A prolixity of suggestions

[netWilk]

(about auto-build-to-group-X feature) Would this really be desirable?

Yes! At least for me More seriously, this was one of my favorite things about Total Annihilation, I could build 8 tech 1 air plants and tell  4 of them to build bombers into group 1 and tell 2 of them to build air-superiority fighters into group 2 and tell 2 of them to build air-constructors into group 9; I could even set the patrol waypoints on the factories so those separate groups would feed into the "loop of scouting and death" around my base.  So when I was leading a ground assault I could literally "call in air support" by hitting 2, clicking a couple patrol waypoints over the battle field and then hit 1 and do the same (the fighters could clear stuff out before the bombers came in), and these orders would apply to units I'd never even seen, selected, or interacted with before because they were automatically built into those groups.

I see -- how did the interface for that work in TA?  How did you tell a factory that you wanted to automatically put it into that group?  Bear in mind that you can only select ships on one planet at a time, so if half of your Group 1 ships are off somewhere else and half of them are at the current planet, when you press 1 it only selects the ships at the current planet.  Giving cross-planet orders, aside from "go to that other planet," is not supported nor would it be very easy for me to add.  The original idea is that all of these planets are very discrete and distant from one another, so there's a certain amount of local feel to each one despite the fact that you also are commanding galaxy-wide fleets.

In TA, you would assign factories to groups, and any unit produced would then automatically join the group.  Also, the rally functionality was much expanded, you could queue up standard unit commands for the factory, and any new unit produced would then execute them.  If I remember right, hitting the group key would select the group units, but not the factories.  Keith will correct me if I got that wrong, I haven't played TA in a long time.

[x4000]

In TA, you would assign factories to groups, and any unit produced would then automatically join the group.  Also, the rally functionality was much expanded, you could queue up standard unit commands for the factory, and any new unit produced would then execute them.  If I remember right, hitting the group key would select the group units, but not the factories.  Keith will correct me if I got that wrong, I haven't played TA in a long time.

I see where that could be really easy way to get factories exporting ships in a specific group.  But if those ships are then on the wrong planet, I'm not sure the value of having them in the group.  In the AoE series, I used to make a habit of placing key barracks and stables in control groups so that I could quickly get back to them specifically (rather than the units they produced).  However, that was usually because I needed to refill their queues, but in AI War, TA, and SupCom of course that is unneeded what with the looping queues and all.

I guess this is one that I could see going either way, the AoE way or the TA way.  But, given that the game plays more like TA than AoE, in my opinion the TA approach wins out here -- you guys have convinced me. I've added this to my todo list (to be done like netWilk describes above), so if anybody doesn't like this change speak now or forever hold your peace. 

[keith.lamothe]

Thanks for being persuadeable

I've been waiting until I have time to properly respond to the other stuff mentioned, but on the factory-export-to-group I think the TA way is good.  Implementation-wise I imagine it could be accomplished by:
- adding an "int? ExportToGroupNumber" member to whatever super class of space docks and starship yards that makes sense
- adding a conditional in the "FinishUnitProduction" method or whatever it's called that if "producingStructure.ExportToGroupNumber != null" then "producedUnit.ControlGroupNumber = producingStructure.ExportToGroupNumber"
- adding a key binding (of a modifier and a digit key) that onPress calls a function that when a producing structure is selected "selectedStructure.ExportToGroupNumber = digitPressed"

Thanks,
Keith

[x4000]

Thanks for being persuadeable

Let it never be said that I don't listen to opposing points of view.

I've been waiting until I have time to properly respond to the other stuff mentioned, but on the factory-export-to-group I think the TA way is good.  Implementation-wise I imagine it could be accomplished by:
- adding an "int? ExportToGroupNumber" member to whatever super class of space docks and starship yards that makes sense
- adding a conditional in the "FinishUnitProduction" method or whatever it's called that if "producingStructure.ExportToGroupNumber != null" then "producedUnit.ControlGroupNumber = producingStructure.ExportToGroupNumber"
- adding a key binding (of a modifier and a digit key) that onPress calls a function that when a producing structure is selected "selectedStructure.ExportToGroupNumber = digitPressed"

Awesome, glad you're also in agreement with the rest.  For the implementation, I don't know that I need any new variables or anything, since it is already possible to put the factories in a control group.  When ships are produced from a factory, I'll just copy whatever the control group of the factory is, and that will be that.  A lot of that doesn't happen in direct reaction to button presses because of the networked nature of the game (button presses result in game commands that get sent to the host and then are later executed in lockstep by all of the machines in the game, etc).

Thanks for weighing in!