Batch-changing priority? How? Help an idiot.

[AuntieBea]

I've tried everything, and can't find how to batch change priority and I'm tired of manually changing every square.  Unfortunately, it's one thing youtube videos can't really show, since whatever they do to DO it is offscreen.  I was starting to think it's a problem with my mouse or computer, but figured it's probably something very simple I would never think of, not being a particularly habitual gamer.

Save me from manual one-block-at-a-time changes, please!!

Auntie Bea

[Lothalin]

Click the priority button, drag a big box on the screen.  Anything in that box will have the priority changed to whatever value you chose.

[Zervo]

the priority button is on the bottom right panel, where you can select dig, harvest, sweep, etc tools.

 

I'm seeing a lot of people having trouble to see/use these tools.

perhaps Klei should add it on their tutorial list/msg at the beginning of the game.

 

i'm not sure why people miss/didn't see/try those button tho :/

[sai05]

Presing P the shortcut

[Zervo]

oh yeah. don't forget to select the priority number after that. it's located in the bottom of action/tool icon.

and 1-9, where 1 lowest, 9 highest

[AuntieBea]

I swear I've done exactly that, among  many other things, but mine just deselects the minute I try to draw the box. 

I'll try again.

 

just to be sure:

1 Click the button

2 choose the number

3 draw the box.

Right?

Thanks for all the help!!!!

(and I do it in reverse to re-banish cthulhu, right?)

[Lothalin]

Yes, here is how you would do it.

Base state:

Click priority tool (or hit P), and choose a priority:

Click and drag big box:

Notice that 5's changed to 6's:

[DoctorOverlord]

17 hours ago, AuntieBea said:

I've tried everything, and can't find how to batch change priority and I'm tired of manually changing every square. 

I took me a while to figure out how to use current Priority Tool as well    I expect/hope it will be made more intuitive in the future.

The Priority system may turn out to be one of my favorite game mechanics I've seen in a while.  I'm having fun working out Priority orders to create efficient command chains/sequences for the Duplicants.  I'm still figuring out exactly how it works....

[Octyabr]

I agree, this tool is one of the best (if not the best) features of this game, although some polishing could be made: Like making the number buttons more notorious or assign them hotkeys (the upper row numbers or the numpad) thus preventing building in this overlay.

Here are some thing I do with this priority system (If you ever find some useful):

• Put all manual generators to 1~3 to make them produce electricity when they have nothing else to do.
• Put massage tables to 6 to prevent them doing any non-emergency/high priority job.
• Use lvl 9 only for emergency-like jobs. (then press the alarm button once or twice) This make them rush to do it.
• Make "gather all" containers (those that don't have the only sweep marked) to 4 to make them automatically sweep key resources (coal, algae, slime) after they have finished digging them. 

[Zervo]

13 hours ago, AuntieBea said:

I swear I've done exactly that, among  many other things, but mine just deselects the minute I try to draw the box.

just want to make sure.

can you drag and dig normally?

the step is the same between digging, sweeping, and setting priority tools.

 

i was just wondering, is your mouse okay?

i mean, is this just a double clicking issue because of your mouse?

[Somfa]

another option is you select a priority before you select the area you wanna dig. If you hit the dig/sweep/mop tool the priority levels should show at the bottom. Then when you select the dig/sweep/mop area it will assign the priority that you selected. Helps you skip a step.

And yeah the game really needs hotkeys for the priority level selection. Even the use of the +/- keys to increase/decrease priority. Like you select an area, then you hit the desired number or the +/- keys and it increases that way.

The game moves way too fast to be moving the mouse to the priority selection area (and pausing just feels like cheating haha). Also i must mention that sometimes the priority doesn't get selected. I hit 8 but its still 5 so i need to click again. I've noticed it with some Youtuber's Letplays as well. Very minor detail but great if it could be fixed.

[AuntieBea]

Thanks to everyone!  I finally got it to work - you saved my poor fingers.

I must have been trying to pick the number after selecting or something.