Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

I sent this to MM. I'll keep the list running.




Hi. I think se5 shows promise but needs to have some UI improvements. I have been keeping a running list of things about the se5 UI that I think could be improved. Please consider these.







GENERAL GAME STUFF
------------------

Allow saving custom layouts to be used across all games.

Allow turn progressing with game minimized.

Minimize mouse clicks throughout.

Allow all windows to be OK'ed with the Enter Key.

Allow all windows to be Cancelled with the Escape Key.

Allow all lists to be scrolled with the keyboard: arrows, pg up, pg down, home, end, etc.

Will migration eventually undome a planet? If so, this should create a log message so the player knows to build more facilities.

All lists/reports: remember where you were at last highlighted line entry.

Mute game sound when game is minimized or doesn't have focus.

Allow accessing Help at any screen (F1 or ?) without having to back out or close screens.



CONSTRUCTION QUEUES
----------------------

Hold, emerg build, repeat & set move to - move up one menu level so as to be accessible on main screen.

Drag & drop to reorder.

Single click vice double click to add/remove item to queue.

Allow building any level of a facility vice only latest.

Apgrading facilities should be broken down so that the player can, for example, only upgrade all spaceyards. right now it's all or nothing. In order to

upgrade only spaceyards, the player has to upgrade them one at a time.

Add the missing "usage" filter from SE:IV.

Add function to expand/contract queue for building multiple entries for purposes of not losing construction progress while being able to upgrade the items in

the queue.

Adding to a queue from a fill list should add to, not erase, the existing queue.

When reordering the queue, the list always goes back to the top after each operation. The list should stay on the highlighted entry.

Adding multiple entries should work with custom fill lists - adding the whole list multiple times.


DESIGN SCREEN
-------------

Show sight range and level in ship statistics.

Show cloak level in ship statistics.

Allow using any level of a component instead of only latest - with the ability to compare different levels in design screen; there are many times when it is

preferable to not use the latest component.

There should be a default design type for certain vehicle sizes. For instance, mines should default to the design type of mine so that the player doesn't

have to enter this every time.

Allow pushing all buttons while "holding" a component.

Allow changing equivalent vehicle sizes without having to redesign the ship; i.e. switching between normal cruiser and crystal cruiser.


EMPIRE OPTIONS
--------------

Add option to auto launch satellites, mines, etc. and/or allow the % launched to be set in-game for the associated minister.




EMPIRES SCREEN
--------------

Bring back the treaty grid. Too many mouseclicks currently to get same info.



FLEET TRANSFER SCREEN
---------------------

Add formation editor to be able to edit formations with drag & drop both at the ship level and at the task force level and be able to use these formations in

other games without having to re-create them by having them in an exportable file.

Allow specifying the leader of the fleet and task force. Not being able to do so is screwing up fleet orders sometimes.

Optimize window to minimize clicks to move a ship in/out of a fleet.

Show ship damage.


HELP
----

Be able to view all levels of items (ships, facilities, components, mounts, etc)

Be able to pull up the help window on top of any other window so you don't have to back out of what you are doing to view help.



INTELLIGENCE
-------------

Add some log messages to give some idea of what's going on during that time when you are "wearing down" the enemy's counter-intel


LOG
---
Combine all of "galactic news", "empire news" and "communications" into 1 log with more filters. too many clicks.

Be able to click on a log entry and keep it highlighted the next time the log window is opened so we can keep track of where we are.

Hotkey: "Go to location of next log entry and pop a window saying what happened" - this would allow quickly going thru the log without having to keep

returning to the log window numerous times.

Add log messages for what technology is given to other empires via treaty; as of v1.20, there are only log messages for what is received.

Make communications show up under Politics & Intel. Currently coms show up only under "All" or if specifically selected, both of which are cumbersome when

the log gets large.



LAUNCH/RECOVER SCREEN
---------------------

Need same improvement as Cargo Transfer Screen for not having to delete the "1" when specifiying amount.


MINISTERS
---------

The only one I've tried is the Population Transport Ship minister and it doesn't work. Are ministers working? If I understand it correctly, I turn on the

Pop Transport Ship minister under Empire Options, then turn on the individual ship minister. Are there other steps to get the ministers to work?

More details needed on some ministers such as: Empire Goals. What does this guy actually do?

We need a small in-game list of options for each minister so we can select what they do. Examples:
Planet Sat/Mine Launching - how many to keep in planet cargo?
Population Transport - minimum planet population to maintain, concentrate on undoming, concentrate on moving high population to low population, etc.




ORDERS
------

Add buttons for move to top/bottom and allow drag & drop to reorder.



QUADRANT MAP
------------

need to be able to see more than one option selected at a time such as showing enemy systems and fleet strength simultaneously.



RESEARCH
----------

Allow accessing help from in-screen or some method of determinging how researching another level will improve that area to determine if it is worth it.

Ideally, we would be able to see all researched levels so far and a comparison of how components, facilities, etc. are getting better with each level.

Add buttons to research by increments of level.

Eliminate wasted research points (unable to research to exactly next level; if it is the last level, points are lost)

As the game progresses, research changes each turn (new facilities, population, happiness, etc.) so again the actual amount of research per % gets larger so

the players setup gets messed up and can lead to lost research points.


STRATEGIC COMBAT
----------------

Increase the size of the window so that the size of the map overview can be increased. Right now it is too small for all the screen space available.


SYSTEM MAP
----------

Show a symbol on colonizable planets that a treaty prevents colonization. Also the AI needs to know this! Currently the Colonization Minister will try to

colonize planets that can't be colonized due to treaties.

Planets should automatically always have the latest sensor range and level technology available to the empire.

Orders pane on bottom right should be expanded to include all buttons with no submenus. Too cumbersome to use.

There has to be a better way to show the flags and planet/ship info without blocking the view. The current mods to reduce the size are not adequate.

Perhaps they should be transparent or maybe just show up when mouse moved over them. I'm not sure what the right answer is here, but this needs improvement.

Allow right-clicking on race portrait to see race details including treaty status like SE:IV.


SYSTEMS REPORT
--------------

Be able to see all system-wide attributes with 1 entry per system


TREATIES
--------

Be able to save treaty specifications by name for re-use and make these available to all games on same machine.



VIEW ORDERS
-----------

Allow drag & drop to reorder existing orders

Add "move to top/bottom"

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

Planet Construction:
While looking at a planetary build queue, have a next/previous button to change planets without leaving the build queue window a la SE3 (I really missed that one in SEIV).

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

Good list.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

The Quadrant map should bring back the SEIII or SEIV system of colour coding by empire presense. And, more likely to be actually implimented this side of the next game, the little lines that come out of systems to show unexplored warppoints should be made longer so you can actually see them from stars without expanding the window.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

I disagree strongly on this one.
if you want something like that mod it into all the facilities.

otherwise it looks like a good list.
other things to include:

News log:
Combat should be far less information with the se4 type arrangement have the bair minumim of information: total tonnage start, total tonnage end for both empires, maybe have the ship sizes and number ie:
empire 1
dreadnaughts - 1
destroyers - 7
frigates - 24
fighters - 53
total tonage start = XXXX
total tonage end = xxx

and have a "details" and the "replay" button to get a breakdown on it.

SJ has a mockup somewhere, maybe he'll post it. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

se5a: If any planet, with no facilities, can build a satellite with the latest sensor tech and launch it and suddenly get the benefit of the sensor tech, it totally makes sense that they would already be using this tech from the planet surface. Why would you disagree strongly? It is just a burden on the player to keep building better sats and launching them to get the same effect.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

I say if you want a planet to have a good sensor array, then it should build the appropriate facility to give you that sensor advantage...

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

Actually I think it can be done. What is the exact effect you want. Depending on what you are looking for this could be tied into a facility and hidden so the player never sees it. I recall we talked about this once before but what you had described has slipped my mind.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

I'm with SE5a on this one.

What we SHOULD have, is a ColonyAbilities.txt or something, which lets us list exactly what abilities we want a "naked" colony to have.
Build rates, repair abilities, even storage amount modifiers. The ability to build units should be optional... maybe you want to require a military base before troops can be trained there. Maybe you want the ability to build ships to appear for free on planets with over 100m people (SE3 style)
Sensors, stealth and even planetary shields...
%Population% should be available to use, as well as GetEmpireTechLevel.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

Kana: that's my point, you don't need any facilities to do this, the empire already has the technology as proven by the ability to build satellites with the tech.

SJ: Why? I can see no logical reason a planet wouldn't use a technology from the surface. We know that the sensors penetrate atmospheres due to seeing other empires' colonies from space. We certainly wouldn't want to give this ability to only atmosphere=none.

To me, this is just an example of a cumbersome aspect of the game. It takes almost no construction time to build a satellite with the latest tech plus another turn to launch it so these are not issues. In SE:V, with the ability to reorganize construction queues, you won't lose construction if you immediately build one of these and put it at the top of the queue, so that's not the problem either. What it does cost the player is having to do this on each planet that he desires this capability. At least his front line planets, more likely more than that. Think of all those mouse clicks - not very fun.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

Why do you want exactly the ship tech sensors?
This really isn't a UI issue, but a game physics/mod thing.

In GGmod, I give homeworlds a 20-range Legacy Sensor Network facility.
Ships get range 2, colonies get range 3. Sensor components are 50kt for ships, and sensor facilities are a decent size. They are all expensive enough to not use everywhere and are worth defending.

I for one do not want them *Hardcoded* to be max tech for free.
An option, yes. Hardcode, hell no.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

Why do you want exactly the ship tech sensors?

I've said it already, but I can see no reason a planet wouldn't use the technology it already has. I never said anything about being hard coded. There must be a way to give the ability to the planets in one of the data files, or there should be.

I agree that this is not really a UI issue, but it is cumbersome to do. I'm also not talking about your GGmod; mod rules are governed by the author. It is just that in a real game, people are going to do this at the cost of many mouseclicks each time sensor tech increases, and that just isn't fun. I think it should be an option at game startup.

Now if your reason for disagreeing is that you think it should cost more, then that's not a UI issue either and I would have no problem with this if Aaron decided to make sensors big and expensive so as to take multiple turns to construct, and costly to maintain. But as it stands, a sensor sat can be built in 1 turn on a small satellite with the latest range (basic) and level (tachyon), so it appears his intent was not to make them big or expensive. Again, balancing the cost of components is a separate issue, but with current costs, this is just cumbersome, so I lumped it in with other cumbersome UI issues.

I hope everyone feels free to express their own opinions to MM directly.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

If I have you right you want a planet to have the same tech site level as the corresponding component? Assuming the abilities work in the Facilities.txt file it can be done. Not to the planet which wouldn't make sense but to the facilities on the planet. Give the facilities; all of them because the ability won't stack, the Sight Level and Sight Range ability. Isn't that what you want? Use the GETL to adjust the ability level up.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

yup ok Slick, just be damned carefull when requesting stuff like this from aaron, he tends to do stuff just like that *snaps fingers* without thinking it all the way through on how it could affect mods.

like SJ said, a ColonyAbilities.txt would be the coolest way to do it.

as a gameplay thing, you shouldn't need to have sensor range from every planet, I prefer it the way it is, blockade a warp point, if something gets through then sweep the system till you find it.
and I mean seriosly, hubble was put in space for a reason, but I degress, this topic was about UI improvements.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

I disagree; I don't think this should be in a ColoniesAbility.txt file. Although I like the idea of such a file. I would want to keep something like this limited to facilities. Just because you put a few colonists on a planet doesn't mean you should have the ability to "see" out around the planet. Facilities; regardless of which one, represent the colonists putting down roots. Only then should you be allowed to have any kind of sight range. I think you were a little heavy on the sarcasm.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

what sarcasim?

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

Sounded like sarcasm. Take it for what it's worth, I'm just saying it did to me; nothing else.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

I was being serious. deadly serious.
I was saying "I don't care about stock as long as it doesn't get hardcoded"

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

add to the list

when renaming a ship the current name should be highlighted so any input will replace that name, OR if the user so chooses, he can just modify it. Windows standard!!!

ditto on changing the name during design.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

If it is in a ColonyAbilities.txt file, everybody wins.

You can put only the standard 2000 point SY rate abilities and "can build troops/fighters/units"
Other people can put less, still others can put more.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

Slick really nice list. "Cumbersome" is the key word here. SE is so much fun ... but as it is I'd rather practice piano or guitar than clickfest.

I hope everyone continues to contribute to the list. As it stands I can't think of anything that isn't covered... that's a really good one. If all those were fixed I'd be very happy.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

I would say update and resend this list. Make sure he gets it by asking him to respond to receiving it. If you have not already done so, I would suggest posting it on the "official" forums as well.

Re: Slick\'s list of UI SE:5 Improvements
 

This one's been bugging me for a while:
Construction Queue:
There needs to be some way of changing the number of facilities being built in a queue. For example: I set a contruction queue to build 20 Mineral Miners. The next turn, I discover Mineral Scanners. Now I have to go back into the construction queue, remove all the Mineral Miners, add 19 to the queue and then stick my Mineral Scanner down at the end.
There should be little +/- buttons beside each queue entry, so I can just click the minus button to reduce the number of Miners in the queue from 20 to 19, then go and add my Mineral Scanner.