automation/trigger for creeper world

[moo]

while i'm not a big fan of real time strategy game, creeper world is the most attractive one for me, it change the way i feel about this type of game. just like the fire emblem series for non-real time strategy game, or 194* shooting

i started to think why i like this game and don't like others in the same type.
when i was playing other game like c&c StarCraft i feel tired, because i have to give every single command to every single unit (or in group) then they do it, and stop, or even die. i had to reproduce them, give them more instructions.
in creeper world, things are different. every unit, especially weapon units, is valuable, should not (and is not mean to be) expendable. which also mean after i give it the command i usually sit and watch it do the job for me

here comes the idea: what if i can set up more commands/tigger and it just do the all the jobs for me
e.g.: mute a blaster, set a trigger for it "start firing when attacked by creeper". should save a lot of energy while i focus on front lines
e.g.: set an air force unit to keep bombing specified single point (or random point in specified area) until canceled
e.g.: give move instruction to building unit ready so it can move as soon as it finish building
e.g.: warn and/or pause game if specified unit is attacked or dead
there are be lots of simple instructions we did manually before could be done automatically

i'm not sure if this idea would make game more interesting or boring for most players.

[2b3o4o]

I think this might ruin exactly what you said you liked about Creeper World. I don't want to write thirty lines of code just to avoid having to give commands to my blaster. Oh...hang on... Didn't I just give a sophisticated string of commands to my blaster? I'm sorry, but I really like the way it is, weapons fire automatically, and have several settings, that is enough.

[Wheatmidge]

I like the idea of continuous bombing, so your drone would head out again once it is refilled.
I'm not so sure about the other suggestions.

[knucracker]

'Auto' for aircraft is something being added in game 3...

[Wheatmidge]

Sweet, that makes me happy.

[cooltv27]

what I see him asking for
have the computer play 90% of the game of us and we watch
GREAT IDEA! if your to lazy to sit, think, read, and move the mouse.

[lurkily]

what I see him asking for
have the computer play 90% of the game of us and we watch
GREAT IDEA! if your to lazy to sit, think, read, and move the mouse.

I agree that this does take some of the micromanagement out of the game.  Some people like managing things at a tactical level. 

Some people, on the other hand, like managing things at a strategic level.  Take a look at Galactic Space Battles, in which you are a passive observer - and yet it's successul.

[TrickyDragon]

Love that the auto is being embedded into the drones in #3.   i am not really feeling the other triggers either, you should be watching your defenses, and you should know if your line is going to be breached.  If you let something like that slip your watch, then that part of the map will be taken out.  It happens from time to time, but it makes you stronger players, and probably more watchful in general. 

[hoodwink]

Personally, I think that if I were to let a squad of blasters move by themselves and only fire when triggered, I wouldn't really end up doing much else than watching them.
In CW3, would you simply order your bombers/strafers to attack a vector, and then toggle a 'repeat orders' button, which would make them to the same vector until it's toggled again?
That's how I imaging 'auto' aircraft to work; not choosing their own targets or anything.

[lurkily]

Personally, I think that if I were to let a squad of blasters move by themselves and only fire when triggered, I wouldn't really end up doing much else than watching them.
In CW3, would you simply order your bombers/strafers to attack a vector, and then toggle a 'repeat orders' button, which would make them to the same vector until it's toggled again?
That's how I imaging 'auto' aircraft to work; not choosing their own targets or anything.

Auto-relaunch would be an easy way to implement it, though it would be nice to be able to automate cleanup on very large maps with automated strafers.  Instead of a protracted mop-up, just set them to auto-target, and go to 4x speed.