Wishlist: Possible User Interface Improvements

[AstralWanderer]

While managing small dominions is fairly painless, there are a few issues with larger ones that could be eased with some small but significant UI changes. While I understand that future updates to Dominions 3 may be in question, I feel that some discussion on this could still be of use.

Provide a Minimap
With very large maps and those containing distant neighbours (e.g. the Oeridia map with its gateways linking remote provinces and underground areas) large amounts of scrolling become necessary. Adding a minimap where players could click on it to be taken to the corresponding location on the main map would make it far quicker to move around.

Enhance the Nation Overview
This screen becomes increasing useful as empires expand. However it doesn't provide complete information on commanders or provinces (in particular the destination/target of orders or spells and the recruitment details of provinces).

I would suggest splitting this into 2 sections. First a commander overview which would include full details of orders given, including destination/target details and gems used for ritual spells.

Secondly, a province overview which could add further details like which units could be recruited and what has been recruited, along with temple/lab/fortress markers.

Thirdly, the columns should be sortable (one click on the appropriate header to sort in ascending order, a second for descending, etc). Need to find the best Astral mages? The richest provinces? Those with the lowest defence or highest unrest? This currently involves a good deal of manual checking which could be made much easier.

Anyone care to add to the above? (please keep suggestions limited to the UI since there seem to be plenty of other threads for game mechanics or general expansion).

[Sombre]

I don't think a minimap is necessary if you zoom all the way out and use the arrow keys for scrolling. It would be nice, but I think it goes beyond the scope of anything added in an update so far and is therefore highly unlikely to be added.

Also the issues caused by very large maps are fairly easily rectified by, er, not playing on such large maps. I find the UI becomes somewhat inadequate once you reach a certain size and that's a big part of why I don't play on the larger maps.

You might get somewhere with sortable columns in the F1 nation overview, but it's been asked for before.

[Gandalf Parker]

Id have to agree on both counts.

Sortable columns might be the best answer which ties up many different complaints.

As for mega maps (which I love) I would agree on a mini map if it wasnt for the mousewheel. Im addicted to zooming in and out with the wheel. But that might just be on the windows version? As an alternative, during late game I do find it handy to use an image viewing program to have an image of the map open in smaller form.

Or keep a low-overhead paint program open (like the ms-paint that came with winxp) and hit print-screen button once in awhile. Then I can switch to the paint and hit Ctrl-V to paste the image in. Not only is it useful as a minimap but its useful to remember things as they were. Kindof a visual notepad.

[Squirrelloid]

My biggest UI complaint is whenever i have to enter a numerical value. Even using the '+' key its really annoying to bid a substantial amount on a mercenary above what they normally ask, or other similar tasks. (Going from 200 to 500 is 300 button pushes). Why does the game not support just typing in the number you want? The lack of such a capability is really counterintuitive.

[Sombre]

You don't have to press the button 300 times. You just hold it down.

[Squirrelloid]

Originally Posted by Sombre

You don't have to press the button 300 times. You just hold it down.

Typing in the final number would still be far more convenient (and faster).

[majama]

I think official diplomacy standing (reputation?) will be usefull if visible to another players. And for future version i need any team play.

[happygeek]

I would dearly love two additions, if I may say so?
- In the "t" screen (troop orders screen), let us be able to see which commander has what, e.g. simply the same picture as in the main map view, where we can see what items or gems a commander has; this would be VERY helpful to see what exactly I wanted to script for which commander in a province with 30+ commanders;
- In the view commander screen (right click on commander in map view), let us be able to hit a button (such as "t") to see and change his battle orders and troop placement

Praise be to Dom3 Creators and Updaters!!

[AstralWanderer]

Originally Posted by Sombre

I don't think a minimap is necessary if you zoom all the way out and use the arrow keys for scrolling.

Doesn't work well. If you zoom out, select a province and zoom in again, the zoom won't centre on that province (resulting in it going off-screen most of the time). Yes, you can use arrow keys but it is a slow process.

Originally Posted by Sombre

Also the issues caused by very large maps are fairly easily rectified by, er, not playing on such large maps.

And what is the point of having a 1,500 province capacity if it is so frustrating to use it?

Another request is with commander names. Since there are a limited number, it doesn't take long for names to be re-used which makes things awkward if you have several Generic Joes in the same province. Adding a numeric identifier (e.g. Generic Joe-2) would help but for thematic reasons, a numbering system specific to each civilisation would seem best, e.g. for the Romanesque positions we could have Lucius Flavius Unus, Lucius Flavius Duo....Lucious Flavius Viginti-et-Unus (21) and so on.

[Gandalf Parker]

Originally Posted by AstralWanderer

And what is the point of having a 1,500 province capacity if it is so frustrating to use it?

And the devs might agree. But the 1500 provinces were added much much later than the interface features. So now its either play with it or dont. Its too late to build around it now. Especially if you then have to port the result to Mac and Windows machines.

Another request is with commander names. Since there are a limited number, it doesn't take long for names to be re-used which makes things awkward if you have several Generic Joes in the same province. Adding a numeric identifier (e.g. Generic Joe-2) would help but for thematic reasons, a numbering system specific to each civilisation would seem best, e.g. for the Romanesque positions we could have Lucius Flavius Unus, Lucius Flavius Duo....Lucious Flavius Viginti-et-Unus (21) and so on.

Good idea. I have the same complaint but with the provinces. I did fix it with the provinces. I went with two-word names. Such as the script for the forest provinces tacks one of these:
data "Forest", "Woods", "Copse", "Grove", "Woodlands", "Timber"
data "Timberland", "Woodlot", "Wildwood", "Thicket", "Growth"
data "Trees", "Canopy", "Maze", "Woodland", "Wood", "Forestry"
data "Wilderness", "Willows", "Oaks", "Saplings"

onto one of these:
data "Dark", "Greening", "Darkening", "Forbidden", "Gracious"
data "Elven", "Elder", "Mythical", "Growth", "Feeding", "Blue"
data "Carpenters", "Neutral", "Deep", "Nesting", "Golden"

To get names like Golden Grove, Dark Forest, Deep Thicket.