posted on May 2nd, 2009, 11:34 pm
I think there's always the danger of people setting the infinite build option and then forgetting about their production spam so I'm too keen on the idea as it stands. From a personal point of view I don't mind a few extra clicks to customise my build queues as I want them so I think an infinite spam button would probably just get in my way anyway.
However, I've given it a bit of thought and maybe a middle ground could be achieved... I'm not a fan of an infinite spam button but I do often build ships in batches so maybe the button could be used to customise batch production runs. You could have the ability to setup the batches exactly how you like them (or not at all) and then simply activate a given batch to automatically fill the build queue.
Each batch could be limited to one full build queue. The content could be specified by the player's own preferences (eg - In one such setup, you could build say: 4 Akira's followed by 2 Norway's and then a Canaveral and 3 Intrepids). Once the batch is completed the yard then returns to it default mode, where you can either use it as we all use them now or add another batch.
To expand the idea you could maybe have additional batch slots so you can have separate batches to choose from depending on what you need. These slots could be added with research (let's call it - "Shipyard Logistics")
This way, you could still have the element of strategy by thinking about what batch to use (if any) and retain the production management for the player, whilst taking the micromanagement strain off for the match as a whole. This would give you a little extra leeway in time, so you can concentrate on the important stuff, like blowing stuff up!
