Building confuses me

[PenderBloodfart]

Coming from Rimworld, everything feels so clunky...
I'm trying to make new dormitory area, i made the rooms plan with walls and a doorway but won't let me place beds because it says "area must be connected"... They're the exact same size as the ones i already built. I really don't get it

[PenderBloodfart]

Ok update apparently i can't make a single building with separated walls... I have to make a new one every single time.

[Guardian]

when making a building / room you can only make a single connected entity, you can however copy the footprint and place multiples that is at the bottom of the buildings tab.

or if your making different sizes and inputs just finish one building and click the tick to finish it to start building and then make ur next one :)

[c0ri0lis]

Originally posted by ManThingYesYes:

Coming from Rimworld, everything feels so clunky...
I'm trying to make new dormitory area, i made the rooms plan with walls and a doorway but won't let me place beds because it says "area must be connected"... They're the exact same size as the ones i already built. I really don't get it

Yeah, the system is a little different and it catches me out too. Even now I can sometimes end up in auto-pilot mode, drawing multiple Farm plots for the same Farm without thinking.

I do echo Guardian's suggestion about the Copy Room tool but I also dislike that it's a thing, it encourages very samey looking cities. Maybe it's useful in EA where the experience of building rooms is still a bit clunky.

[PenderBloodfart]

Originally posted by Puddi_UK:

Originally posted by ManThingYesYes:

Coming from Rimworld, everything feels so clunky...
I'm trying to make new dormitory area, i made the rooms plan with walls and a doorway but won't let me place beds because it says "area must be connected"... They're the exact same size as the ones i already built. I really don't get it

Yeah, the system is a little different and it catches me out too. Even now I can sometimes end up in auto-pilot mode, drawing multiple Farm plots for the same Farm without thinking.

I do echo Guardian's suggestion about the Copy Room tool but I also dislike that it's a thing, it encourages very samey looking cities. Maybe it's useful in EA where the experience of building rooms is still a bit clunky.

True i'm too used to simply free build rooms and then fill it with what i need instead of having to specifically build the correct building and then copy it

[Gamatron]

I'm just curious about getting to the bottom of this sort of criticism. I suspect you're trying to build many small rooms? Because room sizes support up to 200 people in one go. And in the end it's the same amount of work, you need to put down an area, and then furnish it. It's just the order that's different. I can see the appeal of slapping down multiple farms at once easily, or a long array of small housing, and streamline the stages instead of restarting with each room, ruining the flow. Perhaps I can solve this, by actually allowing you to build disconnected rooms, and have them turn into separate rooms once you finish. That might actually be a very good idea.

On a side note, medium sized rooms are the best. Small houses are not a good idea, since the workers might miss work, or have to little to do. The game just isn't designed for it.

[PenderBloodfart]

Originally posted by Gamatron:

I'm just curious about getting to the bottom of this sort of criticism. I suspect you're trying to build many small rooms? Because room sizes support up to 200 people in one go. And in the end it's the same amount of work, you need to put down an area, and then furnish it. It's just the order that's different. I can see the appeal of slapping down multiple farms at once easily, or a long array of small housing, and streamline the stages instead of restarting with each room, ruining the flow. Perhaps I can solve this, by actually allowing you to build disconnected rooms, and have them turn into separate rooms once you finish. That might actually be a very good idea.

On a side note, medium sized rooms are the best. Small houses are not a good idea, since the workers might miss work, or have to little to do. The game just isn't designed for it.

I guess we're all coming from other games where we're so used to build everything neatly, because people have their individual quirks and needs but honestly it just looks neat to have many small houses, it gives a more city-like look.
For work related buildings i just find it a bit clunky, for example i want to upgrade from a eatery to a canteen, i have to select the room delete it, then build the canteen using the walls that were left. It might sound easier this way but it isn't.
It ties up with my main issue which is the UI, as i said in another post, the most efficient way in my opinion is to have an empty room that as soon as i place a workbench it becomes marked as that specific workshop or what not. It becomes more dynamic so i can have a bigger room with a few tables and then build more as i need them or expand the walls easily (i also need to figure out how to do that)

[i do games]

If it wasn't a simple design mistake on OP's part, I have also seen the 'area must be connected' message while trying to place an object in the middle of an open room, completely unobstructed.

I don't know what causes it, and cancelling the whole room plan and redrawing it seems to fix it, but it definitely feels like a Bug whenever it happens.

If I see it again I'll try to figure out what exactly I was doing at the time.

[PenderBloodfart]

Originally posted by i do games:

If it wasn't a simple design mistake on OP's part, I have also seen the 'area must be connected' message while trying to place an object in the middle of an open room, completely unobstructed.

I don't know what causes it, and cancelling the whole room plan and redrawing it seems to fix it, but it definitely feels like a Bug whenever it happens.

If I see it again I'll try to figure out what exactly I was doing at the time.

I think i was trying to make a single plan for multiple houses, it was my first play. If you divide the same room with a wall then you can't build anything in the second half.

[Berethain]

Originally posted by Gamatron:

I'm just curious about getting to the bottom of this sort of criticism. I suspect you're trying to build many small rooms? Because room sizes support up to 200 people in one go. And in the end it's the same amount of work, you need to put down an area, and then furnish it. It's just the order that's different. I can see the appeal of slapping down multiple farms at once easily, or a long array of small housing, and streamline the stages instead of restarting with each room, ruining the flow. Perhaps I can solve this, by actually allowing you to build disconnected rooms, and have them turn into separate rooms once you finish. That might actually be a very good idea.

On a side note, medium sized rooms are the best. Small houses are not a good idea, since the workers might miss work, or have to little to do. The game just isn't designed for it.

Apologies if I have just missed this, but is there a simple way to support extra large rooms? I was trying to make a dormitory with over 60 beds, but once you go past something like 30x30, the room gets an indicator of increased cost/maintenance because of a lack of support? Is there a way to add pillars that I am missing? I tried adding internal walls but couldn't figure that out. Or does it mean for any room past X size it has an increased maintenance cost?

[c0ri0lis]

Originally posted by Berethain:

Apologies if I have just missed this, but is there a simple way to support extra large rooms? I was trying to make a dormitory with over 60 beds, but once you go past something like 30x30, the room gets an indicator of increased cost/maintenance because of a lack of support? Is there a way to add pillars that I am missing? I tried adding internal walls but couldn't figure that out. Or does it mean for any room past X size it has an increased maintenance cost?

When laying out the room, use the "Shrink Room" function to remove a tile of the room to make a pillar. You don't technically need to build the pillar with an actual wall, the room just needs a "hole" in it; I think this is likely a known oversight. Of course, hitting the "Auto Build Walls" button the gaps for pillars will ensure a wall is built for them.

[c0ri0lis]

Originally posted by Gamatron:

I'm just curious about getting to the bottom of this sort of criticism. I suspect you're trying to build many small rooms?

I think many people coming to the game expect it to be more like Rimworld or Dwarf Fortress where individual bedrooms are more of a thing. I initially was the same, but then I realized this is more like Dungeon Keeper (where you lay out large communal rooms). Once my brain switched from Dwarf Fortress mode to Dungeon Keeper mode everything made more sense and felt good to play.

Perhaps the issue is one of expectations rather than implementation?

[Scribonius]

Originally posted by ManThingYesYes:

It ties up with my main issue which is the UI, as i said in another post, the most efficient way in my opinion is to have an empty room that as soon as i place a workbench it becomes marked as that specific workshop or what not. It becomes more dynamic so i can have a bigger room with a few tables and then build more as i need them or expand the walls easily (i also need to figure out how to do that)

You can expand a room after it has been placed, so you can make a room with less work spots and build more in later. The feature needs some work, as it can end up deleting the room sometimes, but it is usable (I would drop a quick save before using it just to be sure). Also, you can expand rooms over structures if you click the option (between normal expand and shrink), this allows you to build over walls as if they were open space.

[DevHyfes]

For me, it is the entire concept of "Rooms" in Syx that bugs me. I also come from Dwarf Fortress and Rimworld, and the concept of a "room" was straight up a factor of the building. Four walls and a door makes a room. Whether it is a big room, or a small room, it is a room.

But in Syx, the "Room" concept is decoupled from the actual building. I have built a big building for manufacturing clothes that has, warehouse space, eatery, bathrooms, and the weavers and tailors. According to the game, that is 5 or so rooms, but it is just two "actual" rooms in the building (one for the lavatory, and one big chamber with columns for the rest).

Coupling the "Room" with the "Production Furniture" just creates a bunch of difficult UI work. If I want to copy the building, I cannot. I have to copy each of the Rooms then build the walls around them.

And it does this because it is not reflective of reality. We don't make rooms out of furniture, we make rooms and add furniture to them.

I'm guessing that coupling rooms to production is inherent in the object model, but if it wasn't. I would think that adopting the DF/Rimworld model would make things much simpler in the UI. Efficiency boosters like carpets could be a single menu selection that could be added near the work benches to boost efficiency, rather than creating them as a part of the whole design process. It would also make adding to the room easier. Instead of "Expand Room" which fires everyone and stops all work until the changes are made, you just plunk down an additional bench or efficiency device.

[DevHyfes]

Originally posted by ManThingYesYes:

Originally posted by i do games:

If it wasn't a simple design mistake on OP's part, I have also seen the 'area must be connected' message while trying to place an object in the middle of an open room, completely unobstructed.

I don't know what causes it, and cancelling the whole room plan and redrawing it seems to fix it, but it definitely feels like a Bug whenever it happens.

If I see it again I'll try to figure out what exactly I was doing at the time.

I think i was trying to make a single plan for multiple houses, it was my first play. If you divide the same room with a wall then you can't build anything in the second half.

I have been caught by this when I accidentally laid a single tile off screen while scrolling to look at how far I was from something. As soon as you have a room where all the tiles aren't connected you get this error.

[i do games]

Originally posted by DevHyfes:

Coupling the "Room" with the "Production Furniture" just creates a bunch of difficult UI work. If I want to copy the building, I cannot. I have to copy each of the Rooms then build the walls around them.

Copying multiple rooms and/or buildings is coming Soon I believe.

Personally I like the way the designing of rooms & buildings is done in this game since it's made to be played on a scale that neither Rimworld or Dwarf Fortress ever came close to. I think it offers the right amount of customization without turning into micromanagement hell.

You might enjoy producing an individual Table or Chair and then carefully positioning them in your first 20 rooms, perhaps even 100... but 1,000?