(suggestion for core or mod) - assign "super priority" to tasks

Started by stigma, July 30, 2016, 05:57:39 PM

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stigma

Hey all,

Everyone who has played this game have occasionally run into some issues with top-priority jobs. There is a big raid coming and your turrets are done, but you just need about 8 tiles of electric cabling and you will be golden... except that after building one of those tiles now your constructor wants to go to bed. DAMNIT MAN, YOUR LIFE AND THE LIVES OF EVERYONE YOU KNOW DEPEND ON THOSE CABLES!! Then you proceed to manually:

right-click -> prioritize building wire
(constructor runs a few tiles towards his bed)
right-click -> prioritize building wire
(constructor runs a few tiles towards his bed)
right-click -> prioritize building wire
(constructor runs a few tiles towards his bed)
right-click -> prioritize building wire
(constructor runs a few tiles towards his bed)
right-click -> prioritize building wire
(constructor runs a few tiles towards his bed)
right-click -> prioritize building wire
(constructor runs a few tiles towards his bed)
right-click -> prioritize building wire
(constructor runs a few tiles towards his bed)

All the while cursing under your breath probably ...

It would be really useful if we could assign super-priority to jobs. What I specifically mean by this is:

-You mark a task as super priority (either by selecting it and hotkey/button, or perhaps a "brush" tool, or even both)
-As long as there exists any super-priority jobs that a pawn can do (has an assigned jobtype for), these tasks take priority over all other jobs AND all the pawns regular schedule restrictions and needs are ignored.
-Completed jobs automatically delete their super priority when done (once), so no recurring jobs --> infinite loop problems.
-Super priority tasks take top priority, but do not block other lower priority jobs - so in cases where the super priority jobs are literally not possible (such as constructing not being possible until materials have been placed on the frame) these actions are allowed to happen so you don't deadlock.

Obviously if you overused this tool then your colony would collapse from your pawns not being able to take care of themselves, but I feel it would be invaluable for those critical jobs where you otherwise would feel the need to resort to the rightclick-prioritize method. Sometimes you just need to intervene with some micromanagement, and the only current way of doing that action-by-action with not even queuing being possible is excruciatingly frustrating at times.

Thoughts?
-Stigma

Fusha

On a related note, I'd love it if prioritized tasks ignored work priority allocations. Right now, I have to open work tab -> enable work -> select pawn to prioritize task -> disable work in work tab after they've finished with the task. This can be so much simpler.

stigma

Quote from: Fusha on July 30, 2016, 11:44:27 PM
On a related note, I'd love it if prioritized tasks ignored work priority allocations. Right now, I have to open work tab -> enable work -> select pawn to prioritize task -> disable work in work tab after they've finished with the task. This can be so much simpler.

Yes exactly, even when the pawn doesn't need to eat, sleep or ... stargaze and whatever else - you still have situations where the only alternative to rightclick->prioritize every tile is to rearrange the job-priorities. Doing that, and then setting it back afterwards is such a hassle. If I could just select the jobs and click a hotkey - or drag a priority-brush over the jobs it would be simple! :)

these little QoL changes are pretty important for the long term IMO.

-Stigma