Storage AI is still frustrating

[doubledgedboard]

Storage AI is still very frustrating to witness and requires micro that distracts from the macro-oriented "fun" part of ONI.

 

Duplicants determine the storage bin to use based on where they are when they "start" a sweep job.

 

If there is an available slot in a bin near them, they will choose that slot as the destination, and then run to the item and sweep it, and run back to store the item.

 

Once they deposit the item, if another sweep job is available next in their queue, they will start the process again.

 

If there is a storage bin closer to the target sweep item, the duplicant will ignore this, since they chose the storage bin slot closest to them at the start of the job

 

This results in watching multiple duplicants running across the map, past open storage bins, to store them far away.

 

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A workaround is to manually select a duplicant, issue them a move command in the vicinity of the closer storage bin, and then if they pick up a sweep job they will now use the closer bin. This level of micro is difficult and unreliable.

 

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Instead, it would be preferable if the duplicants did not select a storage location slot until they actually sweep the item.

 

The challenge, presumably, is that the game is likely designed such that a sweep job requires a destination slot to be started. Implementing a change would likely require the ability for a duplicant to enter an "error state" mid job, where after picking up a swept item, the job may fail due to no available storage location.

 

Currently this error state prevents the job from being started outright.

 

So I suspect changing this is non-trivial and thus why we've been stuck with this really frustrating behavior since early alpha.

 

Post Launch Upgrade, I believe this behavior strongly detracts from the otherwise polished experience.

[Haze33E]

I use a trick I saw Brothgar use in his youtube video. Build automated dispensors to pile all your items in a small area instead of in like 100 storage bins. Sure it creates a negative decor bomb but the space saved is worth it.

[TLW]

On 9/2/2019 at 11:49 AM, doubledgedboard said:

Implementing a change would likely require the ability for a duplicant to enter an "error state" mid job, where after picking up a swept item, the job may fail due to no available storage location.

This already happens when pathing is interrupted.