Wish List thread

[Yogi the Great]

Also I have found that both players need to resign.

When one player resigns the other will get a message telling them they have won. But it will also show it is now their turn. They must now resign in order for the game to be removed from the active list.

I have also found when you get the message that the other player resigned it will tell you that you can view the last turn by hitting play turn. Problem I found is that if you do that it then goes back to the other player and shows it is their turn again. So now they will have to resign a second time and you will probably have to resign when it comes back to you.

[&:]confusing but eventually you adapt.

Some players love to start games though and just leave never resigning and you can be stuck with it. That's why I'd like to see a change that allows either player to resign a game no matter whose turn it may be.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: berto

(Disclaimer: I haven't purchased the game yet. Given how otherwise busy I am, I don't have the time, or the patience, to deal with glitches, teething pains, hot fixes, and such right now. Maybe next month.)

Well, it's "next month". Purchased the game! So far so good.

[AlessandroD]

Good guy! [:D]

[berto]

More hot keys. The more the merrier.

ORIGINAL: Yogi the Great

21. Hotkeys List
‘+’/‘-’ keys cycle through unmoved units
CTRL + ‘+’/‘-’ keys zooms in/out
<Escape> deselects the active unit, and if “Scouts” is selected at the corps level
deactives that
<Tab> toggles on and off movement arrows
<Spacebar> deselects the active unit
A toggles on/off the unit Strength/Morale/Supply/OOC overlay
H toggles on/off the Echelon Window
T causes the appearance of a pop-up indicating the terrain under the mouse
U toggles on/off the Order of Battle Display
V toggles on/off “NATO” chits
Z toggles between maximum zoom-in and zoom-out

A very brief list. Many, many more possibilities!

Here are some suggested additions:

[*]N go to Next unit (functionally equivalent to the Control Box > icon toggle)
[*]P go to Prev unit (functionally equivalent to the Control Box < icon toggle)
[*]C toggle on/off the Command Radius for the selected commander
[*]M toggle on/off the Moved highlight
[*]D toggle on/off the Disordered highlight
[*]R toggle on/off the Ready-to-Fight highlight
[*]O toggle on/off the Out-of-Command highlight
[*]S toggle on/off the Out-of-Supply highlight
[*]V cycle through Victory hexes (and reassign above NATO chits toggle to something else more mnemonic)

And so on. As much as possible/practical, assign a hot key to every Control Box toggle, highlight, etc.

In general, assign hot keys to as many game functions as possible/practical. If you begin running out of letters, consider Ctrl- and Alt- key combinbations. If the F1 Help display begins to fill up, use a smaller font.

Already I can see that this game is a bit of a clickfest, an ergonomic challenge. Hot keys will make it less so. My poor, tired, aching right arm and mouse finger! (No joke. After decades of computing, from overuse, I now have an arthritic, "snappy" right index [mouse] finger.) Give my otherwise idle left hand something useful to do! (You mean, other than hold the beer can, Berto? [:D])

[SwampYankee68]

I've purchased the game and am learning it. I'd be very happy if the unit "chits" - markers - were cleaned up and changed to contain more information on the unit's supply , morale, and disruption status. I played for only a few turns before I turned off the "3d" unit icons and went to the classic wargame markers. It's a serious wargame, I'd really appreciate making the unit markers improved.

[VigaBrand]

In the Command overview (left side) give the strength to the corps, division and brigades. So that I can see, 4th brigade has 4.356 men and 8 cannons.
This will be nice.

[Moltke71]

I'd like to see the First Battle of Lexington with special attention to the hemp bales.

[shoelessbivouac]

First off, kudos to this Wish List forum.

I second a user-option to allow gamers to set / fix the zoom level (i.e., keep it at the sprite level) during combat resolution.

I share Spelk's experience of losing 'touch' (tactical feel and ambience) with each resolved battle - when conducted at the maximum zoom out level. Thus, my initial (first) impression of BAB was a bit disappointing due to experiencing the feeling of 'detachment' during the combat rounds.

First impressions being what they are in any endeavor - but, perhaps, especially so in the niche field of wargaming, can prove especially powerful for gamers new to the BAB system - a pc-based (not boardgame!) system which in every way possible is an heroic feat to - at long last - more realistically (hence, compellingly) simulate ACW combat at the tactical / grand-tactical scale of play.

Just a review of BAB's Command & Control modeling shows how far the current team of designers have come since ... well, since Charlie Kibler's (Talonsoft's) exquisite grand tactical maps and the games in a series that followed.

Allowing BAB gamers to override the Maximum Zoom Out level during combat, I believe, would enhance a new gamer's overall first impression.

[shoelessbivouac]

Having "hex by hex" control over a group's precise movement may not anticipate how our units just don't always follow their darn orders - curse them! I know this may prove confoundingly counter-intuitive to those more accustomed to a J. Tiller sim, by past example, but not having such predictable hex by hex 'authority' is something I find quite appealing with the BAB system - a complex C&C system, I trust that won't get lost during all its more immediate tweaks and always desirable future gamer options and enhancements.

[berto]

ORIGINAL: shoelessbivouac

Having "hex by hex" control over a group's precise movement may not anticipate how our units just don't always follow their darn orders - curse them! I know this may prove confoundingly counter-intuitive to those more accustomed to a J. Tiller sim, by past example, but not having such predictable hex by hex 'authority' is something I find quite appealing with the BAB system - a complex C&C system, I trust that won't get lost during all its more immediate tweaks and always desirable future gamer options and enhancements.

+1

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: Bismarck
I'd like to see the First Battle of Lexington with special attention to the hemp bales.

Jim,
For one of our maps our artist made haystacks, so we could probably just use that graphic over and tell you they're hemp bales. [:)]

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: Gil R.

ORIGINAL: Bismarck
I'd like to see the First Battle of Lexington with special attention to the hemp bales.

Jim,
For one of our maps our artist made haystacks, so we could probably just use that graphic over and tell you they're hemp bales. [:)]

All others,
Thank you for your continued suggestions. Eric and I (and Erik) are continuing to read them -- just because we do not comment on each does not mean that we are not considering every idea and point made here. Some may never have an impact on the game, but over time a number of them should.

[shoelessbivouac]

And if I'm reading Bismark's wish list correctly, I might also support a BAB "Cottonclad" warship variant, employing the uniquely Southern "Hempclad," again demonstrating keen Southern ingenuity, thriftiness, and far-sightedness, because wholly biodegradable, hence, environmentally friendly to Mississippi waters and Mobile harbor.

[shoelessbivouac]

Re: Wish List

An "UNDO" button option was suggested by at least one here.

Such a well-intended UNDO button probably wouldn't work, because, it would compromise the game's FOG of War modeling, etc..

OTOH, to lose a game because of an inadvertent (unconscious) left mouse click - something I've already done more than once, the latest just came employing the beta 1.03 update (nice work!) - yes, mostly because I'm still a novice with the new system ... I hope - well, it still doesn't seem quite right either!

Therefore,

Might an "OK" / move confirmation button be added as a solution to the otherwise accidental mouse click when studying / roaming the battle map?

Adding a move confirmation step would likely prove an added programming onus; but, it would prove an especially user-friendly option for beginners. So, just to be clear, the first L-mouse click would select a unit's chosen destination hex; the second L-Mouse click would "OK" the move.

The move confirmation button - being an option - could of course be toggled off if one is never known to make a dim-witted mouse click like yours truly.

[shoelessbivouac]

Re: Wish List

Please, incorporate BAB's regimental-scaled engine into Forge of Freedom. Any chance?

[BloodyBill76]

I thought I seen posted before but here it is. I would like to see the group move option more organized. If you give the order all units move towards the objective. Is there a way to have them say if they are linked and marching on a road to all stay in the linked column formation and march towards the objective? I gave a group move with my brigade on a road and the Regiments all just move off the road and made a straight line for the marker instead of using the road and/or better movement terrain. One example would be like in the old Talon Soft games.....you could click the commander and hold Ctrl than click destination and all subordinate linked units would move with the commander.

Also I would like it if the commanders command radious was more bold and maybe just a thick outline instead of a light color on all hexes.

[shoelessbivouac]

Seeing our troops in "Road Column" would be both visually appealing and historically supported. I like this suggestion.

Also I would like it if the commanders command radious was more bold and maybe just a thick outline instead of a light color on all hexes.

I'm probably missing something, but I have yet to see my officers / commanders "command radius". Please, consider increasing the highlight color / contrast for the officer's CR - even if just another "highlight" option? Thank You.

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: shoelessbivouac

Seeing our troops in "Road Column" would be both visually appealing and historically supported. I like this suggestion.

Also I would like it if the commanders command radious was more bold and maybe just a thick outline instead of a light color on all hexes.

I'm probably missing something, but I have yet to see my officers / commanders "command radius". Please, consider increasing the highlight color / contrast for the officer's CR - even if just another "highlight" option? Thank You.

So you've tried the radius overlay toggle and can't see it, or are you unaware that this graphic is toggled on?

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: shoelessbivouac

Re: Wish List

Please, incorporate BAB's regimental-scaled engine into Forge of Freedom. Any chance?

We'd love to do a FOF2 one of these days, but that would require a completely new engine and new graphics (a year's worth of work plus a substantial investment in the artwork), and would have to come after the projects we're currently working on (and contracted to finish!). So the earliest we might even begin working on a FOF2 would be 2-3 years from now, and I can't promise that we would decide to do it instead of some other idea we might have. If we do go ahead with FOF2 we would certainly use some elements of the BAB tactical engine, and perhaps just have the randomized tactical battles take place at regimental level instead of brigade level -- it will be an interesting decision, if we get to that point.

[shoelessbivouac]

So you've tried the radius overlay toggle and can't see it, or are you unaware that this graphic is toggled on?

... actually, not until about 5 minutes ago - it finally dawned on me (it kinda helped to re-read 6.2 and note that there are little 'buttons' in the Echelon window. [&o] (I'm playing on my preferred laptop at 1920x1080 resoluion ... which is nonetheless a little bit of a challenge when reviewing screen fonts etc..) But, now that I've found the Command Radius, I'm Good ... actually better than good! (thanks)