Workshop Automation, is it all backwards?

[Bulletproofbullet]

I played DF before work orders were a thing, and before a lot of the boring stuff was automated. Just by selecting workshops and building X number of each item needed.

As the automation increases, and as I have dozens of work orders active right now, I'm wondering if this isn't all backwards?

Should we be telling Dwarves to 'build a table', so we can 'place a table'? Or should we be telling Dwarves to 'place a table', and allow them to 'automatically build a table' if the resources/workshop is on hand?

Work orders could still be there if you want to make extra things, but why not just automate all of it? Otherwise give me an option to save my work orders list, because I'm just doing the same thing over, and over again.

Has workorders and automation just evolved to become a case of putting the cart before the horse? Wouldn't it be better to focus on building, over workshop orders?

[Teemo]

So the problem is that everything you build has a level of expertise built into it. So you won't know how valuable of a table you have to place, nor the material to place it till that table is made. Now it would be kinda neat to tell the dwarves you want a masterwork oak table at said location and then the game automatically designates oaks to cut and tables to make until a masterwork one is finally produced, but you might get a lot of other oak tables in the meantime.

[Bulletproofbullet]

You could just choose materials like always, including "masterwork" if any are available. Again, not meant to totally replace work orders. Being able to dictate what's made is useful and should stay.

Why make the game revolve around that aspect though, when it's already 50% automated away? Why not just take it to the logical conclusion?

[McFuzz]

Originally posted by Bulletproofbullet:

You could just choose materials like always, including "masterwork" if any are available. Again, not meant to totally replace work orders. Being able to dictate what's made is useful and should stay.

I gotta say. I don't hate this idea.

[Astraneia]

No I think it's the correct way around.

If you order your dorfs to put down a chair, that's different from make a chair.
So if they don't have one, they will shrug their shoulders and tell you.
Do you really want to scroll through all possible options of material (some of which might need fuel or a specific workshop you might be missing) each time you put something down?

That's indeed what the manager's work orders are for. Just have "common" items in your stockpile and have an order to make a new one of those, when there's fewer than X stored.

I do this for: Beds, Thrones, Doors, Cabinets, Tables, coffers, statues, mechanisms and coffins, specified to be made of rock (beside the beds obviously). Most of those I create when there's fewer than 2.

[orangesobe]

It would be nice to have the option to enable this as a feature, till that time i usually have a work order set to if less than 10 make 10 ect, tables thrones whatever so if you run low your guys will automatically start making them, especially useful for bins and barrels.

[Sinclair]

Originally posted by Astraneia:

No I think it's the correct way around.

If you order your dorfs to put down a chair, that's different from make a chair.
So if they don't have one, they will shrug their shoulders and tell you.
Do you really want to scroll through all possible options of material (some of which might need fuel or a specific workshop you might be missing) each time you put something down?

That's indeed what the manager's work orders are for. Just have "common" items in your stockpile and have an order to make a new one of those, when there's fewer than X stored.

I do this for: Beds, Thrones, Doors, Cabinets, Tables, coffers, statues, mechanisms and coffins, specified to be made of rock (beside the beds obviously). Most of those I create when there's fewer than 2.

This. If you go to the manager screen, you have a whole list of options, most of which you can't make. I don't want to scroll through all of this every time I build a chair.

I usually set up automated orders for beds, booze, simple meals, doors, spare clothing, fuel, metal bars and stone blocks.

[noizewarr]

You are absolutely correct. Not being able to que up a bed/cabinet/table/chair etc and have it placed as soon as it's been built in the workshop is incredibly frustrating.

[Ghiron]

This is basically what planning mode was in DFHack. You have to get your workshop automation going, but once you do, you just plop down all the furniture you want and then wait for it to get built at the workshop and then placed once it's done.

Give it some time, they are working on DFHack for the steam version but there's a lot of changes they have to account for.

[Bulletproofbullet]

A lot of people are missing the point here.

Work orders are great, but setting up hundreds isn't. Why would I set up "build rock throne" when I can just say "make and place rock throne of any material"

It's really just that simple. Work orders should be an extra to this system, and not the focus, it's just backwards

[Catteus Of Mars]

Originally posted by Bulletproofbullet:

A lot of people are missing the point here.

Work orders are great, but setting up hundreds isn't. Why would I set up "build rock throne" when I can just say "make and place rock throne of any material"

It's really just that simple. Work orders should be an extra to this system, and not the focus, it's just backwards

+1

[Lord Bullingdon]

Originally posted by Bulletproofbullet:

Or should we be telling Dwarves to 'place a table', and allow them to 'automatically build a table' if the resources/workshop is on hand?

I like that idea. Would save me a lot of hassle.