QoL "Update Component" button

[Destragon (OP)]

This is just an idea I had while going through my class designs and redesigning them with newly researched components. The issue is how much work (or how many clicks) it takes to update all your designs whenever you research a new sensor, engine, or other component, which made me wonder if would be possible to reduce all that work down to pretty much just one click.

My thought was to add a button to the bottom right of the class design window and name it something like "update component" or "update classes". It could also be integrated into the components and turret design windows, but having it in the class design window would be good enough.
When you click that button, it would bring up a small popup window. Here is an MSPaint mockup of how I imagine this window could look like:


The dropdown at the top would let you select a component type, with an additional option for "just armor".
The bottom left dropdown is for selecting the existing component, the one to the right is for selecting the one you want it to be replaced with.
When you tell it to replace a component, it would go through all your non-obsolete class designs and search for the ones that have the old component. Then for each class it finds, it would create a copy, rename that copy to the same name, but with a "2" at the end (incrementing the number if there already was one), remove all copies of the old component from it and instead add an equal amount of the new component. At that point it would also try to update the armor tech of the design, in case it's outdated.
If you put a checkmark on the setting to obsolete outdated designs, it would also mark the original design as obsolete (both the class and the component, though maybe these should be separate options).
If you put a checkmark on the setting to retool shipyards, it would go through all your shipyards, see if any of them are tooled for the old class and (if possible) give them the order to retool to the new design.

Correct me if I'm super silly and didn't realise that some feature like this is already in the game. Either way, this could be expanded to work similarly for ground units, too.

[Father Tim]

While I wouldn't be doing this (you lost me at "update all your designs whenever you research a new sensor, engine, or other component"), I suggested automated ground unit design updates for new tech and there was vociferous objection.

[Droll]

I suggested automated ground unit design updates for new tech and there was vociferous objection.

Thats very surprising given that one of the biggest micro drains on ground combat right now is the fact that every weapon/armour tech leaves my ground forces outdated with no way to easily upgrade my elements. I would definitely like a feature like that but maybe on the formation level and when I choose to.

[Malorn]

I would suggest anyone who wants to object to ground combat problem-solving to play the following setup.

Start in a advanced sol, with NPR's seeded on various terraformed worlds, including earth. Everyone is at war at start. Roleplay logic: there is a succession war occurring between the various powers. You play the UN, trying to regain control and bring peace back. You start with much less population then most of the NPRs, but with the best tech, and probably the best industrial base, along with the only large space navy, etc.

The problem? All of that industrial base is on the same planets as other warring powers. Thus, ground combat is a big part of the game. Just for giggles, you're the 'good guys' and aren't allowed to nuke things from orbit too much, especially populations.

This was my last game, that I'm still playing. Ground combat, soooo much ground combat. Do this, and anyone will come to understand why some sanity is needed. I adore the detail of the ground combat, but to provide an analogy, it's like if aurora 4x normal space combat never let you repair your ships, ever. Or resupply them, or give them more missiles. Ground formations are basically fire-and-forget, you scrap them when they run out of supply, and call it a day.

[TMaekler]

Maybe a „simple“ solution of this idea could be putting this upgrade button in the components list. When you click on a component and newer tech for that one is available you can generate a new tech with the same specs + the upgraded components... .

[Vastrat]

An update button for the components and for ground forces would be very welcome!