Proposed additions to control functionality and player interface

Hello

So, the main control view is currently just one big view, letting you keep track of one large area, meaning busy players are always panning here and there, keeping track of attack/defense in different areas.

Firstly, I would like to see additions to the system for quickly focusing on pre-set/default (groups of at least X buildings or groups of at least X attack units within a certain size of area could be default) and player-set view points. I can't currently remember which game it was, but when you would create a control group, it would place a small flag towards the top of the screen, and clicking this flag was equivalent to hitting the number for the control group. Now for me, having 'flags' is a bit of an annoyance (and probably to anyone used to using control keys), but, there could be an option to turn them off. The reason for this addition would be to encourage less experienced players to use/learn control groups and to allow a player to quickly focus on any area of the map they had chosen.

Now maybe this is stretching it, but how about adding 'mini view ports' which could be added, moved, resized, removed, zoomed in and out, minimized, and set to view certain areas or set to track a unit or group of units. If you set one of these mini-ports to a group of units, maybe there could be an auto-zoom option that would keep all units in the group in view, much like the screen adjustment for multiple players in Gauntlet Legends for N64. It would require a new game engine, but I'm thinking of taking some of the crazy functionality of Compiz/Beryl for X-Windoze Linux systems and adding it to an RTS. Completely customizable hot-keys, combos, macros. To me, designing a personalized functional interface system is comparable to somebody else designing a personalized pretty army. Anyways, I figure if players in Warcraft III have the time to click millions of times in between actions just to keep their APM up, surely they could handle any extra functionality imaginable. Nice graphics and fancy animations are good, but the super-competitive, hyper-active, caffeine-drinking kind of players are the ones that know where it's at, and those are exactly the players that play Starcraft. Come on now Blizz.

So tell me what ya think. :good:

 

A lot of what you said I found very confusing, but if I understood the big picture correctly, you want more to do during the game. IMO, if you think that Starcraft doesn't give you enough to do, then you've never actually played it before.

 

Age of Mythology has unit group flags that change apperance depending on what units you have in the groups. Maybe that's the game you are talking about?

I don't want lots of extra things like the ones you are talking about in the game. I want it clean and simple.

 

Same here. I wouldn't want all those gimmicks implemented. Unit management should be based completely on the player's skill, not being dependent on a few functions that anyone can set.

 

You can add specific buildings to a control group. Try that. ;p

But yea that "system interface" idea sounded very confusing and probably would make it harder for most players. The current interface Blizz uses with WC3 for exampleallows fairly easy micro without it being overly automated.

 

I suppose I did make that sound quite confusing, so think of it more simply if that's what it takes for you to follow - divide the screen into two views so you can watch two areas without panning back and forth. Fight in two areas without panning back and forth. Not really a big deal... I'm not suggesting any automatic unit management because that would change the game entirely, I'm simply suggesting some additions to the player's interface with the game. I don't see that the option to split the view screen would change the game so much as to make it as terrible as what you suggest, I see it as a way to improve response time, and just like anything else, some players will be able to make good use of it, others it won't help a bit.

It would be quite handy to have some extra, and customizable, hot-keys for army management. Like selecting all your attack units on the map, all of a particular type of unit on the map (BFME2, oh and yes AOM is correct, thanks). Theoretically, Warcraft III already has an option that places melee in front of ranged and makes them walk in 'formation', but it's terrible, so why not improve and expand on that. Certainly not so much as to make your units automatically focus fire and automatically choose which units would be best to attack, those decisions are part of the game. You make it sound like I was suggesting we just make the computer do everything.

Really, all I ask is for ideas here, but if negativity is all that's allowed on forums I guess that's fine, I'll just leave. Again, ideas on game interface, not game mechanics.

P.S. Not to brag, but I'm pretty good at Warcraft III, so I'm not an idiot here. I make most of these suggestions because I would like to see additions to the game that encourage new players to improve, and in the mean time help them cope against good players. Obviously not every player wants to be a good player, but that doesn't mean it has to be hard to get better. Perhaps I started off on the wrong foot.

 

Yeah, this wouldn't be good for learning how to multi task, if your just moving automatically from point to point.

 

I think it could work if it wasnt so adjustable, like a small screen in the corner, allowing you to keep watch on a battle or something, and then being able to switch which screen is the main one and which one is small could be useful, but i guess you could hotkey locations like in starcraft1 and acheive pretty much the same ends.

 

I think Gizmo4life has almost got the idea here. The mini screen is an improvement on being able to hotkey locations, because you don't have to switch the screen back and forth between the two or more areas, you simply look up at the little mini view to see if you should divert attention to that area. There would be no automatic focusing on one or the other views, that decision is up to the player - the extra views just allow the player to conduct their business more efficiently.

Any extra views would help the player multitask and so help them learn to better multitask, because the splitting of views requires a splitting of attention. The player is now inclined to look at each of these multiple views to see what's happening. This would make it easier for the player to multitask and so encourage new players to multitask.

I don't see how people find this to be such a disgusting thing.

 

I have noticed that in SC2, in the upper left corner of the screen, there's a button you can press to see your entire race's tech tree. No more memorizing!

 

Uh... hate to break it to you but if you can't memorize a simple tech-tree then you have no chance of becoming competitive at the game.

 

Stick to the topic please..maybe jrc3234 doesn't give a hoot about being a competitive player.

Having an easily accessible tech tree will help players memorize the tech tree. If you look at it enough, you'll have to look at it less and less. If you don't play enough to memorize it, then you're simply a casual player. Don't assume everyone wants to get better, but rather, if you would prefer all players to be competitive, pitch in some ideas on how to help them become competitive.

 

Basically, at the most radical stretch of your idea you're suggesting an interface with different 'windows' that you can create and resize to whatever you want. All having different, (and possibly the same views) of the map in play.

Really in a lore sense, if we're to assume that players are commanders in any real way, it would be optimal to have multiple views of the field. Certainly, at least the Terrans would. I'm all for innovations in interface in games. Of course, Blizzard in trying to recapture the success of a classic, would never implement anything drastic in order not to 'mess with a good thing'. Its too risky, people will play Starcraft 2 even at a minimum of change to the original.

However, as I said before, as a 'science fiction' game, I think the more innovative and simply different the interface is, the better. The key is not to only make you see new things (content), but to make you think and percieve in new ways (medium).

Thats my 2.

 

Edited out quotes. Please read the forum rules and refrain from quoting unnecessarily.


I see where you're coming from with the "software companies don't like to take big steps" thing, and Blizzard really is one for adding more detail/complexity to what is already in use rather than saying "oh look at our new super-hyper-technology X 10,000", but you could keep this thing minimal at first, say allow just one or two small views, then if it's a success (and maybe I'm biased, but I don't see how it could be bad; players would undoubtedly make good use of it) then it could expanded upon.  They could even have the code already done and in the game and simply unlock it with an update.

 

Ok. that makes sense now. I'm not sure how valuable of a feature that would be. Its not too hard to click the map to get where you need to be. Maybe if theoretically they did, they could also have an option for multi monitor outputs, so could have different monitors keeping track of different places on the map.

 

yeaaa, multiple monitors would be real sweet, but monitors are so expensive.

yea, you can click on the mini map and set certain views to hot-keys, but i think you're forgetting that with a mini view, you get to actually SEE what is going on in that area without having to do anything (besides look up at the view).

as far as switching between the views goes (say you had 5 mini views and the main view), each view would be set up to a hot-key, much like how you can hot-key an area to view, so yes, it really wouldn't be much faster than what we have now, BUT, we get to see what is happening and so the player knows better how to divide attention and can respond to threats in the immediate area of the units the view is following (for instance).