power priorities

[skullywag]

Can we have a way of prioritising what recieves power, I feel being able to state that I want my cooker to stay on and not those random lights over there during a power shortage would be nice. I'm thinking a simple button when a power comp is used that when clicked cycles through numbers (1 being high l, 5 low) then when a power shortage happens it just uses this list to turn off stuff lower down the list.

[Damien Hart]

I really like that idea. Less micro management, and it would help save forgetting to turn something important on again when power returns.

The system should still have things independent of priorities though, for example turrets. That way, when the player manually activates/deactivates their turrets, the system compensates without trying to turn the turrets themselves on/off.

[stefanstr]

For me, a very simple option would suffice: a toggle "only power this if on a positive power balance". I.e., if I am not generating excess power, switch this off. I am imagining this being similar to the current door lock.

It would be easier than a full-blown priorities system, and I feel it would be enough to solve most priority issues.

[Damien Hart]

But then, unless your balance was perfect, you'd end up with the game looping at night when using solar panels; when power gets low, it turns things off, however turning them off makes power positive again, so it turns them back on, taking consumption back above production.

[skullywag]

That could work, only issue would be the same as a priority system (but more so in your case as you have more things per priority) what happens when you have more things with "stay on" set than power to power them all.

[stefanstr]

Valid points. I would suggest the following solutions:
- only consider switching things on again when the influx of power increases (i.e., if you build a new generator or if it is day again)
- if lacking power, switch everything with this setting off (the player can always turn this option off for a specific device and it wouldn't be used for essential stuff anyway)

[Wex]

Also, when colonist stop using the smelter (but could be anything, from the stove to the crematorium) they should turn it off. Does this make sense only to me?
Let's keep this machine on all night long, while I go to sleep! 

[skullywag]

it should be very easy to mod that into the game, I might give it a go, could fit in my more power mod, give me a few.

Edit - actually the worktable and building classes dont really allow this without some changes (dont really have time, if it was quick I would have done it), I thought it was more flexible than this.