Automatic infinite research

[evildogbot100]

TL;DR

The game should automatically assign the next level of research for technology that has infinite level.

What ?

The game should automatically assign the next level of research for technology that has infinite level, possibly starting from when it has space science as requirement. At least give it as an option.

Why ?

Currently, each time a research is finished, the research window pop up. For normal research this is necessary since the game don't know which technology the player want next. However, for infinite research, most of the time the player is just going to research the next level of technology. At the point where the player is starting infinite research, changing what to research is no longer common. It is still possible that the player wants to change what technology to research but definitely not as often as every time one research is finished. So I think it should be a feature in vanilla instead of mod to research automatically for infinite technology. Any thoughts?

[Koub]

tbh, I'd rather see a change that would include yours, but with an additional twist : I'd like to be able to "aim" for a research. For example, I'd like to aim from start "Automation 2", and the game to automatically search all the prerequisites for me, beforesearching the research I wanted.
It would decline in "aiming" the last of infinite researches, and behave exactly the way OP wants.

[bobingabout]

Depending on where you are and what you're doing, automatically starting the next level of infinite research... Might not be something I'd actually want.

And to the previous post, setting a specific level of research, or telling it to aim to unlock a specific research I don't have access to (researching everything before it first), that is something I would go for. Though, how would it handle situations where you need the production science pack for example? currently, very few things that need it actually require you to research the tech that unlocks it? automatically assigning the next technology might jam things up if it expects a science pack you aren't making yet, let alone one you haven't actually unlocked yet.


As it stands right now, until I start making all research packs, what I research next is often based on what science packs I have access to.

[mrvn]

Depending on where you are and what you're doing, automatically starting the next level of infinite research... Might not be something I'd actually want.

And to the previous post, setting a specific level of research, or telling it to aim to unlock a specific research I don't have access to (researching everything before it first), that is something I would go for. Though, how would it handle situations where you need the production science pack for example? currently, very few things that need it actually require you to research the tech that unlocks it? automatically assigning the next technology might jam things up if it expects a science pack you aren't making yet, let alone one you haven't actually unlocked yet.


As it stands right now, until I start making all research packs, what I research next is often based on what science packs I have access to.

In Freeciv you have 2 settings for research: 1) the current research and 2) the goal.

Each time research is completed it automatically selects a new current research that gets it closer to the goal. It can also pop up the research dialog and you can select a different next research or just go with the suggestion. And you can change the current research at all times without changing the goal.

I think if it automatically selects research with less requirements, same way it sorts techs in the display, then that is enough. Worst case you notice research is stuck and change it manually. If there is a current research and goal setting then you could easily change the current research without losing the goal.

Note: If you select rocket as goal in vanilla then you get stuck. You need to research a few things not required for the rocket to be able to build the science packs. But the game shouldn't solve that puzzle for you I think.

[vanatteveldt]

+1 for setting goals deeper in the tree and having it do the prerequisites in some smart way, probably in order of easiest tech packs and lowest cost, or lowest total raw cost

+1 for optionally setting automatic infinite research

[Factory Lobster]

automatically assigning the next technology might jam things up if it expects a science pack you aren't making yet

There are a couple of ways this could be dealt with. Some quick ideas:

1. When you select a tech as a goal that requires science packs you aren't producing yet, the game can notify you as soon as you select it (and name that pack specifically). Maybe by checking production stats to discover you've made 0 of the science pack(s).

2. When you select a tech as a goal, an interface could pop up that asks what science you can currently produce.

Then, for either situation 1 or 2 above, it would automatically start research on the next tech that requires only what you can or have produced, while tracking in the corner what science packs you need to build production for. And if all researchable techs are exhausted, the game alerts you that progress has halted because x science pack is needed.

[evildogbot100]

Depending on where you are and what you're doing, automatically starting the next level of infinite research... Might not be something I'd actually want.

Well, that's why I said make it an option.

[Factory Lobster]

What happens to the science progress done if you let it run all night and are only halfway finished with mining productivity 798234, but had forgotten to change it to bot speed 9000 and want to change it before it's complete?

[evildogbot100]

What happens to the science progress done if you let it run all night and are only halfway finished with mining productivity 798234, but had forgotten to change it to bot speed 9000 and want to change it before it's complete?

The progress is saved, meaning if you are already 70% at mining prod 798234 then change to bot speed 9000 you can change it back to mining prod 798234 and only still need 30% more to do.

[Factory Lobster]

The progress is saved, meaning if you are already 70% at mining prod 798234 then change to bot speed 9000 you can change it back to mining prod 798234 and only still need 30% more to do.

That could make for an interesting UI experience when you are researching something that requires a huge amount of science, but then decide to switch to something else with much less cost. Something that could be completed several times with the amount of science being "transferred."

[Lubricus]

Sounds like a good idea. My bobs mod base is on mining productivity 400 something. It's very annoying to get interrupted when trying to build something and the auto-research mod chose some worthless military science. An alternative could be to make the cost double every time as for the robot speed science. With the doubling of the cost you can't increase the speed of the factory faster than the cost of the science increase.

[mrvn]

The progress is saved, meaning if you are already 70% at mining prod 798234 then change to bot speed 9000 you can change it back to mining prod 798234 and only still need 30% more to do.

That could make for an interesting UI experience when you are researching something that requires a huge amount of science, but then decide to switch to something else with much less cost. Something that could be completed several times with the amount of science being "transferred."

The progress it saved for that one research. It doesn't transfer.

[Factory Lobster]

The progress is saved, meaning if you are already 70% at mining prod 798234 then change to bot speed 9000 you can change it back to mining prod 798234 and only still need 30% more to do.

That could make for an interesting UI experience when you are researching something that requires a huge amount of science, but then decide to switch to something else with much less cost. Something that could be completed several times with the amount of science being "transferred."

The progress it saved for that one research. It doesn't transfer.

Thanks for the clarification. I see how this works now.

[Sicnarf]

+1 for setting goals deeper in the tree and having it do the prerequisites in some smart way, probably in order of easiest tech packs and lowest cost, or lowest total raw cost

+1 for optionally setting automatic infinite research

I want this as well.

[mrvn]

If research automatically starts on the next thing (in whatever form) then there should be a way to stop / pause research.

[Avezo]

TL;DR

We got auto-rocket-launch for reasons and I believe similar reasons warrant making next-research-pick also automated.

What ?

Give us a check-box at research screen that would start chepest research automatically when previous one is done.

Why ?

This makes sense in the reality of infinite reserch, automation and rockets being auto-launched in vanilla now.

[Koub]

[Koub]Merged into active topic on the same subject.

[bobingabout]

If research automatically starts on the next thing (in whatever form) then there should be a way to stop / pause research.

Yes, that is something we are missing, the ability to say "Don't research anything right now".

[mrvn]

If research automatically starts on the next thing (in whatever form) then there should be a way to stop / pause research.

Yes, that is something we are missing, the ability to say "Don't research anything right now".

On the other hand you can just cut the power on the research labs or cut the belts supplying them.

[vanatteveldt]

If research automatically starts on the next thing (in whatever form) then there should be a way to stop / pause research.

Yes, that is something we are missing, the ability to say "Don't research anything right now".

On the other hand you can just cut the power on the research labs or cut the belts supplying them.

Which got me to thinking .

The preference of the developers of the game seems to be to solve things "in game", instead of creating specialized interfaces.

What if research worked more like rocket production, with labs contributing towards a goal like rocket parts. Then, add a research center building on which you set a goal, and which is connected to all nearby research labs. Then, you set the research goal in the research center.

Alternatively, drop the research center, and just allow a lab to be set to research a specific tech via the circuit network. Multiple labs can then contribute to different projects if you use give them a different signal. Labs without a signal contribute to the current global goal set via "t".

If they have multiple signals they will choose one of the valid options (randomly or by cost), so if you put e.g. all tech for tanks including prereqs on the combinator the labs will do all of them sequentially.

This allows for two cool options:

- Separate/Dedicated research centers for e.g. military vs production
- Setting research goals via the circuit network. Big open question is what signal to use, maybe assign a number to each tech, or create new signals (with a signal 5xmining prod meaning research mining productivity up to 5). This allows clever people to set more distant goals, infinite research etc via combinators.



[note that I think autolaunch should also be circuit controlled, so you need to do some wiring to check that the rocket is done and a satellite is inserted]