Use the infinite queue!

Out4Blood · June 11, 2003, 16:06

Being well-versed in AOE and AOK, I have had to unlearn some bad habits to improve my RON game. One specific bad habit was to queue up a bunch of units using shift + or by mashing the hotkey a few times until the resources ran out.

In AOK this works because you pay for units only when they begin to train, but in RON you pay for them as they queue up, making it difficult to sustain production without significant micro-management.

However, I found that the infinite queue button solves this dilemma quite nicely. (This is only for those that are NOT using it. If you use it obviosuly you know this already.) So instead of hitting HCCCCCC imediately at the start of the game (or now VVVVVVV), you can just hit VQ (or whatever you have remapped to).

This becomes an essential tool for playing on the faster speeds and is also useful for larger macro management.

For example: I build an early barracks and queue up one "iteration" of my army: slinger, hoplite, slinger and then hit Q. This will slowly give me an army with a 2:1 ratio of slingers and hoplites, and will contine to grow as long as I have resources and population available. I set my rally point on a likely enemy avenue of approach and things tend to take care of themselves.

In later ages, I can manage both my army and econ by watching the top left info boxes, setting rally points on my hot-keyed generals, and buying/selling resources with clicks on the market boxes in the top left - with little degradation of logistics, even at hyper-speed. (Maneuvering is a little different!)

If you're not using the infinite queue, I'd highly encourage it. It takes a moment of practice for the AOK player, but it's a definite improvement.

albiedamned · June 11, 2003, 17:01

So infinite queue just repeats producing whatever is currently under production and/or queued? I've never used it, but I think I'll try. If you have infinite queue on, can you leave it on while manually inserting other units into the queue? For example, could I put a seige factory on infinite queue of artillery but occassionally toss in a supply wagon? What if I want to research a unit upgrade? Do you have to turn the infinite queue off for that and then turn it back on, or can you just insert the upgrade into the queue without deactivating the infinite queue?

Out4Blood · June 11, 2003, 17:21

You could add a supply wagon, then delete it from the queue once you had what you needed. If you add a research item, it will research when it comes up, then go back to the next item in the queue.

Try it out.

Carch · June 11, 2003, 17:27

Only thing I don't like about infinite queue is that I don't like being at my population limit. I'd use it more if there were a configurable buffer beyond which auto-queues would not build. That way if I need to urgently build a few specific units, I can.

Inverse Icarus · June 11, 2003, 17:43

i just hate the fact that my resources are taken as they are needed though. i'll be sitting there waitig for 1000 food or something, and another unit will start and take 150 from me.

i use them on caravans and later in the game, but i wouldnt dare use them earlier. i can micromanage fairly well.

Caesar Brad · June 11, 2003, 20:56

OMG, I never noticed that b4(infinite queue)!!! I just play a game on moderate and made a barracks produce 2:1, light:heavy inf, I was awesome, I just set the rally point to my general and pow the reinforcements just kept on comin! Be advised you HAVE to get a solid economy going before you start this, midevil age at the earliest prolly, so you dont run out of resources, especially food. Anyway thanks again! Later.

Caesar Saladus · June 11, 2003, 21:44

One of the best uses I have found for the infinity queue is for Nuclear Silos.

In the late game, I often have 3 silos, numbered 8-0 in my control groups. I set each one to infinite production of ICBMs, and so nuking my enemy is easy. Just press 8, right click; 9, right click; and 0, right click, and 3 nukes get launched. Then they will automatically rebuild, making life easy.

rocksk · June 11, 2003, 21:53

Yap, infinite queue is a must when fighting mid age setting games. army is usually so huge and battle usually last a long time that look like a never ending story.

Play roman. age set to medv only. 3 vs 3. I am against inc. THis guys just pump out unit like water. Every time i hit his city, i can see units flowing in constantly within my LOS. Then i learn to use infinite build, i also learn that one barrack, one stable is not enough. I end up with 4 barracks. 1 barrack for each type of infantry and 1 for rolation between them.

Need to fight water with water.

behin · June 12, 2003, 15:27

Infinite queues are great. It seems they are cancelled when new upgrades are availble (or when u upgrade I cant remember).

Solver · June 12, 2003, 15:58

It looks like they are great, indeed, I just wonder why are they such a little button that is so hard to spot

.

vlar · June 12, 2003, 20:47

Wow, it's a whole new game. Infinite queue is great!

vootguy · June 12, 2003, 23:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Caesar Saladus
One of the best uses I have found for the infinity queue is for Nuclear Silos.

In the late game, I often have 3 silos, numbered 8-0 in my control groups. I set each one to infinite production of ICBMs, and so nuking my enemy is easy. Just press 8, right click; 9, right click; and 0, right click, and 3 nukes get launched. Then they will automatically rebuild, making life easy.

Hilarious

I love this game. Infinitely queued nukes is the best thing I've heard all day

solo · June 13, 2003, 15:48

Another thankyou for the heads up.

It works great and they DID remember to let you turn it off, too, and that helps!

Grond · June 14, 2003, 06:26

Nice tip. So only one building can be queued or is there a way to queue multiple buildings including library?

solo · June 14, 2003, 10:27

Multiple buildings work, since each has its own IQ.

Gomer_Pyle · June 14, 2003, 19:43

Best used when you're not about to spend for a big research, age jump, or wonder. Out of control infinite queues will probably cause problems. A cancel all infinite Q hotkey would be nice for moments where you want the resources in the bank.

Nice feature though. I'll have to try it when my eco is humming!

And think about using this in an infinite-res DM game!

Brodie · June 14, 2003, 21:05

thanks blood, really useful

solo · June 14, 2003, 22:43

I have noticed that an IQ will turn itself off if you run too low on one of the resources needed to build the next item in the que.

It appears that research can be conducted while an IQ is in operation, too.

Hermann the Lombard · June 18, 2003, 16:42

I was trying the IQ last night in my Bantu v Greeks&Turks CtW battle, and I wasn't finding it useful because it turns itself completely off whenever a resource runs low, instead of waiting until the resource is available, then queueing a new unit. Any way to change this behavior? [I know, I know, any way *other* than having a better economy with sufficient resources! I'm at the commerce cap in all resources and in desperate need of every unit I can produce! Commerce 6, I think.]

-- HtL

la0tsu · June 20, 2003, 14:43

I must confess I was really excited about IQ in theory. However, in practice, I find it to not be particularly useful in most situations. I don't like the fact that it stops when you run out of a resource, and I hate trying to save up for research with IQ on. Maybe they could fix the former by leaving IQ on, but not starting a unit until the resources are available. That would really kick butt. As for the latter problem, I don't know a solution.

That being said, I should point out the one situation where I absolutely swear by IQ: When I have hit my Population limit. Then, you pretty much always have the resources for any new units or research. More importantly, it keeps your army at full strength at all times.

la0tsu · June 20, 2003, 14:44

Duplicate post.

Hermann the Lombard · June 20, 2003, 19:34

Quote:

Originally posted by la0tsu
I don't like the fact that it stops when you run out of a resource, and I hate trying to save up for research with IQ on. Maybe they could fix the former by leaving IQ on, but not starting a unit until the resources are available. That would really kick butt. As for the latter problem, I don't know a solution.

Agreed: IQ should pause until the resources are available, or at least it should be an option (perhaps called "Infinite Queue: I Really Mean It").

For the latter, how about an "IQ Pause" toggle, perhaps on the Library screen? Combine the two and IQ would be great!

[ "IQ Pause" -- an occurence about 3 a.m. after playing RoN too long.

]

hoeleng · June 24, 2003, 02:11

found it useful to set my rally point on the military structure to one of my existing units. For example my auto plant building tanks indefinately will have its rally point set to one of my existing tanks. that way, the newly built units will join your control group immediately.

Out4Blood · July 10, 2003, 09:27

Rally points combined with the infinite queue make a human as effective as an AI at making units. But you know the AI's motto: "Never send a human to do a machine's job."

Hermann the Lombard · July 10, 2003, 20:29

Quote:

Originally posted by hoeleng
found it useful to set my rally point on the military structure to one of my existing units. For example my auto plant building tanks indefinately will have its rally point set to one of my existing tanks. that way, the newly built units will join your control group immediately.

It's a bit safer to set the rally point to the commander of group, especially against the AI (which doesn't seem to use snipers on generals). I believe the rally point is cleared if the specific unit is destroyed...and I don't know what happens if the specific unit is garrisoned for repair or defense.

Jaybe · July 10, 2003, 22:32

Quote:

... the rally point is cleared if the specific unit is destroyed...

The consensus now is that the rally point is with the group, and is safe as long as any unit of the group survives.

Hermann the Lombard · July 11, 2003, 19:15

Oh, thanks Jaybe! Might get confusing if that unit is assigned to more than one group. "Unassigning" is a nuisance, and suddenly I move the wrong units (formerly entrenched units marching laterally across the enemy front...)

Alinestra Covelia · July 19, 2003, 21:17

I have also started using the infinite queue feature. In most of my combat engagements, just before I send my troops over the border, I'll have two siege factories, 3 stables, and 3 barracks, each one building one type of unit to infinite queue and assigned to a group. If I've left a good amount of time to build up my reserves of materiel prior to this, I find it usually provides me with a force that replenishes fast enough to hold a city until assimilation.

The only problem with this is that you have to get all your buildings up and running before you set anything to queue, especially if you're near your population limit, otherwise it can take a very long time for certain units to come out. I once had a whole army and navy infrastructure set to infinite (I was launching an attack against the Japanese capital in Conquer the World) and then I realized I didn't have a General or Spy. After constructing the castle, it took a very long time for me to deactivate all the other buildings AND kill off a few scholars to free up enough population points to build those two units.

Skanky Burns · July 20, 2003, 01:07

What difficulty level do you play at?
I never find myself at the population limit, unless it is right at the end of a large campaing where I had built the Terra Cotta wonder. I normally attack with a tiny force, hold it with the same and just keep healing those who near death. Then again, I am a sucker for micromanaging things. Slow speed + frequent pauses.

Oh, and I play at tough difficulty..

Out4Blood · July 20, 2003, 10:34

Toughest and I never pause