Improving Comm UI (especially for the marines)

CannonFodder100CannonFodder100 Join Date: 2011-09-14 Member: 121355Members
edited February 2012 in Ideas and Suggestions
<div class="IPBDescription">Not the visuals, but the features</div>There're a few things missing from the comm UI that makes using it sometimes difficult. A few things that would help:

<b>[General improvements]</b>
-Shift-click to add to selection.
-Control groups from 1-10 (as opposed to the limited 1-5 presently).
-Double-click to select all units of a type on-screen. Arkanti has clarified that ctrl+click allows this, however, it would be nice to add for the sake of intuitiveness.
-Construct units from multiple structures when multiple structures are selected as energy/res allows. At present, when multiple structures are selected the build order is simply ignored.
<!--sizeo:1--><span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->-<strike>Add an artificial lighting effect for areas that are not well-lit; a prime example is trying to place cysts in Central Drilling on Mineshaft when the power has been destroyed, a near impossible task to do with efficiency.</strike><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--> Added as of B198.
-Clarify fog of war. Make line of sight more intuitive; for example, ARCs do not seem to reveal nearby units or structures. An actual fog of war effect would be good as well.
-Show infestation when an outer edge of it is visible, not when the cyst creating it is visible; this causes too much confusion when trying to place structures around infestation.

<b>[Specific improvements]</b>
-Selection boxing a resource nozzle will select it along with any units, even when beneath an extractor/harvester. Prioritize units above structures and structures above map objects when selecting an area.
-Smart-cast cyst placement - if there are multiple hives selected, use the one with the highest energy (and create only one!)
-Draw a two-dimensional effect on the ground where cysts may and may not be placed. It's frustrating to deal with elevation and walls that the cyst ring does nothing to clarify.

I believe these features and fixes would improve the fluidity and ease of use when commanding as either team, though particularly as a marine.
Any suggestions or revisions are welcome.

Comments

  • ArkantiArkanti pub baddie Join Date: 2011-07-22 Member: 111781Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited February 2012
    You can currently Ctrl+Click to select all units/structures of the same type. I strongly disagree with the automatic cyst energy usage as more often than not I find myself specifically saving at certain hives for drifters due to proximity of where I want them to go and/or just taking the ones with lowest energy for making cysts as they are furthest away from affording a drifter. It adds a macro element to the Khaamanders role that I feel is important.

    Besides those two points, I agree with your suggestions.
  • CannonFodder100CannonFodder100 Join Date: 2011-09-14 Member: 121355Members
    edited February 2012
    It takes the ones with highest energy first, not lowest. It would be the alien comm's job to make sure he's not expending too much energy as it is already. Smartcasting cysts wouldn't take control away, it would simply use the highest-energy of the hives you have <b>selected</b>, not all hives on the map.
  • ArkantiArkanti pub baddie Join Date: 2011-07-22 Member: 111781Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow
    edited February 2012
    <!--quoteo(post=1906729:date=Feb 25 2012, 12:26 PM:name=CannonFodder100)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CannonFodder100 @ Feb 25 2012, 12:26 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1906729"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It takes the ones with highest energy first, not lowest. It would be the alien comm's job to make sure he's not expending too much energy as it is already. Smartcasting cysts wouldn't take control away, it would simply use the highest-energy of the hives you have <b>selected</b>, not all hives on the map.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    I understood what you meant with the priority, I was just saying that I tend to manually do the opposite. In that needing to select the hives I'm ok with it, I was thinking your suggestion was more along the lines of the universal Marine assist bar and how it deals with scanning and shields.
  • _Necro__Necro_ Join Date: 2011-02-15 Member: 81895Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    <!--quoteo(post=1906653:date=Feb 24 2012, 10:13 PM:name=CannonFodder100)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CannonFodder100 @ Feb 24 2012, 10:13 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1906653"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><b>[General improvements]</b>
    -Clarify fog of war. Make line of sight more intuitive; for example, ARCs do not seem to reveal nearby units or structures. An actual fog of war effect would be good as well.
    -Show infestation when an outer edge of it is visible, not when the cyst creating it is visible; this causes too much confusion when trying to place structures around infestation.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    This are my favorites. Especially the fog of war is needed to make commanding more intuitive.
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