Prison Architect - Help Me!

[HereticBD]

Okay, I know there is a good game in there somewhere, but I'm just so confused, and irritated.

Let me lay out the first problem I have:

Assignments:

So I build my prison. Got an office, reception, a kitchen, a canteen, water, electricity, some cells....you name it. Things are looking good. I call in the prisoner intake, and I'm ready to go. I've hired the appropriate staff and whatnot, so here we go. Prisoners come in, they get into their cells, and then...they just sit there. They're telling me they're hungry, and I keep scrolling over the canteen, thinking "Just go there, you pieces of shit!" Scroll over the the "!" in the canteen, and it's telling me that I haven't "assigned" anyone to eat there. I'm going through the menus, and nothing is there to just go "Hey! Idiots! Eat there, you cunts!" They don't budge. They just sit there, stewing, and just waiting to riot.


In short, any beginner tips for this game? I'm playing on console.

 

[AronaBeatsJones]

There's some sort of option in the Logistics menu to "point" prisoners over to the canteen, but it should be automatic IIRC.

You've hired cooks, right?

 

[HereticBD]

There's some sort of option in the Logistics menu to "point" prisoners over to the canteen, but it should be automatic IIRC.

You've hired cooks, right?

Yeah, I've got all the hiring down, of all the appropriate staff. I know the basics of how to set up a prison, it's all these other things that the game hasn't really taught me, that is impeding my progress. In fairness though, I haven't completed the campaign/tutorial, so it might have a section in the last two stories that explain things better. I just kind of discovered the research menu on my own.

Thanks though. I guess I'm gonna have to get acquainted with all those micro-management systems. Even though it's a little frustrating not knowing exactly what to do, it's been fun watching my prisons turn into absolute chaos, after the prisoners get surly, and start to riot. In my last prison, I was getting pissed at them for not doing what I wanted, so I unhooked the water to their toilets, and gave them all 24 hour lock down. They didn't appreciate that, and rioted shortly after. It's funny, because they were all starving, so the first place they hit was the kitchen and canteen. I was just watching the chaos, and thinking to myself "Oh', NOW you go the canteen."

Fun game.

 

[Shoemaker]

@HereticBD There's a technology ("Micromanagement" I think) that allows you to specify where they go. If that's researched, then you have to start assigning them manually. Before that, it should happen automatically. I can't tell you exactly how to do it on console, though. The UI is pretty different from the PC version.


I had two prisons when I first started go to hell because I researched "Micromanagement" and then everyone stopped eating.

 

[RockstarChris]

have you made a squirrel master yet?

 

[RockstarChris]

im downloading it now. lol

 

[Quipling]

In PC that would happen if you made the canteen etc inaccessible in some way. Either by walling it off from the dormitory or having it so that prisoners could escape by pathing there.

 

[RoryFan]

In PC that would happen if you made the canteen etc inaccessible in some way. Either by walling it off from the dormitory or having it so that prisoners could escape by pathing there.

Yep the only times I've experienced this is when I've put the door to the canteen somewhere that is inaccessible to the inmate.

 

[HereticBD]

In PC that would happen if you made the canteen etc inaccessible in some way. Either by walling it off from the dormitory or having it so that prisoners could escape by pathing there.

I think that actually might've been the problem. This game is kind of a fickle bitch, with planning out routes, and building placement. I made a more well planned out prison next time, and they just automatically went to eat.

I've got something going on now, where this dude got carried off to the infirmary, but now he won't leave. I think it's because it's not connected to the overall prison, or something. He just keeps walking around in there, and opening the door, but he never leaves. It's friggin' hilarious though, because he's the most dangerous prisoner in the place, and he's getting more and more pissed off, and the doctor is in there with him. I eventually had to put a toilet in there for him, because I haven't figured out how to get him to leave, and he was just pissing and shitting on the floor. The guy hasn't slept for like 8 days straight either. Just keeps pacing in the room, getting angrier and angrier, as the doctor just tries to work around him. LOL.

 

[Byron Carter]

Never played the game, but in real prison, you eat at the chow-hall, or "Short-line".

Canteen is for purchasing snacks, soups, hygeine stuff, etc. It's not where the majority of inmates eat their meals.

I don't know if that helps at all.