Workers

[gozpel]

We had the same workers for 2 games now, in the latest patch they actually scan the area of enemy activity and give you the choice to change what they're doing. I can live with that, even if that barb archer is 5 tiles away.

What I really need, is to put a queue on worker tasks. Make a plantation on that tile, then chop that wood next to you and start a road. Something like 3 worker queues would be enough, instead of that constant watching over what they do.

Of course, barbs or enemies will make them request another action, but in peacetime, why can't you make them do what I suggested? It wouldn't be harder tho put in than automatic workers, would it?

We already have the choice of workers building a road from A to B, it's similar to make a plantation here, then make a farm there and then build a road tile.

Would this upset the system in anyways?

If you have 20 cities and 22 workers, it's quite demanding to check them every turn.

Thoughts?

 

[FeiLing]

check who or what? try using auto unit cycling.

 

[gozpel]

check who or what? try using auto unit cycling.

Please explain.

 

[Ajuga]

Please explain.

Option under interface I believe, makes the next button cycle between all your units that needs orders before you can move on to the next turn.

 

[gozpel]

Option under interface I believe, makes the next button cycle between all your units that needs orders before you can move on to the next turn.

I didn't even know about such a feature.

Still, why not being able to command the unit you click on?

 

[Ajuga]

I didn't even know about such a feature.

Still, why not being able to command the unit you click on?

Even with that option turned on you can click other units and issue them commands (for example sleeping units will not be included in the cycle). After that command it will just continue with the cycle.

Or am I misinterpreting your question?

 

[gozpel]

Even with that option turned on you can click other units and issue them commands (for example sleeping units will not be included in the cycle). After that command it will just continue with the cycle.

Or am I misinterpreting your question?

I think you are misinterpreting my idea!

I want to click on a worker, now chop that tree, then mine the hill and then road it.

It's different from the setup, I DEMAND my workers to do a 3-tile enhancement.

Easy: Farm that tile, then farm next tile, then build a road.

We wouldn't have to bother with lots of congestion stuff.

 

[FeiLing]

They probably thought every one who doesn't care for micro management can just use the automated workers. For any one else giving a command to a worker every few turns isn't all that problematic - for me commanding workers takes maybe 5% of the time, micro-managing cities/citizens 45% and taking care of deals and moving units the other 50% (ratio depending on the actual amount of units). Queuing workers doesn't even make too much sense as I can't queue up stuff to tile that aren't within my border yet. As soon as they are though, they often become top priority to be worked on.

 

[Ajuga]

I think you are misinterpreting my idea!

I want to click on a worker, now chop that tree, then mine the hill and then road it.

It's different from the setup, I DEMAND my workers to do a 3-tile enhancement.

Easy: Farm that tile, then farm next tile, then build a road.

We wouldn't have to bother with lots of congestion stuff.

Ah you want to queue tile improvement orders.
Yeah that's not in the game as far as I know. Should be for those that want it.

 

[pxpdoo]

I didn't even know about such a feature.

Still, why not being able to command the unit you click on?

To cycle through (active) Units, The bottom-left 'Unit Box' (as I call it) has two arrows: One forward, and one back. This is how you can cycle through your Units.

As for not being able to command a Unit that you click on: I have encountered this, and have discovered that this only happens (AFAIK) after you've clicked End Turn, but you still have a Unit that needs orders... The rest of the Units look like they're able to receive orders, but they can't - the game will only let you command the Unit (or Units) that still need orders as it attempts to finish the turn. Just have to click the Unit Needs Orders button to find those.

Also, I like the idea of a Worker queue; it just might get a bit messy if you queue up some Workers and automate others. Like, the automated Workers might start to work a tile that is in another Worker's queue, thus messing up that queue, and the auto-Worker might be building something other than what the queue'd Worker was assigned... You get the idea.

 

[Priah77]

They probably thought every one who doesn't care for micro management can just use the automated workers. For any one else giving a command to a worker every few turns isn't all that problematic - for me commanding workers takes maybe 5% of the time, micro-managing cities/citizens 45% and taking care of deals and moving units the other 50% (ratio depending on the actual amount of units). Queuing workers doesn't even make too much sense as I can't queue up stuff to tile that aren't within my border yet. As soon as they are though, they often become top priority to be worked on.

Hah wow you must seriously micromanage those cities. After turn 150 or so I just become too lazy and the game is usually already more or less decided that I kind of just let the cities and workers go wild and have their fun.

only 5% of time micromanaging workers... are each of your turns lasting ten or so minutes?

 

[FeiLing]

10 or more on average, yeah
For workers it's just so obvious as I know all the tiles around the city and therefore know where I want to improve what next - so just move and hit the button/hotkey.
Whereas with city management you have to play around a lot to find to optimum mix between (not) growing at a fixed number of turns and one or several of the following: 1) produce something in the least number of turns; 2) time your specialist birth rate to be most effective; 3) have a tech research a turn earlier/later due to the RA-median; 4) slow or speed up the arrival of the next social policy for the same reason (all while growth still isn't slowed down or at least not by too much). Doesn't apply to every city every turn... still takes up a lot of time.

From Gauntlet/GotM submission I know that people usually finish a game within 2-4 hours. I once started a game with the goal to finish in about the same amount of time. Despite that goal I still ended up with ~20ish hours again!