Which style?

[DerGrenadier]

+1 3rd row

[pekische]

Daz, what are you planing with these pictures? Any mod? Or edit vanilla directly?

[Plodder]

I'm against mirroring as it looks wrong with the MG42 ammo belt going into the right side of the weapon. If you can find images that are not mirrored then I'd go with #3

[dazkaz15]

ORIGINAL: pekische

Daz, what are you planing with these pictures? Any mod? Or edit vanilla directly?

I don't have the skills to be able to do anything like that I'm afraid [:(]

I have a bit of time on my hands at the moment as I'm off work due to an injury, so I have had plenty of time to play, and have got very hooked on this game.
I love not just the strategic challenge, of the most complex game of chess you will ever play, but also the way it encourages you to dive into the history of the era to find out more of what went on, and the men involved in it.
I also picked up a copy of Photoshop cs6, to aid me in my work, but have never really had the time to learn how to use it, or the inspiration to do so.
But now I can combine my hobby with learning how to use Photoshop, that's awesome [;)]

Coming from other games, and seeing the interface on PS CS6, made me realise how basic and lacking the current interface is in game.
There is a lot of things that should be available on display ( as an option if you prefer, and have a smaller screen) that would drastically reduce the click fest we have now.
Having the On Map Boss load always on display is an example, ammo levels another, on bottom or top bar, fatigue. Things that you look at a lot but currently need to click through a bunch of tabs.

Then there was the question of how to make a game like this more visually inspiring, without altering the map/symbols, counter, icon, game view that most of us love.
That's where this equipment list comes in.
It would be part of a dropdown list available in the top bar, and will be populated with the equipment that is on the unit icon you click on, either in the OB list or the map. If you select multiple units the number box will increment, and the list will get longer to include the extra equipment types hence the scroll bar.

When it's done I will post it in the Future directions features thread, and hopefully someone with some computer programming knowledge will take up the concept, or just pull out the bits they like.
Maybe someone will mod it, or we might get to see this kind of thing in a future release of the game.
Of course they may want to do something totally different, it's their game after all.

It's great to get feedback from you guys as to what you prefer to see, as it adds more weight to any future inclusion into the game [:)]

[dazkaz15]

Well this is my first attempt at an alternative game counter.

It's not meant to replace the current ones, but rather to have all info on screen at the press of a hot key, so you can toggle between, the current game counters, and the one with more info as you need.

Like I said this is my first one, and I'm not overly impressed with it.
I have more ideas, hopefully better ones up my sleeve for them. I'll try to post one a night, time permitting until we have a list of them.
Then maybe you guys can help choose the best one [;)]

[wodin]

Daz coloured buttons need to be smaller\small....symbol and unit number the biggest in the counter. Also try and make to look as symmetrical as possible..at the moment it's abit messy and the important info is too small. Where about will the light light up when taking fire and shooting? Also want those colours clash with shooting and taking fire lights?

If you are making the counter bigger to be honest the only info I'd like to see is what you get in many board wargames..a strips on unit (in muted colour) matching the formation it's in which can be toggled depending on what formation you want. Vic's games have a useful counter.

The size of the counter at the moment is an issue..make it bigger again I'd check out Vics counters for some inspiration.

I love your other ideas..however being honest I'm not keen at all at the counter idea at the moment.

Finally the ones not keen on counters..aren't going to be impressed with any kind of counter apart from some 3D Unit icon (god forbid, great in the right game though..just not here)and I don't think those who like counters are bothered by the current counters...now your other UI idea was amazing for giving out very useful info in one go.

[dazkaz15]

Next version is ready. A bit better than the fist but still not great.

Wodin
This icon is not meant to replace the current one, I can work on something for that later.
This is one is to have as much info on as possible, to save having to press 13 keys, like you do now, to have the info like moral, fatigue etc visible.

Its to allow you to instantly see which units are getting tired, shot up, out of ammo etc, to allow you to better allocate resources.
You would generally play with the default icon set, although you could use keep this version up as you wish.

You would use it in a situation like when you are paused, and about to attack. You have 2 Bn available close by to the objective, which one do you send in?
Press the hot key for the new icon set. You are instantly presented with all the info you need to decide which Bn to send in. Press the hot key again, and you revert back to the default icon set.
Select your chosen Bn, and give it the order to attack.

The icon for the supply line, you may have noticed it half full. The one with the P in it. SUPPLY
This would represent that you are in supply but 50% rationing is in force due to low supplies in the Depot.
Currently in game there is no feedback to the player at all that rationing is in force

[wodin]

Like the lettering..however I still feel the unit symbol and the unit Number should be the largest things on it as thats the most important..it kind off looks squashed beveled counter might be nice but darken the highlight abit..think I'd prefer a more thick cardboard look by making it look thicker rather than beveled.

I'd have along the top the unit designation band first I'd have in the top left corner a much bigger unit symbol and then underneath the band and symbol the items you have along the top currently then if possible make the buttons and letters abit smaller.. Also the thing is when the map is more zoomed out those counters will be covering a fair chunk of it..looks fine zoomed in..maybe Dave will give use three types..one like yours for fully zoomed in..one similar to current when zoomed out abit and the very small ones when fully zoomed out.

I see what you've done just added a border around the counter to add the bits..but really if going this way the whole counter needs to be redone..as I said the unit symbol and No is the most important so should be the biggest and main aspect.

So your adding this as an extra counter type? As I said think it would be cool if when zoomed in it turns the counters into something like this dynamically. Zoom out standard counter..zoom right out mini counter.

Much better with the letter aswell..as it would be a nightmare trying to work out the order they are in.

Daz have a look at my post in feature requests about the third one up..

[dazkaz15]

ORIGINAL: wodin

Like the lettering..however I still feel the unit symbol and the unit Number should be the largest things on it as thats the most important..it kind off looks squashed beveled counter might be nice but darken the highlight abit..think I'd prefer a more thick cardboard look by making it look thicker rather than beveled.

I'd have along the top the unit designation band first I'd have in the top left corner a much bigger unit symbol and then underneath the band and symbol the items you have along the top currently then if possible make the buttons and letters abit smaller.. Also the thing is when the map is more zoomed out those counters will be covering a fair chunk of it..looks fine zoomed in..maybe Dave will give use three types..one like yours for fully zoomed in..one similar to current when zoomed out abit and the very small ones when fully zoomed out.

I see what you've done just added a border around the counter to add the bits..but really if going this way the whole counter needs to be redone..as I said the unit symbol and No is the most important so should be the biggest and main aspect.

So your adding this as an extra counter type? As I said think it would be cool if when zoomed in it turns the counters into something like this dynamically. Zoom out standard counter..zoom right out mini counter.

Much better with the letter aswell..as it would be a nightmare trying to work out the order they are in.

Daz have a look at my post in feature requests about the third one up..

Do you have a link to the game that has the counters, you are talking about wodin, so I can take a look?

[dazkaz15]

wodin

The reason for the bevel in my concept for the counter is, that the current counters in game are just the top, or raised part of the bevelled counter.
What happens when you press the button is the rest of the info that is currently buried beneath the map layer comes into view, just as if you pressed a spring loaded button.
Thus when you press it again it buries the lower portion back into the map/ground so you can only see the top of it again.

I think if I start to re arrange the core/centre portion of the counter, it may have a disorientating affect on the player.
Modelled like this the centre of the counter will stay in exactly the same location, and look exactly the same with the base buried or raised above ground level.

I think your idea of a counter will work better if the default game counters are changed to match what you want as well.

[wodin]

It's your mod:)..but as i said I'd rather the unit symbol and unit I@D no be the biggest thing on the counter as it's it's main ID..at the minute you've got the extra info taking up way more space (even just one button) than the main part of a counter..still think increase the size of the most important part of a counter and decrease the lights..small enough to read a letter but not bigger than the actual unit symbol.

Your taking a counter design and trying to add the extra info to it..where really it's best being totally redesigned. If you got through the effort why not?

[wodin]

Smaller counter size in game...

[dazkaz15]

Think I am going to have to get the game [;)]
Whats it called?

[wodin]

Decisive Campaigns Case Blue..this is a counter mod..that gives the unit their proper regiment ID rather than a XX because they are part of a division..strange decision for Vic to do that but hey someone modded it.

[dazkaz15]

Most people went with the green tint, so I have changed the MG 42 pic as requested, and here is the Equipment list in its new setting.
The rest of the top bar is still a work in progress though.

Big thanks to all who gave feedback on it [:)]

Daz

[dazkaz15]

wodin

[wodin]

Cool top left could be the area to put the box that shows facing, orders etc etc.

[Arjuna]

There wouldn't be room for the Unit Info Box in the top left as you need to factor in cases where the force size symbol extends across the top - eg for an Army or Army group HQ.

[wodin]

hmm...Have to go bottom left or right then.

Dave what do you think of the new UI idea of Daz? Like the screenie further up?

[dazkaz15]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

There wouldn't be room for the Unit Info Box in the top left as you need to factor in cases where the force size symbol extends across the top - eg for an Army or Army group HQ.

Yeah your right.

It will also need to be another 4 characters in width, to account for units like the 989 Gren Regt of the 277th Division.
So I tink it will end up about 50% bigger than the ones we have now.

Also enough room at the top to get in a name like PEIPER

It's not untill you try it yourself, you realise how good a job the original guys did, at squeezing all the info into such a small counter.

Thats why I was trying to improve on the counter we have rather than a complete re design, but as wodin was the only one giving feedback, I think he deserved to have what he wanted represented in my list.

If I can get over my designers cramp, and think of some more ideas that is, or its not going to be much of a list [:'(]