Engineers lack focus

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Eric Larsen
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Engineers lack focus

Post by Eric Larsen »

I read somewhere that engineers help build stuff like factories and resource sites. So I made some engineers and decided to see how they worked at building stuff. One thing I noticed immediately was that the engineers do not stay focused on the "construction" order. I'm playing daily turns and I noticed that the engineers only did construction for about an hour or two before turning back to no orders. I did lock them out from being controlled by the AI and was puzzled why the engineers did not stay focused on their construction order until the item being built was finished or I decided to give them a new order. It sure would be nice if engineers stay focused on construction until they are given other orders or the item being built in the hex is finished. I found it annoying to constantly have to tell my engineers every turn to do construction.

I also read in some post that engineers cut the costs of construction but I could not see how this worked no matter that I sent in engineers first into the hex I wanted to do construction in and then told them to do construction and then set the construction project. I think I could see a little lessening of construction time by using engineers but I really didn't track this closely.

Any hints as to how engineers are made to work properly would be appreciated as well as any links to any posts that might already have addressed this issue.
Thanks,

Eric Larsen
Draken
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Post by Draken »

How is your Global AI initiative setting in the Operations Dpt.?
Are you running Update 3?

I always put the global initiative on 0% and have no troubles at all with the construction order...
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Balthagor
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Post by Balthagor »

The order is actually redundant (though not sure why it's being "lost") if they are sitting in a hex they will assist construction of any nearby upgrades.

And they only decrease the time needed to build it, they do not affect the price. It's very noticable if you put 4-5 engineers on a small base in constrution, it finishes quite quickly.
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Sebastiaan
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Post by Sebastiaan »

with a full stack of engeneers, construction appears to be twise as fast
not going forward eqeals to going backward
Il Duce
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Simple test

Post by Il Duce »

To test engineer contribution to construction, build a short road, put an engineer with construction orders in the middle of it. Their hex will finish faster.

How much faster is, well, complicated, but worth dedicating a few battalions to key projects early in the game.
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Uriens
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Post by Uriens »

It's fast enough to dedicate 2 full stacks of engineers to it actually (more then twice as fast i think). They are usefull for both building and rebuilding (very handy when rebuilding destroyed bridges, for example) so they are usefull throughout game.
Eric Larsen
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Settings

Post by Eric Larsen »

Draken wrote:How is your Global AI initiative setting in the Operations Dpt.?
Are you running Update 3?

I always put the global initiative on 0% and have no troubles at all with the construction order...
Draken,
Not only did I lock out the AI in each engineer but I also had set Global AI initiative to zero though I forgot to mention that. I am indeed running update 3. It's just that the engineers would run the construction order for about an hour or two before resetting to no current order while the clock kept running.

I wonder if I even need to bother with setting the construction order, maybe all that's needed is engineers sitting in the hex to get the construction advantage. Still the engineers should stay with a construction order when in a haex with something building. I notice you're mentioning building bases and roads while I was using them to build factories and resource sites like timber and water. Do they help on some construction like bases and roads and not on some like factories and resource sites? It seemed that they were multipurpose?

I did notice some improvement in construction time, especially on longer-term projects and when I had three engineers in the hex. I'm still learning the ropes on all this stuff so any help would be appreciated. When I kept seeing my engineers resetting it looks like a bug to me as I would think that engineers would maintain their construction order until the project under construction actually is finished or I decide to switch the orders myself.
Thanks,

Eric Larsen
BigStone
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Post by BigStone »

Are you at war perhaps ???
If the enemy gomes into reach they stop constructing.
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Draken
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Post by Draken »

Well the only difference I see is that you lock each engineer btn... And my engineers are so focused that they don't even notice when the construction is done! They just keep on construction order...

Bigstone question is a good one...Are they in range of enemy direct or indirect fire?
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Balthagor
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Post by Balthagor »

Eric Larsen wrote:...It's just that the engineers would run the construction order for about an hour or two before resetting to no current order while the clock kept running.

I wonder if I even need to bother with setting the construction order, maybe all that's needed is engineers sitting in the hex to get the construction advantage.
It would seem you missed my post...
Balthagor wrote:The order is actually redundant (though not sure why it's being "lost") if they are sitting in a hex they will assist construction of any nearby upgrades...
So you are correct, the order is not needed. However, you are also correct that the order should stay. I will investigate that issue. I suppose it is only redundant if the order is not persistant the way an entrench order would be. When working correctly, giving the order would make the unit "busy" for most AI calls for units to use.
Eric Larsen wrote:...Still the engineers should stay with a construction order when in a haex with something building...
Am I correct in understanding that they are loosing the order but not leaving the hex?
Eric Larsen wrote:...Do they help on some construction like bases and roads and not on some like factories and resource sites?...
No, they assist with all construction.
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bergsjaeger
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Post by bergsjaeger »

I noticed something about enigeers after patch 3. The constructions seems faster. Somethings only got 3% a day with patch 2 but now I seen it go as high as 5% a day. As for the supply it was the same for both patches. As for using the engineers the only thing I used them for is construction but when a war happens they go into reserve. :lol: I always have something in reserve that take the enigeers place that is a harder hitter.
In war destroy everything even the livestock.
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Uriens
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Post by Uriens »

I use them from bridging as well. Very very very usefull ability. :-)
BigStone
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Post by BigStone »

Besides constucting they are extremely good fighters in difficult
terrain like jungles.....
NO MORE NOISY FISH [unless they are green & furiously]
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Eric Larsen
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Still dropping construction orders

Post by Eric Larsen »

Eric Larsen wrote:...Still the engineers should stay with a construction order when in a haex with something building...
Am I correct in understanding that they are loosing the order but not leaving the hex?

Chris,
Thanks for working with me on this issue. I am indeed at peace and defcon level 5 so no problems with getting shot at. I also tried a new trick by turning the unit initiative to zero but my engineer still dropped the order as soon as always. I still think that engineers given construction orders with a construction project in the hex should stay on the job until ordered otherwise. If the construction order sticks throughout the construction process players won't be worrying about whether their engineers are actually working or just relaxing under the shade. Thanks for letting me know that they actually still assist construction even with no orders.
Thanks,

Eric Larsen
Eric Larsen
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How do you set your engineers?

Post by Eric Larsen »

Draken wrote:Well the only difference I see is that you lock each engineer btn... And my engineers are so focused that they don't even notice when the construction is done! They just keep on construction order...

Bigstone question is a good one...Are they in range of enemy direct or indirect fire?
Draken,
How do you set your engineers to keep on the construction order. I almost get the sense you don't lock out your engineers from the Global AI and you set that to zero. Is that correct? Exactly what settings are you using? Do you alter unit initiative that's separate from Global AI initiative? I'm at peace and defcon 5 so there's no problem with my engineers getting shot at. I'm curious that you seem to have engineers that keep working instead of going on break like mine. I still want to master this construction business.
Thanks,

Eric Larsen
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