How many Kenshi does it take to change a lightbulb?

[Ben]

No, this is not about a cheesy joke.

Instead I was simply doing a headcount of the number of workers required to fully staff all the tasks. So far, after taking into consideration the upgrades and automation, it seemed that a town would require about 22 people to fully man every single workstation, and I have not included the manpower needed for the mounted crossbows. So it seemed that some job multi-tasking is required: Farmer by day, juggernaut fighter by demand!

[Seimears]

If you build it right you only need one person for the crossbow it is more of a deturant then a stop all. Also after you get to some of the automatic mines and refiners you can have less men on them. Also you do not need more then one person on some stations. Unless you are going pure economy play style you really do not need all the crafting stations going all the time.

[PnzrNorm]

There are definitely more jobs available than there are people, and that isn't including having duplicates of any structure.

I'm just going to make a list of manpower required to run all industry at each tech level as a reference/documentation.
When I have a full list, I will make another post here.

[Clawdius Talonious]

Soon enough we'll be able to control more than the current single squad limit. This should ideally include slave laborers where valid, paid workers, and mercenaries as well as our core cadre of troops. There are still, possibly, a few logistics to work on before this is implemented. It's entirely probable that Chris' plans to address them are already extant, and just haven't been shared in case they're subject to change. He's the type to play his cards close to his vest, not often letting on about much that is more than a few updates off.

[PnzrNorm]

I have a complete list of manpower required for 1 of each structure to run at maximum efficiency, plus a variable amount of crossbows, and the total manpower listed next to the tech level.

The number remains about constant throughout all of the tech levels, so that's a pretty impressive amount of balancing Chris pulled off there.

• Tech Level 0: 13
  • Stone Mine 1: 8
    Stone Processor 1: 4
    Tech Bench: 1
  Tech Level 1: 27
  • Tech Bench: 1
    Small Farm: 2
    Grain Silo: 1
    Rum Still: 1
    Cooking Stove: 1
    Hemp Farm: 1
    Fabric Loom: 1
    Clothing Bench: 1
    Well: 1
    Stone Mine 2: 7
    Stone Processor 1: 4
    Ore Mine 1: 5
    Weapon Smith: 1
  Tech Level 2: 26 + X
  • Tech Bench: 1
    Small Farm: 2
    Grain Silo: 1
    Rum Still: 1
    Cooking Stove: 1
    Hemp Farm: 1
    Fabric Loom: 1
    Medical Assembly Desk: 1
    Clothing Bench: 1
    Stone Mine 4: 5
    Stone Processor 2: 3
    Ore Mine 2: 4
    Weapon Smith: 1
    Steel Refinery 1: 2
    Leather Armour Crafting: 1
    Leather Tanning: 1
    Mounted Crossbows: Random Variable X; representing # of crossbows

[Seimears]

Though I get what you are all talking about but don't you guys like multi task your guys. I mean like for instance when I have me medic crafting station going. I will give the guy three jobs to do to cover all that is needed. Like for instance his first job is the crafting station then the loom then the hemp farm. That way he will get to the station go dang I need cloth then go to the loom oh crap I need hemp. Then run out and grow hemp until he makes enough cloth then craft what he needs. You can do this in more then one way. Like my medics are medics first scientists second so if any one is attacked they will run out and heal them then go back to the science station.

Just started a new base. But half of the 4 are always digging up stone the other half are engineers first. So if there are no building materials they will mine stone until there are.

Another one is like the heavy armor station. You can click on the crafting station first then the beating table then the mine itself if it is not automatic. So now he will mine until he has the ore to take to the beating station and continue until he has enough to craft the armor. The more you do this it does cut down on your need for men to do the work behind the stage kind of thing.

[Ben]

The Roadmap hints at certain jobs that require constant working (i.e food/water production to feed your people), plus the research (and the description within) needed for Stone/Steel processor to cut down on manpower while increasing efficiency kinda hints of some need of manpower management. Multitasking for the moment is a viable option when there isn't enough hands to go around, but it's not exactly efficient, plus there might be an incentive to train certain people up to become experts in their field (other than working faster). Whether there is a need to put your smith at their station all the time, well, it depends if features such as item decay will be in, as it will then require item repair and replacement services provided to travelling merchants or such to earn extra income. After all, it's not as though you will be putting your 'main character' at the working bench or in the farm, so it's likely to be some guy you hire, designate as the smith and forget about him.

[Seimears]

The Roadmap hints at certain jobs that require constant working (i.e food/water production to feed your people), plus the research (and the description within) needed for Stone/Steel processor to cut down on manpower while increasing efficiency kinda hints of some need of manpower management. Multitasking for the moment is a viable option when there isn't enough hands to go around, but it's not exactly efficient, plus there might be an incentive to train certain people up to become experts in their field (other than working faster). Whether there is a need to put your smith at their station all the time, well, it depends if features such as item decay will be in, as it will then require item repair and replacement services provided to travelling merchants or such to earn extra income. After all, it's not as though you will be putting your 'main character' at the working bench or in the farm, so it's likely to be some guy you hire, designate as the smith and forget about him.

You must not of gotten all the research done yet for stone or iron mines. At the end of there research tree they are automated. At that point you only need one man so to move the resources around the rest is tone auto maticaly for you. Usualy put my slowest guy on the iron bars ten letting him build up his strength and there for speed. They will also go around to all stations that use iron bars and make sure there stores are full before storing it. Though with the new forms of storage I do not know if that is still true.

On a side note do like the new store style no need for a building to store in any more. That is nice.

[Ben]

As a matter of fact, I have gotten to the point of automating my Stone and Ore mining, and hence freeing up the crew to do something else. As PnzrNorm pointed out, there is seemingly more jobs than hands available in the current version of the game, and so the list created by PnzrNorm would be useful to consider for certain play-styles.

One reason I brought up this topic is that for future version, the squad size will almost definitely increase, and I'm interested to see how the manpower management is gonna be. How many people is required to farm/process/haul materials so as to sustain the population. What about having enough people to man the turrets on the walls? The traders you send to other cities? Or even the bartender required to keep the tap flowing? Is it necessary, and will all these manpower going to be under your direct control?

"Jim the Farmer wanted to come with me on my next trip to Capan (which translates to: I clicked on Jim to 'follow' me to Capan). The trip was fine and exciting because we fought off some bandits and had much to drink at the bar in Capan. However, when I come back all my townsfolk has died of starvation because Jim wasn't there to harvest the wheat or bake the bread. Now, Why did I even wanna bring Jim along, and should Jim even have left his job at the farm?"

I mean, it's hilarious just to imagine the situation and does offer an alternative element of fun, but between personalised character and over-the-top micromanagement, it's a fine line to tread on.

[Set]

I need to run a base:
- 5 Farmers (2 of them are heavy armored guards [turret gunners] + 1 medium guard)--> 2 in the hemp farm, 2 in the small farm and 1 in the grain silo
- 1 "Chef" (fresh bread every minute!)
- 1 Blacksmith (high armor/weapon crafting skills)
- 1 Building material carrier
- 1 Steel bar carrier
- 1 Fabric maker

Total: 10

I have my "Elite Squad" (5 members) for raidings but if they are in base, they are my main gunners.....the worst Dust Bandits nightmares

[Seimears]

I need to run a base:
- 5 Farmers (2 of them are heavy armored guards [turret gunners] + 1 medium guard)--> 2 in the hemp farm, 2 in the small farm and 1 in the grain silo
- 1 "Chef" (fresh bread every minute!)
- 1 Blacksmith (high armor/weapon crafting skills)
- 1 Building material carrier
- 1 Steel bar carrier
- 1 Fabric maker

Total: 10

I have my "Elite Squad" (5 members) for raidings but if they are in base, they are my main gunners.....the worst Dust Bandits nightmares

You are using to many men there you can free some of them up if you want. You can tell one guy to make bread then his second job would be to work the grainry then his last job would be to work the farm. That way his priority is to make bread if there is no flour he will go to the grainry if there is non there he will then go to the farm and if your well I not powered yet you can add that as the last job. You can do the same with the guy making fabric have his main goal to be the loom his second job the hemp farm. You can do a lot of job set ups like this. Even the armor smiths can be set up like this. I have not tested it yet but I am sure you can give them multi jobs to do and as long as there are orders at the station they will float around to the stations doing the jobs.

[Set]

I know but at the moment if I put 2 job they only make one......I don't want to leave the base without protection (they can kill two bandits groups themselves with some loses [weak ones] but they all have medkit) and without worries about the base security I can use personaly the "elite" to train recruits and/or explore cities/raid enemy groups.

And I prefer to have a constant resources flow without stop (avoid character moving from one station to another and stop the first station for long periods) rather than have more available troops to move (quality is better than quantity)

P.S: Maybe if they add something to choose "make X of this item and then go to that station and make X of that item then return to the first one...."

[PnzrNorm]

P.S: Maybe if they add something to choose "make X of this item and then go to that station and make X of that item then return to the first one...."

Yes. This would be a fantastic way to macro-manage instead of micro-managing each char.

[Seimears]

As for the attacking part by what I have seen so far. If one person goes red it is like they scream bandits and no matter were the others are in the base they all run to that person to help fight. At most I would say you need 8 men with good arms with atleast all been in the attack range of 22. An atleast one set as been the metic as well. Though for good security I would put one on a crossbow na the gate as his only job. So not only can he slow them down and then them out but also to be the on that goes red and pulls every one to the gate.

[Seimears]

I have a complete list of manpower required for 1 of each structure to run at maximum efficiency, plus a variable amount of crossbows, and the total manpower listed next to the tech level.

The number remains about constant throughout all of the tech levels, so that's a pretty impressive amount of balancing Chris pulled off there.

• Tech Level 0: 13
  • Stone Mine 1: 8
    Stone Processor 1: 4
    Tech Bench: 1
  Tech Level 1: 27
  • Tech Bench: 1
    Small Farm: 2
    Grain Silo: 1
    Rum Still: 1
    Cooking Stove: 1
    Hemp Farm: 1
    Fabric Loom: 1
    Clothing Bench: 1
    Well: 1
    Stone Mine 2: 7
    Stone Processor 1: 4
    Ore Mine 1: 5
    Weapon Smith: 1
  Tech Level 2: 26 + X
  • Tech Bench: 1
    Small Farm: 2
    Grain Silo: 1
    Rum Still: 1
    Cooking Stove: 1
    Hemp Farm: 1
    Fabric Loom: 1
    Medical Assembly Desk: 1
    Clothing Bench: 1
    Stone Mine 4: 5
    Stone Processor 2: 3
    Ore Mine 2: 4
    Weapon Smith: 1
    Steel Refinery 1: 2
    Leather Armour Crafting: 1
    Leather Tanning: 1
    Mounted Crossbows: Random Variable X; representing # of crossbows

Though this is staggering in time you do get to automated things that do relieve some of it. There are things that you will no need all the time as well. Like iron bars once you get up to 500 or so you can shut that down for a while and if you get up to 500 building materials you can shut that down as well. An then there are things you can limit yourself to make or just specialize in until you have enough of them then switch over to anoher idem. This way though slow still makes it manageable to have deffencive units as well as economic units.

[PnzrNorm]

I've actually kept 2 guys on full-time turrets, melee guards perform Jobs near the gate, and the rest are either training or buffing my economy.
Currently at over 1k building mats, 1k stone, 500 iron ore, 100 steel, 100 leather, 500 fabric, 500 hemp, 500 wheat, 500 flour, 500 bread, and 50+ medkits.

I would like to leave my economic chars at their jobs indefinitely, but I tend to switch out chars to keep combat and non-combat skills about the same, which also slows down my economy but now everyone is at 35 or higher weapon and armour smithing.

[Ben]

I guessed its all down to how you want to enjoy the game, which also goes to show much freedom Chris has given us with that much free-form. Before I lost my save games, I had like 5 people manning the turrets, which kind of stops small groups of bandits, and soften bigger groups before I go melee with my men. I have guys multi-tasking production of hemp and fabric, some full-time crafters creating weapons for sale, while the rest goes around bounty hunting, 'patrolling' with nearby city guards, or escorting travelling trader. You know, simulating future features...

[Seimears]

Yeah before I had to start over. My guys had about 50 to 60 in attack for the war party. The rest were either in the 20s to 30s. Now I am not holding back if I go into a fight thy all go.

Was working on my entry needed some work. An I have the one were one faction hates you and that is the holy nation. Set my base up east of fish sense it Is like a ses pool seen a lot of bandits hanging around it. An not been attacked. Makes me think Chris planes on turning it into a bandit town. Even some of the citizens look like the hungry bandits. But took one out wall out an was attacked not only with a heavy band of sand bandits but 2 holy nation patrols. Only 3 ppl went down. An have not even started to train my men yet. It was awesome can not wait to start to lead attacks on the holy nation. If you have to start over go for the Captian one it is fun to have one nation love you and one haten you.

[Skarain]

Ideally, I would like to have my "Soldiers", who go out, explore, protect maybe 3 or 4 guys with big backpacks (Basically pack mules) who raid, collect, and do whatever else is out there. Then I would have my "labors/slaves/workers" who around the clock just work. And then I would have the "Guards" who watch over my workers at the base.
However, right now all my guys are soldiers and workers

I also hope there is eventually incentive to live inside existing towns. Just a side note.

[Seimears]

Yeah I tried the live in town thing. Just because I was wanting to roam at the time. An leave one man to research while I was there in town. I found out if you leave town. No matter what you put in that building would be gone when you came back.