Major worker improvement idea for lazy micro managers!

[mgdpublic]

I wouldn't even mind a dumbed down version of having the automated worker linked in to the city manager switches. So if you turn on emphasize production it will build production oriented improvements. You'd probably have to toggle the "leave improvement" option more often.

[Urban Ranger]

Re: Major worker improvement idea for lazy micro managers!

Originally posted by MightyTiny
This kind of a thing would be great for all us lazy perfectionists, because you would need to do all your micro managing only once for every city, and then know that your automated workers will do EXCATLY what you want them to do with your city tiles for the rest of the game.

That may not be what you want.

For example, I usually build watermills along river banks, except where I need to build a chain of irrigation extending towards inland. You can't make this kind of decision with an automated worker.

Another example. For the same sort of tiles you may want to build cottages for one city and workshops for another. Automated workers don't know how to tell, either.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by player1
Some sort of queuing worker actions could be good too.

Like add farm here and road, then go to this tile and do mine then to next one and make cottage.

I think you can do that already.

[player1]

Shortcuts?

[MightyTiny]

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
But before Lumbermills become available, Workers will proceed to use available improvements for the tile - causing the forest to disappear.

Well, quite obviously workers wouldn't be allowed to build improvements that would prevent them from building a pre-planned improvement on that square later.

[MightyTiny]

Re: Re: Major worker improvement idea for lazy micro managers!

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


That may not be what you want.

For example, I usually build watermills along river banks, except where I need to build a chain of irrigation extending towards inland. You can't make this kind of decision with an automated worker.

Another example. For the same sort of tiles you may want to build cottages for one city and workshops for another. Automated workers don't know how to tell, either.

Actually, I wonder if you misunderstood me there... or if I miscommunicated it - I should have said "because you would need to do all your micro managing only once for EACH city..." (instead of "EVERY city"). (Actually I think I should edit that in the original message)

So just to be clear, I'm not saying that you'd have a single plan for all the cities, but that you'd be able to set a separate build plan for each city - so your cottage/workshop example doesn't aply; you would be able to set a pre-plan for development for each particular city, and the automated workers would follow that plan exactly whenever they find one for a city.

The irrigation example is a good point - maybe you don't know at the point when you found a city whether or not you need to make a line of farms at some point. But that's not a problem - you could just change your city plan whenever irrigation became available, and your automated workers would replace old improvements accordingly.


What good this improvement idea does is the following:

- You'd be able to automate workers and still make as many precise build decisions as you like.

- You'd be able to make all your precise build decisions only once for each city, for example, right after you found the city. After this, you wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of directing your workers manually. (Naturally you should be able to go back and change a city plan for any given city at any given point, and your automated workers would implement the changes.)

- You could allow workers to replace old improvements without having to worry that they make wrong decisions.

- You would no longer have to direct individual workers in order to have control over your improvements, but your improvement plans for each city could be implemented by any given automated worker. You'd have the control of manual worker direction with the conveniece of the automated workers.

[MightyTiny]

Originally posted by MasterDave
You can queue worker actions by using the shift key, much like you can queue production. The limitation is that the technology to make the improvement must be known when you give the orders.

I am finding that worker automation is just fine after my core six or seven cities have been improved. Of course I have the options not to chop forests or destory existing improvements checked.

I didn't know about queuing worker actions - that's interesting, have to try it out!

I still think a city-plan would be a great improvement; not only could you set down plans for future improvements that you don't have the technologies for yet, you would no longer have to direct individual workers (queuing or no), but the planned improvements could be implemented by any given automated worker.

At least for me, I'd consider that a great improvement in convenience - if I'm the absolute (and apparently immortal) ruler of an empire, I want to deal with the broad strokes, not to hold every builder-Bob and Joe by the hand when they dig a dich! I want to make the big planning decisions, and ensure that my empire has enough workers to implement them expediently, but I do not want to have to care about which individual worker implements which of my plans.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by player1
Shortcuts?

Someone said it above - hold down SHIFT while clicking on the worker order buttons and they'll queue up. I don't think it works with keyboard shortcuts though.

[Last Conformist]

Can queue move orders that way?

[Cort Haus]

This worker-planning layer sounds a good idea. Has anyone experimented to see whether the city governer priority (food, commerce etc) affects the worker improvements for that city?

It might be possible within the existing interface to be able to select 'emphasise commerce', then have the auto-workers for that city build cottages. Flip to food, and they build farms. I don't suppose it works like that now, but it would be an easier interim change than building a whole new interface.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Last Conformist
Can queue move orders that way?

Movement orders are queud that way, yes - if that's what you mean. What else would you queue?

[Diadem]

Originally posted by MasterDave
You can queue worker actions by using the shift key, much like you can queue production. The limitation is that the technology to make the improvement must be known when you give the orders.

Yes, but only on a single tile. You can queue a irrigation and a road. But you can't queue an irrigation on one tile, and then a pasture on another, and then a cottage on a third. That's a major limitation.

[Willem]

Re: Re: Major worker improvement idea for lazy micro managers!

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


That may not be what you want.

For example, I usually build watermills along river banks, except where I need to build a chain of irrigation extending towards inland. You can't make this kind of decision with an automated worker.

Another example. For the same sort of tiles you may want to build cottages for one city and workshops for another. Automated workers don't know how to tell, either.

Your missing his point. He's suggesting that we have the ability to preplan what improvements go on which squares. If I want a Cottage on this particular square, or a Mine on that square, I can put in an order so to speak and the automated Worker will eventually build the improvement I want, where I wanted it.

I think it's a great idea myself. I don't particularly like the choices that are made when it comes to automation. Something like this would give me a lot more control over the process. However, I don't think you should be allowed improvements you don't already have the tech for.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Diadem


You can queue a irrigation and a road. But you can't queue an irrigation on one tile, and then a pasture on another, and then a cottage on a third. That's a major limitation.

Well I can. I've cleared whole jungles on queue mode.

[Nikolai]

I like this idea. It could work ~ the same way as the painting tool I guess.