Deployment Scheduler questions

[EldritchBattery]

Hey guys, I appreciate all the helpful advice and tips so far, thanks! I have more questions concerning the deployment scheduler.

First, how is it supposed to work? I have stationed guards in 8 places and, when I put a "1" underneath all the hours I want them stationed, nobody ever leaves their station. I have 4 guard patrols and they never seem to leave either. Same with armed guards (which I don't actually want leaving but they don't anyways. Sometimes my dog patrols seem to cancel themselves and I was wondering if maybe the scheduler only works for dog patrols?

I really, really, REALLY wish it was more granular and you could select the stationed guard and it would have its own scheduler. It would make it a lot more intuitive.

PS- Has anyone noticed something wrong with PA screenshots if you installed this most recent beta? I can take screenshots but when I upload them it won't show them when I choose to "view online".

[lissa_981]

You need to set a 2 with htem not there.

[Hentaisocial]

You put the number first and then modify it. Each number is a copy of your base (white) schedule, that you then add to or substract from. So at first you want to assign your permament stations and patrols to white, and then start putting down numbers and modifying them as needed.

Video demonstration from the devs https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUuWAgvyiWcBeZ8sT0sJZyBg&v=OZgJAg4qMkE&feature=player_detailpage#t=630

(Skip to 10:30)

[EldritchBattery]

@lissa_981 do you mean all the hours I do not want them to be ...stationed? Is it supposed to be for stationed guards or what? Anyways, put a 2 under all the hours I don't want the guards stationed there? So 1 = yes and 2 = no, a binary switch for schedules?

[EldritchBattery]

@Peter Fuzzycats, I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean. Is it possible there is a video showing the steps for this? Man, what a PITA. doh, posted as you posted the video haha!

[Münster Mike]

Ok here's how I do it, broken down to the bone. So first of all, I set all my time slots to 1. I don't think this is necessary, but it helps me keep it straight.

First scheduling. All times slots to 1 in deployment scheduler. These will be my sleep/lockdown hours. Then I set work/free/yard times to 2, and I try to keep them in big blocks together on the schedule. Then I set eating times to 3.

Next comes deployment. First sleep/lockdown times. I move the red slider to any #1 timeslot. I place my guards and dogs in stations and on existing patrol paths that are suitable for nighttime and not wasting guards in the library, chapel, canteen, etc during lockdown or sleep, that sort of thing. I have my dogs patrol the exterior of the cell block perimeter to find active tunnels, and let most of my guards rest.

Then I move the red slider to the work/free hours, the #2 timeslots. All the #1 deployments disappear and I now assign guards and dogs to the patrol paths in the canteen and kitchen, laundry, reception (since it overlaps 8am intake time), chapel, library, parole offices, cleaning cupboard, patrols near metal detectors, dog patrols at the chokepoints, etc.

Then I move the slider to the eating times, the #3 timeslots. All the other deployments disappear and I can pile a bunch of guards and dogs in and near the canteen and one in the kitchen.

As for permanent stations, I just put them in every timeslot manually. I always put guards in the cell blocks, infirmary, and solitary block on every schedule, and guarding the entryway.

[EldritchBattery]

Yeah I finally got it working but it seems a bit buggy at times. I would get halfways through the schedule and happen to check back and something had changed from what I put it and I had to redo it. I think its working now but ..well, there isn't enough numbers. 0-7 is not enough. I need it to go to at least 8-9. My schedule is ..a bit wonky I guess but I have 3 different security secs on 3 different schedules and a lot of the times they won't coincide with each other so I need a separate deployment plan.

[Münster Mike]

It doesn't really matter how many areas and different prisoner schedules you have. You only have one set of buildings and areas, and one set of 24 hours - so you only need one schedule. It has to cover all your needs throughout the 24 hour day, taking into account the usage of each area in each hour. Doesn't matter who they're guarding. It only matters where you want guards and when, for whatever reasons you want (like different prisoner schedules) so as far as the guards are concerned, you need only one 24-hour schedule ever, covering every area you have.

[EldritchBattery]

@Jank-Gefr This is untrue. If there were 1-2 more numbers of schedule plans then sure but 0-7 I find just misses the cut.

edit- It might be enough now that I know the devs have the sleeping schedule hard coded. I'll need to change my schedule for that and maybe it'll be enough then.

[Münster Mike]

Well you can just say its untrue without any explanation, but that doesn't mean it is.

I guess you could argue that there should be a choice for each of the 24 hours, in case you had some wacky schedule where every hour was a new activity and you were unwilling to group similar-risk activities into a block, but ultimately how many prisoners you have and their various schedules are irrelevant. You could have fifty different groups of prisoners, but there is still only ONE pool of guards and THEY are the only thing you're scheduling.

I think you can make this existing system work quite easily for you, it's just a mental frame of reference change.

Maybe you can explain why 8 isn't enough, so I understand where you're coming from.

[EldritchBattery]

Its just a matter of min/maxing the guards. In this hour these guard patrols need to be here but not extra deployed guards. This hour the same patrols need to be here but now I need extra patrolling guards too. This hour the patroling guards don't need to be in my main prison but do in my max wing, etc etc.

I did manage to make it work with just 0-7 by making compromises but, in reality, I still needed more plan numbers. Making a max of 0-7 just seems arbitrary rather like hard coding sleep cycles. Unneccesary and complicating. If my schedule is such that I feel I need more than the provided number of plans the plan numbers should go to 10 or 12 or w/e.

[Münster Mike]

Fair enough. But one could just as well say you need a more efficient multi-schedule that fits the resources you have.

Compromise for efficiency is called improvement.

[steevm]

Bump: I'm at a loss as to how to assign schedule 0, i.e. always active. Sometimes it seems to work, sometimes it seems to assign random scheuldes when I assign a guard.

Has anyone figured out how the interface really works? How do you choose the schedule you want to assign the guards to? At first I thought it was based on where the red arrow is (i.e. the deployment you are viewing), but as I say, it seems random rather than controllable.

[Ric]

@ Steevm.

If you don't have any number set( as in the just the white background) the guards set then will be in every numbered situation.

In other words, they are your base guards no matter the schedule you then set in other numbered areas. You will also need to set the guards during that time or move the red arrow to that time.

You can change this by setting everything as 1 before you begin as mentioned above. You will then be able to set everything seperately over the different numbered sections.

FYI, there is more than enough numbers as you should only be moving around gurads between main shift changes like yard/eat/work time.

Hope this in is understandable. It's very difficult to explain scheduling without talking directly while streaming.

[steevm]

I got all that, it's choosing which schedule I am assigning that makes no sense.

My question in short form is "how do I select which schedule I am currently assigning?"

[Ric]

Publicado originalmente por steevm:

My question in short form is "how do I select which schedule I am currently assigning?"

I got all that, it's choosing which schedule I am assigning that makes no sense.

Click on the time that you want to put guards in at. You'll get a red arrow over the selected time if it's not current. The number below that will be the number you can then asign to other times. Click on 2-3pm with a "1" underneath. set all guards up there that you want(assigned and patrols). You can then add "1"'s to everywhere you want this specific setup. Rinse and repeat.

I usually have everything normal on "1", Canteen time on "2", Yard time on "3" etc...personal preference.

On another note if you're adding guards to a time that isn't the current time, the screen will get a slight red hue and the time will be shown on your main window.

If you're still struggling with this add me and I'll steam stream it for you to explain easier.