Bad refueling decision for an idle automated explorer
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 2:56 pm
Platform: Steam
Build version: 1.2.1.2 Beta (new game started with it)
Severity: Low
Annoyance factor: Medium
Confusion for new players: High once the ship is stuck in an ion storm
Saved game:
The automated explorer *Noble Discovery* is idle, even if there’s plenty of stuff to explore. Granted, it doesn’t have a lot of fuel, and there are no refueling point nearby. But it should do something...
If I hover above the *Refuel and Repair” button, it wants to refuel at the *Ancient Slave Colony*, an independent colony of Humans. Which is problematic for at least two reasons:
* The *Ancient Slave Colony* is in an ion storm nebula, and the explorer doesn’t have any ion protection.
* I’ve just colonized an independent colony of Atuuks, which is a bit further than the *Ancient Slave Colony*, but it’s not in an ion storm nebula. And it has plenty of fuel to fill the explorer tanks.
So the refueling decision algorithm should take into account whether the fuel source is located in a nebula, and whether the ship has protection against the nebula effect(s). Because, without ion protection, a ship will get stuck forever. So even if the other fuel source is a little bit further, that’s the one the ship should go to.
Also, to go back to the beginning of the post: why is that explorer idle? It’s not waiting for a tanker. So why is it idle?
Build version: 1.2.1.2 Beta (new game started with it)
Severity: Low
Annoyance factor: Medium
Confusion for new players: High once the ship is stuck in an ion storm
Saved game:
The automated explorer *Noble Discovery* is idle, even if there’s plenty of stuff to explore. Granted, it doesn’t have a lot of fuel, and there are no refueling point nearby. But it should do something...
If I hover above the *Refuel and Repair” button, it wants to refuel at the *Ancient Slave Colony*, an independent colony of Humans. Which is problematic for at least two reasons:
* The *Ancient Slave Colony* is in an ion storm nebula, and the explorer doesn’t have any ion protection.
* I’ve just colonized an independent colony of Atuuks, which is a bit further than the *Ancient Slave Colony*, but it’s not in an ion storm nebula. And it has plenty of fuel to fill the explorer tanks.
- Situation overview.png (690.88 KiB) Viewed 405 times
So the refueling decision algorithm should take into account whether the fuel source is located in a nebula, and whether the ship has protection against the nebula effect(s). Because, without ion protection, a ship will get stuck forever. So even if the other fuel source is a little bit further, that’s the one the ship should go to.
Also, to go back to the beginning of the post: why is that explorer idle? It’s not waiting for a tanker. So why is it idle?