More granularity needed with automation policies

[StormingKiwi]

A lot of the time, I'm finding myself fighting automation.

For example, I have base construction on automation, because there is only so much joy that can be had from approving every single mining and research base the advisors want.

So I just researched large civilian ships, getting a windfall of 600,000 from the private sector. Not long after, I researched defensive bases, and the advisors spent 180,000 of it on defensive bases that I don't want.

No way to prevent this. You can lower the automation priority of defensive bases, but can't turn it off entirely.

Edited the title to use the correct word.

[lGSMl]

agree on this. what we need is:

1. Different automation options for different type of stations: mining, recreational, spaceports, research, defense and observation.
2. How far from zone of influence it can be built (or at least how far from colony). Sometimes AI tries to build mining station another corner of galaxy.
3. Some notification that station got into zone of influence of another empire - sometimes you can miss that and get relation penalty without even knowing.

[Artophwar]

Agreed. Many of the automation options could have more granularity to adjust to our needs, but bases should probably be the first thing updated to allow that.

[SirHoraceHarkness]

Yeah I noticed that the granularity of the automation was much reduced over what you could do in dwu. I'd definitely much prefer to be able to have say all mining and research bases auto build off AI but other bases have a prompt or be completely manual.

[Granatapfel]

Had the same experience and would really like to be able to exclude defense bases from base building automation.

[baldamundo]

Yeah, defence bases are the main one. In my experience, after the early game, you pretty much want to spam mining stations & research stations everywhere & resort stations pay for themselves, but defence stations can be a huge drain on your income mid-game, and the AI seems to build them semi-randomly.

Also does the AI ever build monitoring stations? There's a list of "new monitoring locations" in the military planner, but it's been empty the entire game for me.

[Darkmater]

yes, having this issue as well, constantly having to decline defensive bases at the same planet over and over and over and over and over and over.

[StormingKiwi]

The other areas of the game where more granularity would be welcomed (by me) are:

• Spy missions, target empires and targets (e.g. research - steal colonisation techs until there are no more to be stolen)
• Fleet management. Ideally, I'd like a way at the macro level to set up fleets, compositions, roles and areas of operation.
• Ship missions - while it is helpful to automatically refuel some manual ships, it is not helpful to automatically send the colony ship which has just arrived at its destination away to be refitted or refuelled. I think there could be a third setting for ships between manual and automatic, just like there is for construction ships and exploration ships.
• Research and ship design areas of interest - e.g. focussing on close-in/stand-off weaponry, especially when considering which type to use. I want to use my missiles and lasers without the game deciding actually I need torpedoes and mass drivers. Part of the issue is that so far, there are only a few categories of weaponry. E.g. close-in weapons will pick the most recent rail gun, even if you put a laser on it.