Interface Improvements and Small Game Changes

[Cybvep]

There are several UI elements or small features which could be vastly improved. While I doubt that the devs will have enough time to implement such changes in the next patch (1.02), I would like to give some suggestions for the 1.03 version


Missing buttons in the multiple selection screen



I have always wondered why there was the Offensive Supply button, but there were no Prioritise and Turn On/Off Upgrades/Reinforcements buttons in the multiple selection screen. I hate checking every unit individually to see whether the appropriate ones have those options checked and I have a feeling that I'm not alone in this.


Visible Mission Range of non-selected units




When you have many air wings or fleets, it's quite easy to forget which regions are covered or not by your interceptor screen or naval blockade. Unfortunately, it has to be checked manually. Why not make the missions of other aircraft/ships visible in the mission settings screen? It could work like this: when you click on e.g. "Air Superiority" and check Day/Night/Both, the game shows you which regions are covered by other air wings by colouring the appropriate regions. When you change the option to Day, then only missions conducted in daylight are visible. Same in case of missions conducted during night-time.


Semi-automated sliders




It should be possible to control selected sliders manually even when the other ones are automated. The AI should then subtract the IC which was manually assigned by the player from the total IC value and distribute the rest normally. I have no idea why sth like this isn't possible to do ATM. It is so intuitive for me that when the new automated sliders were described in the DD, I thought that this feature was in!


Numerical resource income/loss values



I look at the top of the screen and see that some resources are displayed in green while other ones are displayed in red. That's great. The only problem is that I don't know at a glance whether I lose -100 a day or -0,5 a day. It should be changed IMO.


Colour-coded, visible brigade stats




Have you ever been clicking repeatedly on the button below the icon of a given brigade in order to check in what way it will change the stats of the division? I know that I have. Why not display the brigade stats in brackets next to the base stats of the division? Why not display the brigade stats in red/green (bad/good) for additional clarity?


"Reserve" mission



This is not strictly connected with the UI, but the implementation of the HOI3-style "Reserve" mission could decrease the micromanagement involved in handling ships and aircraft. It suxx when one heavily battered unit delays the whole fleet/air wing while fresh reserves are available. If I want to change this, I have to wait for the fleet/air wing to get back to port/airbase, select them, click on the Reorganise button and swap appropriate units manually. It would be great if it could be done automatically!


Fog of War changes




In HOI2, the only way of knowing what's behind the enemy lines outside of simply conquering the enemy provinces is to disperse the FOW by moving your air or naval assets. The problem is that this information is only available for several seconds, so you have to be quick to notice it. Why not give us the option to display last known enemy position for X days? Such option should be tick-able in the right-click date menu (the same one which contains options like "Use Counters" or "Hide weather on terrain map").


Space button acting as the Pause button

Please, implement this! It's common in strategy games, so many players are used to it. It would be great to have this in DH.

 

[Lord Finnish]

Space button as optional pause.. I like renaming units

But I heard it's already in next patch. Or I heard wrong, which is just as likely.

 

[^_AC_^]

Space button acting as the Pause button
Please, implement this! It's common in strategy games, so many players are used to it. It would be great to have this in DH.

Space button as optional pause.. I like renaming units
But I heard it's already in next patch. Or I heard wrong, which is just as likely.

If I'm not wrong, it's already possible in the current beta patch (if not, it will be in the new one which is going to be released soon), it simply is not the default option, you have to change it.

When you have many air wings or fleets, it's quite easy to forget which regions are covered or not by your interceptor screen or naval blockade. Unfortunately, it has to be checked manually. Why not make the missions of other aircraft/ships visible in the mission settings screen? It could work like this: when you click on e.g. "Air Superiority" and check Day/Night/Both, the game shows you which regions are covered by other air wings by colouring the appropriate regions. When you change the option to Day, then only missions conducted in daylight are visible. Same in case of missions conducted during night-time.

I didn't understand this at all, can you please clarify?

 

[Cybvep]

I didn't understand this at all, can you please clarify?

Let me illustrate it with an example:

1. You select an air wing and pick "Air Superiority" or "Air Scramble".
2. The game shows you all provinces covered by those missions during daylight.
3. You change the mission options to night-time activity.
4. The game shows you all provinces covered by those missions during night-time.
5. You change the mission options to both day-time and night-time activity.
6. The game shows you all provinces covered by those missions during daylight and night-time.

 

[^_AC_^]

Wait, is there a difference between the province that you can cover in daytime and nightime? I don't think there is.
Plus, in the picture you posted, the green provinces are those you can cover while the brownish ones are those you can't cover (but belong to the area/region that you selected). What do you want to change about this?

Anyway, the release of patch 1.02 is approaching, so I really doubt that anything could be included in 1.02, it will have to wait for 1.03 (if we decide to do it of course ).

 

[Cybvep]

Wait, is there a difference between the province that you can cover in daytime and nightime? I don't think there is.

Plus, in the picture you posted, the green provinces are those you can cover while the brownish ones are those you can't cover (but belong to the area/region that you selected). What do you want to change about this?

Anyway, the release of patch 1.02 is approaching, so I really doubt that anything could be included in 1.02, it will have to wait for 1.03 (if we decide to do it of course ).

No, you misunderstood me. When I click on "both", "day" or "night", I want to see the mission ranges of OTHER aircraft performing same missions during the same time of the day (i.e. night-time, daylight, both). In the picture, all other land is black, while there are aircraft operating in various provinces and I cannot see it at a glance. I have to check it manually.

I will also quote myself:

I would like to give some suggestions for the 1.03 version

 

[Pasha]

I think what he's asking for is for the game to show which provinces the air unit is patrolling? I simply click on the region overlay button....

 

[Cybvep]

I think what he's asking for is for the game to show which provinces the air unit is patrolling? I simply click on the region overlay button....

If I have 50 air wings doing various missions, things can get VERY confusing. That's why I want to see what provinces are covered by other air-wings at a glance. It would be sth like HOI3's air map mode, but more contextual.

 

[lightyears]

i dont know if its possible, but can you somehow reduce the visual height of the stacks to a certain number? i mean there is a stack of 100 divs tower to heaven and it obscures vision. In hoi3 there is a limit of 5 i think and if its more than that it doesnt draw them.

 

[^_AC_^]

I want to see the mission ranges of OTHER aircraft performing same missions during the same time of the day

Now I understand, OTHER is the key word. I have no idea if it can be done though.

I will also quote myself: I would like to give some suggestions for the 1.03 version

I read it the first time, but you also mentioned the 1.02 so I wanted it to be clear.

Another thing:

I look at the top of the screen and see that some resources are displayed in green while other ones are displayed in red. That's great. The only problem is that I don't know at a glance whether I lose -100 a day or -0,5 a day. It should be changed IMO.

The space at the top is very limited, I don't think there's enough space to add them, it would get very cramped. Moreover, this information can be accessed from the economy screen, which is just one click away (plus there is the tooltip). Don't you think it's enough? How would you change it exactly?

 

[Cybvep]

The space at the top is very limited, I don't think there's enough space to add them, it would get very cramped. Moreover, this information can be accessed from the economy screen, which is just one click away (plus there is the tooltip). Don't you think it's enough? How would you change it exactly?

The upper-left part of the screen is relatively unoccupied (the one above "View Map"). If it were up to me, I would increase the spacing between the icons and put the numerical values in brackets.

I also believe that a good strategy game takes place mainly on the map and most information is visible on the main screen in some way. A good example may be the old Alpha Centauri. Most actions could be performed without exiting the map. Civilization series is quite good in this respect, too. Unless you want to check some stats or micromanage your cities, these games can easily be played without leaving the main screen.

 

[Inner Circle]

Numerical resource income/loss values

I look at the top of the screen and see that some resources are displayed in green while other ones are displayed in red. That's great. The only problem is that I don't know at a glance whether I lose -100 a day or -0,5 a day. It should be changed IMO.

Just hoover your mouse over the Ressource Icons and you´ll get a tooltip how much you´ll gain/loose.
As an alternative, you could go into the Production Screen

 

[Cybvep]

Just hoover your mouse over the Ressource Icons and you´ll get a tooltip how much you´ll gain/loose.
As an alternative, you could go into the Production Screen

Exactly. Why should I do it? It should be visible at a glance, without any involvement from the player's part.

 

[^_AC_^]

The upper-left part of the screen is relatively unoccupied (the one above "View Map"). If it were up to me, I would increase the spacing between the icons and put the numerical values in brackets.

Can you make an example with Paint/Photoshop?

 

[Cybvep]

It's rough, but I did the editing in 2 minutes.

 

[Pasha]

I don't understand. The tooltip gives you all the needed information, and you don't even have to click anything or leave the screen.

 

[^_AC_^]

It's rough, but I did the editing in 2 minutes.

Uhmm... yes, but as I said there is not enough space and your pic seems to prove it. I asked because you said it was possible to move the icons somewhere else, but probably we didn't understand each other.

 

[Cybvep]

Why do you think that there is not enough space? I just increased the spacing between the icons a bit and added the values in the brackets.

 

[^_AC_^]

It looks awful to me, all informations are cramped and it's actually worse than before IMHO, it would just make it more difficult to find the wanted values.

 

[Kung Zog]

It looks awful to me, all informations are cramped and it's actually worse than before IMHO, it would just make it easier to find the wanted values.

Isn't that the reason for an interface

I would have some interest in this feature but it's not super duper important though.