Feeling limited with priorities

[Too-DAMN-Much]

The issue with 'total granularity' is that if the scale went from 1-20 then I'd have to click like 100 more times to switch a moderate colony's priorities around, and that's just way too much.

Honestly by the time I worry about the priority of half the things on the list I have colonists literally dedicated to specific tasks, having more than 4 numbers would be redundant to me.

Being able to drag the columns around also seems superfluous to me, but atleast it wouldn't actively lessen my enjoyment of the game while also presumably fixing all the issues brought up so far.

that's what i meant to illustrate though, to some degree everyone has a single job, or job category and i can't get them to haul enough without adjustment.

[_alphaBeta_]

The reason I'm shooting it down is because I only ever need the 4, and 5 is okayish but any more becomes a nuisance for changing priorities.

Also: You do bloody realize having any more then 6 numbers is stupid, and it would be better to just make the options slidable, to slide them left-to-right in the priorities. Therefore solving all ya bloody problems if you want to make them that specific.

I respect that you would only need the 4, but I'm asking players to respect that other play styles could use some more. I fully agree with the slides and its an idea I've had since I first starting playing that I don't think I've articulated anywhere. I would say that the implementation time of that system will certainly be more intensive as mentioned by others as well. Perhaps it would be best to start adding some additional numbers and see how it goes before proceeding too far.

We're debating a small feature tweak that brings no negative impacts, just some enhanced features for those that would partake. Usually this community is not combative enough shoot down ideas and dictate how the game should be played, so I'm a bit surprised to be honest.

This is incorrect. By adding a 20-point scale (to allow a perfect reverse priority) it makes it that much more cumbersome for everyone else to navigate through the priority list. A big problem would reseting priorities - what if I want to move a 10 (or multiple 10s) to 1? I'm not outright opposed to lengthening the priority scale, but if it is done we need at least some tools to make navigating through them easier.

A few thoughts:
<snip>

I wasn't thinking to have 20 numbers even though my previous post implies it. Still, I absolutely agree that adding more numbers should probably bring some of the quick tools you're mentioning to make adjustments easier. I think some of these would be a good idea in the current system even if additional numbers were not added. I'd add the ability to drag the numbers in place to increment or decrement much like the trade window to your proposed solutions. A hotkey to disable the job completely would also be a good idea.

What your not understanding is NO colonist will ever do more than 4 different job categories in a day. And more numbers will not change the idle colonist when there is no work to be done.

We must have very different ways of playing this game, which I will respect. In my case, I have this happen constantly by teams of colonists having the same priority scale. I also don't see how specifying a longer to-do list wouldn't help avoid colonists going idle.

Slidable priorities and/or a couple extra selections. Seems reasonable to me too.... so what are we debating again? Or are we just arguing now just for the sake of arguing and have nothing better to do? I know I don't, well at least for a couple hours

Or is this the new RW forum thing. Nightly trolling bouts!!! Take your bets!! 

I think this thread actually went constructive again, which is nice to see. At its core, we're debating whether the current system could use some changes to accommodate additional play styles. In summary, adding more numbers to the current manual priorities screen would help some out, and also adding some quick controls to better manage those numbers would seem to cover all aspects.

I can't say I'm against additional priority numbers as long as it doesn't become cumbersome to use for those of us that have no use for them. I'd find them useless. Hauling and cleaning are best where they are IMO. They are short notice quick task events and placing them higher than other tasks results in colonists constantly interrupting tasks to mop up a single blood spill or dropped item on the other side of the map. Honestly I wish there were a few changes to the way crops are handled so they don't do that when growing.  If I have cleaning or hauling issues I reduce the other workload on colonists who can do so.

My colonies usually have a huge hauling backlog, and for items that degrade outside, this is a problem. The worst example I usually see is a whole harvest sitting outside. High density jobs like growing that generate a haul-able material per job need to have their hauling at a less priority or they'll potentially do a single harvest and the run it to the stockpile. This is just a casualty of the current system since there's no additional intelligence there to have a grower, for example, harvest enough times to make a full stack, and then haul it. In the meantime, this is where teams of colonists come in handy and why some priorities need to be in reverse. A dedicated hauler or team of haulers following the growers seems the best alternative within the current mechanics. As I said above, highly prioritizing jobs on the right side of the list can be difficult to automate the remainder of the tasks.

Most colonists only have 1 to 3 jobs checked aside from emergency/maintenance. Most of the time one number takes care of this no issue. Once my colony gets fairly large I'll tune it with a little more detail, some might have cleaning/hauling instead of hauling/cleaning, or a couple with repair bumped ahead of construction to keep things maintained.

Honestly by the time I worry about the priority of half the things on the list I have colonists literally dedicated to specific tasks, having more than 4 numbers would be redundant to me.

This is a play style difference. I'd prefer to have additional lower priority tasks already selected so I don't have to keep finding idle colonists a job. I realize at times that the job queues get so big that even dedicated colonists will pretty much never go idle. But there are times when this happens, especially if colonists are sheltering inside, for example, via restricted zones and the usual job queue becomes very reduced.

I'd say there are those who draw some fun from running a highly efficient self-sufficient colony. Some players like to spend a good amount of time tweaking the priorities and then sitting back and seeing the colonists run the colony without so much direct intervention. I also understand players who are constantly in the priorities screen making adjustments all the time, and worry less about a "perfect setup." Can we strike a balance?

[DarknessEyes]

And this... that's just stupid. Are you honestly once again going to be so stubborn and lazy to expect to switch priorities so specifically you'd need 20 numbers for 20 priorities going in such orders you can't do it as you currently do? 5 numbers? Maybe. 6 numbers? Annoying. Any more is just stupiditiy, being lazy, and being stubborn. And I'm just currently pretty pissed off by that in this thread.

I want recearch, clean, hauling, crafting, art, hunting and then cooking. How do u prioritize it with few numbers?

[TLHeart]

And this... that's just stupid. Are you honestly once again going to be so stubborn and lazy to expect to switch priorities so specifically you'd need 20 numbers for 20 priorities going in such orders you can't do it as you currently do? 5 numbers? Maybe. 6 numbers? Annoying. Any more is just stupiditiy, being lazy, and being stubborn. And I'm just currently pretty pissed off by that in this thread.

I want recearch, clean, hauling, crafting, art, hunting and then cooking. How do u prioritize it with few numbers?

And the pawn assigned to research, will never do any other jobs. again not understanding how the pawns use the work priorities. 

[akiceabear]

snip

Extremely reasonable requests - so long as convenience tools are included to make sure those with simpler needs aren't burdened, happy to see this function expanded as requested.

[DarknessEyes]

I'm pretty sure darknesseyes is just a troll...

Im not trolling at all.
The current system doesn't work in my setup...

IMO tthey should keep the current system but add an advanced option that can be toggled on/off for each colonist.
Something like the "workbenches" where you can move priorities up and down using the arrows and you can set to do X job forever (if available) or do the X job Y times (But in colonist ui make it per day). That way we could even set colonist do haul X items per day before doing anything else...

[Toggle]

Your setup is wrong then as you're not using the system properly. The work system is not made to allow several days of work on automatic, with you doing nothing. You have to set it up properly. Is your one pawn really needing a bit less then half the work options in that order? I honestly doubt you use that set up.

[DarknessEyes]

Your setup is wrong then as you're not using the system properly. The work system is not made to allow several days of work on automatic, with you doing nothing. You have to set it up properly. Is your one pawn really needing a bit less then half the work options in that order? I honestly doubt you use that set up.

1) Firefighting
2) Doctoring
3) Patient
4) Repairing
5) Main skill (Depends on colonist skills)
6) Hauling
7) Hunting
Plant cutting
9) Alt skill #1 (Depends on colonist skills)
10) Alt skill #2 (Depends on colonist skills)
11) Cleaning

Lets make an example with Researching as "Main skill", Growing as "Alt skill #1" and Cooking as "Alt skill #2".

1) Firefighting: 1
2) Doctoring: 1
3) Patient: 1
4) Repairing: 1
5) Researching: 1
6) Hauling: 2
7) Hunting: 3
Plant cutting: 3
9) Growing: 4
10) Cooking: 5
11) Cleaning: 5

[TLHeart]

Your setup is wrong then as you're not using the system properly. The work system is not made to allow several days of work on automatic, with you doing nothing. You have to set it up properly. Is your one pawn really needing a bit less then half the work options in that order? I honestly doubt you use that set up.

1) Firefighting
2) Doctoring
3) Patient
4) Repairing
5) Main skill (Depends on colonist skills)
6) Hauling
7) Hunting
Plant cutting
9) Alt skill #1 (Depends on colonist skills)
10) Alt skill #2 (Depends on colonist skills)
11) Cleaning

Lets make an example with Researching as "Main skill", Growing as "Alt skill #1" and Cooking as "Alt skill #2".

1) Firefighting: 1
2) Doctoring: 1
3) Patient: 1
4) Repairing: 1
5) Researching: 1
6) Hauling: 2
7) Hunting: 3
Plant cutting: 3
9) Growing: 4
10) Cooking: 5
11) Cleaning: 5

and once again no pawn will ever get past job #2 in your list in one day.

[_alphaBeta_]

The work system is not made to allow several days of work on automatic, with you doing nothing.

This is probably the nexus of the debate summed up in a sentence. I believe this should be possible, but it can't be done effectively with the current system.

I can understand that some players have no interest in doing this and would prefer to make frequent changes based on what their colonists are currently doing. I'm having trouble understanding why some are so opposed to allowing the other play style. This is especially considering that a few extra numbers and controls would make this possible.

and once again no pawn will ever get past job #2 in your list in one day.

I hate to keep going back and forth on this, but respectfully you are not considering multiple colonists having similar priority settings. By the late game I usually have quite a few colonists who are good with guns and knives, but not much of anything else. Hauling is a perfect low-skill job for them to do. A team of haulers will keep up and have times of no hauling jobs being active. In the example provided by DarknessEyes, it's clear that pawns sharing this prioritization should concentrate on hauling. Yes, I'm aware that researching is #1, and a pawn or two from the group may actually be researching assuming that a research project has been assigned. From there they haul, and if there's no hauling jobs available DarknessEyes would like them to hunt and go down the rest of the list. Yes, as soon as a hauling job comes up, someone will drop what they're doing and run for it. Understandable since that's how the current system works. Unless multiple haul jobs come up at once, a group of colonists sharing this prioritization will not all haul - they'll keep doing their secondary or tertiary tasks etc., They'll keep busy without my intervention and it's better than being idle.

The alternative to having this functionality would be to have all these colonists go idle, and then assign them some more things to do. This is the unpleasant kind of micromanagement to me, but I respect that some like to play this way.

Also consider scenarios like I mention earlier where you shelter colonists inside. This usually leads to massive idling since the amount of jobs available is reduced. I usually have to turn on a whole bunch of jobs with higher global priority (<<<< & >>>>) so they keep busy inside. Once the crisis is over, I have to go back and turn it all off.

[Too-DAMN-Much]

my work priorities stay static set like that for easily years at a time if not the entire game at once, overall the priorities system works very well for me personally, the main downside is hauling as mentioned and cleaning can be troublesome too at times, but really the only effect i see for the most part is less ROI on crops.

[edit] and i've yet to try to escape the rimworld either, for any wondering, my colony backstory is that conglomo sent out some fresh meat to see how they would do at running a planet-scale branch of the company, in short, leaving the planet is just another game over, indefinite living and profit, that's my goal. [/edit]

[TLHeart]

Those wanting more manual number for priorities seem to want to set the numbers just once and never touch them again. IE be on auto pilot, with no input from the player, except for the initial setup.

I Change the pawns priorities as the needs of the colony change. Need to get a harvest in quickly, everyone hauls for a day or two. Need a large construction project done, all those with construction skills are #1 until the project is done.... It is called management of needs.

There are a few pawns that the priorities rarely change on, but for me, as the needs of the colony change, due to growth, outside problems like toxic fallout, I change the priorities to fit what is happening at the time.  Job 1 and job 2 are all I am ever concerned about, as that keeps everyone busy for the day.

And that has worked easily even when I had 60 colonists.

[Too-DAMN-Much]

Those wanting more manual number for priorities seem to want to set the numbers just once and never touch them again. IE be on auto pilot, with no input from the player, except for the initial setup.

I Change the pawns priorities as the needs of the colony change. Need to get a harvest in quickly, everyone hauls for a day or two. Need a large construction project done, all those with construction skills are #1 until the project is done.... It is called management of needs.

There are a few pawns that the priorities rarely change on, but for me, as the needs of the colony change, due to growth, outside problems like toxic fallout, I change the priorities to fit what is happening at the time.  Job 1 and job 2 are all I am ever concerned about, as that keeps everyone busy for the day.

And that has worked easily even when I had 60 colonists.

it happens yeah, i had set more of them for specific jobs because of the colony's need overall, the point though, was i wish i didn't have to stop what i'm doing keeping an eye to their activities and have to fumble around with micromanaging them, thinking all the time "man, i wish they would fix this next alpha, it's really close to perfect already".

[Menuhin]

The issue with 'total granularity' is that if the scale went from 1-20 then I'd have to click like 100 more times to switch a moderate colony's priorities around, and that's just way too much.

Honestly by the time I worry about the priority of half the things on the list I have colonists literally dedicated to specific tasks, having more than 4 numbers would be redundant to me.

Being able to drag the columns around also seems superfluous to me, but atleast it wouldn't actively lessen my enjoyment of the game while also presumably fixing all the issues brought up so far.

This is pretty much spot on for me as well.  I would not want to see more numbers added, it would make manual priorities cumbersome.  If entire columns were able to be moved; I doubt i would ever use that but it wouldn't negatively affect my game play.

And as far as being able to move things around, I'd far rather be able to move colonists rows around which ultimately changes nothing except more of an ability to sort ppl.

[Toggle]

Rows is actually what I meant when I said that. I didn't expect people to have the same priorities for everyone through moving columns, although combined with the 1-4 it would just add an option. Although for moving the row, the only problem is how would you know what the activity was after moving it if the above title wasn't moved. Owell.