I don't know if anyone has made a request like this as I haven't seen a sticky, but has anyone thought of implementing an "ETA" function that will hover around the comm/construc vehicles? My memory is fuzzy, but I think in the original Supp Comm you would see and ETA for unit movement. I'm sure there is a bunch of work being done on 3D-command-queues; e.g.: moving building locations, order of movements, etc, etc. Also, I think I'd like to see some kind of filter for contruc units or some notification of "idle workers." This game gets massive in scale and building more workers while you have some that are just sitting around is silly. I've noticed with my recordings so far I lose track of them quite easily... It's hard to tell from way above (necessary for mid-to-late game) whether a little icon is helping build, moving to build, etc.... Just my two cents... I'm sure some things like this are being worked but I just wanted to make my pledge heard. The new alpha patch with metal extraction spots required has given me a good glimpse of how to scout territory and pick off random, unprotected resource collection fields. This game is really going to shine with those who know how to handle their intelligence networks; I am a big fan of this perception. So far so good... I've been slightly addicted even at this early alpha stage!
I remember this also, it was quite a nice gimmick but I don't think I ever really used it. I'm not saying that it should not be implemented however, I'm sure some people find it very useful.
If you are like me and can somehow multi-manage the timing of two-dozen plus projects, it makes the difference between a top player and an average one... speed and accuracy is of course a huge factor over macro/micro-strategy... someone who can command things 10 times faster than a slower strategist can ofttimes win a match. The best part of having the "ETA times" is that you can see what amount it takes to create a unit under standard, ideal conditions; what does that mean? Well, let's say you have plenty of metal/energy income; you build the unit solely with the factory. How long should it take, precisely? How long does it take adding one air builder? A vehicle builder? What about with the commander and mix? These are questions that can only be answered if you have calculated ETAs available.
Just thinking randomly, what if all player orders came with ETAs and these were placed in a list sorted in chronological order of completion, once they're completed (whether early, on time, or late from the estimate) the player could click on the listed items to go to the task... It would be like a self assembling to-do-list for the player. It would obviously need to be able to be turned off or minimised.
I love the idea of a production timer however I i think its usefulness will be determined by how it is implemented given all the factors that effect it such as resource availability and # of fabers assisting. For that matter I don't have a good handle on what the pros/cons are of having other fabers assist on builds. Does anyone know or know where I can find the exact time savings vs resource cost of having 1-5 extra fabers on a build (be it structure or unit)?
At this point in time it is VERY difficult to say as the +/- reports for metal/energy being used by units are not fully implemented; however, I have noticed - with ease - that adding some vehicles to assist a lab greatly decrease time. It should be a given in a "Annihilation-style" game that this is a fact. You may of course outspend your resources by assisting and slow other progressions. There are many factors that will affect the ETA timer. However, I would like to know standard times and how far off those numbers are when I "push" for production. Make sense?
