Merging Construction and Repair work types - should I do it?

[Gennadios]

The less petty job types clogging up screen space the better. As long as there's a right click option to prioritize the repair of a specific item I don't really see any issues.

I don't multitask during red events, so all non-drafted builders wouldn't have anything to do but repair with my playstyle anyway.

[loc978]

...this makes me a little afraid that construction (a high-volume, long-term task) would always be prioritized ahead of repairing (a low volume, short-term task). I generally have it the other way around on my skilled constructors, so as to avoid gradual damage and eventual destruction of my buildings... but I also have construction high and repair low with some of my unskilled workers, so that they'll assist in hauling materials. I like this system the way it is... if anything, I'd request a reversal of their positions in the priority queue.

[Arsonik]

I always use manual priorities and I don't think I ever really keep construction and repairing at the same level. I do a lot of sandbag spamming to slow down raiders. There is a literal shit load of repairing to do after every battle later on in games. It is imperative that it is all done quickly before another fight, less my already broken defense are completely broken down exposing flaws and weaknesses.

From a developers perspective, what is the point in doing this? It's taking away player control to some extent and I just don't see how it can be a problem for you to keep the two separate? I'm actually really surprised to see that no one is objecting to this. I got behind the kickstarter before the first wave of alpha's went out. I've played A LOT. I don't normally like to participate in forums but this is a hot topic big deal for me. Especially when being proposed by the game dev!!! What is so hard for people to just set both construction and repair to the same priority level if that is what they want? If I want priority level 1 repairs and priority level 'whenever the hell I get to it' construction... well why not?

This thread is a wake-up call to me that my vision for this game might not really be lining up with most people on the forums. I've been meaning to do an in-depth analysis and write-up of sorts on my opinions and ideas of the game for a long while, and I think this might be a good motivator for me. I'm a terrible procrastinator unfortunately lmao.

[Coenmcj]

didn't you split the construction/Repair skills ages ago? (Like A2/3?)
My vote's no,
It was real annoying back then not being able to differentiate between repairs and construction, as the colonists would seemingly take preference to building over repairing battle damage. (But I suppose some of the buildings randomly took damage then and there was no manual preference)

Edit ;
248 - November 1
● -Split repair from construction

[Boboid]

I've literally never considered having Construction and Repair on different priorities - Construction naturally takes precedence due to its location which is fine by me.


I never assign large construction orders unless the manpower is available to do the job almost immediately, and *all* my colonists always have construction set at 4 with the exception of a few high-skill who will have it set to 1.
The end result is that I've never *ever* had any problems across probably more than a hundred colonies.

Having Repair/Construction melded would just save me some interface time.

Unless you're one of those crazy people who leaves colonists undrafted during combat and is worried about errant colonists repairing during firefights I don't see a problem.

[ItchyFlea]

I vote no. I always have 1 colonist set to build 1 repair 2, and a 2nd colonist set to repair 1.

[geredis]

I think it'd be a good idea.

Further, to help clean things up a bit, I think that Growing and Cutting should be combined as well.

[Coenmcj]

I think that Growing and Cutting should be combined as well.

I must agree with this point. Cutting seems to be become a near-useless category midgame

[Darkhymn]

As seems to be the consensus, I see no problem with this. I generally set these to the same or similar priority on my colonists, and never have anyone set to do just one, so for me personally I don't see any harm in it. It would be nice to have one less thing to micromanage in the manual priorities.

[CheeseGromit]

If this change is to be made in isolation I vote no. My concern being that fewer options for setting automation of work priorities will result in more micro-management of colonists.

If the future allows for another method of allocating priorities within the main work groups my opinion may be different. As it stands the pro doesn't offer a particularly compelling argument compared to the con.

[Mikhail Reign]

I say keep them separate - I don't think I ever set repair and construction to the same priority -  repair being the highest priority on less skilled builders, and maybe a few other pawns who have some spare time now any then, and construction one my skilled builders. This way my structures get built AND repaired at the same time.

Also In response to the growing and cutting merg - HELL NO! Just about every colonist that I have is set to have cutting as priority number one. If I need lots of wood for a new project, or to get some trees down so that a new building can go up quick, its a god send to be able to have everyone go out and rip the trees down in seconds.

[Joshuasca]

NO WAY! I don't know how so many people think this is a good idea!!! The way i play, i have my best builders be REPAIR ONLY.  During a siege i lock them in my killbox and undraft them so they will run around and fix the walls and turrets - and it's the only thing that holds my colony together!  Last thing i want them to do is run off to go build a potted plant while the SHTF...

[lusername]

No, don't merge things. It's already bad enough that "Crafting" is an indifferentiable blob where there is no way to prioritize or restrict tasks. Turning more things into blobs just renders the system ever more useless for actually managing anything.

[RemingtonRyder]

I'd say yes, as long as there's an in-game way of denoting which colonist(s) are dedicated repairers. For example, adding a Repair Tool Belt. What that will do is make Repairing a higher priority than Constructing, for that particular colonist. Sound good?

Similarly, if you wanted to merge Growing and Cutting, you could have secateurs or an axe (Gimli: AND MY AXE) to make a colonist want to do plant or tree cutting before harvesting/sowing.

[b0rsuk]

Needs a button to forbid colonists going into hot zones then, when raiders attack you get damaged walls and everyone rushes to fix it, dying unless drafted or repair prohibited.

In fact some survival instinct for colonists would go a long way, they just don't care about the dozen pirates surrounding them.

Forbidden zones would make merging these 2 jobs much more feasible.

But consider this. A slow-moving colonist with a peg leg etc would make a fine repair man. Damage tends to be clustered in few areas. But construction involves a lot of going back and forth, fetching materials. It's similar with cutting trees. You don't need to move very fast, because you spend a lot of time in a single spot. Sowing or harvesting plants is movement-intensive.