Urgent Interface Problems

[licker]

Originally posted by Dekent:
I don't like expanding too much at the start, its just the way I find fun.

Having to click end turn...then host...then back on my nation IS a major pain in the butt...it would be much better that if in single player it just worked like Dom1 did and it does the turn and puts you back then and there....I was a major fan of dom 1 but this little thing alone could ruin dom 2 for me.

(I also never play multiplayer)

Hyperbole strikes again!!!

First off there's a hot key for end turn 'e' so no clicking. Then you get a chance to go back and fix something if you accidnetally hit 'e' or clicked end turn. Think of it as the 'are you sure' promt that alot of other games have.

So there's really only two clicks, which isn't much different from many other games, and if you every play hotseat you've got your little 'blind' screen built in.

Not to say that they couldn't change this mechanic, just that it seems such a trivial item to complain about I doubt they would.

[Psitticine]

I like the idea, as also discussed in the newbie guide thread, of creating at least one "canned" game, where everything is set-up and ready to go. That way, there's at least a partial fix available ASAP and people can simply choose not to use it if they don't want to.

I do think that adding a feature to the demo's menu for quickly generating a single-player game (possibly by choosing it from similar "pre set-up" games) would be a very good idea.

I think the Host button is better left in place, albeit it with a helpful guide available to explain what it means. Since it is in place during the normal game, I think it is best to introduce its concept early, but that it is also important to put proper, clear explanation along with that introduction.

[Saber Cherry]

I wasn't clear in my first post, so let me reiterate the "Choose Nations" portion of the streamlined SP interface:

When you start a singleplayer game, you choose a nation and design a god, then get sent to the "Choose Nations" screen. But it is now called the "Choose AI Opponents" screen, instead. Your nation is already greyed out and set to human. The other nations can be set to computer AIs, but cannot be set to human. See? Idiot proof! You will always have exactly 1 human nation in the game, and it will always be the one for which you designed a god... which is what people want when playing an SP game, and what sometimes screws up newbies.

-Cherry

[Kristoffer O]

That's about the most concrete suggestion so far

Keep up the good work!

[Dekent]

Rather you find it trivial or not is in the eye of the beholder...or maybe in this case the hand?....by turn 50 that is 100 extra clicks that were not in dom 1 that are really not needed and could be cut out for the single player part.

(hitting a button on the keyboard is really the same as clicking somewhere)

I'm also very disappointed they didn't add an option to make more then one soldier at a time with shift-click or something...basically there is just too much clicking, and instead of 2 getting better, it got worse

[licker]

Originally posted by Dekent:
Rather you find it trivial or not is in the eye of the beholder...or maybe in this case the hand?....by turn 50 that is 100 extra clicks that were not in dom 1 that are really not needed and could be cut out for the single player part.

(hitting a button on the keyboard is really the same as clicking somewhere)

Actually from an ergonomic view point moving and clicking a mouse and hitting a key on the keyboard are miles apart, that was my point. From a time point of view it is also faster to hit keys than to move and click a mouse, in another thread I suggest hotkeying the host and nation buttons. It would make the wait (small that it is) less, and save some strain on the old wrist muscles.

And you are somewhat right about it being in the eye of the beholder, but to suggest that this feature would keep someone from playing Dom over any other feature is the height of hyperbole. If your main concern with a game is how many mouse clicks it takes to do something (and we're talking about 2 or 3 here, not dozens ala MoO3) then I don't think you've explored the other features of the game in enough detail.

I don't have a problem with a change to the existing system though, I just find it amusing that anyone would feel so strongly about it that they would threaten to stop playing *solely* because of the system.

[Dekent]

It's really alot of things...the color useage was very aggervating on my eyes..there really wasn't all that much improvement from dom 1 (at least from what I can see in the demo)...2 new nations when I haven't even played all the orginal doesn't matter to me. Also things are just too small to ID at a glance on the main menu.

All minor details, true, but too many minor problems do add up. It's just that while playing the demo this clicking thing was what was really rubbing it all in my face so it's the 'straw that broke the camels back' basically.

I was really hoping for a major rework over d1 interface, which I feel was the weakest part...but they fixed everything but that.

[Dekent]

It's also not like im threatening to boycott IW or anything stupid..it really boils down too I would rather stick with dom1 at this rate then pay 50$ to upgrade to 2.

[MythicalMino]

Personally, i think they have fixed the interface pretty good...sure, there could still be improvements here and there...but, overall, i think it is better than in Dom1....

Do you mean colors as the colors on the map?

If so, i really am not sure how you can compare these color schemes to the old ones....These maps look so good....borders are clearly seen....the provinces don't blend in together like in the first one. The trees, mountains, the mellow colors....I really think this is a vast improvement over Dominions I maps....

[Saber Cherry]

cpbeller and licker,

I appreciate your comments, and while I don't control this forum, I started this thread specifically for people to post problems that they are finding in the interface. Particularly problems that annoy and confuse them, or that they suspect might repel new Users - which is absolutely crucial to know as soon as possible, before the demo has been downloaded by the entire world.

So when people post their concerns, please don't argue or trivialize them, because A) it causes a fight, B) it makes the thread less useful and efficient to devs, and C) it discourages other people from posting valid issues, lest they be criticized. I think this thread would be best used for raising concerns and posting suggestions on how to resolve them, rather than arguing whether they are real.

-Cherry

[ October 28, 2003, 18:19: Message edited by: Saber Cherry ]