Automate or not?

[nukkxx5058]

What automation settings are you using? In my first game, I started with the default setting but I have the impression to be left with very little decisions/actions. Should I change to "all manual". How do you gys play?

[vonboy]

i usually play with everything on manual except tax rates and ship design. i then build lots of escorts and frigates, and put them on auto so they'll go about patrolling my private ships and mining stations. when my empire gets bigger and harder to manage, i start setting other things to auto to not get overwhelmed, like colonizing, ship building, and attacking (on suggest).

[Gertjan]

Put some of the options to suggest and you'll have a much more immersive game. Trust me!

[Bozz]

I never automated anything except design ships...

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: Bozz

I never automated anything except design ships...

And design ships is the one thing I'd never consider automating. This is the beauty of DW, we can all play to our own style.

For a new player, I'd suggest turning most stuff on suggest until you get used to how it plays.

[WoodMan]

I play the same as Bozz, ship design on manual eradicates any disadvantage you have due to your race selection, so you can get all the advantages of Teekan, but not have their disadvantages, but I prefer to have the disadvantages too for immersion and also difficulty reasons [:D]

[T_K]

I manually design and build ships and make and direct fleets, I make one main strike fleet which I direct, and several small ones which I send to AI-suggested tasks. I leave a bunch of free ships automated for patrol duties. I decide where to build spaceports and research stations. Pretty much everything else is automated, intelligence and diplomacy are set for AI suggestions.

[nukkxx5058]

Thanks for your answers. In fact, I think that the "suggest" option (which I didn't notice earlier) is the most interesting. I will try with "suggest" everywhere. Regarding designs, it seems to me that it's one of the most remarkable aspect of the game so I prefer to keep it manual. 

[Equendil]

Got absolutely everything on manual and rule with an iron fist!

[b0mber]

I don't set anything on auto except ship design, like Buzz and WoodMan. I just make my own combat ship and I only build those ships until I got better construction ship yard. I also design my own reserch station with lots of labs. Since I began doing this the game has become a bit easy to me so maybe I will use ships designs on Auto to add more difficulty though reducing the game experience.

by3z!

[torrenal]

One of the things you may find is some governments (possibly races?) play different with automation on... I'd never let a Military Dictatorship or Way of the Darkness run with spies on fully-auto (you want to blow up what?!), but I may consider it for Republic and Way of the Ancients.

If you are having problems while playing with one government type, try another.  The automation will work differently with the changeup.
//Torrenal

[martok]

I set the diplomatic stuff to "manual", and put most of the other options on "suggest". It works pretty well for me.

[Baleur]

I dont see how anyone can keep ship design exclusively on manual, how do you put up with constantly having to update all the little civilian trade ship and freighter designs?
I usually keep it on automate to save me the hassle, and i make unique designs when i need em.

[nukkxx5058]

ORIGINAL: Baleur

I dont see how anyone can keep ship design exclusively on manual, how do you put up with constantly having to update all the little civilian trade ship and freighter designs?
I usually keep it on automate to save me the hassle, and i make unique designs when i need em.

That's a good point ...

[Equendil]

ORIGINAL: Baleur

I dont see how anyone can keep ship design exclusively on manual, how do you put up with constantly having to update all the little civilian trade ship and freighter designs?

Select ships -> upgrade.

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: Baleur

I dont see how anyone can keep ship design exclusively on manual, how do you put up with constantly having to update all the little civilian trade ship and freighter designs?
I usually keep it on automate to save me the hassle, and i make unique designs when i need em.

One design for each to start...

Select all...

Upgrade...

Its basically a 2 click solution after the first designs. [:D]

[torrenal]

Falls apart a bit as you unlock entirely new techs... ECM, targeting systems, damage control, hyperdeny...

Still, those are easy to watch for and you just apply them where you want them.

Watch out for upgrade-all with race techs tho... some of them work well with the upgrade option, others have caevats (Shaktur Firestorm + space-port = poor mix)
//Torrenal

[Gertjan]

I also use auto ship design. I hope the AI makes good choices. Otherwise this would need to be addressed in a future update. I don't want to be bothered with micromanagement.

[WoodMan]

The auto-ship design is influenced by the race that you are (or that your AI opponents are too):

High Intelligence
· include extra components in their ship designs

High Aggression
· include more weapons in their ship designs

High Caution
· include more shields and engines on their ship designs

Of course the opposite of the above is true for any races that are low intelligence, passive or reckless

Also there are four general ship-types that the races build, this is not viewable in the race-editor but can be seen in the races.txt I believe (at least it can in the 3rd party race editor tool anyway)

Balanced, Power (military), Efficiency (fuel etc) and Agility

[Baleur]

ORIGINAL: Equendil

ORIGINAL: Baleur

I dont see how anyone can keep ship design exclusively on manual, how do you put up with constantly having to update all the little civilian trade ship and freighter designs?

Select ships -> upgrade.

Yeah but, the problem is, it only replaces exising modules as long as it can fit the new ones, right?
So you'd have like 2 cargo storages for the rest of your game, although upgraded.
If you actually let it design them, it may remove 1 redundant module and add a new better but higher size module.
So you might have 3-4 cargo storages later on, with 1 removed crappy engine to make room.
I....... think? Thats how it works with military ships anyway.