If I want to build something I first have to find a builder who is free and nearby. Having multiple planets doesn't make this task any easier. And most of the time I need more than one builder to finish the job in time. And in case I build a new base with 3 groups of builders 2 of them will be done before the third group finishes, standing around lazy and watching their collegues doing the hard work. My suggestion: I'd like not to have to order my technicans to build the stuff but just to place the buildings. Free technicans would automatically travel to them and start to build them. In order to make the task easier for the AI one would be able to set construction groups. They are a point on a planet where all the constructors gather when there's nothing to build. It has a customizable area around it and any constructor in the group will automatically assist buildings built in the area. Constructors not belonging to a construction group will get used to build anything outside the range of construction groups, for example off-shore mass production or sensors. Construction groups could also be a valid destination for factory production, so that a new constructor is automatically assigned to a group. Priorities could also be implemented. CTRL+Leftclick on a construction side could change its priority and with SHIFT pressed one could change the priority of all buildings of the same type. There could be 3 priorities: high, medium and low. Constructors would only start building medium priority when there's no high-priority and only low when everything else is finished. When there's nothing to build they would repair buildings and rebuilt destroyed ones. Advantages: we wouldn't have to mikro-manage the construction of my bases we could plan additional bases or sets of buildings before the engineers are even created. we could change the building queue more easily (by changing priorities) we wouldn't have to search for the engineers we need Of course this idea could be applied to units, too. Just tell a waypoint how many units you want to have there and the fabrics automatically distribute the task among them and send the units there.
For the sake of balance: Disadvantages: Simply moves the micro elsewhere. This system means that you'll never have any idle engineers while you're building something. So to control your eco, you have to micro the number of engineers you have available, by building or destroying according to your eco strength. Potential frustration if you want to rush, say, a nuke, but the engineers build other things with high priority If you haven't done so, play Tropico 4. It uses a strain of this system, and it works well if you're not in a blind panic, but if you're desperately trying to build something? Not so much fun.
For the sake of options: What if there is a way to toggle certain engineers to act this way (and the factory building them so they can be preset). Then you can have a set of engineers you want to control to do certain tasks, but still have some around doing random things. This also means that if your a person that likes to do everything yourself, you can. But people like me and the poster can have bit of a easier time with building, While potentially having to deal with situations like you suggested. Personally, I would really love them to act that way. I personally struggle to micro well and expand, with this, It would make it all the more easier for me. Instead of spending time to look for an engineer to do a task, it would already be doing it (or something else that needs to be done) keeping me to do other things and not be knowing there are idle engineers sitting around. Also, to add to the suggestion, What if any engineers set to auto build things automatically stop if your economy stalls, and start back up when it is stable again? Then having them roaming around wouldn't hurt as much if they start spending more then you intended, giving you time to disable them if needed.
It means I never have idle engineers in the areas where I'm building, but engineers in other areas could be idle. And in case one gets too many eco-problems he should be able to pause whole groups of engineers the same way single engineers can be paused today. And we must not forget that the game is about strategy, not about managing engineers. It's your fault then. If you set something to high priority you command your engineers to rush it. If you command them to rush everything you shouldn't wonder why nothing gets done. The Tropico-workers (also applies to Tropico 3) are lazy and hang in the bar and night club all the time (at least it feels that way). Of course they won't be there if you need them in a rush. But in PA? Your Engineers are always ready and simply dropping the build-order for 10 new towers with high priority sounds quicker than selecting all available engineers and order them to build them. You will have to make 4 doubleclicks and orders to select all engineers (T1 and T2/ground and air) and after your base is safe you will have to make them resume their previous tasks by hand. And, most important, I never said the system I propose should replace the old "select engineer, select building, click on ground"-system. They can both work together. UPDATE: @MadDogTen: I guess I have answered one of your points before I read your post. As for the auto-stop: Sounds good, maybe one could say that different groups of engineers should have different priorities, too. For example the ones at the front, building facilities and defenses, have higher priority as the one back at the secured main base or at the safe mining moon.
This has been discussed some, and definitely some form of automation would be awesome. Would put more of the focus on combat. This'll just need to be very... delicately done. Maybe creating new commands – like: automatically assist construction of new buildings automatically assist factory unit construction automatically reclaim automatically repair automatically expand energy automatically expand metal This would allow for focus on more combat oriented micro and allow for automation of expansion. These automatic expansion commands will be awesome for settling on a new planet. Drop an engineer, tell to expand, get back to the combat on your contested planet. I'm sure there's other good ideas out there. Either way, some form of expansion automation would be awesome. Allow for more focus on combat.
Auto-reclaim/repair in a patrol is a much-requested feature from SupCom, IIRC, and some have mentioned rallying engineers to another engineer being an auto "follow-assist" order, but auto-expanding energy and metal is out of the question, I'm afraid.
