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Automate or not?

 
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Automate or not? - 8/29/2010 5:21:15 AM   
nukkxx5058


Posts: 2932
Joined: 2/3/2005
From: France
Status: offline 		What automation settings are you using? In my first game, I started with the default setting but I have the impression to be left with very little decisions/actions. Should I change to "all manual". How do you gys play?
Post #: 1
RE: Automate or not? - 8/29/2010 5:38:45 AM   
vonboy

 

Posts: 29
Joined: 8/12/2010
Status: offline 		i usually play with everything on manual except tax rates and ship design. i then build lots of escorts and frigates, and put them on auto so they'll go about patrolling my private ships and mining stations. when my empire gets bigger and harder to manage, i start setting other things to auto to not get overwhelmed, like colonizing, ship building, and attacking (on suggest).

(in reply to nukkxx5058)
Post #: 2
RE: Automate or not? - 8/29/2010 8:11:43 AM   
Gertjan

 

Posts: 698
Joined: 12/9/2009
Status: offline 		Put some of the options to suggest and you'll have a much more immersive game. Trust me!

(in reply to vonboy)
Post #: 3
RE: Automate or not? - 8/29/2010 12:17:31 PM   
Bozz

 

Posts: 17
Joined: 5/7/2010
Status: offline 		I never automated anything except design ships...

(in reply to Gertjan)
Post #: 4
RE: Automate or not? - 8/29/2010 3:03:52 PM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Bozz

I never automated anything except design ships...


And design ships is the one thing I'd never consider automating. This is the beauty of DW, we can all play to our own style.

For a new player, I'd suggest turning most stuff on suggest until you get used to how it plays.

_____________________________

Distant Worlds Fan

'When in doubt...attack!'

(in reply to Bozz)
Post #: 5
RE: Automate or not? - 8/29/2010 3:33:37 PM   
WoodMan


Posts: 1345
Joined: 6/2/2010
From: Ol' Blighty
Status: offline 		I play the same as Bozz, ship design on manual eradicates any disadvantage you have due to your race selection, so you can get all the advantages of Teekan, but not have their disadvantages, but I prefer to have the disadvantages too for immersion and also difficulty reasons 

< Message edited by WoodMan -- 8/29/2010 3:34:06 PM >

_____________________________

"My body may be confined to this chair, but my mind is free to explore the universe" - Stephen Hawking

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Post #: 6
RE: Automate or not? - 8/29/2010 5:11:42 PM   
T_K

 

Posts: 131
Joined: 12/5/2007
Status: offline 		I manually design and build ships and make and direct fleets, I make one main strike fleet which I direct, and several small ones which I send to AI-suggested tasks. I leave a bunch of free ships automated for patrol duties. I decide where to build spaceports and research stations. Pretty much everything else is automated, intelligence and diplomacy are set for AI suggestions.

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Post #: 7
RE: Automate or not? - 8/29/2010 5:25:14 PM   
nukkxx5058


Posts: 2932
Joined: 2/3/2005
From: France
Status: offline 		Thanks for your answers. In fact, I think that the "suggest" option (which I didn't notice earlier) is the most interesting. I will try with "suggest" everywhere. Regarding designs, it seems to me that it's one of the most remarkable aspect of the game so I prefer to keep it manual. 

(in reply to T_K)
Post #: 8
RE: Automate or not? - 8/29/2010 10:44:58 PM   
Equendil

 

Posts: 35
Joined: 7/23/2010
Status: offline 		Got absolutely everything on manual and rule with an iron fist!

(in reply to nukkxx5058)
Post #: 9
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 12:20:05 AM   
b0mber

 

Posts: 31
Joined: 7/24/2010
Status: offline 		I don't set anything on auto except ship design, like Buzz and WoodMan. I just make my own combat ship and I only build those ships until I got better construction ship yard. I also design my own reserch station with lots of labs. Since I began doing this the game has become a bit easy to me so maybe I will use ships designs on Auto to add more difficulty though reducing the game experience.

by3z!

(in reply to Equendil)
Post #: 10
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 1:25:00 AM   
torrenal

 

Posts: 189
Joined: 7/12/2010
Status: offline 		One of the things you may find is some governments (possibly races?) play different with automation on... I'd never let a Military Dictatorship or Way of the Darkness run with spies on fully-auto (you want to blow up what?!), but I may consider it for Republic and Way of the Ancients.

If you are having problems while playing with one government type, try another.  The automation will work differently with the changeup.
//Torrenal

(in reply to b0mber)
Post #: 11
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 9:24:39 AM   
martok


Posts: 837
Joined: 8/30/2004
Status: offline 		I set the diplomatic stuff to "manual", and put most of the other options on "suggest". It works pretty well for me.



< Message edited by martok -- 8/30/2010 9:25:16 AM >

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Post #: 12
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 12:43:16 PM   
Baleur


Posts: 372
Joined: 1/18/2010
Status: offline 		I dont see how anyone can keep ship design exclusively on manual, how do you put up with constantly having to update all the little civilian trade ship and freighter designs? :P
I usually keep it on automate to save me the hassle, and i make unique designs when i need em.

(in reply to martok)
Post #: 13
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 1:40:09 PM   
nukkxx5058


Posts: 2932
Joined: 2/3/2005
From: France
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Baleur

I dont see how anyone can keep ship design exclusively on manual, how do you put up with constantly having to update all the little civilian trade ship and freighter designs? :P
I usually keep it on automate to save me the hassle, and i make unique designs when i need em.


That's a good point ...

(in reply to Baleur)
Post #: 14
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 1:46:09 PM   
Equendil

 

Posts: 35
Joined: 7/23/2010
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Baleur

I dont see how anyone can keep ship design exclusively on manual, how do you put up with constantly having to update all the little civilian trade ship and freighter designs? :P

Select ships -> upgrade.


(in reply to Baleur)
Post #: 15
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 2:26:18 PM   
Shark7


Posts: 7937
Joined: 7/24/2007
From: The Big Nowhere
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Baleur

I dont see how anyone can keep ship design exclusively on manual, how do you put up with constantly having to update all the little civilian trade ship and freighter designs? :P
I usually keep it on automate to save me the hassle, and i make unique designs when i need em.


One design for each to start...

Select all...

Upgrade...

Its basically a 2 click solution after the first designs.

_____________________________

Distant Worlds Fan

'When in doubt...attack!'

(in reply to Baleur)
Post #: 16
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 2:46:04 PM   
torrenal

 

Posts: 189
Joined: 7/12/2010
Status: offline 		Falls apart a bit as you unlock entirely new techs... ECM, targeting systems, damage control, hyperdeny...

Still, those are easy to watch for and you just apply them where you want them.

Watch out for upgrade-all with race techs tho... some of them work well with the upgrade option, others have caevats (Shaktur Firestorm + space-port = poor mix)
//Torrenal

(in reply to Shark7)
Post #: 17
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 10:08:25 PM   
Gertjan

 

Posts: 698
Joined: 12/9/2009
Status: offline 		I also use auto ship design. I hope the AI makes good choices. Otherwise this would need to be addressed in a future update. I don't want to be bothered with micromanagement.

(in reply to torrenal)
Post #: 18
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 10:15:22 PM   
WoodMan


Posts: 1345
Joined: 6/2/2010
From: Ol' Blighty
Status: offline 		The auto-ship design is influenced by the race that you are (or that your AI opponents are too):

High Intelligence
· include extra components in their ship designs

High Aggression
· include more weapons in their ship designs

High Caution
· include more shields and engines on their ship designs

Of course the opposite of the above is true for any races that are low intelligence, passive or reckless

Also there are four general ship-types that the races build, this is not viewable in the race-editor but can be seen in the races.txt I believe (at least it can in the 3rd party race editor tool anyway)

Balanced, Power (military), Efficiency (fuel etc) and Agility

< Message edited by WoodMan -- 8/30/2010 10:17:14 PM >

_____________________________

"My body may be confined to this chair, but my mind is free to explore the universe" - Stephen Hawking

(in reply to Gertjan)
Post #: 19
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 11:25:19 PM   
Baleur


Posts: 372
Joined: 1/18/2010
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Equendil

quote:

ORIGINAL: Baleur

I dont see how anyone can keep ship design exclusively on manual, how do you put up with constantly having to update all the little civilian trade ship and freighter designs? :P

Select ships -> upgrade.




Yeah but, the problem is, it only replaces exising modules as long as it can fit the new ones, right?
So you'd have like 2 cargo storages for the rest of your game, although upgraded.
If you actually let it design them, it may remove 1 redundant module and add a new better but higher size module.
So you might have 3-4 cargo storages later on, with 1 removed crappy engine to make room.
I....... think? :P Thats how it works with military ships anyway.

(in reply to Equendil)
Post #: 20
RE: Automate or not? - 8/30/2010 11:47:00 PM   
Grotius


Posts: 5798
Joined: 10/18/2002
From: The Imperial Palace.
Status: offline 		I put everything on manual! I did that initially just to force myself to learn how everything works, and then I didn't feel like putting anything back on auto. :)

_____________________________


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Post #: 21
RE: Automate or not? - 8/31/2010 4:41:06 AM   
adecoy95


Posts: 420
Joined: 3/26/2010
Status: offline 		i automate taxes, ship design, agent recruitment, troop recruitment, and i have build ships set to ask, so that i can decline all of the useless defense ports. i find that the ai will ask me to build a pretty heafty amount of ships for defense, so i can focus more on my own custom doom fleets and colonization/diplomacy

(in reply to Grotius)
Post #: 22
RE: Automate or not? - 8/31/2010 9:53:35 AM   
hidden_asbestos

 

Posts: 18
Joined: 5/6/2010
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Gertjan
Put some of the options to suggest and you'll have a much more immersive game. Trust me!





They seriously need to add a passive advisory system though, either by a queue of suggestions or something at the side of the screen. That would be great.

(in reply to Gertjan)
Post #: 23
RE: Automate or not? - 8/31/2010 6:31:50 PM   
torrenal

 

Posts: 189
Joined: 7/12/2010
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Baleur


quote:

ORIGINAL: Equendil
Select ships -> upgrade.


Yeah but, the problem is, it only replaces exising modules as long as it can fit the new ones, right?
So you'd have like 2 cargo storages for the rest of your game, although upgraded.
If you actually let it design them, it may remove 1 redundant module and add a new better but higher size module.
So you might have 3-4 cargo storages later on, with 1 removed crappy engine to make room.
I....... think? :P Thats how it works with military ships anyway.


For merchant ships, I've only found issues with this when it comes to passenger ships. (Silly, but they favor ignoring the nice, handy space-port and will instead dock at the planet. All well and good, until you get a backlog of waiting ships > 50, and some nervous pilot takes a pot-shot... urk hang on..... need to find a nearby repair ship to fix my latest set of stranded passenger ships...) For cargo, space ports do a so-so job of moving materials around, and just as your budget to build new stuff increases, so does your supply of ships to move material around. I've seen no strong need to increase the number of cargo modules on ships -- it still only takes a couple ship-loads to empty a mining station, reducing it to 1/2 a ship load won't help, and really, you won't be normally be building things so fast that you need to get supplies faster...

I find myself adjusting designs for:
New types of components (if I just unlocked the first: Torpedo, Damage Control, Targeting computer, ECM, Hyperdeny, etc), a number of the 'Superior-but' components, such as the Megatron Z4 shield, and many of the 'Inferior-but' components (Shaktur Firewater, erm, storm)
As things evolve and I face taking out more bases or pirates become too much of a nuisance, I may redesign the destroyer, cruiser and capital ships around a heavier arseonal, or the Troop Transport around more speed.
----

It's not hard really.... if you get a new type of tech that seems handy (Neat, damage control), add it to the designs you want to have it, once. Order some retrofits and call it done.
If you get a new level of tech that seems handy (Oooh... VelocityDrive), Use the Upgrade Selected option, and then order some retrofits.
If it's been a while since you upgraded anything, use the upgrade selected option and again order some retrofits.

The only really tedious part for me is at the start, when I tweak the designs to meet some minimums (ie: make sure all my ships are fast enough to chase a moon when they run short on fuel, carry some armor to protect against wildlife, and have any starting techs as are useful). As this generally involves me making multiple manual changes to most designs, it takes time. Mid game, if I get something that should be put to immediate use in my ship designs, I just need seconds to apply it to the designs that need it.

//Torrenal

(in reply to Baleur)
Post #: 24
RE: Automate or not? - 9/1/2010 12:34:20 AM   
Equendil

 

Posts: 35
Joined: 7/23/2010
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: BaleurYeah but, the problem is, it only replaces exising modules as long as it can fit the new ones, right?
So you'd have like 2 cargo storages for the rest of your game, although upgraded.
If you actually let it design them, it may remove 1 redundant module and add a new better but higher size module.
So you might have 3-4 cargo storages later on, with 1 removed crappy engine to make room.
I....... think? :P Thats how it works with military ships anyway.

Well, I haven't had any issue keeping my freighters, passenger ships or even my mining ships the same (well same type of components, they get upgrades) throughout an entire game. If for whatever reason, I wanted to do some alterations, I would not need do it for every new tech, most likely just once.

(in reply to Baleur)
Post #: 25
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