so what was the point of no auto explore with scouts

[zaldaria]

such a simple thing but i wonder why it was taken out do they want a personal touch so you on the scout more in game?

[Esau]

The only thing I can think of to explain it is that they actually couldn't figure out how to get explorer AI to function vis a vis pathfinding. At some point the explorer would fall into a routine and stop properly looking for new hexes, or wig out trying to explore tiles it can't reach in the Ancient era. They never figured out how to get it to work so disabled it on release until they could patch it back in. That's my headcanon, because there's absolutely NO way while developing the game anyone that had played even a single game of Civ in their entire life would think that manual exploration is what fans want in a new Civ game. Especially in a game so centered around trying to streamline gameplay to the extent of removing builders, it doesn't make sense.

[Skull]

They created a better option with survey to find goody huts and lookout to help your army after things are explored.

[Franky B.]

I actually never used auto explore in any civ game, ever. Exploration is one of the four X. Auto explore removes 25% of the game experience. Why do you do that?

[jorgen_cab]

Originally posted by Franky B.:

I actually never used auto explore in any civ game, ever. Exploration is one of the four X. Auto explore removes 25% of the game experience. Why do you do that?

It is not really important to do it yourself after you done a certain area around you. It is just repetitive and not very fun, that is why people use auto explore.

[Franky B.]

To each their own, I guess :) I prefer to explore the whole map manually :D nonetheless, it wouldn't hurt to add it as an option, that for sure.

[JerBeware]

Originally posted by Franky B.:

I actually never used auto explore in any civ game, ever. Exploration is one of the four X. Auto explore removes 25% of the game experience. Why do you do that?

At least for me personally - you simply have enough other things to micromanage, have largely already done what you needed with the scout and no longer care if they live or die (mostly).

I may take one to circumnavigate the globe, have already cleared the main land masses/completed my goody hut searches/located where settlements will go, etc. - and at the point I would hit auto-explore, it was just to have them go out and automatically map the remaining 'black' tiles (Civ V and VI).

I'm mostly fine with no auto-explore existing in Civ VII. Being stuck to one continent in the first age pretty much cripples the scouts once the goody huts and discovery rush are over, so instead of auto explore, you're pretty much left with just having them go up in a tower at a strategic location (e.g. they largely just sit anyway for 30+ turns depending on the circumstances).

[Franky B.]

In civ6 it was basically in every game, that I tried to level them up (mostly 3) until they got the +20 on all fights promotion. Kinda sad that's gone. I think the tower is a great addition to make them useful after the continent is explored.

[eklos]

Originally posted by Franky B.:

To each their own, I guess :) I prefer to explore the whole map manually :D nonetheless, it wouldn't hurt to add it as an option, that for sure.

Tiny Fuzz - if anyone remembers Rich LaPortes Gone Gold site, this was one of the things he loved about the HOMM series - exploring and uncovering every bit of the map.

Mae me think of TIny Fuzz the little animated GIF on the old web page...

[Gumpo]

Originally posted by Esau:

The only thing I can think of to explain it is that they actually couldn't figure out how to get explorer AI to function vis a vis pathfinding. At some point the explorer would fall into a routine and stop properly looking for new hexes, or wig out trying to explore tiles it can't reach in the Ancient era. They never figured out how to get it to work so disabled it on release until they could patch it back in. That's my headcanon, because there's absolutely NO way while developing the game anyone that had played even a single game of Civ in their entire life would think that manual exploration is what fans want in a new Civ game. Especially in a game so centered around trying to streamline gameplay to the extent of removing builders, it doesn't make sense.

This is basically what I assumed too.

But I thought it was more about the efficiency of the AI to use the two scout abilities properly.

To be fair, auto-explore on scouts has always been a bit odd in its behavior. In Civ 6 I would regularly disregard it because if you had a scout to the west, but one little undiscovered tile all the way on the east side of the map, it would run all the way over to look at it instead of scouting in the area it was already at, often running through areas swarming with barbarians.

Still, i'd rather have a somewhat erratic auto-explore, then be forced to do it manually all the time.

[Gumpo]

Originally posted by shirleyrocks:

The devs indicated auto-explore is going to be implemented. My understanding is that they are considering how to 'best' implement it. For example, should a scout first prioritize finding other Civs? Or should the top priority be finding goody huts? Or should the priority be exploring the map, etc.

Oh imagine that, maybe make up an algorithm for each of those, and let the user choose?

[Santa Klaus]

Some developers don't release betas and call them v1.0

[Audie_Murphy]

Originally posted by zaldaria:

such a simple thing but i wonder why it was taken out do they want a personal touch so you on the scout more in game?

Ed Beach said they wanted players to try the new options for scouts which in my opinion are great. So many times borders or oceans limit my movement preventing me to scout further. This is when i press that scope and see out over the ocean or beyond borders to see if it's worth going further.

[skunkno1]

Originally posted by Audie_Murphy:

Originally posted by zaldaria:

such a simple thing but i wonder why it was taken out do they want a personal touch so you on the scout more in game?

Ed Beach said they wanted players to try the new options for scouts which in my opinion are great. So many times borders or oceans limit my movement preventing me to scout further. This is when i press that scope and see out over the ocean or beyond borders to see if it's worth going further.

Yes the new options are cool but when you've used them all you want to you should be able to select auto explore.

[Rhapsody]

Originally posted by Audie_Murphy:

Originally posted by zaldaria:

such a simple thing but i wonder why it was taken out do they want a personal touch so you on the scout more in game?

Ed Beach said they wanted players to try the new options for scouts which in my opinion are great. So many times borders or oceans limit my movement preventing me to scout further. This is when i press that scope and see out over the ocean or beyond borders to see if it's worth going further.

This. And auto-explore has always been inferior mode of exploration anyway.

[Demon Llama]

I suspect it wasn't "taken out" so much as it is just one of the many, many, MANY things that are missing from this incomplete "release" product.

The designer wants players to try "new features" so he takes out tried and true features that are essential QoL? That is a HORRIBLE decision. That guy should be fired, if that's the truth. But it's not, that's likely just spin to cover the fact that this game is about 50% complete. All of these missing things will be back, with time, and with more of your dollars to buy the expansions they inevitably ship with.

Very disappointed with the company, the designers, all of it. I've played every Civ ever made. This one is *terrible*.