Automating repair

[Sokar408]

A simple question. How do I get construction ships, or how do I make a ship type, that will automatically repair stuff, but not also automatically build stuff?

I play full manual, and it seems that the only way to get the auto repair (by putting a construction ship on auto), will get you auto construction as well. I'm asking because I'm getting tired of finding my construction ships in the other end of the galaxy half destroyed, while trying to setup a mining station there for some reason.

I want control over what is built, but what the maintenance to be automated.

[Bingeling]

As far as I know, there is no way.

When it come to repairs, I usually don't bother with them. They can limp back to a spaceport for repairs, and if they lack hyperdrive they are scrapped. If I feel like honoring a brave force, I may make an exception to send a construction ship to repair the stragglers.

[Sokar408]

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

As far as I know, there is no way.

When it come to repairs, I usually don't bother with them. They can limp back to a spaceport for repairs, and if they lack hyperdrive they are scrapped. If I feel like honoring a brave force, I may make an exception to send a construction ship to repair the stragglers.

So I'm forced to deal with manual repairs, or automatic building? For a game with this level of customization, that seems like an odd oversight.

Oh well its a minor thing. I suppose you'd recommend automation over manual labor here right?

[Retreat1970]

Auto constructors work surprisingly well, but never as good as manual control of course.

A pure repair ship isn't possible. You could try designing a ship with a construction yard and no plants, but it would never work on auto. The class of the ship will dictate how it runs on auto. If there was a generic class design for a mobile unit, like starbase, it could work. You could, however, have a starbase with construction yards no plants. That may work (never done it).

I'll give it a try in the game i'm in.

Update: doesn't work.

[Sokar408]

ORIGINAL: Retreat1970

Auto constructors work surprisingly well, but never as good as manual control of course.

A pure repair ship isn't possible. You could try designing a ship with a construction yard and no plants, but it would never work on auto. The class of the ship will dictate how it runs on auto. If there was a generic class design for a mobile unit, like starbase, it could work. You could, however, have a starbase with construction yards no plants. That may work (never done it).

I'll give it a try in the game i'm in.

Update: doesn't work.

Damn!

[Retreat1970]

Actually I was wrong, it does work. I was thinking you didn't need plants to repair, but what I meant was resources. I built a size 180 starbase with one yard, and ships went to it to repair. It's not practical though. Like Bingeling said, it's not worth it.

[Edmesa]

The only form of auto repair in the game is adding repair bots to your designs. However I got thinking wat would happen if made armed constructors and added to your automated fleet if they would start repairing ships in the fleet?

[Retreat1970]

I could never get the constructors/fleet thing to work. Armed or not. Maybe someone else has had better luck.

[zenkmander]

ORIGINAL: Retreat1970

Actually I was wrong, it does work. I was thinking you didn't need plants to repair, but what I meant was resources. I built a size 180 starbase with one yard, and ships went to it to repair. It's not practical though. Like Bingeling said, it's not worth it.

If only you could have a special gas mining station with yards to repair! Although I guess an alternative is to park some construction ships at a gas station. Not ideal or cost/time-effective, especially for big fleets, but it's one option. Could be good for long wars on a static front, I might try it out.

[Blabsawaw22]

well.. even on Auto, the constructors dont' seem to do their job later in game.. I've seen them sit and do nothing as gas and mining stations were destroyed by the thousands.. they never seem to rebuild them.. and even in my home system.. when at war, everybody destroys my gas and mining stations and i'm left with 19 construction ships sitting with "no mission"..

let alone the fact that they don't auto repair except extremly rare cases..

I guess this game has had it's day.. where is Distant Worlds 2 which I pray to God solves issues like this..

[Bingeling]

I would assume that the AI is not working in the line of: "A mine just got destroyed, I must rebuild it". It is working along the line of "Do we need more mines? No we do not. Do nothing".

Your games may play differently than mine, but apart from fuel mines, I don't generally see too many mines being needed. One source for each resource, one as a spare, and a few extra for the most used resources. It should get you a long way. And if your empire grows large, colony resources should cover most of the non-gas needs.

But if in doubt, build another fuel mine. And another one

[Blabsawaw22]

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

I would assume that the AI is not working in the line of: "A mine just got destroyed, I must rebuild it". It is working along the line of "Do we need more mines? No we do not. Do nothing".


But if in doubt, build another fuel mine. And another one

yes I think that line, "do we need more mines?" that could be what's going on..

but that's annoying as hell as I want my mines to be rebuilt.. but hey... oh well..

I do build some of my mines manually, actually I build manually a lot.. especially when I go to a new system and need fuel for the fleet going there..

the issue then becomes (war starts) all my mines get blown up.. and I'm supposed to manually constantly go back and click to rebuild mines every 2 minutes it's destroyed? meanwhile another war starts on another front and they destroy those mines on my west side.. but wait.. the north side then has it's mines destroyed.. and I got 14 other systems I have to deal with.. oh then another fleet is attacking and brings my attention to that.. I just rebuilt a mine on the west side, but ...

see where I"m going with this?

[Bingeling]

I see where you are going, and I don't actually play the game these days so my memories may be off. I do also play somewhat quiet games usually, which reduces the destruction spree. Also, I enjoy "clean borders", which leads to quite a lot of mines being some way off most fronts during wars.

As to what would I do? The galaxy is somewhat settled? Expansion planner. Filter on caslon/hydrogen, the fuel of your choice. In the list, queue constructors on anything in the green, and probably anything else around. There should not be many fuel available fuel sources around that is not in the "red" once the galaxy is settled.

Also, in expansion planner, you should see a "cross" on the map indicating where a source is, which makes it quite possible to avoid queuing a gas mine in that pirate infested gas cloud on the other end of the galaxy.

The "pain" in doing this arises when you decide to "get a good steel/gold/whatever source in the vicinity of "planet A", that is micro management. Using the expansion planner to queue constructors for fuel sources is not that bad in my opinion.

[Blabsawaw22]

well yes that is one way that seems like it will work..

I guess I want the "adviser" auto AI - to ask me if "do you want all your mines rebuilt that were destroyed?"

but yeah, probably for DW2 ha..

[Bingeling]

It is a fundamental difference between what you want, and what the AI in this game is.

You want an assistant. One that you can tell "keep these 10 mines up at all times".

What the game provides, though, is the chance to automate certain tasks or areas. So an automated construction ship is run exactly like a construction ship will be run in any AI empire, ruled by the AI logic to pick mining locations. Automation choices is choices to combine having an automated AI empire (like all the others), where parts of that empire is manually controlled by you. The automated part, are not run by your scripts (but you can tweak them with empire policy), they are fully automated AI parts.

What DW2 will do with automation remains to be seen. I would not be surprised if the main principle is kept, but hopefully the AI will be improved, and maybe more customizable.

[Blabsawaw22]

yes, or even maybe a setting in the 'Policy Menu' to set Constructors on "repair" duty only or something..

[Bingeling]

That could indeed work. For instance having multiple (at least two) roles for constructors where one is "rebuild destroyed structures". One could also imagine a "repair unit" flying around to fix the debris left after space battle being set up by such a role.

[Blabsawaw22]

Yes, a game from 1999 Called Homeworld (had better graphics too eh..) had contstuctors that you would hold down the "Y" key and select an area selection box.. anything under that selection box would get repaired..and if their were 10 items in the selection box, they would be queued up for repair! yes 1999! ha