Projects with a preparatory stage

[SekoETC]

There seem to be a lot of projects where it would make sense that they consisted of a manual part followed by an automatic part. Yet currently the only way possible to have projects like this in the current system would be to split it into at least two parts and use components or some sort of a semi-finished resource that doesn't have any other uses. Yet the projects table seems rather flexible, so I think it could support a new type of project where it would become automatic after a certain percentage of completion has been exceeded and it could either kick off the workers at that point or just inform them participation is no longer necessary and let them disengage when they get online.

Projects that would logically use this system: baking projects, maybe smoking and cooking in general, if you think about it, they don't need constant tending to. Gardening projects - you spend a short time planting the seeds and turning the soil, maybe the time used for weeding and watering can be assumed to be included in the initial work effort. Generally anything that would logically involve some manual work/preparations followed by waiting.

The good thing in my opinion is that it would reduce the amount of projects that are completely automatic, but at the same time it would free people from having to work full-time on something that wouldn't require constant tending to in real life.

Edit: In fact, might as well define it for all projects and just leave it at 100% for those that require constant tending to. Then it would be possible to have projects that are automatic with manual assistance after the preparatory part.

[RedQueen.exe]

+1. Wish I had thought of it.

[Doug R.]

I'm not sold on this. We'd probably just lengthen projects to compensate and ultimately nothing would change.

[RedQueen.exe]

Unless the manual stage were as long as the projects are now, I disagree. I think it would make for an interesting dynamic in project/labor management where you try to fit your manual work around waiting on the automatic stages. The machines will still be utilized, but you won't.

And I think more automation increases the value of machines. Perhaps towns might not go freely allowing their machines to be utilized as they do now if machines were actually tied up working on something else. Machines are almost empty now because Cantrarians have a piss poor work ethic.

Maybe this nudge non-min-max'ers into developing a scheduled work "day". They go and do their manual steps, then when that portion is done, they go outside to chat as they wait on the automatic portion to finish.

Of course, the big fear is always that automation will further lend to the wealth that is already prevalent. At the moment, I'm not really sure how to address that.