My comments on the new constructor request system:
So far it is working much better than I expected. As someone who has enjoyed manually managing constructors, I didn't think I would like it, but I am doing pretty good so far.
I like that I can move the requested constructors in the shipyard build list. It is a bit of fiddly micromanagement, but it definitely makes the system more compatible with my general build priorities. Good choice.
Several others have mentioned a need for being able to set a universal default constructor. I agree with that point. It was my first impression of the new system.
The constructor type selection is a horizontal one-by-one list. I have bunches and bunches of constructor designs for different range, speed, and module combinations. Presently, to avoid clicking and clicking, I use the arbitrary ship name "a-Constructor" because the horizontal list seems to have an alphabetical sort. It might need to be a drop down box.
I seriously need a return of the "Idle Starbase" prompt on the next action button. In complex maps with lots of ships doing lots of things, I often lose track of a newly created starbase and it sits there patiently idle and undeveloped as long as I absentmindedly let it. Very frustrating. Maybe it should only show up when there is a module in the base that has not been used yet. I could see it becoming a nuisance if it triggered every time a starbase finished auto-updating.
I don't like making a mining ring and then having to tell the base to start putting in mining structures. It seems to me to be a default choice. I understand there are other choices and approaches to the use of starbases, but I would prefer it assumed I was actually doing mining. The same is true for culture bases. I can understand that I have to choose what develops in an economic base,, but telling a mining base to actually mine feels wrong.
When I lose a starbase, I can get basic constructors that are suddenly lost as to what to do and they come up idle. This was actually neat when it happened the first time, a nicely handled mechanic. After that it just became a nuisance. My problem is that I don't always know what to do with the new constructors. They are in the middle in some space that may or may not have constructors headed for the relevant resources, relics, whatever. Do I have a constructor sent to claim that cluster of Antimatter? It looks familiar. Or is it that other cluster of Antimatter? In GC2 there was an option to show little icons that indicated some ship or another was headed to this destination. That would let me know which of the two Antimatter clusters to send my new constructor towards. It is a function I wish for in a lot of situations, but, for me, this new starbase-constructors system highlights that need in a serious way.
I would wish that auto constructors had a slightly different strategy level icon. I am not sure why, but I would like to be able to visually tell which constructors I built and which the system built.
All in all, it should help in my playing of bigger and bigger maps.les
Edit: I have a Relic in reach of two starbases. The first has already built all the precursor modules I can for the relic. The secondis an economy base that also has the option available to build precursor modules. It should know either that the Relic is already claimed by another base or that it is already developed by the other base and leave the option greyed out. Since you are blind to the map when looking at the starbase screen, I think we need to be able to rely on the UI to keep us from redundantly ordering constructors.
