The Automation Problem

Tramax · 2018-11-06 12:27:18

Allegedly Jason has said that automation should not be a common thing to come across.
However the reality of the situation is that after the industrial revolution happened, automation became a reality as factories opted into machines instead of taking advantage of labourers.
Prior to things like this being included in game we desperately need animals that assist in the farming of domesticated agriculture and horticulture as the predecessor to humans being assisted by metal contraptions is being assisted by bovine/canine/equine friends.
But Jason seems somewhat reluctant to advance technology at this current juncture.
Given this... Is it up to third parties to develop into automation when it comes to the future of this game?
Will we have to wait until the fanbase is fractured until we come across modern development?

Will anyone care to even play when chances are you don't have to worry where your next meal comes from and things look modern? After all... Once settlements start to suffer entropy/atrophy from the pie/stew/sauerkraut meta people begin to not really want to do much more?

bENdI · 2018-11-06 13:08:53

well, complex inputs arent possible in this game from what i know, so the machines will be advanced, but someone still has to pilot it, just not as many people as before the advanced machines

MultiLife · 2018-11-06 13:30:47

I really hope he wouldn't try to fight against automation. It's immensely satisfying for players to master the art of maximum effeciency in minimum time, so perfected systems and structures are amazing and powerful things to us humans, who are always trying to make things better, faster and stronger. And sometimes prettier. That's just what we do, from breeding dogs to advancing our societies.

Thing is, the game is enjoyable. But it shouldn't stick around to this stage for too long, this is not enough. This is just one version that some players find enjoyable for some time. Then it fades away.

I'm sure that some people want to play as Eves or live off from land in the way we do now. People would leave cities to travel away and start a camp like they already do. Some players would only come back to play the camp life, while others would come back to roleplay in cities.

Such possibilities. But yeah it's his vision so... shrug.

Booklat1 · 2018-11-06 15:44:13

hoestly, I think automation is fun when you're trying to get it working, after that is just boring, right? Maybe it'll feel great to see for the first time machines that kill and butcher a lot of cows and drop burgers, but after you get those burgers ready to eat a few times it'll start feeling lame.

Automation could, of course, take maintenance, but i think that is even less satisfying work then grinding to get the products your machines are now working for you.

Automation would be fun once industry got more dimensions to it. Lots of gathering different resources, transporting, planning efficient supplying and power systems. It cant be just "i built a robot that farms for me".

Redram · 2018-11-06 16:05:01

It's important to differentiate between mechanization, and automation. The former really needs to happen. The latter does not. Even today, in this modern era, huge swathes of farming are still heavily dependent on unskilled manual labor. Mechanization simply allowed fewer people to farm more ground. It did not automate it. The only part that's really automated even today is planting, via satellite gps. Compound this with the fact that in game there's no need to feed even thousands of people with one farm.

Beyond that, lumbering, mining, construction, all these things are not truly automated in the hands-off sense, except for some extremely niche machines for building houses of masonry. The savings over the years have been more matters of time, and numbers of people required. But the game already requires mere seconds to build a wall, or cut down a tree. So where can the game go from there? The best target for automation in the game is watering. Anything else, the game meta will need to change to support it, unless we're just talking futuristic factorio robot stuff that auto-harvests crops.

Last edited by Redram (2018-11-06 16:05:09)

Baker · 2018-11-07 01:16:11

I wouldn't worry about this yet, Jason does not actually advance tech that often. It will take him years to get to this point.

Last edited by Baker (2018-11-07 01:19:02)

Tramax · 2018-11-07 09:16:51

Fair point Redram.

And Baker I understand that - which is one of my concerns... Jason seems to be in no rush to do anything pathing the way to experience modern day living.

Izzytok · 2018-11-08 23:38:04

To me automation seems a bad fit for this game. What would it even look like?

A huge closed off area that delivers crops at certain exit points?

A big factory no one should enter that just throws clothes out on some conveyor?

Any way I envision automation as possible it just seems a bit unfun and if it's some complex system someone built up, just ripe for griefing; or getting ruined by someone unknowledgable.

If you had these it would open up chances to do other stuff since you wouldn't have to worry about food or clothes or tools, but that's just like playing the game without these obstacles for anyone born after such a factory was made. People already seem to be unhappy with the lack of challenge in a village with all the necessities taken care of...

I would like more things that take player input, but can do things in bulk. Kind of like the way the stew works, you put a bunch of work in, and in return you get a bunch of food. This way we could have an actual forge, and make a lot of steel (you don't really make railroads from single ingots, nam sayin'?), or a more industrial approach to mining, or maybe compost barrels and such, so you don't make dirt in single piles.

Anyways things like that seem like they would be a good addition to the game instead of automation. They still require player input, and get stuff done quicker. I'd really like mechanization too, but we seem to be a far way away from that still.

Last edited by Izzytok (2018-11-08 23:45:35)

One Hour One Life Forums

#1 2018-11-06 12:27:18

The Automation Problem

#2 2018-11-06 13:08:53

Re: The Automation Problem

#3 2018-11-06 13:30:47

Re: The Automation Problem

#4 2018-11-06 15:44:13

Re: The Automation Problem

#5 2018-11-06 16:05:01

Re: The Automation Problem

#6 2018-11-07 01:16:11

Re: The Automation Problem

#7 2018-11-07 09:16:51

Re: The Automation Problem

#8 2018-11-08 23:38:04

Re: The Automation Problem

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