The Koeran Configuration Wizard Development Thread

[Whisper]

Don't worry Koeran I don't think any of us have tested all these settings in all the possible variations to know how they all interact with each other.

All I know is that having notifications turned on for plots when you have more than 1 settlement building will be very overwhelming with flags in the map/game.

 

[Koeran83]

All I know is that having notifications turned on for plots when you have more than 1 settlement building will be very overwhelming with flags in the map/game.

That is quite likely. Maybe we need to add a recommendation/caution that when using the moderate/advanced options players should focus on constructing one settlement at a time?

I can also see an issue with players being mid play through and having multiple settlements, and deciding that they have the hang of the current level of interaction, so they run the wizard again to step it up to the next level, only to be overwhelmed as not only do they have to learn the new level of interaction, but they have to do it while maintaining multiple settlements at once.

 

[Koeran83]

How are we going with this?

Have we hit the hard part and stalled?

 

[Whisper]

I’ve been down with a wicked migraine, playing catch-up at work and personal life right now.

 

[snarkywriter]

How are we going with this?

Have we hit the hard part and stalled?

My apologies, I've kinda been on a bit of a sabbatical to work on an article explaining the vanilla settlement scripts and how they generate the workshop mechanics.

It looks like everyone is good with the last process flowchart Raybo showed. Now, we need to (a) define the three profiles, and (b) flesh out the contents of the menu popups.

 

[Koeran83]

I’ve been down with a wicked migraine, playing catch-up at work and personal life right now.

No worries, mate. Look after yourself first. We'll still be here when you're ready.

My apologies, I've kinda been on a bit of a sabbatical to work on an article explaining the vanilla settlement scripts and how they generate the workshop mechanics.

Any idea on how long that'll take? No pressure, just curious.

It seems like it might be a good idea to take a pause, let people mull over what we have so far, catch up on other projects/personal stuff. I don't think KG is expecting anything from us especially quickly anyway. I expect the programming side of things will take a bit of work and won't get implemented until a fairly major update anyway.

I do have to admit though, as the namesake of the thread, I feel a certain responsibility to ensure this project gets completed. But I also don't want to be a jerk constantly cracking a whip!

 

[snarkywriter]

No problem, you're fine. I appreciate the enthusiasm!

I've just about finished the outline, and am about to start the write-up. Should be done by next Friday at the latest. At that point, I can start looking at options and profiles, assuming someone else, like @RayBo, hasn't done so already (hint hint ).

 

[Whisper]

I think that the current status of this could be boiled down to: “it’s decided” - yes?

 

[snarkywriter]

I think that the current status of this could be boiled down to: “it’s decided” - yes?

In terms of structure, I'd say yes. Just need the profiles.

 

[RayBo]

Attached below are the links. I have input several columns of profiles, the only one that is modified is the one in “Column G” Test Profile 3 MED “Rays Choice” it is basically the setting results from responding to KG’s Wizard for middle of the road. I wanted this as a baseline.

the full auto - likely KG will just set that
then: the MED, attached
then: the decision on what would advanced look like. sorry still not a fan of this mostly as I have never played with them on so I am not confident in how they would work in game.

Link below for a shared folder, a master with imbedded screenshots, a master without imbedded screenshots. the screenshots are there as a reference as to what the middle of the road wizard would yield in terms of a settings profile.

Folder ShareFiles SIM SETTINGS:


https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ahn6DCFY_XOmgfE9N64xCBYdfVWe2Q


Master File:


https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ahn6DCFY_XOmgfFr5HWpL1WAAsO8GA


Master File without imbedded screenshots: This one is smaller so use this if you can’t open the other one.


https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ahn6DCFY_XOmgfFuNwH2UEBSpYvbpQ

What I am thinking is we all agree on what MED should look like then the other two should fall into place, with “auto no involvement” really not being in scope as KG likely knows better than we do how that would be configured?

 

[Koeran83]

What I am thinking is we all agree on what MED should look like then the other two should fall into place, with “auto no involvement” really not being in scope as KG likely knows better than we do how that would be configured?

That makes sense. Is it possible to temper our thoughts with the monthly feedback snarkywriter has collated?

I was thinking that we'd start from the Lowest and work our way up, but you're probably right that KG will set that himself once he's actually implemented the full auto code.

The question I have for the High involvement one is: should it be "maximum" involvement, or still have headroom for people to tweak and add more?

 

[Whisper]

I believe that there should still be headroom.

 

[RayBo]

Attached below are the links. I have input several columns of profiles, the only one that is modified is the one in “Column G” Test Profile 3 MED “Rays Choice” it is basically the setting results from responding to KG’s Wizard for middle of the road. I wanted this as a baseline.

the full auto - likely KG will just set that
then: the MED, attached
then: the decision on what would advanced look like. sorry still not a fan of this mostly as I have never played with them on so I am not confident in how they would work in game.

Link below for a shared folder, a master with imbedded screenshots, a master without imbedded screenshots. the screenshots are there as a reference as to what the middle of the road wizard would yield in terms of a settings profile.

Folder ShareFiles SIM SETTINGS:


https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ahn6DCFY_XOmgfE9N64xCBYdfVWe2Q


Master File:


https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ahn6DCFY_XOmgfFr5HWpL1WAAsO8GA


Master File without imbedded screenshots: This one is smaller so use this if you can’t open the other one.


https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ahn6DCFY_XOmgfFuNwH2UEBSpYvbpQ

What I am thinking is we all agree on what MED should look like then the other two should fall into place, with “auto no involvement” really not being in scope as KG likely knows better than we do how that would be configured?

When you guys look at the file I "bolded in red" the settings I think are candidates for us to change, particularly for:
The MED - baseline
The ADV - step up to more involvement

As in the example below:

 

[Whisper]

I will likely not be able to get to it until tomorrow. Desperately need sleep after the last 72 hours.

 

[kinggath]

This is all great stuff! I'm feeling pretty good about Workshop Framework now, so I'll feel comfortable putting in time on SS code again soon. We've also almost got the entire code bug list killed for SS - which is absolutely shocking....

 

[Whisper]

Assignment > Auto Assign Unique NPCs:

What effect will this have upon certain in-game NPCs? I am thinking specifically of Ronnie (The Castle) and the recruitable traders (Rylee, the Vault-Tec Salesman, The Scribe, etc). You long-time players will know a heck of a lot more in-game characters who have vital parts in game quests.

I remember many people stating that the RotC Castle build breaks Ronnie and various quests and etc. If she is being auto-assigned to a job/plot of some kind by SS, then you have no way to assign her back to her "original" job as munitions officer for the Minutemen. Definitely "breaking the game/quests" behavior.

I have just checked my testing game for The Castle build, and this setting is turned off. I remember specifically going into the menu to look at this area when I broke her originally with my test-plan -- when I saw this I turned it off. She is also not "broken" in my current Castle test build, IE she is still a munitions a vendor for the Minutemen.

I think that it would be worthwhile for someone (not me, I'm kinda burned out at the moment ) to turn that setting off, try the RotC city plan, and see if Ronnie and her quests etc are wrecked in it.

Given the above anecdotal observations in my personal game - and assuming that they are accurate - then:

In the spreadsheet you have it showing as automatically turned ON with each of the 5 test profiles. I think that it should be turned OFF with all 5 profiles. Turning it on should also come with a strong warning along the lines of: "Warning: Enabling this option has a strong possibility of breaking parts of the game involving unique NPCs."

(From a more strategic point of view, perhaps this functionality should be totally removed from SimSettlements? In my view, auto-assigning Ronnie or Rylee or whoever to an agricultural plot is a waste - apart from the loss of a functional part of the game. Most people are gonna go "it's broken!" rather than hunting around to try and fix things.

Putting it in the readme in a section entitled caveats or problems or the like is pointless. Most people don't read the T&C of software they install, they just click "OK". Which is what brought us here.)

 

[Whisper]

Immersion >> Realistic Build Times:

In the spreadsheet this is set as being ON for the Test Profile 4 / High-Adv profile. My thought is that this should likely be left off and that functionality be at the user's discretion. Put it in the "Headroom" section that we talked about prior.

 

[Whisper]

Notifications >> *ALL*:

My personal thought as that for Test Profile 1 / Auto, these should all be turned off. My reasoning is that for players who want as close as possible to all-hands-off play while following the storyline, getting 5+ messages a day and associated flags from 8-10 cities...is just going to be aggravating.

(Note that I am basing this on personal anecdotal experience. For me, it was jarring to get a bunch of messages and flags that don't go away until I go and look at the damn thing which created it. From the point of view of a player wanting hands-off settlements to concentrate on the gameplay, when the player is going through a small quest then they're a distraction from the game.

Sure the player can turn the flags visible off in the Data > Miscellaneous area of the PIP-Boy, yet still - why force them to go there to deal with what is in their point of view a minor thing? They want their hands-off!)

(--edit-- Another thought, constant notifications might distract from more important in-game messages that pop up? It's hard enough as is to see "Starlight City is under attack" when busy shooting up a bunch of supermutants. Would this become worse if it's lost amongst 5+ other messages about plot/city upgrades?)

 

[Whisper]

Tracking >> New Plot Construction:
Tracking >> Plots Awaiting Upgrade:

In the Test Profile 1 / Auto, these couple with the prior post regarding notifications.

With the "Plots Awaiting Upgrade" - in a full-auto hands-off profile, the plot does not await upgrade, it just upgrades. Unless I'm missing something, the setting seems pointless in this situation.

Upgrade >> Hold Upgrades Until I See Them:

In the Test Profile 1 / Auto, should this setting be changed to automatic? Completely hands-off for the low/zero involvement player?

 

[RayBo]

Assignment > Auto Assign Unique NPCs:

What effect will this have upon certain in-game NPCs? I am thinking specifically of Ronnie (The Castle) and the recruitable traders (Rylee, the Vault-Tec Salesman, The Scribe, etc). You long-time players will know a heck of a lot more in-game characters who have vital parts in game quests.

I remember many people stating that the RotC Castle build breaks Ronnie and various quests and etc. If she is being auto-assigned to a job/plot of some kind by SS, then you have no way to assign her back to her "original" job as munitions officer for the Minutemen. Definitely "breaking the game/quests" behavior.

I have just checked my testing game for The Castle build, and this setting is turned off. I remember specifically going into the menu to look at this area when I broke her originally with my test-plan -- when I saw this I turned it off. She is also not "broken" in my current Castle test build, IE she is still a munitions a vendor for the Minutemen.
View attachment 3114
I think that it would be worthwhile for someone (not me, I'm kinda burned out at the moment ) to turn that setting off, try the RotC city plan, and see if Ronnie and her quests etc are wrecked in it.

Given the above anecdotal observations in my personal game - and assuming that they are accurate - then:

In the spreadsheet you have it showing as automatically turned ON with each of the 5 test profiles. I think that it should be turned OFF with all 5 profiles. Turning it on should also come with a strong warning along the lines of: "Warning: Enabling this option has a strong possibility of breaking parts of the game involving unique NPCs."

(From a more strategic point of view, perhaps this functionality should be totally removed from SimSettlements? In my view, auto-assigning Ronnie or Rylee or whoever to an agricultural plot is a waste - apart from the loss of a functional part of the game. Most people are gonna go "it's broken!" rather than hunting around to try and fix things.

Putting it in the readme in a section entitled caveats or problems or the like is pointless. Most people don't read the T&C of software they install, they just click "OK". Which is what brought us here.)

I think it was default: "On" so I just pulled it over to all the other profiles. I know given the level 4 folks in my game, I had started long ago to make their 1 assignment to a vanilla shop.. then after time transferring them. I think defaulting this to Off is a prudent Idea.

Forgive me, but I have to finish reading / mentally processing the rest of your posts here to tomorrow / later today hahaa, my eyes are more tired than the rest of me...