Randomize same priority jobs

[NolanSyKinsley]

Currently when using manual priorities if two jobs have the same priority one will always always take priority over the other. For example I have construction and plant cutting set to the same priority, construction will always come first, and he will only start cutting plants after the construction is done, even if I designated the plant cutting first.

I think it would be a good idea to randomize tasks with the same priority, if two jobs are present and the same priority just a simple dice roll to choose which one to do.

**edit**

Well, I realize this could create a lot of walking back and forth, so maybe just swapping between the two, like an hour of one, then an hour of the other would suffice.

[chaotix14]

What you are asking is for players to have less control over what kind of jobs the colonists should prioritize. For me it's already a big puzzle to make them prioritize everything in the order I want when they will structurally follow the list, having them randomly decide once an hour that a task with the same level priority is more important than the job they should be doing(like deciding to go cleaning when they haven't restocked the meals).

Perhaps instead of putting everything on the same priority try puzzling a bit with the 4 priorities and I bet you'd be able to find a way to make them prioritize plantcutting over construction(hint: plantcutting 1 and construction 2 will create the wanted results).

[SpaceDorf]

Like chaotix said. I think you are reading the priorities wrong.

Priorities are worked on ( manual or selected )
1.) From Left to Right
2.) Lower to Higher Number

So if construction and planting are set to priority 2, construction has still the higher priority because its left from planting.
If you set priority of planting to 1 it has higher priority than construction and will be done first.
The problem is always, if a job pops up, that has a higher priority than another one, the pawn will finish one job ( or a job tick, for longer jobs ) and then do the job with higher priority.

[chaotix14]

The problem is always, if a job pops up, that has a higher priority than another one, the pawn will finish one job ( or a job tick, for longer jobs ) and then do the job with higher priority.

But that also ensures that if a colonist who has contracted the plague comes into the hospital for treatment your doctor doesn't say "Nah, I'm too busy hauling rocks."

[Alpha393]

Work tab mod is your friend.

[BlackSmokeDMax]

Work tab mod is your friend.

^^^ This ^^^

Not only can you prioritize from 1-9, you can also use Dwarf Therapist mode for finer controls on the sub-job within each normal job.

[SpaceDorf]

yup, another worktab user right here .. and everything else fluffy made.

[Lightzy]

I thought jobs of the same priority are decided by the order those jobs were qued, for some reason.

[NolanSyKinsley]

If your reply to a suggestion is just "use mod X" then you should consider not replying... This is the suggestion forum for what we would like to see in the game, not a mod recommendation request forum.

I know about the ordering of how the priorities is, but you cannot change it left to right, and only 4 priority levels is extremely limited. Especially early game when your manpower is very limited doing ALL of X type task before moving onto another leads to very frustrating circumstances, and requires a lot of micromanagement to get around. Being able to set one, two, or three jobs at the same priority and having the pawn work evenly between them would relieve a lot of that, or just being able to set mass priorities, like selecting a building plan and saying build this area first.

Right now if you have a guy that is a construction worker and plant cutter, he will build till you are out of wood, go cut one tree down, build a little more, go cut another tree, build a little more, etc, which leads to a massively inefficient system. Even just making it so when he goes to cut the trees he works on that for an hour then returns to his other job would be nice. Just some way to have a pawn work two jobs without being incredibly inefficient at it.

[SpaceDorf]

Right now if you have a guy that is a construction worker and plant cutter, he will build till you are out of wood, go cut one tree down, build a little more, go cut another tree, build a little more, etc, which leads to a massively inefficient system.

But that is basically your suggestion ..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And I apologize for that.
As far as I am concerned, I might have misread your suggestion, in that you did not understand the priority system as it is.
And the suggestion of fluffies mod is a way to make the current system work better. ( believe me, if you have not, try them out .. )

And creating zones, where you're pawn should work is already in the game. And yes I micromanage alot in the first few days of the game. Mostly by playing the numbers of the Priorities.
Because it is your job as Architect to ensure that your Construction Workers are doing their job in a sensible way.

If you could set Production Numbers for certain jobs it would increase efficency ( <advertisement> which you can with fluffies colonie manager(tm) </advertisement> ) but getting 3 pawns to work just how you think is best, is beyond any AI in a game.
And randomizing when your pawns do something would make you pull your hair out even more.

[chaotix14]

How about putting plantcutting on a higher priority than construction(like seriously just give plantcutting priority 1 and construction something lower), he will chop wood, then construct. Problem solved.

While I agree that 4 is very limited with how many jobs there are, it is manageable, even without having to micro the system(not even in the early game). And I would hate to babysit my colonists to ensure that they do their critical tasks, just because they think they need to switch their activities regularly. Expanding the amount of priority levels would solve the problem without making the colonists stupid enough to prioritize the wrong things because their AI tells them to regularly switch tasks between equal priority levels(like firefighters walking off to go doctor, run in for treatment as a patient or bed rest in general(that's already 4 things that need different priority levels to ensure they get handled in the right order with your idea).

[SpaceDorf]

Priorities aside.

In my games the amount of mirco I need for certain jobs pretty much comes down to how the skills are divided among my pawns.

In the first few days I prefer a setup of :

Builder
Planter/Forager
Hauler/Miner

with other jobs being mircomanaged. those being crafting, hunting and cooking/butchering.
Sometimes it is harder to find the right setup, sometimes it works all by itself.

And as the colony grows bigger I can create professionals with different priority layouts, which I still manage quite a bit, because my priorities change of what has to be done in the colony.

But maybe I still don't understand what you really want with your suggestion.
Put your suggestion down in three sentences in your head. Then try to implement it yourself as gameplay mechanic.
Then describe it.