<!--quoteo(post=1649969:date=Sep 16 2007, 11:32 PM:name=Rinker Jass)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rinker Jass @ Sep 16 2007, 11:32 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1649969"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->my idea is for the commander that if you own multiple screens for your comp ( i have 4 running w/ 2 GPU) that it should let you view different special aspects per a screen so one is a detailed view of something specific or maybe a stats screen with res and marine stats with equipment or something and, or one with an over head map<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I get this weird picture from Swordfish in my head, when the hacker sits in the room with the mutiple monitors etc, anyways, if I had 4 screens and enough power to run everything smoothly I would feel like one hell of a commander sitting in my dark room with neon lights, speaking in my hi-tech headset from outher space. Anyways, I doubt there's very many out there sitting with that sort of equipment for it to be a usefull investment for the gamedesigners. Although it would be insanely cool, I don't like the idea of offering players such a big advantage through hardware, since I don't want to buy 3 more monitors and 1 more graphiccard to get as good an overview as you.
With the picture in picture, you can always have the option to minimize that specific window if your not going to be useing it while on the other hand its only one click away when you do want it.
Then if you have mutliple monitors, you can just click drag one of the Windows into the other monitors and maximize it like you would normally do for other things.
I'm only using one monitor atm, but i dont see a huge advantage depending on what the other screens would display.
-------
Also, with the sticky keys and things, what I think would work really nicely if we had a column on the right side of the screen with 9 squares to stick in commands from buildings, from our base or w/e, and would still work with the qwerasdfzxcv
i recon bot servers are a must for training numbies.
cos things happen at a slower pace
theres more room for mistakes and experimentation.
Best experience of comming pulling off a bad ass assult
worst, acidently recycling a vital tf and consiquently loosing the game
i accidently recycled it cos it was one 1hp and i thought there was a skulk having a munch, but actually it was a marine welding, It was a split second reaction
clear colour coding on hostiles and friendlys on ur hud would help decrease this problem.
I think micromanagement defo needs to be made easier.
I also think the comm should be given a role in environmental management provided it didnt take too much time an focus from other parts of the game.
an example of environmental management would be spending 5 res to increase power to some lights or flooding an area or sealing a door for a period of time. This would add to the comms tactical role but also the teams dependance on him would cud be risky with in experienced comms. It could also make creating maps more complex. Enhancing the comms ability to mainpulate the environemnt would be more immersive and make you feel more like the catalyst and designer in a plan rather than just a supplier of resources and logistics
also y cant the comm get the names of rooms on his map. its probably one of the most irritating things about comm is not being able to remember the name of a room that ur sending ppl 2
Ah commanding, what an experience. I remember back in the 1.0X days when things were slower paced most of the time, games took longer and the commander was really key. Now a days I feel like I spend more time trying to spam med packs and ammo to Rambo's who keep getting themselves killed trying to get in and sit outside a hive and spawn kill. I try to keep up and ahead on upgrades and get guns down but trying to get real teamwork is a wash and at best I have 1-3 skilled intelegent players out of a dozen who do listen to orders and save RT's or go to build phase gates.
Right now I would like to find a way to automate the med and ammo drop. I am concerned that this could be abused but if I had the option to enable it on select marines who I trust then I think that would save me a lot of micro management I don't want to do. When I am trying to watch multiple locations and keep Marines alive and drop guns and setup the siege on a hive, I have to say it can be tough and anything to speed that up helps. Having a button to select the obs with the most energy to do a scan would save me a lot of trouble because I confess I don't hotkey anything like I should. That and making beacon tie to the Obs I use with a key on my HUD would save me a great deal of trouble.
I would like to see waypoints have greater transparancy so as not to block line of site for Marines, I believe this was mentioned. I try to use waypoints often but I find I am to busy to use as many as I would like and to often they are ignored. I believe this is due to the servers i frequent but should there be some sort of applicable bonus for going to the waypoint that makes sense it would help. I would like to see more orders that I can select and the idea of adding text to a waypoint would be great for all the comms without Mics. Now I believe every Comm should have a Mic for voice comm but since some do not this would help greatly with coordination.
What I enjoy most about commandering is being in the position of power to really effect a game. Now naturally this matters not a whit if my team is poor and can't hit the broad side of an Onos. However when a team is asking for upgrades or guns and I am already dropping them or they just finish the sense of accomplishment and gratitude is there. It's nice to finish a game even if you lose and the team can say hey you tried, you did a good job, we lost. I really enjoy come backs as a commander. There's few things more enjoyable then fighting a skilled Kahraa team that really works together with a lot of good hit and run fades. It's tough but when you can stage a come back like that with teamwork that makes for a great game.
I do remember it was tough my first couple times as a commander learning what it took for upgrades and to buidl structures and all that and a training video would be perfect for that I think. Anything that could walk a normal gamer through a typical run in a few minutes would really help new commanders. Really someone should just sit in a bot server and record the thing for a few minutes and post that as a new commander training video.
I would like to see the Hud modified a little, a little more accessable in some areas and more options to get equipment to marines easier. If per say I could select an armory and get the same screen for weapons and equipment as selecting the menu or if it was displayed on my hud thereby saving me a step. Really anything that can save me time so i can do more interaction with the map and team. The idea to move elevators and door and anything electronic like say a rail car or a mechenized mover or something. I think watching a commander move something while I was in a large warehouse room or loading dock so I could access some part of the map or block it would be very intersting.
Most of the time I don't command when I don't get in fast enough or someone else says they would like to command or I just want to shoot something.
In the end if there could be more added to allow the commander to be able to interact more with the team or enviorment that would be nice. Adding more options for the commander to reward teamwork and skilled players would be helpful. Removing some of the hassle of dropping medpacks and ammo would help to although it is a real messure of a good commander. Previously before Marines could request it the measure was always if the commander was watching and dropping it when you needed it and a time ago I excelled at that. Now so many Marines just wander Rambo like that i end up with 5 requests queued up all over the map and to often by the time I get to the marine he's dead.
I think I will be able to provide more logical and detailed suggestions when I know if multi lvl maps will be going and how they will look as well as features and setups.
<!--quoteo(post=1649978:date=Sep 17 2007, 01:28 AM:name=DooGie)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DooGie @ Sep 17 2007, 01:28 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1649978"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I'd like to see for once, structures that can be turned on their own edges to fill a good space.
Some guys have posted that there should be a way to give meds without failing or something. The handicap in the commander is mostly that, the fact of failing meds or ammo. It'd be GODLIKE if a commander can't fail a med, even a LMG could kill a fade easily.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
What he said.
VOTE <!--coloro:#00FF00--><span style="color:#00FF00"><!--/coloro-->YES<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> To rotating buildings
VOTE <!--coloro:#FF0000--><span style="color:#FF0000"><!--/coloro-->NO<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> To auto meds
It appears that there is a fair bit of debate about automation. I think a safe middle ground would be a series of custom buttons on each side of the top down view that you could drag copies of buttons off buildings, the commander menu and even marines themselves onto. If not in use they are clear and inactive so its up to each player if they want to use them.
Holding shift would allow you to stack certain items (HA, WLD, HMG) onto the same button to create quick packs but you can never add the same item twice (to prevent over MEDDING). Upgrades like A1 would have a greyed/white clock ratio to show how much longer to go and would be replaced but the next upgrade (i.e. A2) automatically but you would still have to click on it to get it going so no cueing. SCANs from individual OBS would have the same clock feature to represent energy, allowing you to manually select the one you want to use. This would also allow silent beacon.
NS2 will remember your settings; A1 will always appear as soon as you build a AL in the same place, as will the scan option. One option that is a must would be a reset button. Clicking on it would deselect everything so when the HUD gets stuck in a loop you don’t recycle the AA by mistake (it happens). Holding shift while clicking on would allow you to reset all buttons.
Stackings a good idea and creating goodie bags for ur marines
one way to prevent over meding would be to set rashions. If rather than dropping gear on the floor near the rines you selecte the rine and got a drop down list and from the list you could select gear to give em. But this gear could be rashioned to stop favouritism and to encourage the rines to stay alive.
However this could cause intense cowardice amoung the grunts that didnt want to loose their last hmg rashon. But then it may only be nessesary to rashion ammo and meds rather than other gear. And the rashions could refil every few minutes
Canadian wolverine pretty much has it on lock down.
But I still have my own opinions.
(coming from a vet)
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What are some of your most memorable experiences (good or bad)? For example - what was it like the first time you stepped into the command chair?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
GOOD = It felt good to be a micro manager or having that RTS feeling that you can control the game. Of course everyone sucks at first, but get better in time.
BAD = Getting mouthed a lot. Not dropping meds/ammo when you're saving for an RT.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What do you love and/or hate about commanding?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I love to WIN. So controlling the whole map or getting turret kills makes me feel warm and fuzzy. I hate base rushes + whining little brats.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Maybe you avoid commanding and if so, why?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I try to get into the comm chair as much as a I can. So this does not apply to me.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Why types of features would you like to see added or removed?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I would like to see a NEW HUD DESIGN. Something that looks a little but realistic and military style with knobs and nonsense. (it gives it the realistic feeling) Something that would be in a TOP SECRET base or something. It would give the user that "agent" feeling. I would like moar upgrades added.
-Lasered Mines upg -Different Bullet types (instead of weapons one etc) -Static arms lab/obs -Advanced arms lab maybe -Cloak suit -Half Catalyst/Med packs (5 res) -GAS MASKS (when heavies cant be afforded) (5 or 10 res each) -Moar Hotkeys -Suicide button (for when comming a noob team) -KILL ALL MARINES button at (50/75/100 res) (victory button) (i will add more to this list when I come up with new ideas)
I still dont understand why the models disappear after hitting the recycle button. I think there should be a splash damaged explosion (equivalent to a grenade or a mine) after it has been recycled.
*UPDATE*
I just came out with a crazy but theoretical idea!
Ever thought about a COMM in FPS mode?
[COMPOSED IDEAS]
The comm has to enter the chair and click MOBILE mode (a green button simliar to the logout button).
The comm should come out of the chair as a semi-transparent or even a new model (similiar to a heavy or a different color marine model).
Now I pictured the comm's POV would be like gary's mod. Slot1 (medpack)/(ammo) SLOT2 (PG)/(TF)/(OBS) SLOT3 (TURRET). Right-click TF = upg to electrify/siege. Mobile mode is meant for HEAT situations only. (taking down hive / huge firefight)
It would make comming experience 10x more fun.
The comm's health/armor should be above the normal marine and below a heavy. Aliens should be able to kill the comm in MOBILE mode and the comm can slightly build faster than a normal marine.
This would be a very awesome addition to the game. A lot of heavy modding but its something easy to add since its already available in the engine. So not much to change.
Well it's been a while since i have commanded (mostly because folks gets so angry when you don't do exactly what they expect you to do), but from what i remember, i like a better way to move around the map. I find it annoying that when you move the mouse close to a side of the screen, it start scrolling in that direct (at a fixed speed). What I would like to see implemented is a way to move around at a speed controlled by the mouse. Kind of like you can do on the mini-map (if memory serves me right), but more precise and with out having to move the cursor to the mini map first. In fact the less you have to move your mouse, away from the action, to the side of the screen to do some task, the better. If you look at an application like Photoshop (and many other adobe apps), I imagine it working kind of like the hand-tool. If you have zoomed in on your painting and only looks at a section of it, the hand-tool allows you to move the underlaying painting, with the mouse controlling the speed and position very precise, and its just a shortcut (space) away.
I would also like to is a better visual way to identify individual marines, without having to move your cursor over them. I will also make it quicker to learn the different players from each other. Writing this gives me an idea. How about a shortcut that gives the commander some sort of a list of all the marines. From that list he could select one or more to form a group/squad, or just to see where that person is (a selected marine would show up on the mini-map for instance), or to give the selected marine(s) a command. As a commander you tent know (or get to know) a few marines that follow order and get the job done, this is an easy way to form a squad and send them of to do the job, and then concentrate on looking after the rest.
As i said it's been a long time since i commanded, and if some of this has already been implemented, i apologize for the inconvenience.
I don't see why you need to click on or hotkey the structures, with so few of them. It seems like you could have a little unobtrusive tab for each structure type along the bottom, hit the key and it expands, showing you the location, status and queue of all the structures of that type you've built, with icons and keys for research topics, a little hammer for building, a mushroom cloud for recycling. That little UI tab could flash red or yellow numbers to instantly tell you that one of those structures is under attack, white for a research topic underway, blue for research topics available... This would enable reusing hotkeys, for example "1-1-R-1", "1" being armories, "1" being the first armory, "R" being research topics available, "1" being upgrade to Advanced Armory, or "2-R-1", "2" being arms lab, "R" being research [at whichever armslab is not queued], "1" being upgrade armor... An individual tab for each phasegate built, cause it would be easy to remember that the third one from the left (the third one I built) is at feedwater.
<!--quoteo(post=1650699:date=Sep 20 2007, 08:38 AM:name=CanadianWolverine)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CanadianWolverine @ Sep 20 2007, 08:38 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1650699"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Wouldn't picture in picture as part of the Commander HUD be more attainable and accessible for most gamers?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, however what is NS2's resolution system requirements? *cough* *cough* Is it worth it to try and play a commander at 800X600 [Yuck! Time for a frikin upgrade!] If the minimum screen res was 1024 X 768 then I don't see how that would be a problem. What is it BTW, anyone know?
Just a thought too, couldn't someone also create a hack so everyone of us with multiple monitors use them? It sounds like alot of work, I have no idea, but maybe we can hack the game as soon as it's released to let us enjoy this? [for commanders] Did HL2, or any HL2 mods support more then one screen?
<!--quoteo(post=1643281:date=Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM:name=JJJ1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JJJ1 @ Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1643281"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What are some of your most memorable experiences (good or bad)?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->A long time ago in years past (holiday season of 03) I first began as a commander. Played regliously while at college, by 04 members of multiple gaming communities I frequented labled by nickname as Commander ToeL. It was really something as I could always win maps: ns_hera, ns_bast, ns_eclipse and the custom map ns_europa, ns_cilrais up till the end of 1.04. From my knowledge base during those days veterans of the server would understand I could always win those two maps and would flock to my team, which made the alien defeat that much quicker. When 2.0 was released ns_hera and seige ranges changed so that map was a bit more challenging, yet ns_bast was still the same, and another map ns_origin was added to the list. By '05 my senior year school load dictated that NS had to wait and after graduating I found myself unable to play with a dialup internet connection. I still jump on while at a friends or cafe when given a chance, but I always miss the 1.04 days where a commander would have such a moral impact on the rounds when they would last 2 hours.
<!--quoteo(post=1643281:date=Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM:name=JJJ1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JJJ1 @ Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1643281"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What do you love and/or hate about commanding?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->One floor maps (2D maps) and the interaction their of. As a mapper I felt restrained from creativity to simply map with only one level. A primary cause why I never continued to map for NS until combat mode was released. I often thought why not allow the commander to access the veiws of the marines as the spectate option does. Have structures spawn some measure of distance from the marine. With source and others mentioning PIP this thought could be expanded upon.
<!--quoteo(post=1643281:date=Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM:name=JJJ1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JJJ1 @ Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1643281"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Maybe you <i>avoid </i>commanding and if so, why?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Servers and gaming communities have their favorites, if you're not in that cool kids club then their first impression of you is a poor one and that translates into marines going rambo or running past waypoints.
<!--quoteo(post=1643281:date=Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM:name=JJJ1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JJJ1 @ Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1643281"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Why types of features would you like to see added or removed?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Multi level support, ingame marine view, corruption causing commander block out, and the camera feature was quite interesting, would save on multiple obs to ping with just to see how or why a forward turret farm is being taken out.
NS really doesnt restrict the vertical THAT much. Sure, you cant have a big room directly over a small room, but you can definitely have a small room over a big room (especially if you build it with func_seethrough's in mind).
If you want an example of a VERY vertical map with little-to-no comm issues, check out my map, ns_nexus (link in sig).
i idn't read the whoe thread, it's so long <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/nerd-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::nerdy::" border="0" alt="nerd-fix.gif" />
so here are my ideas:
When i was comming in NS i couldn't keep up in big team games. Everything was happening at the same time and i didn't have enough fingers.
So i would suggest a waitinglist. A comm can click several things he wants to do and they all appear in the waitinglist. i'll try to explain it in gameplay so you'd understand better.
so, the game starts. you have plenty of cash to build stuff so you do. no waitinglist entries needed here.
but then cashflow isn't optimal yet and you try to remember the next best step. here's the tricky part of commanding imo. a possible solution is the waitinglist, a comm can click anything he wants to do and place them in the waitinglist. The list appears somewhere on screen and as soon as res is available they should lighten up. If you want to upgrade something you wouldn't have to go to the building, click it, and then go back to the front line. jsut wait until res is avaibable and click the icon in the waitinglist. MAybe the lsit should also be displayed to teamplayers so they have an idea of the comm's strategy. The waiting list is an aid so you don't have to memorise everything that is happening. Once you see a certain problem that requires a new upgrade you simple click the upgrade, when there is not enough res, it will appear in the list, when you have enough res, it will lighten up, you simply click it again in the waitinglist.
maybe the list should only hold 5 entries, otherwise a comm will just put all upgrades in there.
Ok so I'm sorry if this has been suggested already but this came to mind quite fast after reading all the stuff people want into the commanding panel: <b>a whole commanding touchscreen that comes with the game</b> + a glove to bring the right feeling to it and so you won't make those nasty greasy finger prints...
Well I hope you don't mind the joke but DAMN if that wouldn't be cool <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
Having the screen with sort of Ipodic features so you can scroll the lists and menus and levels of the maps by dragging your hand on the screen. No need for hotkeys, just push the screen so making it more visual commanding.
Let the drooling begin <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
<!--quoteo(post=1658118:date=Oct 28 2007, 12:03 AM:name=Legoinsinööri)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Legoinsinööri @ Oct 28 2007, 12:03 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1658118"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Ok so I'm sorry if this has been suggested already but this came to mind quite fast after reading all the stuff people want into the commanding panel: <b>a whole commanding touchscreen that comes with the game</b> + a glove to bring the right feeling to it and so you won't make those nasty greasy finger prints...
Well I hope you don't mind the joke but DAMN if that wouldn't be cool <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
Having the screen with sort of Ipodic features so you can scroll the lists and menus and levels of the maps by dragging your hand on the screen. No need for hotkeys, just push the screen so making it more visual commanding.
Let the drooling begin <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
+1!!! indeed, that sounds really cool! *drool*
I have read scientific interviews about a new mind control technology. It's a helmet with eyescan that scans your brain&eyemovement so you can control your computer with just thinking and looking. i'll say what we all are thinking: " a great toy to control an alien overmind!!!".
locallyunsceneFeeder of TrollsJoin Date: 2002-12-25Member: 11528Members, Constellation
<!--quoteo(post=1657768:date=Oct 25 2007, 05:51 PM:name=Qlippoth)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Qlippoth @ Oct 25 2007, 05:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1657768"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->i idn't read the whoe thread, it's so long <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/nerd-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::nerdy::" border="0" alt="nerd-fix.gif" />
so here are my ideas:
When i was comming in NS i couldn't keep up in big team games. Everything was happening at the same time and i didn't have enough fingers.
So i would suggest a waitinglist. A comm can click several things he wants to do and they all appear in the waitinglist. i'll try to explain it in gameplay so you'd understand better.
so, the game starts. you have plenty of cash to build stuff so you do. no waitinglist entries needed here.
but then cashflow isn't optimal yet and you try to remember the next best step. here's the tricky part of commanding imo. a possible solution is the waitinglist, a comm can click anything he wants to do and place them in the waitinglist. The list appears somewhere on screen and as soon as res is available they should lighten up. If you want to upgrade something you wouldn't have to go to the building, click it, and then go back to the front line. jsut wait until res is avaibable and click the icon in the waitinglist. MAybe the lsit should also be displayed to teamplayers so they have an idea of the comm's strategy. The waiting list is an aid so you don't have to memorise everything that is happening. Once you see a certain problem that requires a new upgrade you simple click the upgrade, when there is not enough res, it will appear in the list, when you have enough res, it will lighten up, you simply click it again in the waitinglist.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> That's a really neat idea. I know I especially have those "what was I going to build/research" in other RTS's. There's only so much to research in NS1 so it's not to hard to remember but if the game got any more complex it would be. Having to click on the waiting list is a good idea too because you'll probably have to change strats at some point and don't want to be too locked in.
Well all I can say is that comm having less tasks as his duty makes it easier to comm and at the same time makes really good comming and i.e. micromanaging, less worthy. I'd say it should be a bit hard to micromanage as a comm so it really makes a difference between a good and a damn good comm.
The first time i entered the command chair, i had no idea what to do, where the builds where what they were for or anything.
I hardly ever be commander because i am kind of lost knowing what to do even though i know i should be building phase gates everywhere then building siege turrets hive hives or walls of oc's.
What i like about being commander is the overview of the entire map. It's a great way to direct the marines to where you want them to go and an easy way of finding out where the hives are.
What i don't like about it that it disables the ability to have stacking levels on maps, so i thought of the idea that if you had it so the commander could scroll through levels as in: Say you are viewing level 1, then by pressing mousewheel up and it shows level 2, you press it again and it goes to level 3, then press mousewheel down it goes back to level 2.
See where i'm going at?
The game needs more guns/different types of ammo/more turrets and more buildings.
<!--quoteo(post=1643281:date=Aug 11 2007, 10:46 AM:name=JJJ1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JJJ1 @ Aug 11 2007, 10:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1643281"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Hi guys. I'm working on the NS2 commander interface at the moment, so I've created this thread to hear your thoughts in general about the NS commander experience so we can improve it as much as possible for NS2.
Ask yourselves questions like:
What are some of your most memorable experiences (good or bad)? For example - what was it like the first time you stepped into the command chair? What do you love and/or hate about commanding? Maybe you <i>avoid </i>commanding and if so, why? Why types of features would you like to see added or removed?
Anything goes. Let's hear your thoughts!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sup buddy.
I played NS 4 years ago in the Whendarknessfalls custom map server and all I did was command games, in fact I had a record of like 30 to 1 win to loss games. I loved the old commander interface, It was compact and simple to use, A few keybindings and you could be giving players waypoints the same as you would in any command and conquer game.
What I would like to see if you have any interest anymore. A little better way to make groups for people, instead of clicking people and assigning them to a group, maybe like a party window that you can drag players into. Allow players to be in more than 1 party. If I remember the max amount of buildings you could keybind was 4, I don't care if I can see if 4 is the upgrade center, as long as I can remember. If you take away the 4 boxes and pictures of what buildings are binded, you may free up some space.
If you have a command window made, I'd love to see a screenshot of the hud and I'll give you any help I can.
What might be cool is if when you're commanding you could use custom waypoints, if this has already been mentioned sorry. If, when you right click, there was like a modifier key, say if you hold shift and right click it drops a guard waypoint, control and click drops an attack waypoint. essentially make it easier to use specific waypoints. would also work well with the custom waypoints, could set in the console so that when you hit shift and right click, it drops custom waypoint 1, and so forth.
The hotkey system is perfect for me at least, very easy to pick up and use quickly.
The main problem for me with commanding now, is that it's fairly simple to hold your own as comm, cap rt's and keep your rines alive with medkits, tech up and all that. but the advanced tactics that you really need to win, like sieging a hive, and that sort of thing, are much harder to learn. base management can be learned against bots, but against a real alien team it's very hard to learn anything inbetween them constantly attacking you and the normal base management. dont know what could really be done about that, but it would help if demos of commanding were easily available. as of now, i cant really find any command demo files that the links still work on. if anyone reading this has any please PM them to me, could use them.
Well, that's about all I have, cant wait for NS2, gonna be awesome.
Been a while since i played NS. God dang WoW =(. Anyways saw the NS2 tech vids and got the bug again. Upon reading this thread i felt it necessary to voice my opinions on what the Comm Hud should have in it and how it basically should look.
Few things ive come up with
Dont flood the comm with too much information. But you need to make if flexible nuff and powerful nuff for a experienced comm to bring its power to bare. Maybe have the ability to turn on "advanced options alah WoW(world of warcraft ) interface allows (dont allow it to be all out mod able like wow though, keep it simple =P)
Give me a marines PiP, when you select a particular marine you see through his eyes! (not sure bout how bad this would kill system resources)
See your squads HP location etc at all times, and show which you have selected, and which one you have focused (PiP thing) (think raid bars... again the WoW reference SORRY!)
Make everything look immediately recognizable as to what it does. $ recycles items, Hammer builds, wrench is repair order etc
Allow comm to select marines and deselect them like our favorite RTS's. Shift click to add or remove players. Assign groups/squads with a ctrl-1. Assign areas with ctrl-f1. double clicking on a marines picture will bring you too him. double clicking on their group number will bring you to the most of them.
Give comm more "god powers" =P and make them more easily accessible
Be able to select a marine and tell how well he is doing, how many buildings built, k:d ratio, this stuff would be helpful as to if you gonna give rambo a gun or the guy following your orders.
Allow the comm to give general orders, alah REPAIR THIS, BUILD THAT and have symbols that let you know if your telling your marines if a particular order has been given and if its being fulfilled. A green working wrench means that the item is being repaired. A gray one means no one has touched it. etc etc
Make the graphics SIMPLE, not too flashy.
DONT CRY WHEN YOU SEE MY UGLY MS PAINT OF WHAT IT SHOULD BE LIKE
Hey J, Micro manage me up mate. I have been com-ing a little bit of late, things tha must be changed or added.
the whole if your meding and you mouse is moveing while you click to drop the med it doesnt drop thing is really pissing me off. Mouse has to be dead still then click to drop. i got a feeling its cos of the whole selection painter square.
Which I want to see also changed. the selection painter square is ok for somethings, but what would ###### all over it is a toggle lasso selection painter tool, make use of those shift ctrl and alt keys.
Oh shift selecting more than one target or unselecting THANK YOU.
Hold Down map over lays the current screen were you click on the large map takes you to there on the normal commander view layer below, also can med from this large map over lay and do a few other minor things e.g capping a res node, without jumping the zoomable normal commander view to said location, unless clicked appropriately.
Yes commander view could use a bit of zoomage.
I know of the hit space bars to go to next avalible or recent request, but this also needs a shift key to scroll and jump to other requests or completed tasks that my get bumped off by misstack.
There is requests for a toggleable tech tree button were you click it and auto upgrade things by puting points in them. I am on the fence with this idea it has merit but I think it will wreak a lot of what commanding is about. There are similar request to this as icons down the side of the screen greyed out at fist and become avalible for clicking to upgrade lvls I wouldnt like to see these ether, but I would like to see them there as a constant reminder or a push button reminder of were your tech tree is at.
In short
Information is good Choice is good Automateing 80% of the Commanding roll is bad.
I think that instead of droping meds/ammos on the ground, there can be a system which we select the soldier who requests medpacks and simply press the the shortcut key to drop him medpack.Therefore there will be no more map bugs about droping meds/ammos.And also the soldier will receive the medpack directly rather than walking on it.
this may also have already been suggested. but id like an order issuing system. A system that allows me to select a group of rines and send them an order from a list. the list could contain orders such as, cap rts, defend rts, defend base, defend "room name", secure hive "room name", search and destroy, build structures in "room name", etc. i would select a group or an individual rine and send the order all with in 2-4 button clicks. The rine would get a pop up message that would hang in their window, so they would not forgett the order. If nesseasry a way point would go with it. This would nt replace the mic but it would allow the comm to dispense multiple orders, and because the pop up order would linger on the rines screen the comm would not have to remind them of their role. obviously ud need a button for removing orders from individuals, groups and possibly the entire team in two clicks. Id like this because i hate having to remind rines to go cap and protect rts.
ArcL!ghtJoin Date: 2007-11-27Member: 63031Members, Squad Five Blue, NS2 Map Tester
edited November 2007
As a new guy on this forum and not so active NS player I will not try to make myself look as a smartass. Yes I did play NS for a long time... since 1.04 till 3.0 but not on regular basis. I never liked being comm since I ussualy dont have the Clickfest skill that RTS requires.
So I guess I'm not the only one and to make this more user friendly I would like to propose a few "improvements" to that.
When you look at the com post it's a chair with multi-monitors around you. Why dont we put those screens to good use? For example. You have the standard comm view from top but with some key (for example mouse 2) you can switch to alternative screens which would act as drop down menu (or pop-up as marines have for asking orders etc.). Of course you could bind a key for each particular screen.
So you press the mouse2 (M2) button and you get the popup menu. Then you choose screen.
Now to explain what do I mean by screens. 1st and main would be the standard view that there is. In it you would have standard options like build etc. A good addon which someone suggested would be if you select one marine you could see what he sees in sort of helmet cam (we've all seen aliens aka alien 2). Another screen would be the research progress and giving new researches a start. Of course this would seem that I complicate things but I think this funcions will give noob coms like myself an easy way to monitor status of each thing in game.
Example of other screens would be the general marine overview so you can see who is dead, who is alive and with how much HP and his current location... example. Arclight, then standard green, yellow and red health boxes, then location for example Hera reception (if I remember corretly that Hera had reception <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />). And when you click on his name it would show you that helmet cam that i mentioned earlier. When you double click it would move your main screen to that marine and minimize the marine overview screen.
Then something same but building screen...
I know that this is very very hard to programe and realize but I think some of this suggestions might work. (atleast that popup menu for commander for atleast quick switch towards buildings or map locations...)
Over&Out
P.S. A one particulary good change came to my mind now. There is radar but why dont we use it as we use minimap in other games for quick moving over the map? Example. you click on radar and it goes to full screen shwoing you where your buidlings are and marines. When you click on some hallway it moves your view to that part of the map. I suggested this since me as a noob com get lost very easy on maps even I know them as marine\alien.
I command at g4b2s and what I'd like to see to help 30 player servers is: (coincidentally they'd help 12 players too)
-Squads that are assignable before round starts. Perhaps picked by the players and modified by the commander.
-A more effecient way of organizing squads. Tying it into the ScoreBoard with a pull down number next to the player. Allow the COMM to edit everyones squad number and each player only his own. Also allow the commander to lock a player from changing his squad.
-Medpacks, Ammo and Catpacks able to be dropped directly on players. This can already be done but is hard.
-Selecting a squad takes you to the <b>leader on first press and an injured player on second press</b>.
-A way to zoom in and out in comm view. Nothing fancy just something to use to overcome poor map design. <b> -Allow commander to choose to bring up a minimap like marine grunts except make it toggleable between off, on and seethrough to the point of near invisibility like around 10% visible.</b> This minimap should be non-interactive.
-Send AFK players to the readyroom after 3 minutes. For aliens add their res back to the res pool and take theirs away.
-More squads even if there are no hotkeys. I'd ideally like 10 and would probably only use the first 5 with hotkeys. This would be solely to make selecting structures easier. As of now I have to devote too many hotkeys to obs which don't really need to be accessed through hotkeys but do need to be accessed in less time than going to ms (or a hive or wherever) and finding it and clicking on it. I also usually assign the entire marine team to one squad. So my squads are always marines and obs unless I'm feeling lazy or am concerned about a particular structure.
-When structures are clicked on in the HUD twice or hotkeyed twice they should select the nearest structure of that type or even any would be nice.
-Left click is select and deselect only.
-Right click is drop and order only.
-I like the current HUD. Just compact it a little, add more squads, a limited way to zoom, keep the size of the HUD minimap, and it's pretty much fine.
-Add a confirm for recycle that is not V. Make it like z or something. Accidental recycling happens too often. Especially when trying to beacon while cancelling MT.
Comments
I get this weird picture from Swordfish in my head, when the hacker sits in the room with the mutiple monitors etc, anyways, if I had 4 screens and enough power to run everything smoothly I would feel like one hell of a commander sitting in my dark room with neon lights, speaking in my hi-tech headset from outher space. Anyways, I doubt there's very many out there sitting with that sort of equipment for it to be a usefull investment for the gamedesigners. Although it would be insanely cool, I don't like the idea of offering players such a big advantage through hardware, since I don't want to buy 3 more monitors and 1 more graphiccard to get as good an overview as you.
Then if you have mutliple monitors, you can just click drag one of the Windows into the other monitors and maximize it like you would normally do for other things.
I'm only using one monitor atm, but i dont see a huge advantage depending on what the other screens would display.
-------
Also, with the sticky keys and things, what I think would work really nicely if we had a column on the right side of the screen with 9 squares to stick in commands from buildings, from our base or w/e, and would still work with the qwerasdfzxcv
i recon bot servers are a must for training numbies.
cos things happen at a slower pace
theres more room for mistakes and experimentation.
Best experience of comming pulling off a bad ass assult
worst, acidently recycling a vital tf and consiquently loosing the game
i accidently recycled it cos it was one 1hp and i thought there was a skulk having a munch, but actually it was a marine welding, It was a split second reaction
clear colour coding on hostiles and friendlys on ur hud would help decrease this problem.
I think micromanagement defo needs to be made easier.
I also think the comm should be given a role in environmental management provided it didnt take too much time an focus from other parts of the game.
an example of environmental management would be spending 5 res to increase power to some lights or flooding an area or sealing a door for a period of time. This would add to the comms tactical role but also the teams dependance on him would cud be risky with in experienced comms. It could also make creating maps more complex. Enhancing the comms ability to mainpulate the environemnt would be more immersive and make you feel more like the catalyst and designer in a plan rather than just a supplier of resources and logistics
also y cant the comm get the names of rooms on his map. its probably one of the most irritating things about comm is not being able to remember the name of a room that ur sending ppl 2
Right now I would like to find a way to automate the med and ammo drop. I am concerned that this could be abused but if I had the option to enable it on select marines who I trust then I think that would save me a lot of micro management I don't want to do. When I am trying to watch multiple locations and keep Marines alive and drop guns and setup the siege on a hive, I have to say it can be tough and anything to speed that up helps. Having a button to select the obs with the most energy to do a scan would save me a lot of trouble because I confess I don't hotkey anything like I should. That and making beacon tie to the Obs I use with a key on my HUD would save me a great deal of trouble.
I would like to see waypoints have greater transparancy so as not to block line of site for Marines, I believe this was mentioned. I try to use waypoints often but I find I am to busy to use as many as I would like and to often they are ignored. I believe this is due to the servers i frequent but should there be some sort of applicable bonus for going to the waypoint that makes sense it would help. I would like to see more orders that I can select and the idea of adding text to a waypoint would be great for all the comms without Mics. Now I believe every Comm should have a Mic for voice comm but since some do not this would help greatly with coordination.
What I enjoy most about commandering is being in the position of power to really effect a game. Now naturally this matters not a whit if my team is poor and can't hit the broad side of an Onos. However when a team is asking for upgrades or guns and I am already dropping them or they just finish the sense of accomplishment and gratitude is there. It's nice to finish a game even if you lose and the team can say hey you tried, you did a good job, we lost. I really enjoy come backs as a commander. There's few things more enjoyable then fighting a skilled Kahraa team that really works together with a lot of good hit and run fades. It's tough but when you can stage a come back like that with teamwork that makes for a great game.
I do remember it was tough my first couple times as a commander learning what it took for upgrades and to buidl structures and all that and a training video would be perfect for that I think. Anything that could walk a normal gamer through a typical run in a few minutes would really help new commanders. Really someone should just sit in a bot server and record the thing for a few minutes and post that as a new commander training video.
I would like to see the Hud modified a little, a little more accessable in some areas and more options to get equipment to marines easier. If per say I could select an armory and get the same screen for weapons and equipment as selecting the menu or if it was displayed on my hud thereby saving me a step. Really anything that can save me time so i can do more interaction with the map and team. The idea to move elevators and door and anything electronic like say a rail car or a mechenized mover or something. I think watching a commander move something while I was in a large warehouse room or loading dock so I could access some part of the map or block it would be very intersting.
Most of the time I don't command when I don't get in fast enough or someone else says they would like to command or I just want to shoot something.
In the end if there could be more added to allow the commander to be able to interact more with the team or enviorment that would be nice. Adding more options for the commander to reward teamwork and skilled players would be helpful. Removing some of the hassle of dropping medpacks and ammo would help to although it is a real messure of a good commander. Previously before Marines could request it the measure was always if the commander was watching and dropping it when you needed it and a time ago I excelled at that. Now so many Marines just wander Rambo like that i end up with 5 requests queued up all over the map and to often by the time I get to the marine he's dead.
I think I will be able to provide more logical and detailed suggestions when I know if multi lvl maps will be going and how they will look as well as features and setups.
Some guys have posted that there should be a way to give meds without failing or something. The handicap in the commander is mostly that, the fact of failing meds or ammo. It'd be GODLIKE if a commander can't fail a med, even a LMG could kill a fade easily.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
What he said.
VOTE <!--coloro:#00FF00--><span style="color:#00FF00"><!--/coloro-->YES<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> To rotating buildings
VOTE <!--coloro:#FF0000--><span style="color:#FF0000"><!--/coloro-->NO<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> To auto meds
It appears that there is a fair bit of debate about automation. I think a safe middle ground would be a series of custom buttons on each side of the top down view that you could drag copies of buttons off buildings, the commander menu and even marines themselves onto. If not in use they are clear and inactive so its up to each player if they want to use them.
Holding shift would allow you to stack certain items (HA, WLD, HMG) onto the same button to create quick packs but you can never add the same item twice (to prevent over MEDDING). Upgrades like A1 would have a greyed/white clock ratio to show how much longer to go and would be replaced but the next upgrade (i.e. A2) automatically but you would still have to click on it to get it going so no cueing. SCANs from individual OBS would have the same clock feature to represent energy, allowing you to manually select the one you want to use. This would also allow silent beacon.
NS2 will remember your settings; A1 will always appear as soon as you build a AL in the same place, as will the scan option. One option that is a must would be a reset button. Clicking on it would deselect everything so when the HUD gets stuck in a loop you don’t recycle the AA by mistake (it happens). Holding shift while clicking on would allow you to reset all buttons.
What you think?
one way to prevent over meding would be to set rashions. If rather than dropping gear on the floor near the rines you selecte the rine and got a drop down list and from the list you could select gear to give em. But this gear could be rashioned to stop favouritism and to encourage the rines to stay alive.
However this could cause intense cowardice amoung the grunts that didnt want to loose their last hmg rashon. But then it may only be nessesary to rashion ammo and meds rather than other gear. And the rashions could refil every few minutes
But I still have my own opinions.
(coming from a vet)
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What are some of your most memorable experiences (good or bad)? For example - what was it like the first time you stepped into the command chair?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
GOOD = It felt good to be a micro manager or having that RTS feeling that you can control the game. Of course everyone sucks at first, but get better in time.
BAD = Getting mouthed a lot. Not dropping meds/ammo when you're saving for an RT.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What do you love and/or hate about commanding?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I love to WIN. So controlling the whole map or getting turret kills makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
I hate base rushes + whining little brats.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Maybe you avoid commanding and if so, why?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I try to get into the comm chair as much as a I can. So this does not apply to me.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Why types of features would you like to see added or removed?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I would like to see a NEW HUD DESIGN. Something that looks a little but realistic and military style with knobs and nonsense. (it gives it the realistic feeling) Something that would be in a TOP SECRET base or something. It would give the user that "agent" feeling. I would like moar upgrades added.
-Lasered Mines upg
-Different Bullet types (instead of weapons one etc)
-Static arms lab/obs
-Advanced arms lab maybe
-Cloak suit
-Half Catalyst/Med packs (5 res)
-GAS MASKS (when heavies cant be afforded) (5 or 10 res each)
-Moar Hotkeys
-Suicide button (for when comming a noob team)
-KILL ALL MARINES button at (50/75/100 res) (victory button)
(i will add more to this list when I come up with new ideas)
I still dont understand why the models disappear after hitting the recycle button. I think there should be a splash damaged explosion (equivalent to a grenade or a mine) after it has been recycled.
*UPDATE*
I just came out with a crazy but theoretical idea!
Ever thought about a COMM in FPS mode?
[COMPOSED IDEAS]
The comm has to enter the chair and click MOBILE mode (a green button simliar to the logout button).
The comm should come out of the chair as a semi-transparent or even a new model (similiar to a heavy or a different color marine model).
Now I pictured the comm's POV would be like gary's mod. Slot1 (medpack)/(ammo) SLOT2 (PG)/(TF)/(OBS) SLOT3 (TURRET). Right-click TF = upg to electrify/siege. Mobile mode is meant for HEAT situations only. (taking down hive / huge firefight)
It would make comming experience 10x more fun.
The comm's health/armor should be above the normal marine and below a heavy. Aliens should be able to kill the comm in MOBILE mode and the comm can slightly build faster than a normal marine.
This would be a very awesome addition to the game. A lot of heavy modding but its something easy to add since its already available in the engine. So not much to change.
I would also like to is a better visual way to identify individual marines, without having to move your cursor over them. I will also make it quicker to learn the different players from each other. Writing this gives me an idea. How about a shortcut that gives the commander some sort of a list of all the marines. From that list he could select one or more to form a group/squad, or just to see where that person is (a selected marine would show up on the mini-map for instance), or to give the selected marine(s) a command. As a commander you tent know (or get to know) a few marines that follow order and get the job done, this is an easy way to form a squad and send them of to do the job, and then concentrate on looking after the rest.
As i said it's been a long time since i commanded, and if some of this has already been implemented, i apologize for the inconvenience.
An individual tab for each phasegate built, cause it would be easy to remember that the third one from the left (the third one I built) is at feedwater.
Yes, however what is NS2's resolution system requirements? *cough* *cough* Is it worth it to try and play a commander at 800X600 [Yuck! Time for a frikin upgrade!] If the minimum screen res was 1024 X 768 then I don't see how that would be a problem. What is it BTW, anyone know?
Just a thought too, couldn't someone also create a hack so everyone of us with multiple monitors use them? It sounds like alot of work, I have no idea, but maybe we can hack the game as soon as it's released to let us enjoy this? [for commanders] Did HL2, or any HL2 mods support more then one screen?
<!--quoteo(post=1643281:date=Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM:name=JJJ1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JJJ1 @ Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1643281"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What do you love and/or hate about commanding?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->One floor maps (2D maps) and the interaction their of. As a mapper I felt restrained from creativity to simply map with only one level. A primary cause why I never continued to map for NS until combat mode was released. I often thought why not allow the commander to access the veiws of the marines as the spectate option does. Have structures spawn some measure of distance from the marine. With source and others mentioning PIP this thought could be expanded upon.
<!--quoteo(post=1643281:date=Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM:name=JJJ1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JJJ1 @ Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1643281"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Maybe you <i>avoid </i>commanding and if so, why?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Servers and gaming communities have their favorites, if you're not in that cool kids club then their first impression of you is a poor one and that translates into marines going rambo or running past waypoints.
<!--quoteo(post=1643281:date=Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM:name=JJJ1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JJJ1 @ Aug 11 2007, 05:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1643281"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Why types of features would you like to see added or removed?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Multi level support, ingame marine view, corruption causing commander block out, and the camera feature was quite interesting, would save on multiple obs to ping with just to see how or why a forward turret farm is being taken out.
If you want an example of a VERY vertical map with little-to-no comm issues, check out my map, ns_nexus (link in sig).
so here are my ideas:
When i was comming in NS i couldn't keep up in big team games. Everything was happening at the same time and i didn't have enough fingers.
So i would suggest a waitinglist.
A comm can click several things he wants to do and they all appear in the waitinglist.
i'll try to explain it in gameplay so you'd understand better.
so, the game starts. you have plenty of cash to build stuff so you do. no waitinglist entries needed here.
but then cashflow isn't optimal yet and you try to remember the next best step. here's the tricky part of commanding imo.
a possible solution is the waitinglist, a comm can click anything he wants to do and place them in the waitinglist.
The list appears somewhere on screen and as soon as res is available they should lighten up.
If you want to upgrade something you wouldn't have to go to the building, click it, and then go back to the front line.
jsut wait until res is avaibable and click the icon in the waitinglist. MAybe the lsit should also be displayed to teamplayers so they have an idea of the comm's strategy.
The waiting list is an aid so you don't have to memorise everything that is happening. Once you see a certain problem that requires a new upgrade you simple click the upgrade, when there is not enough res, it will appear in the list, when you have enough res, it will lighten up, you simply click it again in the waitinglist.
maybe the list should only hold 5 entries, otherwise a comm will just put all upgrades in there.
Well I hope you don't mind the joke but DAMN if that wouldn't be cool <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
Having the screen with sort of Ipodic features so you can scroll the lists and menus and levels of the maps by dragging your hand on the screen. No need for hotkeys, just push the screen so making it more visual commanding.
Let the drooling begin <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
Well I hope you don't mind the joke but DAMN if that wouldn't be cool <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
Having the screen with sort of Ipodic features so you can scroll the lists and menus and levels of the maps by dragging your hand on the screen. No need for hotkeys, just push the screen so making it more visual commanding.
Let the drooling begin <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
+1!!! indeed, that sounds really cool! *drool*
I have read scientific interviews about a new mind control technology. It's a helmet with eyescan that scans your brain&eyemovement so you can control your computer with just thinking and looking. i'll say what we all are thinking: " a great toy to control an alien overmind!!!".
we all know it's the future...soon...
so here are my ideas:
When i was comming in NS i couldn't keep up in big team games. Everything was happening at the same time and i didn't have enough fingers.
So i would suggest a waitinglist.
A comm can click several things he wants to do and they all appear in the waitinglist.
i'll try to explain it in gameplay so you'd understand better.
so, the game starts. you have plenty of cash to build stuff so you do. no waitinglist entries needed here.
but then cashflow isn't optimal yet and you try to remember the next best step. here's the tricky part of commanding imo.
a possible solution is the waitinglist, a comm can click anything he wants to do and place them in the waitinglist.
The list appears somewhere on screen and as soon as res is available they should lighten up.
If you want to upgrade something you wouldn't have to go to the building, click it, and then go back to the front line.
jsut wait until res is avaibable and click the icon in the waitinglist. MAybe the lsit should also be displayed to teamplayers so they have an idea of the comm's strategy.
The waiting list is an aid so you don't have to memorise everything that is happening. Once you see a certain problem that requires a new upgrade you simple click the upgrade, when there is not enough res, it will appear in the list, when you have enough res, it will lighten up, you simply click it again in the waitinglist.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's a really neat idea. I know I especially have those "what was I going to build/research" in other RTS's. There's only so much to research in NS1 so it's not to hard to remember but if the game got any more complex it would be. Having to click on the waiting list is a good idea too because you'll probably have to change strats at some point and don't want to be too locked in.
I hardly ever be commander because i am kind of lost knowing what to do even though i know i should be building phase gates everywhere then building siege turrets hive hives or walls of oc's.
What i like about being commander is the overview of the entire map.
It's a great way to direct the marines to where you want them to go and an easy way of finding out where the hives are.
What i don't like about it that it disables the ability to have stacking levels on maps, so i thought of the idea that if you had it so the commander could scroll through levels as in:
Say you are viewing level 1, then by pressing mousewheel up and it shows level 2, you press it again and it goes to level 3, then press mousewheel down it goes back to level 2.
See where i'm going at?
The game needs more guns/different types of ammo/more turrets and more buildings.
Ask yourselves questions like:
What are some of your most memorable experiences (good or bad)? For example - what was it like the first time you stepped into the command chair?
What do you love and/or hate about commanding?
Maybe you <i>avoid </i>commanding and if so, why?
Why types of features would you like to see added or removed?
Anything goes. Let's hear your thoughts!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sup buddy.
I played NS 4 years ago in the Whendarknessfalls custom map server and all I did was command games, in fact I had a record of like 30 to 1 win to loss games. I loved the old commander interface, It was compact and simple to use, A few keybindings and you could be giving players waypoints the same as you would in any command and conquer game.
What I would like to see if you have any interest anymore.
A little better way to make groups for people, instead of clicking people and assigning them to a group, maybe like a party window that you can drag players into.
Allow players to be in more than 1 party.
If I remember the max amount of buildings you could keybind was 4, I don't care if I can see if 4 is the upgrade center, as long as I can remember. If you take away the 4 boxes and pictures of what buildings are binded, you may free up some space.
If you have a command window made, I'd love to see a screenshot of the hud and I'll give you any help I can.
<3 wdf.Darkdeathgod
The hotkey system is perfect for me at least, very easy to pick up and use quickly.
The main problem for me with commanding now, is that it's fairly simple to hold your own as comm, cap rt's and keep your rines alive with medkits, tech up and all that. but the advanced tactics that you really need to win, like sieging a hive, and that sort of thing, are much harder to learn. base management can be learned against bots, but against a real alien team it's very hard to learn anything inbetween them constantly attacking you and the normal base management. dont know what could really be done about that, but it would help if demos of commanding were easily available. as of now, i cant really find any command demo files that the links still work on. if anyone reading this has any please PM them to me, could use them.
Well, that's about all I have, cant wait for NS2, gonna be awesome.
Few things ive come up with
Dont flood the comm with too much information. But you need to make if flexible nuff and powerful nuff for a experienced comm to bring its power to bare. Maybe have the ability to turn on "advanced options alah WoW(world of warcraft ) interface allows (dont allow it to be all out mod able like wow though, keep it simple =P)
Give me a marines PiP, when you select a particular marine you see through his eyes! (not sure bout how bad this would kill system resources)
See your squads HP location etc at all times, and show which you have selected, and which one you have focused (PiP thing) (think raid bars... again the WoW reference SORRY!)
Make everything look immediately recognizable as to what it does. $ recycles items, Hammer builds, wrench is repair order etc
Allow comm to select marines and deselect them like our favorite RTS's. Shift click to add or remove players. Assign groups/squads with a ctrl-1. Assign areas with ctrl-f1. double clicking on a marines picture will bring you too him. double clicking on their group number will bring you to the most of them.
Give comm more "god powers" =P and make them more easily accessible
Be able to select a marine and tell how well he is doing, how many buildings built, k:d ratio, this stuff would be helpful as to if you gonna give rambo a gun or the guy following your orders.
Allow the comm to give general orders, alah REPAIR THIS, BUILD THAT and have symbols that let you know if your telling your marines if a particular order has been given and if its being fulfilled. A green working wrench means that the item is being repaired. A gray one means no one has touched it. etc etc
Make the graphics SIMPLE, not too flashy.
DONT CRY WHEN YOU SEE MY UGLY MS PAINT OF WHAT IT SHOULD BE LIKE
<img src="http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g42/fecalfire/ns2comm.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
I shat bricks.
I have been com-ing a little bit of late, things tha must be changed or added.
the whole if your meding and you mouse is moveing while you click to drop the med it doesnt drop thing is really pissing me off. Mouse has to be dead still then click to drop. i got a feeling its cos of the whole selection painter square.
Which I want to see also changed. the selection painter square is ok for somethings, but what would ###### all over it is a toggle lasso selection painter tool, make use of those shift ctrl and alt keys.
Oh shift selecting more than one target or unselecting THANK YOU.
Hold Down map over lays the current screen were you click on the large map takes you to there on the normal commander view layer below, also can med from this large map over lay and do a few other minor things e.g capping a res node, without jumping the zoomable normal commander view to said location, unless clicked appropriately.
Yes commander view could use a bit of zoomage.
I know of the hit space bars to go to next avalible or recent request, but this also needs a shift key to scroll and jump to other requests or completed tasks that my get bumped off by misstack.
There is requests for a toggleable tech tree button were you click it and auto upgrade things by puting points in them. I am on the fence with this idea it has merit but I think it will wreak a lot of what commanding is about. There are similar request to this as icons down the side of the screen greyed out at fist and become avalible for clicking to upgrade lvls I wouldnt like to see these ether, but I would like to see them there as a constant reminder or a push button reminder of were your tech tree is at.
In short
Information is good
Choice is good
Automateing 80% of the Commanding roll is bad.
I think that instead of droping meds/ammos on the ground, there can be a system which we select the soldier who requests medpacks and simply press the the shortcut key to drop him medpack.Therefore there will be no more map bugs about droping meds/ammos.And also the soldier will receive the medpack directly rather than walking on it.
So I guess I'm not the only one and to make this more user friendly I would like to propose a few "improvements" to that.
When you look at the com post it's a chair with multi-monitors around you. Why dont we put those screens to good use? For example. You have the standard comm view from top but with some key (for example mouse 2) you can switch to alternative screens which would act as drop down menu (or pop-up as marines have for asking orders etc.). Of course you could bind a key for each particular screen.
So you press the mouse2 (M2) button and you get the popup menu. Then you choose screen.
Now to explain what do I mean by screens. 1st and main would be the standard view that there is. In it you would have standard options like build etc. A good addon which someone suggested would be if you select one marine you could see what he sees in sort of helmet cam (we've all seen aliens aka alien 2). Another screen would be the research progress and giving new researches a start. Of course this would seem that I complicate things but I think this funcions will give noob coms like myself an easy way to monitor status of each thing in game.
Example of other screens would be the general marine overview so you can see who is dead, who is alive and with how much HP and his current location... example. Arclight, then standard green, yellow and red health boxes, then location for example Hera reception (if I remember corretly that Hera had reception <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />). And when you click on his name it would show you that helmet cam that i mentioned earlier. When you double click it would move your main screen to that marine and minimize the marine overview screen.
Then something same but building screen...
I know that this is very very hard to programe and realize but I think some of this suggestions might work. (atleast that popup menu for commander for atleast quick switch towards buildings or map locations...)
Over&Out
P.S. A one particulary good change came to my mind now.
There is radar but why dont we use it as we use minimap in other games for quick moving over the map? Example. you click on radar and it goes to full screen shwoing you where your buidlings are and marines. When you click on some hallway it moves your view to that part of the map. I suggested this since me as a noob com get lost very easy on maps even I know them as marine\alien.
-Squads that are assignable before round starts. Perhaps picked by the players and modified by the commander.
-A more effecient way of organizing squads. Tying it into the ScoreBoard with a pull down number next to the player. Allow the COMM to edit everyones squad number and each player only his own. Also allow the commander to lock a player from changing his squad.
-Medpacks, Ammo and Catpacks able to be dropped directly on players. This can already be done but is hard.
-Selecting a squad takes you to the <b>leader on first press and an injured player on second press</b>.
-A way to zoom in and out in comm view. Nothing fancy just something to use to overcome poor map design.
<b>
-Allow commander to choose to bring up a minimap like marine grunts except make it toggleable between off, on and seethrough to the point of near invisibility like around 10% visible.</b> This minimap should be non-interactive.
-Send AFK players to the readyroom after 3 minutes. For aliens add their res back to the res pool and take theirs away.
-More squads even if there are no hotkeys. I'd ideally like 10 and would probably only use the first 5 with hotkeys. This would be solely to make selecting structures easier. As of now I have to devote too many hotkeys to obs which don't really need to be accessed through hotkeys but do need to be accessed in less time than going to ms (or a hive or wherever) and finding it and clicking on it. I also usually assign the entire marine team to one squad. So my squads are always marines and obs unless I'm feeling lazy or am concerned about a particular structure.
-When structures are clicked on in the HUD twice or hotkeyed twice they should select the nearest structure of that type or even any would be nice.
-Left click is select and deselect only.
-Right click is drop and order only.
-I like the current HUD. Just compact it a little, add more squads, a limited way to zoom, keep the size of the HUD minimap, and it's pretty much fine.
I hope I didn't just waste my time.
-Add a confirm for recycle that is not V. Make it like z or something. Accidental recycling happens too often. Especially when trying to beacon while cancelling MT.