Commander UI
Locklear
[nexzil]kerrigan Join Date: 2012-05-01 Member: 151403Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, WC 2013 - Shadow
[nexzil]kerrigan Join Date: 2012-05-01 Member: 151403Members, NS2 Playtester, NS2 Map Tester, WC 2013 - Shadow
So, the Commander UI needs some serious work in my opinion.
It's severely lacking in a few ways. Here's what I feel like needs work off the top of my head. Everyone should bring their ideas to the table here!
1) (FIXED)
2) Hotkeys. You need to be able to snap to your hotkeys. Whether it is a position on the map you have hotkeyed to F2 with Ctrl + F2. Or marine squad you have assigned to 1, 2 or 3. You need to be able to instantly snap between areas of the map and units/structures. This is just basic RTS function. I'm so tired of just having to use my mouse to navigate and micromanage. It's a huge pain as a Commander to not have this feature.
3) Magazine counter display. Why don't Marines have a mag counter with their name and health? This removes the need for calls for ammunition or health if the Commander constantly knows the status of their ammunition. This seemed like a really basic one to me. Why have the Commander rely on his Marines to complain before dropping them ammunition? The automatic call feature needs to go, and this needs to come in.
4) Abilities costing energy/cooldown when used in empty space. Sometimes when you click down an ability or whatever you lose it, you lose the resource, and the cooldown.
5) Viewpoint and map borders need a change. Too often are you at a "bad angle" so you can't drop a structure/ammunition/health correctly and it goes through the map, doesn't appear etc. The view needs to be more consistent and not allow for these weird angles that mess up your micromanagement. In addition to more defined borders.
Maybe add a solid white line around all of the map that isn't black, like a border. It's not very clean the way it is now.
Not to mention, many bugs and issues with ability priority and selection priority. (nano shields should always to go to a nearby marine unless directly on the structure) (units should be much easier to select and use correctly, click &drag to select units over structures etc)
It's severely lacking in a few ways. Here's what I feel like needs work off the top of my head. Everyone should bring their ideas to the table here!
1) (FIXED)
2) Hotkeys. You need to be able to snap to your hotkeys. Whether it is a position on the map you have hotkeyed to F2 with Ctrl + F2. Or marine squad you have assigned to 1, 2 or 3. You need to be able to instantly snap between areas of the map and units/structures. This is just basic RTS function. I'm so tired of just having to use my mouse to navigate and micromanage. It's a huge pain as a Commander to not have this feature.
3) Magazine counter display. Why don't Marines have a mag counter with their name and health? This removes the need for calls for ammunition or health if the Commander constantly knows the status of their ammunition. This seemed like a really basic one to me. Why have the Commander rely on his Marines to complain before dropping them ammunition? The automatic call feature needs to go, and this needs to come in.
4) Abilities costing energy/cooldown when used in empty space. Sometimes when you click down an ability or whatever you lose it, you lose the resource, and the cooldown.
5) Viewpoint and map borders need a change. Too often are you at a "bad angle" so you can't drop a structure/ammunition/health correctly and it goes through the map, doesn't appear etc. The view needs to be more consistent and not allow for these weird angles that mess up your micromanagement. In addition to more defined borders.
Maybe add a solid white line around all of the map that isn't black, like a border. It's not very clean the way it is now.
Not to mention, many bugs and issues with ability priority and selection priority. (nano shields should always to go to a nearby marine unless directly on the structure) (units should be much easier to select and use correctly, click &drag to select units over structures etc)
Comments
Especially the minimap border. There needs to be one. Too often I've clicked somewhere in the lower left quadrant of my screen and been taken to the upper right corner of the map because my click was registered as a click on the minimap. As a commander I need to know where the game thinks I'm clicking.
And for the alien commander, at least, it's very difficult to see and select individual buildings, especially when they're cloaked. I'm relying on the memory of where I put upgrade buildings to keep track of them, since they're impossible to identify. Maybe floating labels/icons could fix this.
And another thing: The commander's minimap should have the same labels as the map that players can bring up. Seems like there's no reason not to have this.