Feature: UI: Building same building on existing just assists

If you order a unit to build the same structure on the same spot that another building of the same type has already been queued, or is already under construction, then the unit should just assist whoever is already building it.

It's just a small "do what I mean" feature that will make the UI easier to use.

Implementing this feature will also make area commands much easier to implement, since engineers will be given build orders to build structures on spots where there are already buildings in progress by the other engineers already issued the same build command.

Re: Feature: UI: Building same building on existing just ***

Makes sense. Any counter arguments?

Re: Feature: UI: Building same building on existing just ***

Is it a construction only assist or a full time assist? If the building is complete do the engineers assist the building still?

example

I'm building a factory with 2 engineers, by the time the second gets to it though its completed. What does the second engineer do? Assist tank production or continue its build queue?

(In supcom once an engineer was assisting an active factory, you would have to cancel the assist for an engineer to resume the build queue)

Re: Feature: UI: Building same building on existing just ***

You mean aside from the obvious "why are you building structures on top of each other?" question? I mean if it can be included without significant overhead then great, but I don't see how going out of your way to order the construction of a building, on top of an existing or in-construction building is easier than just right clicking on the original to begin with?

Mike

Re: Feature: UI: Building same building on existing just ***

If you only want the engineer to assist with construction, sure, that makes a bit of sense, but if you want the engineer to also repair the structure, just having right click do that seems easier....

EDIT: Oh, I see what you mean now. You want the engineer to also help build the structure there. However, a simple right click on the building/the outline of the building that shows up before its constructed would also be easier.

Re: Feature: UI: Building same building on existing just ***

There are a couple of very minor optimizations:

If you click on an engineer, and select the building to build, it's only then that you realize a building has already been queued on the space you were going to build. In Total Annihilation and Forged Alliance, you can't even construct-assist a building that hasn't been started yet. So you have to unclick the order and either wait or assist the unit that has been ordered to build it. Even if you fix this issue, you would still have to cancel the order and assist the yet-to-be-built queued building, that still sucks. Queuing a building order should be idempodent, in that doing it many times does the same as doing it once. The first engineer on the scene starts building, the next one construct-assists.

It also makes it easier for area commands to work. If you queue up building a mex for an engineer, then order a group of engineers to area-build mexes in the same area, the area command code will fail if naively implemented. The fix I proposed simplifies everything.

Re: Feature: UI: Building same building on existing just ***

Do they start building right away before the other unit that has the space queued actually begins the construction? If so it sounds like this might let engineers build buildings they normally can't build, ie. T1 building a queued T2 structure. Or do they just sit and wait for the production to begin and then start assisting? As long as its only the same building* or they wait I think It sounds like a grand idea.

Re: Feature: UI: Building same building on existing just ***

In addition to this, making an Engineer assist another Engineer (so clicking on it) should first heal said Engineer (if that's implemented obviously), and then help the Engineer build structures, I think.

Re: Feature: UI: Building same building on existing just ***

The developers will clearly work out the obvious conflicts with this system. First of all, a lower-tech unit can't even be issued an order to build a higher-tech building, so that won't even be a problem.

Re: Feature: UI: Building same building on existing just ***

Sounds great

Re: Feature: UI: Building same building on existing just ***

Zero K does exactly this, and it works.