Hey.... Yeah so does anyone actually use planning mode...?

[Ramsis]

I guess my question comes with a bit of a pessimistic flair but I just can't logically think up a need for planning mode. Maybe it's the way I play where I know what I'm looking for and how I want it, or maybe it's just the fact of the matter that my style tends to work perfectly 9 times out of 10.

Does anyone here have any stories of where they use planning mode or can explain to me some cases where planning mode was the best thing ever? Idk, I kinda wish Planning Mode would be adapted into some sort of building plan saver that could be saved and reused but meh.

[RayvenQ]

I use planning mode a fair bit, but I seriously wish it had numerical displays so you know how long a planned line was, etc etc, would make it so much more useful.

[Shinzy]

I usually build while the game's paused and the 'blueprints' of placed walls are enough

Still! I do use it mainly for mapping out the trade beacon/sunlamp areas so it's easier to plop the zones around them (So numerical display like RayQ said would be the best)

"ooone twooo three foour fiiiv.. gurk! *gets a stroke* that's like eighteen now? *starts again* One twoo three-"

[christhekiller]

I usually use it yeah. I'll map out bare bones districts or big-ass-buildings, calculating out where stuff will go and where structural support beams will be etc. I find it easier. often times I'll let the game run in the slowest form instead of doing the 2x fast forward like I normally play in, that way haulers can haul stuff and shit can get done while I plan

[Goo Poni]

I use it for my mountain bases so I can dig out correctly sized rooms and with the TTM modpack, I recently made use of it to plan how to fit in three drilling machines as they have a minimum distance between each other.

[Ramsis]

Honestly I couldn't be happier right now. It's so good to hear people are using this feature I've so lazily thrown aside.

[Goo Poni]

As someone else mentioned, it's also pretty handy for forming stockpiles around beacons because even if you have a beacon selected, it'll select the freshly made stockpile when you designate it. Use it for sun lamps too so I know how much room I have to work with, at least till I get bored and just smother the room in hydroponics. The hydroponics from Clutter Corp, I think the mod is, can be walked over. I do try to make pathways so that people walk around them and tend to the plants but eventually they just climb all over them instead. So if they're okay with getting their feet dirty, the hydroponics bay quickly ends up looking like Vault 22.

[H_D]

I use it when I plan to build colony in certain way from the beginning (like this one: http://i.imgur.com/jfiqDw9.jpg). You plan where you want to build stuff that you can't afford yet.

[Quasarrgames]

I use it sometimes. its helpful for placing turrets so that they won't blow each other up, or when i get hit with a stroke of OCD and i try to make my base symmetrical.

[REMworlder]

As someone else mentioned, it's also pretty handy for forming stockpiles around beacons because even if you have a beacon selected, it'll select the freshly made stockpile when you designate it. Use it for sun lamps too

This is one of the first things I started using the planning zones for. I've even used it a little to outline turret and weapon ranges (then I fill them in the zones with flowers).

[Oragepoilu]

I use the planning mode to :
-Get the line of max range of my guys from my wall (especially nice early, as you can quickly see if you need to retreat a bit to let the raider come a bit more closer if you don't have yet a weapon with enough range)
-Show the range of my turret (so i can change my target if i see them inside the range)
-Beacon / building while early you can't build everything you can still plan it to avoid starting building and see that you don't have enough place around

[keylocke]

As someone else mentioned, it's also pretty handy for forming stockpiles around beacons because even if you have a beacon selected, it'll select the freshly made stockpile when you designate it. Use it for sun lamps too so I know how much room I have to work with, at least till I get bored and just smother the room in hydroponics.

i don't even use sunlamps anymore. i just open up a 1x4(?) roofless area on top of each hydrophonics table.

back to topic.

yea, the number display for tiles would be nice. it's been an ancient suggestion (even before the planning mode was added) and it seems to be an easy fix.

i honestly have no idea why tynan doesn't seem to be interested in adding it.  (i wonder if there's a good reason behind it)

[ITypedThis]

I use it for absolutely everything! It's one of the most helpful and useful features in the game, in my opinion.

[hunter2012]

theres a planning  mode? hehehe

[Goo Poni]

As someone else mentioned, it's also pretty handy for forming stockpiles around beacons because even if you have a beacon selected, it'll select the freshly made stockpile when you designate it. Use it for sun lamps too so I know how much room I have to work with, at least till I get bored and just smother the room in hydroponics.

i don't even use sunlamps anymore. i just open up a 1x4(?) roofless area on top of each hydrophonics table.

I think hydroponics count as those sensitive electrics, so they spark in the rain, causing fires and damage. I know sun lamps are sensitive electrics Plus, the point of hydroponics is to grow stuff indoors. If you're gonna leave them outdoors, might as well just stick with a growing zone of arbitrary size.