point to your cities AND you can't replant them like you could in earlier civs. Is there a reliable way to automate workers without them going nuts with the axes?