a complete graphics and interface overhaul

[sPzAbt653]

what do you mean by pop-ups?

Here's one example from my work software. Can't see the mouse, but as you mouse over the address, the address pops up in this stupid ass yellow box. Completely in the way and doesn't do anything, and it causes the eyes to shift focus. I think I need a lawyer for a suitcase [X(]

I say if they want some stupid dumb 'hint' or whatever the popular phrase is, put it at the bottom of the screen like TOAW does. Be professional !

[sPzAbt653]

but at least give us a functional filter so that we don't have to scroll through T-80s and BMDs

Could be a lot of work, I don't know how the entries are coded. But I'm not disagreeing. I've edited several databases and forget what edits I did, making them sort of unusable since I can't sort by Novice Database Edits.

[sPzAbt653]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653
Now for a scenario with 10,000 events, or 20,000 units, ok a scroll bar for those dialogues, but not for every box.

Yeah, sure, I was mainly thinking about for scenario selection. And actually, I'm not sure at this point but the PzC titles might also use arrows to cycle through units in big stacks. The number of units in a stack depends on how many men are in a unit, I've probably had up to about 20 units in a stack for beat-down units.

Well there you go, my objections to scroll bars have lost whatever weight they may have had. But I am stubborn in my convictions, so I will go down with the ship !!

[wodin]

I really can't see them doing something silly with the graphics to entice younger players.

[Oberst_Klink]

ORIGINAL: wodin

I really can't see them doing something silly with the graphics to entice younger players.

Let's hope so - keep it simple, keep it easy. Like with SPWAW and WinSPWW2 the interface didn't really change, but the gameplay improved over now nearly 20(!!!) years.

Klink, Oberst

[Meyer1]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653



You lost me here, how can we view a larger map area without changing the size of the units ? The only way I can think of would be Full Screen Map Mode [eliminating all the non-map area], but it really wouldn't be playable that way ?

Exactly, you won't be playing all the time in full screen but would be nice to have the option.

[Meyer1]

The Operational Art of War IV will fully support modern computer hardware and operating systems. This will make it more user-friendly and able to scale to higher resolutions, especially in terms of font and button size. It reorganizes and adds functionality to many very useful screens and dialogs to make them more informative and easier to use.

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653I think you are reading it wrong. This says what they plan, not what they have done ? [It says 'will' not 'does'].

I could be wrong, but seems like a very detailed statement. Let's wait for a word from the devs, or the game itself-....

[sPzAbt653]

I would take instead some highlight button, showing rail lines and broken bridges.

Somebody made a mod for that. Maybe somebody can point us to it.

Custom Hotkeys that are User Definable is another great suggestion from 76mm.

[Curtis Lemay]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

I fired up the game for the first time in a few years. In the menu screens for selecting the games:
2) text very tiny
3) menu buttons very small, have to read small tool-tips to figure out what is what.

I can only assume you must have some sort of honking huge screen resolution, because none of that is too small for me (I'm 1600x900).

If you really can't see the text, you could try the "Change Screen Resolution" feature that is activated in the .ini file (see attached). It will use that resolution when the game fires up. Obviously that won't make good use of your resolution capability, but it might be better than not being able to read anything.

Now, the new version scales the dialogs with font size.

[Curtis Lemay]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

--I'd rather have the 8 rows of buttons spread in a single row along the top of the screen, ...

I don't get that. Most screens nowadays are getting wider while not getting higher. Putting the buttons on the top would make that worse for the map display.

[Curtis Lemay]

Regardless, TOAW IV is getting an overhaul from a graphics designer - a very experienced one that Matrix has used before. Some of it will just be for style alone, but there will be functional improvements as well, I'm sure.

[sPzAbt653]

Thanks for responding Bob. I am sure that the designer is quite capable. Sometimes though, it is nice to have input from the users. At least this way when the release comes we can't feel bad about about not trying.

[Rokossovskiy]

Top row of buttons works fine for Tiller's games. The side is movable to whatever border. Keep in mind the jpg had to be resized for display on this forum. Current 1920x1080

Can't forget will this game have a jump map. mini map seems tedious in big maps like d21

[rhinobones]

ORIGINAL: sPzAbt653

And for my archaic screenshot, here is one from around 1990, a DOS game called V4V....

V4V . . . the world would be a better place if there was a TOAW equivalent (with hex side rivers) that used the V4V WEGO system.

Regards, RhinoBones

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay
I can only assume you must have some sort of honking huge screen resolution, because none of that is too small for me (I'm 1600x900).

I guess it depends on your definition of "honking huge", but I consider rather normal--1920x1080. Maybe it is more an issue of eyesight?

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay
I don't get that. Most screens nowadays are getting wider while not getting higher. Putting the buttons on the top would make that worse for the map display.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree; from an aesthetic and screen-real-estate issue, I'd much prefer to have a single row of buttons along the top (less then a centimeter) than have them take up a huge chunk of territory on the right side, which I'd rather use for unit info, etc.

[Curtis Lemay]

ORIGINAL: 76mm

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay
I don't get that. Most screens nowadays are getting wider while not getting higher. Putting the buttons on the top would make that worse for the map display.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree; from an aesthetic and screen-real-estate issue, I'd much prefer to have a single row of buttons along the top (less then a centimeter) than have them take up a huge chunk of territory on the right side, which I'd rather use for unit info, etc.

?? The buttons themselves will take up the same amount of space in either place.

[76mm]

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay
?? The buttons themselves will take up the same amount of space in either place.

?? Surely you're not suggesting that that is all that matters? If so, I guess we could put them in a big square in the middle of the screen?

Moreover, large square spaces of screen real estate have utility/value, so in my view if you free up a large square (for use for some thing else) by putting a thin strip along the top or an edge, you've accomplished something.

[Lobster]

Will rivers be on hex sides where they belong?
Will we still be stuck with the mini map?
Will there be a true hierarchy that will actually make the higher HQ useful instead of being used to block retreats?
Will bridges be represented so entire lengths of road isn't blown up simply because it's in the same hex as a river?
Will we get larger maps and more unit slots like we were supposed to get in a patch?
Is there any chance that player input will be listened to?
Who will win the Super Bowl in 2016?

[berto]

ORIGINAL: Lobster

Will rivers be on hex sides where they belong?

In the new Campaign Series (shameless plug [8|]), we will have

unnavigable hexsides

[*]Streams
[*]Minor Rivers

and navigable hexes

[*]Rivers
[*]Canals
[*]SuperRivers
[*]SuperCanals

in addition to the traditional

navigable, full-hex

[*]Water
[*]Shallow

Maybe in TOAW IV, it would be possible to have both hex-side and in-hex river types??