So I went back to 1.0 only to make a screenshot and discuss the UI after checking the settings since 1.02 didn't address the issue.
The maximum scaling with a 1280X1024 resolution is for me 0.8 in settings at release 1.0 version. The screenshot was taken with that kept in mind.
- First, we can see in the upper right corner a seamless listing of all info (such as stability or city numbers) besides the clock, if you compare it to 1.01/1.02 screenshots you can observe that due to worse scaling ratio we have a large, empty white space at the top instead as the writing/numbers/icons are set to be rather smaller than to fill out the empty position.
- The image icons for the menu such as government, technology, religion or families was already so small in 1.0 that despite the higher scaling possibility you can barely make out what some of the images depicted are supposed to symbolize. This causes confusion and makes it harder for a player to know what to click to get somewhere even if they have better eyesight and access to higher UI scaling. Even the pop-up messages have better image choices. We can see this a constant headache not just during youtube gamer videos but also already causing an issue for Paradox's own live streams and recorded devclash, where the Hosts (DDRJake and 'FloggedRod') have often a hard time to find what they need to click on to get somewhere. I believe those might be nice, detailed images - but only at full scale - and not fit for menu icons, especially not on lower than 0.8 UI scaling. More simplified, easier to identify icons might be better to be implemented in a future patch.
- I miss navigation from CK2 and EU4, where if you clicked on something you were able to easily open menus (like on your flag in corner) or get the screen center on your capitol. The provincial/nation capitol icons are too small and hard to notice as well. The Pillar as example could easily be 3-times larger than currently, and you should be able to determinate your provincial and national capitol instead of it being more or less randomly defined depending on population or the chance that your capitol might be force-moved due to losing the one you start with.
- In the gov menu where you can set your leaders (the 'council' menu, in CK2-speech) you have a button to open a list of possible replacements, which is totally unnecessary, rather please consider to remove the button and let the traits of the appointed characters be listed there with the portrait of character when clicked opening the same list of candidates.
My extra observation is accidental, it isn't about scaling but I add here so I won't forget to mention it at all:
There was a good reason for EU4 implementing a sailor force pool, there would be an even better one for ImpRome as many hellenic states and Carthage had better sailor ratio than Rome, there isn't much chance for anyone in Western Med currently unless you stomp on Rome right at start due to Roman manpower/coins/resources making it quickly a powerhouse able to build a much larger navy than Carhage's. I suggest implementing EU4's sailor system, or if you keep using a single manpower then just have a fleet be a constant drain on it due to crewing those ships.
In addition, an UI settings request:
The game already calculates date both by Roman standard and BC date, can we please get a Settings option to swap the two if enabled, so instead of when Roman date being hovered above with the cursor we can see BC, we get BC as standard at corner and if hovered over, we can see the Roman date? I get it that currently the dating is more flavorful/historically accurate but it still annoys me since EU:Rome (and ImpRome is basically EU:Rome 2 anyway) and instead of a permanent removal of one or the other I see a good way to solve this with the player getting an option to set the UI to preferred dating system.
