Dupe building inefficiency

[caffeinated21]

When building, one dupe will make a delivery of materials, and then leave. And then another dupe shows up to build. It would be much more effecient if the original dupe would start construction after dropping off materials, especially when building far away from the main base. Why have two guys make super long trips for something that could easily be handled by one dupe?

[vonVile]

The first Dupe was assigned to only deliver. If you want Dupes to strictly build turn off Delivery. The Dupes will then deliver and build. How long they decide to build is up to them.

[Kasuha]

Each construction order consists of three jobs - delivery, digging, and the construction itself. Delivery may be done in several phases (i.e. several dupes may come with the material) and is not necessarily done by dupes that can dig or construct. That's why it isn't tied to a specific dupe. And when the delivery is done, the dupe will look for a new job and it is possible that he'll find something else more important to do than continuing with the order. Or he may not have the ability to do it. It also looks like there's short pause between when a dupe finishes a job and when he looks for a new job and it is possible some other dupe will "steal" the job right beside him in that short while.

Take this as explanation, not as excuse. I don't like it myself, hopefully it will get improved over time but the game is still getting new features implemented so I don't wonder that devs may consider this a low priority issue.

[caffeinated21]

Thanks for the explanations of the current mechanics! I agree that there appears to be a lag between job ending and that dupe picking its next job... and this lag is why they often don't get queued to the obvious job right in front of them. It's bloody annoying though... 

[tehMugwump]

I agree this is annoying (drives me nuts when there's important things to get done in a hurry). Especially when you have work going on across a huge map.  I'd say if the dupe's a builder, then he also delivers his own materials regardless.  I don't care how proficient another dupe is at delivering, it only slows down the process if the actual builder has to wait for him.

I suppose this isn't as big an issue the more dupes you have, but when you start out and you're glaring at your one digger dupe to get things done... 

[Moggles]

One brute force work around to force jobs to be picked up by specific dupes is by using permissions on mechanical airlocks.

If only a couple of dupes have access to path in to the work area the other dupes will not intercept the job as other posters have described.

[HabdomeRaider]

I think there should be a step in the dupes' AI process where they say "I know someone else has already claimed this task, but I'm RIGHT HERE. I'll start doing it and they can either come take over or find a new job."

I've had dupes stand idle right next to pending dig jobs because someone else (far away) had already claimed that job.

[Xuhybrid]

Yeah this is really annoying. I wish they were smarter than this. A dupe who is capable of delivery and building shouldn't arrive with the last of the resources and then walk away. It's a huge waste of time having 2 different dupes perform 1 task.