0001801: Add control for automatically building powerplants - Arcen Idea Tracker (Bugs and Features)

Notes
(0005337) shugyosha (reporter) Dec 5, 2010 8:43 pm	How about crtl-click on any power plant build all three - minus existing ones next to the command station. If this is not possible due to space issues it could also select all plants you don't have for building. You will see the outlines of the plants in a row. Click once and it places them all. If you have none all three are build if you have plant I and crtl-click on plant I it builds plant II and III only.

(0005344) Suzera (reporter) Dec 6, 2010 12:41 am edited on: Dec 6, 2010 12:41 am	It's more that having to locate which planets in a 20-30 planet empire do not have all three is the problem, rather than an initial build. It's mostly a problem in games with cutlasses. The list at the bottom is pretty small and doesn't lend itself to easily seeing where plants are missing when there are 30 things in the list.

(0005347) shugyosha (reporter) Dec 6, 2010 12:51 am edited on: Dec 6, 2010 12:51 am	There could be an indicator like "(3)" next to the power display like when you don't have build all harvesters possible. But there has to be a filter to find the planets without generators.

(0005353) PineappleSam (reporter) Dec 6, 2010 4:31 am	I would love to see this implemented, ideally in the same way as the engineers so you can set planets to build multiples of the same power station if need be.

(0005357) ShdNx (reporter) Dec 6, 2010 9:00 am edited on: Dec 6, 2010 9:01 am	I like this idea, but I'm not quite sure we actually need it. We should be careful not to over-minimize micro-management, making the game too simple. You'll likely notice when you don't have enough energy and will go and check where you don't have one. It's not that huge effort I think. Also this can potentially cause a lot of unused energy, thus wasting your resources. We'd also need automatic management of energy plants then... Again, I'm inclined in favor of this suggestion, but keep my notes above in mind. Edit: I really like the shugyosha's suggestion above (http://www.arcengames.com/mantisbt/view.php?id=1801#c5347 [^]). That has my complete support!

(0005368) Suzera (reporter) Dec 6, 2010 11:22 am edited on: Dec 6, 2010 11:31 am	The depth should be in decisions, not busywork. Rebuilding necessary powerplants is not a decision, it's busywork, it's simple, it's completely thoughtless, and it's really really annoying. Again, it's not too bad unless there are AI cutlasses in the game. I also suggested changing power plants from neutron to command grade, which would cut out a lot of the rebuilding as then cutlasses would not be so explosive to all your power plants. That would work pretty much just as well. As is, in cutlass games, I have to rebuild the power plants now and then and then turn them off right now ANYWAY, a control to automatically manage power or not. I have turned off mk 3, and sometimes a second mk 1, power plants on every planet, except those that are turned on. It would be foolish not to because if you lose enough power your force fields and most turrets go down, and power is already fairly precious. Anytime a planet's plants explode, I just pause and go turn on others then go back to what I was doing and unpause. It's automatic, decisionless, thoughtless, simple busywork. If you really want it to be a non-trivial decision, disable turning on or off powerplants and make them be only on, that way any built powerplant is a choice of A) power safety or B) economic efficiency. This would make games with cutlasses radically different than any other game though unless power plants are changed to command grade or some other thing not blown up by FF ignorers, by random unchooseable chance (and thus the "simplest" thing), so be careful if you do that and leave them neutron. Random uncontrolled change is simple, they just happen, that's it. Necessary things are simple, you just have to do them, that's it. Optional choices are where there isn't a straight-up best answer are where things get complex. Power plants are not that right now. If I REALLY was serious with how the game is right now, I'd have a dozen power plants on every planet, with most of them turned off, just in case.

(0005369) Suzera (reporter) Dec 6, 2010 11:31 am edited on: Dec 6, 2010 11:46 am	Seriously though, powerplants as always on sounds like a cool enough idea to merit it's own suggestion here, so I'm going to do that.

(0005627) keith.lamothe (administrator) Dec 8, 2010 10:52 am	Ok, since this had a vote score of 32 (second place only had 21), I guess this is what you people want ;) For 4.047: * Added Galaxy-Wide and Planet-Specific versions of three new toggle controls: Auto Build MkI Energy Reactor, Auto Build MkII Energy Reactor, Auto Build MkIII Energy Reactor. ** Thanks to Suzera for the suggestion.

This issue is already marked as resolved. If you feel that is not the case, please reopen it and explain why.
Supporters:	Lancefighter Spikey00 wyvern83 RCIX ShadowSirius07 shugyosha Nemo ShadowOTE PineappleSam BlackCobra ShdNx kezziny x4000 Vinraith Rices HitmanN Fleet Winter Born
Opponents:	No one explicitly opposes this issue yet.

Issue History
Date Modified	Username	Field	Change
Dec 4, 2010 12:27 pm	Suzera	New Issue
Dec 5, 2010 8:43 pm	shugyosha	Note Added: 0005337
Dec 6, 2010 12:41 am	Suzera	Note Added: 0005344
Dec 6, 2010 12:41 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005344	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 12:51 am	shugyosha	Note Added: 0005347
Dec 6, 2010 12:51 am	shugyosha	Note Edited: 0005347	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 4:31 am	PineappleSam	Note Added: 0005353
Dec 6, 2010 9:00 am	ShdNx	Note Added: 0005357
Dec 6, 2010 9:01 am	ShdNx	Note Edited: 0005357	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 9:55 am	x4000	Assigned To	=> x4000
Dec 6, 2010 9:55 am	x4000	Status	new => considering
Dec 6, 2010 11:22 am	Suzera	Note Added: 0005368
Dec 6, 2010 11:23 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:23 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:24 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:24 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:25 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:25 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:26 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:26 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:27 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:28 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:29 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:30 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:30 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:31 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005368	View Revisions
Dec 6, 2010 11:31 am	Suzera	Note Added: 0005369
Dec 6, 2010 11:46 am	Suzera	Note Edited: 0005369	View Revisions
Dec 8, 2010 10:52 am	keith.lamothe	Note Added: 0005627
Dec 8, 2010 10:52 am	keith.lamothe	Status	considering => resolved
Dec 8, 2010 10:52 am	keith.lamothe	Resolution	open => fixed

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