Time Tables

[TheSilencedScream]

I'm definitely eager to see how these work (to those who don't know what I'm talking about, I'm referring to March 23rd's changelog where this image is linked).

A few questions, though:
1.) Will we be able to manually override still (say, click for them to haul something and interrupt their scheduled cooking)? This may seem like a silly question, but I thought I'd ask upfront rather than be surprised in A10.

2.) What is done instead if, for some reason, the scheduled task can't be accessed (i.e. no ingredients to cook with, no stone to cut, etc.)?

3.) Does sleep and hunger automatically override the scheduled task?

4.) What tasks will we be able to schedule, exactly?

[Shinzy]

By the image I feel like you can schedule only very generic things like 'work on things based on the priorities', 'freetime' and 'sleepy time' and like 'do whatevs/unscheduled time'

so if your cook has no meat to tenderize they'll go do their next prio
and based on the 24th i'd guess hunger and sleep will be overriding scheduled worktime if they get hungry/sleepy enough?

and I don't think the manual direct order thing would have been removed

That's atleast the impression I've gotten from it! that it'd be completely optional feature

[Joshuasca]

If it's that way maybe it's being implemented to manually set a time for colonists to stop working (stop working!?) so they can play pool and fill up their fun meter and I immagine you will have to do this unless they really love their jobs, which perhaps may not affect gameply so much because most of my workers have a passion in their work if they don't i usually just assign someone who does to that job even if they are less skilled.

[code99xx]

Are timetables really necessary? I dont really see a reason to use them.

In all my games so far I always ended up with colonists doing jobs full time. I need food so i have cooks that cook 24-7. If i need something hauled, i have haulers just for that and so on. I really dont see an use for timetables.
Early in the game, maybe, when i dont have that many colonists for every job that i need but later on when you get new colonists, timetables become pointless imo.

This is not a prison, its a colony. Every colonists can decide for himself/herself when and if they want to eat, unwind, have some beer, sleep and so on.

[Boboid]

Timetables become more useful when you factor in the Fun system.

In reality you need a method to control colonists who aren't getting their dose of Mandatory Fun naturally through their standard work.

I doubt there are many applications beyond that.

[code99xx]

Timetables become more useful when you factor in the Fun system.

In reality you need a method to control colonists who aren't getting their dose of Mandatory Fun naturally through their standard work.

I doubt there are many applications beyond that.

Right, the fun thing. Yeah i can see timetables being a thing for that but beyond it, no real use.

[Tynan]

It's very general as Shinzy describes. Basically for being able to make decisions like

-Setting people to work more or less. Be a slave driver if you want, or go easy on people when everyone's stressed.
-Giving greater or lesser fun time
-Separate day and night shifts

The game already had this, really, it was just invisible and not configurable. But they already preferred to sleep at night. This really just makes it configurable to handle the fact that there are now three broad kinds of behavior - work, sleep, fun - instead of two.

[Latta]

The game already had this, really, it was just invisible and not configurable. But they already preferred to sleep at night. This really just makes it configurable to handle the fact that there are now three broad kinds of behavior - work, sleep, fun - instead of two.

So this is why my night owls reset after few days.

[TheSilencedScream]

It's very general as Shinzy describes. Basically for being able to make decisions like

-Setting people to work more or less. Be a slave driver if you want, or go easy on people when everyone's stressed.
-Giving greater or lesser fun time
-Separate day and night shifts

The game already had this, really, it was just invisible and not configurable. But they already preferred to sleep at night. This really just makes it configurable to handle the fact that there are now three broad kinds of behavior - work, sleep, fun - instead of two.

Ooooh, I like that we get to control the sleep schedules now.
Perhaps you could segue that into Night Owl and Early Bird traits - people who prefer to work one "shift" or the other and get a mood buff/debuff depending on it.

[Monkfish]

The game already had this, really, it was just invisible and not configurable. But they already preferred to sleep at night. This really just makes it configurable to handle the fact that there are now three broad kinds of behavior - work, sleep, fun - instead of two.

So this is why my night owls reset after few days.

Ahhh! That explains why colonists tend to go to bed around midnight/1am, and why colonists out of sequence due to drafting get back into the same cycle after a few days.

[Ink.]

-Separate day and night shifts

This would be really cool if there was some way to designate military "posts" for "military work". Armed guards and what not to be better prepared for sudden attacks.

[EscapeZeppelin]

This would be really cool if there was some way to designate military "posts" for "military work". Armed guards and what not to be better prepared for sudden attacks.

I would really like this. Maybe create a "patrol" zone or path that colonists on guard duty wander around in? That way you could prioritize your fighters and keep them stationed where you want them.

[Mathenaut]

This essentially removes micromanagement from alot of regular tasks that need to be done (like production of various sorts).

More time planning, more time exploring, less time clicking bills and microing colonists.

[Ink.]

This would be really cool if there was some way to designate military "posts" for "military work". Armed guards and what not to be better prepared for sudden attacks.

I would really like this. Maybe create a "patrol" zone or path that colonists on guard duty wander around in? That way you could prioritize your fighters and keep them stationed where you want them.

Right. It would provide two things that I think would help Rimworld a bunch.

1. It allows for more varying in defense strategy other than [our] loved "build into a cliff and make an open killbox for attackers & drop-podders".

2. It provides more use to the very violent colonists. Sometimes you get those assassins and kinds, the ones who are great at combat skills but won't really work in much else. One problem with this is at some point, they just start wandering around my colony until the next battle starts utilizing my resources. With a system like this, I could make them be more efficient as guards to the colony/prisoners or set up patrols so that they can be effective and potentially be the "first response" to incoming attackers, while I try to gather the rest of my colonists to be geared and reinforce them.

[Benny the Icepick]

I assume there will be negative mood effects for people who don't get as much sleep or play time as they'd like.  I wonder, will the same happen to people who get put on the night shift?

This could lend itself to some new personality traits, like "Light sleeper," "Nocturnal," "Easily distracted," etc.