Exploring is repetitive and boring, an automated exploring option would be a godsend

[Mardal]

Forgive me if this has been discussed before, but I was unable to find any threads relating to this request.

I find exploring to be an incredible dull affair. You’re doing pretty much exactly the same thing, that you have been doing many times over when playing an early colonizing nation. You explore those few key strategic provinces, like Bermuda and St Helena, and then just move your ship up and down every coast until every single province has been discovered.

Creating an automatic exploring option for fleets should be fairly simple. I mean, the AI is already doing it, so the code already exists. I know I could use the “Random New World” option to partially address this issue, but I very much prefer to play with a historical map.

An automatic exploring option would be in line with Paradoxs current strategy to reduce repetitive micro management, like they have done with trading and cardinals.

 

[Qoff]

Forgive me if this has been discussed before, but I was unable to find any threads relating to this request.

I find exploring to be an incredible dull affair. You’re doing pretty much exactly the same thing, that you have been doing many times over when playing an early colonizing nation. You explore those few key strategic provinces, like Bermuda and St Helena, and then just move your ship up and down every coast until every single province has been discovered.

Creating an automatic exploring option for fleets should be fairly simple. I mean, the AI is already doing it, so the code already exists. I know I could use the “Random New World” option to partially address this issue, but I very much prefer to play with a historical map.

An automatic exploring option would be in line with Paradoxs current strategy to reduce repetitive micro management, like they have done with trading and cardinals.

Probably is easier for the AI because the AI don't get attrition from sea, but I don't think that would be so hard to adapt it. BTW you know that you can trace a route if you push shift? I usually do that to explore.

 

[riknap]

or just as well, allow us to click on ANYWHERE in the unexplored map, and let the game control our ships automatically creating the pathways (or stopping movement if you clicked inside what "turns out" to be inside land and the ship has already gone through the shores

 

[Karabas1543]

Probably is easier for the AI because the AI don't get attrition from sea, but I don't think that would be so hard to adapt it. BTW you know that you can trace a route if you push shift? I usually do that to explore.

I guess my problem is I never know exactly how far my ship will go, so I just play it by ear. And that means a lot of micromanagement.

Auto-exploration would totally be amazing. Really sick of doing it on my own.

The only issue I see is sometimes one needs to explore in a certain direction (for example, bee-line for North America), in which case auto-explore may be a bit difficult to code.

 

[oblio-]

A simple solution would be to not kill the explorer if the boat sinks. Then I'd just have 10 ships lined up for exploration and shift queue one at a time.

 

[LordDamien]

or just as well, allow us to click on ANYWHERE in the unexplored map, and let the game control our ships automatically creating the pathways (or stopping movement if you clicked inside what "turns out" to be inside land and the ship has already gone through the shores

That sounds like a reasonable idea.. Actually. And it makes sense as well to have it that way. Click in a area of unexplored land and then watch to see what you discover. Instead of how it is now which if you forget about your ship you can forget about it and just disband it

 

[uishax]

Well, you could always patrol with your explorer, that discovers provinces very simply. Its also strange that explorers get killed but generals don't.

 

[grandad1982]

or just as well, allow us to click on ANYWHERE in the unexplored map, and let the game control our ships automatically creating the pathways (or stopping movement if you clicked inside what "turns out" to be inside land and the ship has already gone through the shores

This used to be the case. Not really sure why they changed it.

 

[Oorlog]

Probably is easier for the AI because the AI don't get attrition from sea, but I don't think that would be so hard to adapt it. BTW you know that you can trace a route if you push shift? I usually do that to explore.

Just loop a route, using shift, back to a friendly port so you dont have to think about it. What i do about knowing where it all is is to not be too precise just shift click a route to what you think your explorer can manage so you get a bit of random result.

Still it is repetitive and i like the idea if you could outfit expeditions with an objective so you can get more random results. Taking the exploring bit away from the player

 

[classicist]

Auto-exploration would probably make it very rare for the exploring navies to be lost, which would be implausible. All in all, exploration should be much more expensive than what it is now: it should incur something other than just the price of building a ship. And that ship should be a very insecure investment for the state.

The same goes with the explorer - not only should the NOT survive the loss of their navies (which is as it should be), they should die occasionally out of scurvy or rebellion among the crews, in which case another leader with random statistics would be elected. If you'd want to make things really interesting, this new explorer could also switch their allegiance to another country. Now THAT would make exploring not only more interesting, but also more realistic.

 

[ahyangyi]

Time to try Random New World

 

[Chewy Yui]

Why not automate everything and slowly become the AI

 

[riknap]

Why not automate everything and slowly become the AI

sometimes, there might be times in gameplay wherein you're not only (micro)managing an exploration fleet, but are also (micro)managing wars, maybe even on multiple fronts (like if you're a colonial power and/or have multiple combat 'theaters" where there are enemies) and you need to pour your full attention to all of them (especially if you're fighting superior forces). at times like these, you'd kinda wish the AI would handle the pathfinding of your exploration ships (especially if you WANT them to explore, because you earn naval tradition that way).

 

[ahyangyi]

Why not automate everything and slowly become the AI

I don't think everything should be automated nor they can be. But exploration on the same world map over and over? It's not that exciting after a few games.
(which is also why I love the random new world despite its ugliness)

 

[sinisalo]

Just loop a route, using shift, back to a friendly port so you dont have to think about it.

+1. That's what I do as well.

 

[Oorlog]

Auto-exploration would probably make it very rare for the exploring navies to be lost, which would be implausible. All in all, exploration should be much more expensive than what it is now: it should incur something other than just the price of building a ship. And that ship should be a very insecure investment for the state.

The same goes with the explorer - not only should the NOT survive the loss of their navies (which is as it should be), they should die occasionally out of scurvy or rebellion among the crews, in which case another leader with random statistics would be elected. If you'd want to make things really interesting, this new explorer could also switch their allegiance to another country. Now THAT would make exploring not only more interesting, but also more realistic.

Yes setup an expedition for a lump sum and wait for it to return to see the results, if it ever returns.

 

[Gustav91]

Yes setup an expedition for a lump sum and wait for it to return to see the results, if it ever returns.

+1

 

[classicist]

Yes setup an expedition for a lump sum and wait for it to return to see the results, if it ever returns.

Something like that, indeed. Maybe give just a general wish as for the direction of the expedition: either to the west or the east, and even then there should be a chance of this not coming to pass (cf. all the expeditions which were blown out of course etc.)

 

[Freudia]

Something like that, indeed. Maybe give just a general wish as for the direction of the expedition: either to the west or the east, and even then there should be a chance of this not coming to pass (cf. all the expeditions which were blown out of course etc.)

But would that be fun in a strategy game, though? Sending explorations out and then banking on RNG for them to not only return at all but also find what you were looking for doesn't sound very fun or good from an actual gameplay perspective, in my opinion.

 

[BarrosRodrigues]

@OP

The AI can´t deal with attrition so although I very much agree with you ships in auto-explore would most likely sink. As an example if we are not careful the new auto-transport thingy will sink the entire fleet along with the army because the AI has no clue.