by Swaygin » 25 Jul 2015, 21:28
This illustrates how confusing this bug is, because your replay actually shows two different problems with engineers assisting a Com:
(1) The 4 engineers who had been told to assist the Com do not do anything when the Com's upgrade begins (although they appear to) from 0:58 to 1:02.
(2) The bottom 2 engineers who are moved over do not actually assist the Com after they are paused, then unpaused, while the Com is paused (after 1:40)
You can deduce which engineers are actually assisting by both accounting for the total resources expended and whether an engineer's expense is shown in the bottom left (when hovering over it with the mouse). So, in practice, the only way to know if they're actually assisting is by looking at the bottom left when hovering over them.
Here is the timetable for your replay from 0:56 until 2:07. Values in parentheses are total resources expended, with the 6*54 = 324 energy used by the 6 T3 mass points removed. The construction is the T2 Engineering Suite. Cost is -0.8M,-10E per unit of build power, so production for Com is -8M,-200E, and for a T1 engy it is -4M,-100E.
0:56 - 4 T1 Engies told to assist Com, and move to do so.
0:58 - Upgrade begins, but the 4 engies don't actually assist (!). Total expense: (-8M,-200E)
1:01 - All 4 engies paused. (-8M,-200E)
1:04 - 3 "left" engies unpaused; this is the first time they have actually assisted. (-20M,-500E)
1:07 - 3 left engies paused. (-8M,-200E)
1:08 - 3 left engies unpaused. (-20M,-500E)
1:10 - Com paused. (-12M,-300E)
1:12 - 3 left engies paused. (0M,0E)
1:13 - 3 left engies unpaused. (-12M,-300E)
1:17 - 4th engy unpaused. (-16M,-400E)
1:20 - "Bottom" two engineers are moved to the right. While moving, they're told to assist the com (who is currently paused). (-8M,-200E)
1:26 - Bottom two engies paused. They have not yet begun actually assisting since moving. (-8M,-200E)
1:26 - Bottom two engies unpaused. (-8M,-200E)
1:29 - Com unpaused and quickly paused again; bottom two engineers actually assist. (-16M,-400E)
1:31 - Com unpaused; bottom two engineers continue to assist. (-24M,-600E)
1:32 - Com paused, all engineers still assisting. (-16M,-400E)
1:35, 1:37 - Each of the 2 bottom engies is separately paused. They never actually assist again after this point. (-12M,-300E), and then (-8M,-200E)
1:38 - One of the 2 bottom engies unpaused, and appears to be assisting, but actually isn't. (-8M,-200E)
1:40 - The other bottom engie unpaused, same result. (-8M,-200E)
1:43 to 1:53 - The 2 top engineers are paused, and although the bottom two certainly appear to be assisting, they aren't. (0M,0E)
1:54 - Top engineer unpaused, actually assists. (-4M,-100E)
1:59 - Com unpaused, produces upgrade. (-12M,-300E)
2:01 - Com paused, top unpaused engy still actually assists, bottom two engies do not. (-4M,-100E)
2:03 to 2:05 - One of the bottom engies paused, then unpaused. No change. (-4M, -100E)
2:06 - Other top engy unpaused, actually assists. (-8M, -200E)
2:07 - Com unpaused, actually produces. (-16M, -400E)
From 1:35 to 1:40, the bottom two engies were paused, then unpaused, while the Com was paused. It appears this alone is the bug, but in fact from 1:12 to 1:13, the 3 "left" engies were paused then unpaused as well while the Com was paused. So there must be some additional condition.
I think the issue involves whether the engineers had already been assisting in construction when the construction began. The top two engineers (at the time, the 3 "left" engineers) had been told to assist the Com before the upgrade (the "construction") had begun, and so (apparently) could be paused/unpaused without problems.
However, the two engineers who were moved (the "bottom" two engineers) did not actually assist after they had begun, but then been paused.
I have noticed a similar problem with factories, in that engineers assisting who are paused and unpaused will only resume assisting when the current unit has been completed and the next begun.
This problem is very hard to spot yet critical; I only really noticed it myself because I play air positions almost exclusively. I.e., it is clear when I'm RASing, and when I'm barely producing ASFs and expending energy despite my air factory being assisted by 100+ engineers.