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Author Topic:   Production Queue fix?

Matt Fox posted 03-22-99 02:17 PM ET
"The Current Production at a base is now the top slot of the queue." Readme.txt, datalinks
I have installed the 3.0 patch and this doesn't seem to be the case. I remember saying "yay!" when I read this, but then it turned out not to be true. Did this just miss being included in the patch?
Some suggestions for the base production. Could there be a set of buttons to display only categories of build options? i.e. combat units (perhaps land, sea, air), noncombat units, base facilities, projects. The list gets a little long, for new bases especially.
Secondly, it would be ideal to simplify the production screen into one "change" button. This would bring up the production queue and allow you to add, remove, etc. When you click OK, then it would determine if you have changed the first item in the queue and warn you about changing production. The window would show you the first item in the queue. Basically just like MOO2
P.S. Thanks for the right click menu to obselete units. Much easier!
tfs99 posted 03-22-99 04:10 PM ET
Amen and amen.
These are great suggestions.
I get frustrated too by the loooooong lists of items that can be built in the late game.
Takes a lot of time to find that Police unit I want to build or Recycling tanks or whatever when I first capture an enemy base.
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS posted 03-22-99 04:39 PM ET
The current production is the top of the queue. Add Stockpile Energy to the current production, then add anything else to the queue. It should replace it. The first queue slot is the current production, the second is the top of the queue list, etc.
jkm
firaxis games
Cadfael posted 03-22-99 05:20 PM ET
It's not necessary to have humongous lists of units that you can build.
Select the units that you are interested in and upgrade or obsolete everything else.
If you find that you dropped a unit that you are now interested in, you can go back and recreate it.
Matt Fox posted 03-22-99 06:32 PM ET
Perhaps if nothing is currenly in production, adding something to the queue will replace Stockpile Energy, but if something is currenly in production, I don't see it at the top of the queue, and if I add something to the top of the queue, it doesn't replace what is currenly in production. In my opinion, the queue is a list. What is in production is at the top of that list. The queue window edits that list. When you OK the list, whatever is at the top of the new list goes into production. If that item is not what was previously in production, then the warning message is displayed, offering to either add what is currenly in production to the top of the new queue and continue producing it, or cancel the current production and start producing the first item on the new queue. I think that is what people are expecting from the queue, and why they are complaining that it doesn't work properly.
Dick Knisely posted 03-22-99 07:14 PM ET
I think understand what you guys are saying and what's confusing, Jeff, is that you say "The current production is at the top of the queue." Maybe its logically that way but on my machine the item pictured is not appearing in the #1 slot of the queue. To change the pictured "current production" you use the "change" button; to change everything else you click on the queue. Getting rid of that difference seems to be what was expected but doesn't appear to have happened.
On the other hand, maybe I we're talking about different things. Personally, I'd find it confusing if current production was simply repeated in the #1 slot. But it would work if the whole idea of "current production" was dropped and that screen area was simply a picture of the item sitting #1 in the queue, (which was of course what was now in production). You'd still want to show the production progress over there with the picture and the "hurry" button is still needed, but the "change" button would be removed. Since the current production is in the #1 slot I can change it exactly the same as changing the any other slot in the queue, click on the slot and replace/insert/delete, etc. This may be what was requested, or not, but I like the idea. Doing that would simplify the interface since there would be only one way to change production no matter if it was current or future. It does, in effect, shorten the queue by one slot but I don't see that as a significant issue.
Current implementation and this idea have a different way of looking at "current" production. Both work but I do like the simpler approach.
tfs99 posted 03-22-99 08:02 PM ET
Hey Cadfael ...
I do obsolete units that I no longer build. But I can't obsolete base improvements, or maybe I can, I never tried.
I like the idea of having some simple filters:
1) Combat Units
2) Base Improvements
3) All
These three alone would be great for starters.
Adding:
4) Land
5) Naval
6) Air
7) Secret Projects
Might help as well.
There are a good amount of special abilities. And certainly the various combinations when you get Neural Grafting for two specials per unit can lead to scads of special unit types.
Maybe:
8) Specials
could be another filter option.
Anyway, I find a lot of my time taken up by clicking on the up and down arrows or on the scroll bar trying to find the right rows that contain the units I want to build.
I think having filter buttons or a menu is a great idea!
As to the production queue, I really get annoyed with the fact that I have to click "Replace" and then "OK" to get a new unit into an empty slot in the queue. If I only want to add one unit to an empty slot, why can't I just select it and click "OK"?
Anyway, the SMAC production queue is a great idea, and the right click to obsolete helps a lot in easing the ability to cut down unit clutter, but the queue interface *DOES* needs some work.
cousLee posted 03-23-99 04:24 AM ET
First thought line (Firaxis): The top of the queue IS the picture and the list on the right is #2-whatever in descending order.
Second thought line (Other side): The top of the Queue list on the right should reflect the Item in the picture. #1-whatever.
Right? Is this where the confusion is?
I Think getting rid of the "change" button is a good idea and using the second thought line. then all you need to do is click on the queued item to change. but untill then,
when I have a large facility list, I don't use the queue as the demand for the city is always changing. basicly, I use the "change" button for underdeveloped cities, and the queue for the more developed cities. this works the best for me anway imho.
JaimeWolf posted 03-23-99 06:31 PM ET
The current production item is item #0 in the list. I from editing the current production to editing the queue, but not the other way around.
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Author	Topic: Production Queue fix?
Matt Fox	posted 03-22-99 02:17 PM ET "The Current Production at a base is now the top slot of the queue." Readme.txt, datalinks I have installed the 3.0 patch and this doesn't seem to be the case. I remember saying "yay!" when I read this, but then it turned out not to be true. Did this just miss being included in the patch? Some suggestions for the base production. Could there be a set of buttons to display only categories of build options? i.e. combat units (perhaps land, sea, air), noncombat units, base facilities, projects. The list gets a little long, for new bases especially. Secondly, it would be ideal to simplify the production screen into one "change" button. This would bring up the production queue and allow you to add, remove, etc. When you click OK, then it would determine if you have changed the first item in the queue and warn you about changing production. The window would show you the first item in the queue. Basically just like MOO2 P.S. Thanks for the right click menu to obselete units. Much easier!
tfs99	posted 03-22-99 04:10 PM ET Amen and amen. These are great suggestions. I get frustrated too by the loooooong lists of items that can be built in the late game. Takes a lot of time to find that Police unit I want to build or Recycling tanks or whatever when I first capture an enemy base.
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS	posted 03-22-99 04:39 PM ET The current production is the top of the queue. Add Stockpile Energy to the current production, then add anything else to the queue. It should replace it. The first queue slot is the current production, the second is the top of the queue list, etc. jkm firaxis games
Cadfael	posted 03-22-99 05:20 PM ET It's not necessary to have humongous lists of units that you can build. Select the units that you are interested in and upgrade or obsolete everything else. If you find that you dropped a unit that you are now interested in, you can go back and recreate it.
Matt Fox	posted 03-22-99 06:32 PM ET Perhaps if nothing is currenly in production, adding something to the queue will replace Stockpile Energy, but if something is currenly in production, I don't see it at the top of the queue, and if I add something to the top of the queue, it doesn't replace what is currenly in production. In my opinion, the queue is a list. What is in production is at the top of that list. The queue window edits that list. When you OK the list, whatever is at the top of the new list goes into production. If that item is not what was previously in production, then the warning message is displayed, offering to either add what is currenly in production to the top of the new queue and continue producing it, or cancel the current production and start producing the first item on the new queue. I think that is what people are expecting from the queue, and why they are complaining that it doesn't work properly.
Dick Knisely	posted 03-22-99 07:14 PM ET I think understand what you guys are saying and what's confusing, Jeff, is that you say "The current production is at the top of the queue." Maybe its logically that way but on my machine the item pictured is not appearing in the #1 slot of the queue. To change the pictured "current production" you use the "change" button; to change everything else you click on the queue. Getting rid of that difference seems to be what was expected but doesn't appear to have happened. On the other hand, maybe I we're talking about different things. Personally, I'd find it confusing if current production was simply repeated in the #1 slot. But it would work if the whole idea of "current production" was dropped and that screen area was simply a picture of the item sitting #1 in the queue, (which was of course what was now in production). You'd still want to show the production progress over there with the picture and the "hurry" button is still needed, but the "change" button would be removed. Since the current production is in the #1 slot I can change it exactly the same as changing the any other slot in the queue, click on the slot and replace/insert/delete, etc. This may be what was requested, or not, but I like the idea. Doing that would simplify the interface since there would be only one way to change production no matter if it was current or future. It does, in effect, shorten the queue by one slot but I don't see that as a significant issue. Current implementation and this idea have a different way of looking at "current" production. Both work but I do like the simpler approach.
tfs99	posted 03-22-99 08:02 PM ET Hey Cadfael ... I do obsolete units that I no longer build. But I can't obsolete base improvements, or maybe I can, I never tried. I like the idea of having some simple filters: 1) Combat Units 2) Base Improvements 3) All These three alone would be great for starters. Adding: 4) Land 5) Naval 6) Air 7) Secret Projects Might help as well. There are a good amount of special abilities. And certainly the various combinations when you get Neural Grafting for two specials per unit can lead to scads of special unit types. Maybe: 8) Specials could be another filter option. Anyway, I find a lot of my time taken up by clicking on the up and down arrows or on the scroll bar trying to find the right rows that contain the units I want to build. I think having filter buttons or a menu is a great idea! As to the production queue, I really get annoyed with the fact that I have to click "Replace" and then "OK" to get a new unit into an empty slot in the queue. If I only want to add one unit to an empty slot, why can't I just select it and click "OK"? Anyway, the SMAC production queue is a great idea, and the right click to obsolete helps a lot in easing the ability to cut down unit clutter, but the queue interface DOES needs some work.
cousLee	posted 03-23-99 04:24 AM ET First thought line (Firaxis): The top of the queue IS the picture and the list on the right is #2-whatever in descending order. Second thought line (Other side): The top of the Queue list on the right should reflect the Item in the picture. #1-whatever. Right? Is this where the confusion is? I Think getting rid of the "change" button is a good idea and using the second thought line. then all you need to do is click on the queued item to change. but untill then, when I have a large facility list, I don't use the queue as the demand for the city is always changing. basicly, I use the "change" button for underdeveloped cities, and the queue for the more developed cities. this works the best for me anway imho.
JaimeWolf	posted 03-23-99 06:31 PM ET The current production item is item #0 in the list. I from editing the current production to editing the queue, but not the other way around.