A few GUI gripes
 

I have been given to understand that Dominsions 3 is fairly easiliy moddable, so I was wondering if my two immidiate complaints with the interface may be addresed,

First, castles obscuring flags. It is more a nuisance than anything else, but it bugs me. Would it be possible to either swap the location of the temple and castle icons, or put the castle behind the temple icon?

The second one is kinda related but likely more complex. I don't like the way armies are displayed. You can never tell at a glance what generals you have somewhere, and the stacks of units are more intrusive than informative. What I would like to see is for the top row of troop icons to be reserved for leaders only, and perhaps rather than endless stacks of units just one icon of each type (your scouts know about) and follow it with small text denoting few, many, horde, etc. With overlapping ranges and variable scout reports this should not give the user more information than intended, while making the intended info more accessable.

Anyway to do this myself, has someone already done it, or should I just give up and deal?

Also, are there any community standard mod packages for new nations and such? Some up to stellar quality of the game itself?

As an aside, I only just discovered this game, and considering how much I was pining for a MOM 2, this will mosty likely become my new favorite game. What a masterpiece.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Sorry, the UI is not moddable in the way you would like.

Nation flags can be changed as a feature of nation modding, but the on-map castle and temple graphics can't. What you can do is use the 1-9 keys to set the flags you want, including armies, castles etc, or you can pop them off for a moment and then back on if you like.

The only UI mods I know of are here and that changes the appearance of the backgrounds and the boxes, not the stuff displayed on the map.

As far as getting into modding, looking at the modding manual in the Dominions 3\doc folder is a good (and required) start.

For some of the most famous mods, look at this thread. In addition to the Conceptual Balance Mod (CBM) versions, it lists some of the best work of the community, (Expanded Nations being a compilation of many mods, WarhammerWorld another). Look to the Scenarios, Maps & Mods subforum for more lists and stuff.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

And as far as seeing who you have where, the F1 menu is helpful.
You can use the TAB button in the F1 menu to see just provinces, the TAB again to see commanders.

Also a tip:
turn Renaming ON when you create a game to play. People find it helpful to rename their mages to something that tells them the capabilities. Or at least rename the unit you are prophetizing so you can more easily find your prophet on the F1 screen

By the way, a (almost) complete HotKey list can be found on the community-made wiki
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Hotkey
EDIT: when its up

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

I didn't know about the tab f1 menu thing, thanks for the pointer. Pity about the GUI, I may delve into the codes sooner or later (I have made a number of mods for several games).

New question, I am having difficulties with 2 of the battgrounds. One is a forest that is so dense that my comp lags horribly, bad enough that much of the information I seek in replays is simply not displayed. The other is a mountainscape that, while it does not cause as big a problem, it is extremely annoying as it seems as though part of the background image isn't drawn and that part of the image is comprised of flickering after images.

So, is there an easy fix, or do I simply need to replace the files with new battlegrounds when I figure out which ones are doing this?

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

You can turn the graphics settings down under options, that removes some of the trees etc. That will at least help with the forest BG.

Welcome to the community!

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Here is a link to a thread about changing the games defaults
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com//showthread.php?t=44262

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Neat stuff gandalf, I will be using some of that. Thanks foodstamp.

I have a new problem, one that may be game breaking. Every time I go into my army setup screen I seem to have a chance of my generals, and only my generals, disapearing from my UI. Of course, there is not much one can do without being able to see or interact with those buttons, I searched the forums here and found a thread where some said it was pretty rare and he just restarts dominion.

Well, that worked for awhile, but in my current game it seems to happen about 95% of the time, forcing me to reload dominion over and over within the span of a single turn. Annoying as hell. Son't suppose any of you have encountered/solved this?

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Well you could buy the game. That usually fixes it ;).

It is related to copy protection issues. At least that is what I heard. Perhaps something corrupted your key file.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Yeah it sounds like the piracy protection. It was implemented as such so people get a chance to come to the forums and do the walk of shame. Purchase a copy of the game and it should resolve your issues, maybe even the other issues you were having. If you have purchased a copy of the game, try reinstalling or contacting customer support.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

My game is legit... at least it certainly appeared to be. As I understand it, the copy protection removes your entire gui, not just your leaders.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Well it still sounds like the problem. Maybe your key is messed up. You might try deleting the file named "key" in your dominions 3 directory, then when you bring up Dom3 it will prompt you for your serial code again.

If that doesnt work I would contact the place you got it from to see what they can do for you. If it was Shrapnel Games or Gamers Front then I know they will help you out

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

I looked at the key file, and the code there matched what I had. I deleted the file anyway, re entered my code, and it hasn't done it since. Thanks for the suggestion.

Also, blessed wailing ladies are awesome.
http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/9...lingladies.png

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Good job :)

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Ah damn, it isn't fixed. Strange thing is, I only get this behavior on the first turn after I load, if I don't go into any army setup's on my first turn, on my consecetive turns I have seem to have no problem, but if I load up and go straight into the army setup then I have the chancce of the commanders disapearing. Most odd. Suppose I can get around that by simply finishing all my setups on my current turn before I quit. Pain in the ***.

Just for fun I went a found a pirate code to see exaclty what kind of behavior that causes, and it is completely different. When the protection is tripped you cannot interact with anything in the game at all, including via shorcuts, and the entire gui is gone, whereas when my commanders disapear I can still select them via 'n,' although I hadn't thought to try and issue orders last time I had this I would wager I still can.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Odd, perhaps there is some sort of shotcut you accidentially activate? You should open up a support ticket with shrapnel. I think that that is the normal advice given by the shrapnel people.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Another addendum, this is a repeatable error in my games where there is fairly large armies. If I load the game go into army setup and move troops it always happens. If I simply open the setup and exit then it doesn't happen. After it has happened I can still issue move orders to the selected leader, or other leaders selected with 'n', but when I press space to bring up the command menu it appears beyond the top right hand corner with only the edge visable.

I went to open a ticket but they ask for a lot of personal information and while I have no problem telling anyone who I am I dislike pointless beauracracy. Actually, using he word dislike is likely a pretty severe understatement.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Correction, where the menu appears is dependant on my mouse curser. Here is an image of the problem.

http://i51.tinypic.com/25jib6f.gif

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

I had that once. If I remember it was from playing full screen in a size Dom3 didnt recognize. Try windowed mode

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Hmm, in the past it has been anything ranging from commander box disappearing to buttons in the menu, to totally losing the GUI. I don't think it is the one behavior every time. but I am not certain.

Also, why would it matter if you gave them your info? You already did that when you bought the game didn't you?

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Nope, why would I have? It isn't the information I am griping about anyway, it is the whole form thing. I hate pointless, and none of that information is relevent to them. Why should my mailing and home addresses matter for tech support for a video game? I suppose I should at least submit a bug report, although I had effectively resolved my problem by only saving after I have made all my army setup changes.

I will try gandalf's way, that sounds way better than my workaround. I just much prefer fullscreen normally, but this game it likely doesn't matter.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

I meant when you created an account to buy the game. You had to give them that information to complete the order right?

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

... it was in a box. At a local video game store. Paid 20$ for it, and saw absolutely nothing suspicious.

Edit - I think I might have been taken. I just looked around the internet a little bit, and I have the distinct impression a manual is standard issue, whereas mine is a pdf on the install disc, the cd key was stuck to the cd case, and there was nothng else in the box. Absolutuley nothing suspicious indeed. I feel foolish upon reflection.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Yep, that's a pirate copy someone dressed up, no question. The digital download version of Dominions 3 has a PDF manual and the hardcopy version comes with a ring-bound manual and CD, no box.

You should order one or the other from Shrapnel. Dom3 isn't available from other distribution channels. When it came out it was in a couple of specific brick and mortar stores somewhere, but not for years now.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

This is pretty ironic. I am a habitual pirate in the sense that I pretty near always try a game before I buy it, and only if a game is good enough do I buy it after. Dominions 3 was an uncharacteristic impulse buy of what looked like a neat game from a small company on a bargain shelf. Last time I bought a game before trying was majesty 2, and it left quite a sour taste.

Considering I already have the software, that I refuse to use credit cards, and that this game is of a quality I would have bought after playing even at three times the price I thought it was, perhaps illwinter will e-mail me a key if I mail them a cheque. No sense sending software I have or a book I already read. Still, I feel pretty stupid, I am generally more aware.

It is funny; the first game in a year I buy before I pirate was pirated before I bought it.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

It would make corporate support for that copy questionable in the future if something else went wrong with it. But you can always ask.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Let's quit pussy footing around. It's fairly obvious this guy pirated the game and he came here looking for advice on how to circumvent the protection. Everyone has to be so damn politically correct.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Of course.
Its a corporate support forum. Its done the way any corporate forum is whether its an ISP, or a Fortune 500 company, or just a small game company. The same answers can be given without name calling just in case they MIGHT be wrong even if it seems obvious..

On the other hand there are other forums. Some were even specifically started by people who did not like corporate formats just so that they COULD be sarcastic or abrupt or even rude if they felt it was deserved. Im not sure that such a path has caused many people to flock to them but on the internet everyone gets a chance to try the better-way they have in mind.

Sorry for couching this reply in such corporate formal format. ;)

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Meh, politically correct (corporate speak) only means people aren't saying what they mean. I respect foodstamps accusation (false though it is in this case) more than 'pussy footing' around anything. Although I do certainly agree with his implied stance, pirating software and going to thier forums for tips is stupid.

Anyway, regardless of intention, I am in possession of a (likely) pirated copy. And whatever my personal justifications for my own piracy to demo games are (or even the validity of the same), I do not in any which way shape or form condone profiting from it. When I make it into the city next I will see if I can find the place again. It may not have been a 'one-off' copy.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

This convo is getting more interesting ethically then the "News International" rubbish filling the ether waves at present :D Seems a shame to interrupt the flow......

Didn't know TAB, thanks.
Now all I wish is that you could click on the column headers, surely that would have taken 10 seconds to code, fgs!

The "tip" for renaming states you cannot rename Prophet? (It occurs to me: do you mean you have to rename him before you designate him?)

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Yes. Or you can actually rename him in the same turn as you prophet him iirc.
But once someone is a pretender, or a prophet, or in the Hall of Fame (anyone the game has to track) you dont get to change the name

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

If you want something really scary, press tab in the army setup screen. :)

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

What scares me about that is that both the uses of TAB mentioned are not yet on the only fairly decent Hotkey list we have.
http://dom3.servegame.com/wiki/Hotkey
(yeah I know its on my list of things to do but if someone else beats me to it I wont mind) :)

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Duthos,

It sounds like this is the first time you've been on the losing end of software piracy. We offer a free demo of each and every game we publish for you to try before you buy - no piracy needed. We'd love to have you back after you own a legitimate copy of the game, if you like. You can make your appeal by either visiting customer support or filling out the contact form. We're not crazy about forms, either, but had to resort to them because of spammers (much like we have to use serial keys because of pirates).

Annette

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Just because i am confused, did Annette just ban the guy for unknowingly buying a pirated copy after he admitted that he was intenting to buy the game legitimitely since the one he has is pirated? seems like he is the model customer, just a bit naive.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

The admission of general piracy as a normal course of action may have had something to do with it. The situation here is that as soon as he does buy a legitimate copy, he'll be unbanned.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/07/...Good-Customers :)

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

On slashdot.
Posted by an anonymous user.
The same things we have heard forever.
You could probably find better than that. But I guess your point is made. :)

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

There are others studies that actually say the same around the world. I could give you some but I'm lazy, and the ones I got are in French, so I doubt they'll help much. Basically, the answer of all studies not started by the Majors and relatives found that :
- most "pirates" are in that situation : interested by said stuff, and buy as much of said stuff as able, but, when unable, they "YAAAAAARRRRR".

The "pirate" the media crusades against, the ones that wish to steal stuff just because they like everything free, are a minority. People as a whole know that workers need to be able to eat.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Well unless the entire industry shifts its unlikely that one corporation is going to decide to embrace such a think. If they wanted to do that they would shift to being Shareware. At the moment the only options Shrapnel supports for its games are pay for hard copy, pay for download, or free AFAIK

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Errr... ever heard of java ? open source ? Global license ?

There are multiple ways to make it work. What's blocking is continued support from doomed industries to a doomed model. Not that the old model does not work, just that it's not based on what internet can provide. Installing and copying software (or music or films) is nearly free, and thus its price will fall until most of it will be free. Other sources of revenue will have to be found : posters, figurines, publicity, global license, manuals, guides, there are dozens of possible ideas just waiting to be explored...

PS : sorry for the off-topic.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

How many open source games do you play? :) Other than open source reverse-engineered of course.
I find that the heavy speakers for how such a thing would work tend to not even bother checking out the ones that do it. Music pirates rarely check the free music, video pirates dont know where the free ones are, games pirates dont play free games. And even if they do, very VERY few have ever gone back and paid for it

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Ummm, nothing happens for me? :confused:

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

if you have all your armies showing with their units and all, then hitting TAB will hide all of the researchers. Maybe you didnt have any researchers there. In big games (like I play), or at the home castle, its a wonderful thing to find. So I can assign units only to the commanders without having to scroll past all the mages

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Ah ha!

I (happened to) try it in a province with just military stuff, expecting to see something affecting that! Yes, that could be useful

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Half a dozen, over the years. Even paid for some (donate button). It's not very adapted to games, publicity or patronage are way better.

Also I happen to be in the situation you've very rarely seen, as are most of the people I knew when I was studying : now that we have jobs we pay for stuff we pirated because we had no money to get it. It was not available at all without pirating, because of lack of money. I stopped now, since got money and a job. Most of my friends from back then also did. However, I don't generalize. I let professionals do that, and studies show... well I don't like to repeat myself.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Well I have had many friends who pirated also. Almost from its birth. Id LIKE to believe such ideals, but I didnt find the same results as you. So Im not finding it so automatic that such studies have no basis. YMMV

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Wow, GP you totally fail to understand how science works. I would have assumed that you where smarter than that.

Furthermore, I have no desire to discuss this any further. I was just trolling.

One more remark, just to stir stuff up a bit, why is there a shift towards free to play games?

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Depends on which games you mean. The latest free-to-play games tend to be bait-&-switch. They are free to play but all of the goodies cost real money. Id compare most of them to being just a new version of demo & full version.

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

Like team fortress?

Re: A few GUI gripes
 

A point of view:

The study may indicate that pirates as an aggregate group, in addition to pirating stuff, buy more stuff legitimately than non-pirates. However, that is not necessarily applicable to an individual case and especially non-applicable to a niche market situation.

The study also seems to focus more on music and video piracy, which is a rather different situation than an independent game publisher. When you have a mass market of hundreds of millions of customers, the impact of even thousands of pirates is not going to have a big impact.

That kind of numbers obviously don't apply here, so that study, for the purposes of this thread, is completely irrelevant.

Hopefully we can now close that tangent and discuss the free to play games and their various incarnations.