Task display for units

[Lewin]

T*AnTi-V!RuZz recently reported this as a bug so I thought it should be discussed:


The task display was originally for debugging, it said what task the units were currently doing. We decided to leave it because it might be useful. However, as T*AnTi-V!RuZz pointed out it says "mining resources" when a woodcutter is planting a tree, because to KaM, planting and cutting are both handled by the "mining" task (because they're 90% the same). Also, soldiers will always display "idle" (even when fighting) except when they are attacking a house. That's because all other things are not counted as tasks, they're "action" and the only task a soldier can have it attacking a house.

So currently the display only makes sense to programmers who understand our internal structure. We could change it so it says sensible things like "Cutting tree", "Planting tree", "Mining stone", "Fishing", etc. for citizens, and "Idle", "fighting", "pursuing", "storm attacking", "attacking house", etc. for soldiers.

The question is, is the display useful and worth keeping or should it just be removed? KaM didn't have one, if you wanted to know what a unit was doing you'd have to watch him and figure it out. IMO 90% of the time the task display says the obvious thing you can see just by looking at the unit. For example, a woodcutter carrying a young tree and a trowel probably isn't going out to have a tea party, it's pretty obvious he's planting a tree. Similarly your farmer carrying his scythe is probably off to cut some corn, not slice the legs off an enemy. I really like that you can usually see what units are doing by looking at what they're carrying (especially serfs) so I think the task display is unnecessary duplication of this information. I can't remember ever using the task display while playing.

But that's just my opinion, please write your own here

[Krom]

Unit activity description is a nice thing to have for newbie players, who build something and are not exactly sure what and why their units are doing.
Here's template made for us some time ago. Some sentences are quite long and probably can be shortened to fit into limited space we have in menu.

[Item] - Can be any item, serfs will say the item they are carrying, whereas other NPCs will use this based on what they could be talking about, for example, if talking about going to get food [item] could be any foodstuff.
[Building] - Once more self explanatory. When said by an NPC with multiple possible jobs, like a miner or a carpenter, this is a random building picked out of the ones they could be talking about.
[Activity] - Could be construction site, road plant, anything that isn't directly a building, or otherwise covered by other statements
[Troop Name] - In the case of recruits, this is a random troop type that can be trained. In the case of serfs, it is the kind of troop they are currently going to go feed.


Serf
"Greetings! I am taking this [item] to the [Activity or Building]" (General good movement)
and "Hello there! I am just returning this [Item] to the storehouse!" (Returning goods to storehouse)
"Just moving these [item] goods to the trading post. Hope we get a good deal for [item 2]!" (Trading an item)
"Time to go get some chow. I hope they have some [Item] this time, i'm starving." (Going to get food)
"I'm taking this food to feed the [Troop Name]s. Wouldn't want to be left undefended!" (feeding troops)


Labourer
"Just moving to prepare [Building Name] site. Today will be a long day" (going towards a unprepared build site)
"With all the resources ready, we are just finishing off [Building] today!" (building a building)
"I am on road building duty, I hope those serfs are fast this time. Building is hungry work!" (Going towards a road construction plot)
"We have to repair this [Building], though it may be hard to put out fires with our hammers" (Repairing a building)
"Today we are digging a Field, it will be good to not have to rely on the serfs for once!" (Digging a farm field)
"Building a Grape Field always makes me happy- It means fresh wine" (Digging a wine field)
"I always look forward to this time of day" (Going to get food)


Stonemason
"Time to go check out my new hut! I hope there is plenty of stone." (going to new house)
"Waiting for a new hut is tiresome. I hope they hurry up and build me one." (waiting for new house)
"I'm going out to get some stone, without it this whole village would come to a standstill!" (going out to get stone)
"This is damn heavy! I am returning it to my hut to prepare it for construction." (returning with stone)
"I am going out to get some food! Sometimes I wonder if I should take my pick with me to eat that bread they serve us." (going to get food)
"Back to work." (going home from food)


Woodcutter
"Just moving in to my new home. Those trees wont know what hit them." (Moving into a new house)
"Waiting for those labourers to build me a new house." (Waiting for a house)
"Planting a tree is like giving the world a new life!" (planting a tree)
"Returning home after planting that tree, I hope it grows big and strong." (Returning home after planting tree)
"I am going off to cut down that big tree out there!" (going out to cut down tree)
"Lets hope I can get this log home without hurting myself." (taking log home)
"Going out to get me some chow. Felling trees all day is hard work." (going to get food)
"I do love (item). It fills me right up!" (going home after food)


Carpenter
"I can't wait to get to work at my new [Building]!" (Going to new house)
"All this waiting around makes me wonder where my next job will be, I hope it is at a [Building]!" (waiting for house)
"Time to get me some [Item]. Sawdust isn't as filling as you would expect." (getting food)
"Back to the daily grind- (laughs)" (going back from food)


Fisherman
"I wonder what the new house I'm going to will be like. I hope it has water views! (laugh)" (going to new house)
"Waiting around like this makes me think they are going to build my house in the middle of a forest as a joke.." (waiting for house)
"Off to catch myself some fish! I hope I catch a big one." (going to catch fish)
"I am returning home with my catch- well my catch that I could carry. I caught one THIS big, but I couldn't take it home" (home with fish)
"Going to eat. They say that teaching a man to fish feeds him for a lifetime, But sometimes [item] helps too." (the item here could be anything BUT fish) (going to eat)
"Sometimes a man likes more then just fish" (returning from food)


Farmer
"Going off to a new farmhouse is an exciting day." (going to a new house)
"I hope those labourers remember that the union demands each farmer has their own well when building my new home!" (this is just a joke, obviously there are no unions.) (waiting for a new house)
"Going out to sow seeds like this is always relaxing." (going to sow seeds/returning)
"Time to harvest the [Item] hard work starts now." (Item in this case could also be grapes, despite the fact that grapes are not an item) (harvesting crop)
"Returning with my harvest, can't wait till this day is over." (returning with crop)
"Going to eat is always a nice time, considering most of the food is made indirectly by me!" (getting food)
"That was a good meal" (returning from food)


Baker
"I will make the finest [item] this village has ever seen in my new house!" (going to new house)
"The moment my house is ready, I will take this village by storm" (waiting for house)
"Time to go out and eat the finest bread in the village" (going to eat)
"The other food was nice, but that bread was delicious!" (returning from eating)


Animal Breeder
"I cant wait till I get to [Building] and raise those cute animals" (Going to new house)
"I wonder what is better, horses or pigs... I wonder if I could request something more wild" (waiting for new house)
(if pig) "I know I should feel bad going off to eat Mr Oinksalot. But he tastes SO good." (going to eat)
(if horse) "I'm glad I don't have to eat my animals, time for chow" (going to eat)
"Love that great filling meat." (returning from eating)


Butcher
"I am going off to [Building]. Which is good, I always preferred that over [Building] work" (if butcher, other is tannery, and visa versa) (going to new house)
"Waiting for my house means waiting to use my cleaver- I hope this doesn't take long." (waiting for new house)
"I wonder if I can skip the bread this time and go right to the meat!" (going to get food)
"Nothing better then a good sausage" (returning from food)


Miner
"Time to get to my new [Building]. I sure do love to dig." (going to new building)
"Gold... Coal... or Iron. Personally I would prefer mining [Item]" (item here could be any of the three major ores, and something silly like fish as a joke) (waiting for new building)
"The sun always seems brighter when I come out to eat like this" (going to get food)
"Back into the shaft to mine the [Item] our village needs." (returning from food)


Metallurgist
"Making [item] in my new house will require a skilful touch to get pure enough" (going to new building)
"Gold or Iron, I don't really mind. Everything looks the same when red hot" (waiting for building)
"Going to eat, but ever since I started this job the food always seems to taste slightly off." (going to eat)
"Back to melt some more priceless metals" (returning from eating)


Blacksmith
"Going to my new house, got to love that new anvil smell" (going to new building)
"I cant wait to make the items needed to help defend our village" (waiting for new building)
"A hearty lunch for a worthy sweat" (going to get food)
"That food was well earned." (returning from food)


Recruit
"Going to the Castle, I hope I get trained to be a [Troop]!" (going to castle)
"Time to protect my village." (going to watch tower)
"I wonder when the castle will be completed... or at least a tower." (waiting for a building)
"Even watchmen and troops in training need food." (Going to get food)
"Time to return and fight the good fight" (returning from food)

SirCabbageTheGreen

[Kridge]

Actually, I quite like the display. I dont know why, but it adds something. And those lines Krom quoted would be great in my opinion. But I dont know why I like it to be honest.

[Ben]

Kind of an old topic. I voted "no" because it just seems redundant. However, Krom's post is quite interesting.

[pawel95]

I like the display too. For example its nice in the case of Labours, so I can see,that this labour will go to build a house and not to build a road

[dicsoupcan]

yes definitely keep it, and the sentences krom posted are a nice addition, gives more the feeling the citizens are actual citizens

[The Dark Lord]

Yeah, so stop the builder rush!

[dicsoupcan]

Yeah, so stop the builder rush!

haha i can imagine a line like you are not sending me to my death are you?

[The Dark Lord]

Hahaha yes, if someone builds a road or field extremely far away! Would be pretty funny.