The autodesign really wants to use B5X9

[gildeddawn]

In an old post from a while ago, I noted that the autodesign feature had a strong tendency to pick the B5X9 template, if you were using Dizzy's templates mod. Once your game reached 1930, you would usually start seeing ai nations begin constructing 89000t battleships in their ~60000t docks. Spamming autodesign in the player ship designer would also give designs using the B5X9 template more than all other templates combined.

In my current playthrough, when I reached the early '30s, I decided to delete B5X8 and B5X9 from the ID's folder, and add them back later once countries' dock sizes had become large enough to handle them. A couple turns after doing this, the game gave me this error over the endturn:

The game's preference for using B5X9 seems to have been stronger than I'd realized. I added it back and spammed autodesign and noticed that the game seems to only give you B5X9 or various B4 designs. It will never use other B5 designs. It's like the game has a hardcoded preference for using B5X9 once you reach the appropriate era, to such an extent that even if you delete the template, it will still try to use it. When this happens using autodesign in the player ship designer, it gives you the following series of messages:

First, it gives you the same error that was given over the endturn:

[gildeddawn]

Then, it hits you with this one:

It doesn't give this one every time, but when it does, the only way to get rid of it is by pressing X. You can press ok as many times as you want, but the same message will reappear immediately. Even pressing X, you still have to press it a few times before it switches to the next message, which was:

[gildeddawn]

After clicking ok on that, it gives you one last error message:

Before finally giving you this design:

The superstructure will always be taken from the last proper design that was opened.

I have no idea what's causing this problem, but I don't think it was happening before, when I made the first post. I seem to recall that the US was building some 72000t battleships in that game, which would have needed to be from a B5 design. Maybe it will start using other templates after a certain period of time has passed in game?

I also don't know what triggers this in the first place, since I'm pretty sure there aren't 9 B5 templates by default. Perhaps there has to be a B5X9 template in the ID's folder when you originally started the playthrough?

[williammiller]

Hello gildeddawn - If you experiencing these issues while using a mod we cannot really diagnose issues since there are so many mods that alter the game and can/will cause unintended issues. Now, if this occurs with a clean game (the latest is v1.24) then it is something we would need to look at and see what the issue is.

Thanks.

[gildeddawn]

I just tried it again with only the default templates and it still happens the same. There is a B5X9 template by default, and the autodesign only seems to pick that or B4 templates, and if you delete B5X9 then it throws the same errors. I'm running v1.24, and although I'm still using modded nations and map, it should be pretty easy to test in an unmodded game. I just don't happen to have a save handy for the appropriate time period.

[Fredrik W]

The template used depends on the year and tech. If you delete files that come with the stock game, things might go wrong.

[gildeddawn]

My point is that it only seems to use B5X9 for the corresponding era, not any of the other B5 designs. It's like I said before, it's like the game has a hardcoded preference for picking B5X9 instead of any of the other B5 designs, and will still try to do so even if you delete B5X9.