Re: SE V demo Interface
 

I'm playing at 1280x1024 and still find it cluttered. Don't really want to get a bigger LCD cos it'll kill the FPS in um FPS games if I have to run them at a higher default resolution. As is I play FEAR at 640x480 (3400XP + 7800GS).

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

You should be able to play FEAR higher than that. My system has a weaker graphics card and about the same CPU, I can run it 800x600 or if I push it 1024x786.

Anyway, I'm still putzing about with the ultra-minimalist UI. Given that I can move the command buttons, suggestions on where to put them? The quadrent map has movement options, but I haven't been able to get them to work.

So the status display at the top, the sector list, the quadrent list, and the small buttons at the top of each panel stay where they are.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

<font color="green"> /me disengages lurking device </font>

I've been lurking heavily the past two days on this thread and others. I figure I'll let the more savvy players poke at it first and see what wiggles.

I am not optimistic ATT.

<font color="green"> /me engages lurking device </font>

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Move the command buttons to the right - 3 columns of 15 or so sounds about right. Group them by Ship-based, planet-based and misc. Scrap the submenus. Remove the sector(!) view from across the bottom because it's not the best place for it.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

I can only move the buttons as is, I can't change their contents. Can't move the sector or quadrent view either (there are options to move the quadrent view, but they don't seem to work)

Moving buttons to the right..

EDIT: Ok, hudsettings.txt isn't fully implimented, this idea won't work. The order buttons can only be moved vertically about 50 pixels, and then they stop.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

*raises eyebrow* You think SE5 has high-end graphics requirements? Try playing Oblivion or F.E.A.R. I think any performance issues stem from less-than-efficient programming, rather than the actual graphics capabilities. Take ground combat: it doesn't have advanced particle effects, rag-doll physics, volumetric lighting, or even animations for the units, yet it still turns into a virtual slideshow. That just means Aaaron needs to clean up the code.

I think your comment is akin to wishing a movie was released on VHS even though it is clear that the market has moved on to DVDs. VHS is only useful to people who still have VHS players and are unwilling/unable to get DVD players.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

just wanted to point out that Civ4 has higher graphic requirements than SEV.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

I generally like the game with more options than SEIV and the modding possibilities but the interface makes it hard to try and enjoy the game. The info, map and button windows occupy too much screen real estate. The mini flag patch is good but still trying to find my ships on the map http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif. The UI needs a lot of work.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Just look for the flags, not your ships. Definitely annoying that you can't see them but you don't actually need to.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Yes actually I do at least. It's not a geography game or capture the flag. It's Space Empires and I would like to see my ships not some miniature dot off in the distance that is impossible to find. To me that is just one point of many that makes playing SEIV more worthwhile than SEV; at this point in time.

Just an observation not anything personal. You have given out a lot of good info on SEV which includes shortcuts, insights and workarounds. And keep the info coming, but there are too many workarounds for a demo this close to release. Workarounds usually sounds like justification to push a game that hasn't gotten a stellar reception by the community.

Then again maybe I expected too much.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Two points here:

1) You may well be right that it's not an issue of higher-end graphics required, but instead a matter of "less-than-efficient programming". That's something I neither dispute nor argue. Either way, it doens't work for me.

2)You said my comments were "akin to wishing a movie was released on VHS". Obviously, you let the point I was trying to make sail right over your head. I have a good, solid, reliable system, neither low-end nor top-end, but quite usable all the same. I'm not going to "upgrade" my system simply to play a new version of some game. I'm a little more "Real World" grounded than that. It just makes little sense to me to release a new game with the idea in mind that any interested party will have to stay top-of-the-line to play it.


On a side note - I do not play "Oblivion or F.E.A.R.", nor do I really care to. I do play Space Empires, I do enjoy Space Empires, and if I were interested in any other game I more than likely wouldn't be here discussing it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/cool.gif

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Black Knyght, the point there is that SE5's graphics are far from state of the art, and any computer built in the last 5 years should be able to run them with ease. They can't, because the game's a bit buggy at the moment, but they should be able to.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

I have an AMD 2500/512Meg Ram/Ati Radeon 9600pro...I need binoculars to see high-end..in 1280x768 with graphics set to medium I get 50-60fps in the system screen.

On that note, would it be a good idea to start a new thread for people to list their system specs and the framerate they get?

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

If you read point #1, I conceded to that as a possibility.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

An interesting observation here:

I'm starting to notice there's an interesting lean now against anybody not rampantly in favor of the new SEV game. Not trying to single anyone out, or make an issue of this. I just thought I'd point it out.

If "X" doesn't like a thing, then "X" doesn't like it. Telling "X" they're all wrong in their opinion about it doesn't improve what "X" doesn't like about it, it just invalidates "X's" opinion because it's not the same as the popular majority point of view.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

I haven't really seen that here to be honest. It was that sort of attitude that drove me away from the Civ4 apolyton forum.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Entirely correct. If I've been giving that impression I apologize. What I've been doing is trying to point out ways to make the game more handlable, and/or correct misconceptions (options are fine, mis-informed opinions annoy me).

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

How old is your computer? I have one top of the line, one mid range and one thats 6 years old and it plays on all the them just the same, cept the newer skips through turns quicker.

If you need to upgrade to play this game its at least nine or ten years old at which point i'd love to know how you kept it ticking over so long.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

It should be almost trivial to scale up the ship models. Just multiply the scaling factor on the models and presto, the ships are big and visible.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Wow, I don't see that at all. If anything, I thought the opposite. But, in any case, to repeat my earlier posts and test your hypotheses, I'll repeat my earlier statements:

The SEV UI STINKS. I will NOT buy SEV unless and until the UI is made useable. There are a LOT of other problems with the game as well, that certainly must be fixed if SEV is to be a long term success in the gaming community.

Nonetheless, I am just as convinced that SEV could be a very great game the minute the UI and the other fixes are implemented.

Thanks,
AMF

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

My PC's about three years old, and geared towards 3D rendering and graphics, as I do a lot of 3D artwork that I post on various sites.

In theory, it should be more than capable of handling the game, but it doesn't.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

I'd blame the game not your set up then, demos are usually not optimised anyway, take fear for example, the demo was a slide show for me, full game ran fine.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

"I'm starting to notice there's an interesting lean now against anybody not rampantly in favor of the new SEV game. "

I'd say opinion is about 50/50 but the beta-testers are weighing in with a greater knowledge of the game and what it's really capable of, in their opinions.

I uninstalled last night. I'm getting absolutely nothing from the demo that I don't get from Adamant (Fyron's mod, right? Nice work whoever!) except frustration. Playing the unlocked game may help but I have to see the UI improved first.

And I guess it's just possible this game is no longer right for me. Take away the 3D system view and the "improved" tactical battles, none of which I use, and while there's undoubtedly a deeper game potential I'm being held back from it by: the speed of strategic battle resolution which is a joke (and probably necessary because it's just running a tactical simulation without the fugly grafix) and the system display I'm having to constantly adjust.

Like the guy said a day back or so - I'm recloaking and going back into lurker mode.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Well it went Gold today. Which means that UI changes are probabaly out. Maybe a patch, huh? Anyway, I plan to wait a few of weeks and pick it up for $20.00. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

BK, out of curiousity, do you have the video set to Auto, or Safe? I've found that setting it to Safe solved the major problems I had. Too bad there's no setting to make the UI better lol..

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Not that I don't believe you, but I can't find a 'gold' announcement anywhere. What was your source?

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

It is being talked about here:

spaceempires.net

Supposedly their newsletter stated this (I saw someone else mention it also, but can't remember where). They sure aren't the press release gurus, huh.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

I will certainly try but what seems trivial to an experienced modder is not so trivial for some of us http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/confused.gif

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Finally found where to change it. the scale factor for all ships is at .01. Each shipclass is different and has to be set individually and then checked to see if you personally like it for each race and each ship class. Very time consuming and convoluted http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/frown.gif .02 or .03 seems best to start at- no big changes or you get a giant ship. File is Ships_Xfileclasses.txt under Empires/race specific folders

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

It might be faster to encourage MM to add a settubg under the Display System options for the system ship icons.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Not compared to Shrapnel I feel. I see news articles all over on Dominions 3 and Rising Star from Shrapnel, but I havent seen much about Space Empires V.

I thought the difference was that Strat 1st was shelfware and marketing, vs online and publicity. The wait-for-profits was supposed to be to get larger player base?

Has anyone seen any ads in magazines or anything? Im not trying to slam S1. Im just hoping that Aaron got what he wanted.

Gandalf Parker

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Personally, if it wasn't for this board I wouldn't even know the SEV demo was out. I haven't seen a single thing about SEV anywhere other than here (and other fan sites) and the official site.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Yeah, you could just use the flags, but I have to agree with Santiago: it's pointless to play a game about Space Empires and starships and not be able to see the ships. I, for one, NEED to see my ships. There are a lot of races with a lot of different ship styles, and with the modder community hard at work there will be many more. One of the coolest things about SEIV was/is the huge number of gorgeous ship sets available to play with.

When the Borg invade my system I want to see those cubes clearly. When I play the Klingons, or the Terrans, or whomever, I want to see my beautiful starships sweeping across the system. I want to know at-a-glance what enemy has entered my territory. This is a very, very, very basic thing, IMHO. It should have been brought to Aaron's attention by the beta testers, and dealt with early on.

I like the new planet information and ship information panels, and I even enjoy the new ship design screen and ship design "philosophy."

But how can we consider SEV a step forward in graphics if it's so bloody hard to see your spaceships in the main system view?

And the fact that modding can take care of something so basic as the ship-size problem is not good enough. It should be taken care of by the game designer! Not every game buyer searches out mods and feels comfotable installing them. The game should be playable and not headache-inducing right out of the box. The AI should be of rudimentary competence, and you should be able to look at the screen and play the game without your eyes watering. Period.

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

Does that only affect the size of the ships in system view, or in tactical combat as well?

Re: SE V demo Interface
 

I've requested a system display option in have small-medium-large for the in-system ship display. Cross your fingers. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...ies/tongue.gif