Fleet Strength Indication on Galaxy Map?

[EntropyAvatar]

I noticed from the last Blorg stream that there were a lot of fleets flying around, and it wasn't terribly easy to to tell the enemy's and allies main fleets from the single-constructor and single-science-ship fleets. It seems like you have to hover or rightclick or go to the system view to tell the big fleets from the small ones.

Thinking back to HoI4 or EU4, you always seem to have some indication of enemy strength on the map (assuming you can see armies at all). Imagine if in Eu4 you had to right-click on an army to see how many regiments it has?

Does the game have some sort of indication that I am missing? How would they go about adding one if it's not there?

 

[wingren013]

Yes this needs to be in.

 

[Admiral Howe]

You could either scale the icon size with the power of the fleet or merely put the fleet-strength # used in the system view over the icon on the galaxy map. Biggest decision would be for systems with multiple fleets do you show the score of the strongest fleet or the aggregate of all fleets present?

 

[KonradKurze202]

A map filter or Map Mode would be good for this (bring on the map modes!)

 

[ashbery76]

Having a different icon for science ships would also help.

 

[Beric]

A map filter or Map Mode would be good for this (bring on the map modes!)

While I'm a fan of map modes, they aren't the solution here. Fleet strength needs to be built into the galaxy map UI.

 

[Admiral Howe]

While I'm a fan of map modes, they aren't the solution here. Fleet strength needs to be built into the galaxy map UI.

03_GOOD_IDEA_AGREE

 

[Safehold]

Yea, changing the icon, size, or saturation fill would do it. Although tooltips alone might be enough, but not if they have too many icons per system.

 

[barny]

I think the Icons could be somewhat larger anyway and then put the strength under or over it.

 

[Safehold]

I was thinking of putting a symbol inside the ship icon, like a line or star, that becomes geometrically longer or more complex the more the number reaches the max strength of all of your fleets combined. That way, people can notice at a glance what the relative strengths are, but can still mouse over or zoom in for details.

reminds me of having to look up CK2's icons until I memorized the religions.

 

[Admiral Howe]

So something like this, I think we're thinking. Added the two (rough) sizes of those fleets and left the one at Zramas unmarked as, if I recall, it was trivial. I suppose an X or astericks or a - could be used for an actual trivial fleet, I'll see about better mockups when I'm off shift.

 

[wingren013]

So something like this, I think we're thinking. Added the two (rough) sizes of those fleets and left the one at Zramas unmarked as, if I recall, it was trivial. I suppose an X or astericks or a - could be used for an actual trivial fleet, I'll see about better mockups when I'm off shift.

View attachment 172541

Your service to the empire shall be rewarded when we conquer your world.

 

[jaredstanko]

So something like this, I think we're thinking. Added the two (rough) sizes of those fleets and left the one at Zramas unmarked as, if I recall, it was trivial. I suppose an X or astericks or a - could be used for an actual trivial fleet, I'll see about better mockups when I'm off shift.

View attachment 172541

put the number displaying fleet strength in a colored box, dark, so that you can easily see it in the chaos of the map, and round it down to the nearest thousand, unless below a thousand, then down to the nearest 100 or to 100 if below 100. thatd be perfect, and make a new icon for science ships. im imagining something less triangular but still "shippy" that clearly signifies "science ship"

 

[ParagonExile]

So something like this, I think we're thinking. Added the two (rough) sizes of those fleets and left the one at Zramas unmarked as, if I recall, it was trivial. I suppose an X or astericks or a - could be used for an actual trivial fleet, I'll see about better mockups when I'm off shift.

View attachment 172541

@Wiz

pls Wiz

Wiz pls.

(Seriously this needs to be done. This one thing will help immeasurably.)

 

[LastLeviathan]

put the number displaying fleet strength in a colored box, dark, so that you can easily see it in the chaos of the map, and round it down to the nearest thousand, unless below a thousand, then down to the nearest 100 or to 100 if below 100. thatd be perfect, and make a new icon for science ships. im imagining something less triangular but still "shippy" that clearly signifies "science ship"

If going in that direction it would be better I think to have a symbol for military and one for civilian(construction ships, science, etc).

 

[Merrivale]

This definitely needs to be added to the list of UI upgrades the game needs. It's important to remember that not only are we going to be dealing with names that have no real meaning to us (unlike the real world province names in all other PI games) but the places are going to change from game to game. So just seeing in the ledger that XXX ship is at XXX planet will not always be instantly helpful without clicking on it.

 

[Plague109]

I'm not sure if scaling the fleet icon itself would be a good idea as it would be very difficult to judge at a glance but I entirely agree that fleet strength needs to be represented on the galaxy map.

 

[Admiral Howe]

put the number displaying fleet strength in a colored box, dark, so that you can easily see it in the chaos of the map, and round it down to the nearest thousand, unless below a thousand, then down to the nearest 100 or to 100 if below 100. thatd be perfect, and make a new icon for science ships. im imagining something less triangular but still "shippy" that clearly signifies "science ship"

I've already outlined the numbers in a 2-pixel wide border of the darker color from the fleet icons. Aesthetically I disagree with the box and putting strengths in a darkly-colored box too, so I probably won't make that mockup.

Something that adds to the map's innate beauty and informs the players without overwhelming the map is the goal, in my estimation.

 

[Admiral Howe]

I'm not sure if scaling the fleet icon itself would be a good idea as it would be very difficult to judge at a glance but I entirely agree that fleet strength needs to be represented on the galaxy map.

Agreed, after doing that mockup I think scaling the icons isn't anywhere as informative or effective as putting the strengths on the map.

 

[jaredstanko]

I've already outlined the numbers in a 2-pixel wide border of the darker color from the fleet icons. Aesthetically I disagree with the box and putting strengths in a darkly-colored box too, so I probably won't make that mockup.

Something that adds to the map's innate beauty and informs the players without overwhelming the map is the goal, in my estimation.

i just didnt think that white on no backround was aestetically pleasing with the rest of the map, i was thinking about something more akin to the planet or colonized system names. it could be color coded to empires, like the blorg being green.