19 User Interface Problems

[AndonSage]

Lots of good suggestions, I'd just like to point out the three that are most important to me (like I count for anything <G> ):

>> 7. There's an option to show Resupply Depots, Space Ports and Shipyards (R,S,Y) on the sector map, but no way to show other important facilities like Ship/Fleet Training Facilities, System Computers, Urban Pacification Centers or racial trait facilities. <<

>> * As a convenience, click-drag to reorder ship components in the design window, or some .txt file that specifies order. For instance, when upgrading a normal design to an MC design, there's no way to put the master computer at the beginning (where I like to see control stuff) without removing/re-adding all components. More importantly, this allows adding in shield depleters BEFORE normal weapons once you get them, without popping the whole stack, et al. <<

>> * The 'only one needed per system' message does not take into account facilities in build queues. Arguably, it should (or a separate message should ("You have already arranged to build one in this system"). <<

To me, those above three items would save a lot of time. Currently, I use the comments section from the galactic map, but it's cumbersome to keep having to click on that to check what system facilities I've built.

[dogscoff]

Expanding upon an earlier suggestion...

Make a priority list and use it to go straight to the most important object when right clicking on a sector with multiple objects. To clarify this with an example:

Say I have a colonised planet with a sat group in orbit around it. When I left click on that sector in the system map I am given a choice of whether to view the planet or the satllites- fair enough. The thing is, 99 times out of 100 I will want to view the planet, and not care about the sats. It's a pain having to make that extra click just because there happen to be other objects in the sector. How about if I had the option to *right* click on a sector to go directly to the most important object (in this case the planet?)

A priority list could be used to decide which of the objects is displayed by the right-click.
Here is an example list - if it was in a text file it could be edited according to the player's preferences. Highest priority first:
Own colonised planets, own colonised moons, own ships/ fleets, enemy colonised planet, enemy colonised moon, enemy ships/ fleets, stars, own units, enemy units, uncolonised planets, uncolonised moons, asteroids, warp points, storms.


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"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
"I think so Brain but, if you replace the P with an O, my name would be Oinky, wouldn't it?"

[JenMax]

Regarding the filters on the planet display, it occured to me that one way to increase the usefulness of the sort and "display/hide" screen would be to offer many options at the top. AND allow a buttom to enable a progressive screening affect ffrom left to right. Thus, a player could click "breathable", and in next column, click "not colonized" (which would show the non-colonized "breathable" world FROM the planets in the first column, etc...

This would allo players to select a specific set of planets by a variety of criteria. What do you think?