Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: berto


Please junk the levitating casualty numbers -- the single most irritating thing I find about this game.

Just show the numbers above the affected units for a few seconds -- stationary, no movement! -- then they vanish.

Maybe make the seconds of delay before they vanish a configurable option.

Maybe make these new-style casualty numbers vs. the old-style levitating numbers a configurable option, something you can toggle in the Screen Drawing Options menu.

The levitation serves no real purpose IMO and just sucks up CPU cycles needlessly. And as if the map display is not cluttered enough already. Numbers slowly drifting upward just add to the visual busyness. Please junk them!

I agree, this game almost chokes on graphic map clutter.

We do not need the little Confederate "red number souls" rising up into Heaven as the battle progresses.

And the RED X has to go or be toned down, another EYE SORE.

Thanks

Request that the elevation contour lines be BEEFED UP in some future patch. Hard to see them IMHO.

Nevermind, just figured out that the elevation ridge lines are embeded in each map. For future Maps maybe a more prominent line or other way to show elevations.

Right now the colors in the small box displaying unit's brigade are quite difficult to discern (blue and green above all). Could you please address this issue?
I would like an option to see the brigade commander highlighted, as I click on a unit.
I would like to see, on chit view, if the unit's assault mode is on "may", "must" or "never".

I loaded up Forge of Freedom and played a couple of battles to compare it to BAB. Now I know I'm going to go to Hell for saying this, but, Forge of Freedom Tactical Battles are WAY cleaner, run better and more appealing than BAB.

FOF has no RED X clutter.
FOF has no White Cross marks all over the place.
FOF has no White Cross with Circle marks all over the place.
FOF has the ability to direct the fire of each unit (with some logical restrictions) and therefore the Player can coordinate his attacks better.
FOF has no YELLOW QUESTION marks all over the place.


I seriously think, suggest, request and beg the DEVS to clean up the Graphic Map Clutter in BAB.

WE do NOT need the white crosses. Let it be an optional selection button when the unit is selected. If we want to see the LOS we can select the button/switch and see it.

WE do NOT need the white crosses with the circles, same solution as stated above.

The RED X simply should be way toned down. In FOF the HEX that contains the "danger" is simply outlined with Yellow to indicate caution. I did not see any RED hex outlines in the FOF battles that I just played. Please, please get rid of the RED X it really messes up the Map style and appeal.

The Yellow Question Marks should be replaced with some kind of a SMALL map legend symbol that indicates a Historical Location Marker.

In FOF the casualty numbers are simple White numbers raising up from the units. In BAB they are horrid Large Red numbers and look terrible. As one poster suggested we do not need the levitating combat loss number anyway, but at least have them work like they do in FOF.

I have to say, and I'm not trying to be insulting, but BAB tactical combat looks like a Pepperoni Pizza that was dropped on the floor compared to FOF.

Please seriously consider cleaning up and DE-CLUTTERING the Map.

I am trying to be constructive but at the same time I'm a CONSUMER and I'm not really overly happy with the product because of the CLUTTER that ruins the atmosphere and immersion and flavor of the Civil War period which is MASTERFULLY captured in the basic Maps. Let the Maps shine through. Get some if not all of the clutter fixed by making buttons to show what we WANT to see when we WANT to see it.

Thanks, if I did not think the Game was worth it I would no bother spending any time making suggestions and complaints.

Respectfully, Thanks


PS: Also please tone down or get rid of those terrible RED firing lines. I don't see them in FOF either, unless I'm mistaken. In any case they are ugly and should be a THIN red line at the most.

I forgot, I also HATE the Red and Green Check Marks too. Are they REALLY necessary??

Again, a simple button that would highlight "moved" units as is done in a tone of other games would be better and not so ugly.

I don't know if this is a problem, but it seems to me that the units sort of blend in with the terrain making them hard to see. Would a base make it easier to see the units. Also the floating numbers should be done away with just show the number for second or two. Sounds could be better and a music slider added. BvB is enjoyable and hoping to see more addons

Played hundreds of computer games since the mid-1980s, so yep the eyes are getting tired. However, the historical accuracy, detailed data, dev support, historical essays, map (terrain, not units), and much more, are virtually outstanding in this game.

The one thing that keeps me from playing it more often (and absolutely loving it) is the Graphic Map Clutter. VegasOZ makes some great points. Simple stuff like making the white crosses an option. Zoomed in on a big battle of blurry icons, the game graphics literally give me a headache. I am thankful for the levitating casualty numbers that stick out of the jumble.

The echelon color-coding coupled with the OOB panel is entirely logical but requires too much effort for my feeble mind to quickly grasp. A hot key (similar to Tiller's) showing command structures would do (if not already implemented).

If some of the suggestions above are not a killer to implement, I would heartily suggest them. Would I rather have a poor AI and simplified combat results over better graphics? Not ever. But the clutter is more of an issue than with any other (great) game I've owned.

Of course, the focus has to be on future buyers. We are already sold. So if the graphics are not a hindrance to future sales, then we deal with them. In the end, whatever makes this series of games more successful must take precedence.

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but PBEM would be a lot smoother if you saw your own sides combat phase after you hit end turn--- i.e. before the turn is uploaded to the server. As is, the replay at the start of the turn is from a messed up version of your opponent's FOW, and gives way too much critical information that you shouldn't know otherwise, such as which of your units your opponent can see, as well as your opponent's global morale.

The justification in the manual, that this was done to prevent cheating, makes little sense. If one were inclined to cheat, one could just as easily restart the turn after seeing your opponent's combat phase at the start of your own. OK, I can see a few more temptations for cheaters after seeing the combat phase after your own moves, but I think we got to kinda rely on the security of PBEM ++ here, and right now the FOW problems raised by the current execution model in PBEM ++ far out-weigh the justification.

But as also elsewhere, one more vote for turn replay as well. The game really, really needs it.

Edit--- So my last couple turns in PBEM 1.05 indicate that many of these concerns may have been already addressed, though not in the patch notes. But it seems more natural FOW. So maybe ignore me.

I would like to see some stacking of units. Maybe an infantry or cavalry unit with a artillery unit

ORIGINAL: map66

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but PBEM would be a lot smoother if you saw your own sides combat phase after you hit end turn--- i.e. before the turn is uploaded to the server. As is, the replay at the start of the turn is from a messed up version of your opponent's FOW, and gives way too much critical information that you shouldn't know otherwise, such as which of your units your opponent can see, as well as your opponent's global morale.

The justification in the manual, that this was done to prevent cheating, makes little sense. If one were inclined to cheat, one could just as easily restart the turn after seeing your opponent's combat phase at the start of your own. OK, I can see a few more temptations for cheaters after seeing the combat phase after your own moves, but I think we got to kinda rely on the security of PBEM ++ here, and right now the FOW problems raised by the current execution model in PBEM ++ far out-weigh the justification.

But as also elsewhere, one more vote for turn replay as well. The game really, really needs it.

Edit--- So my last couple turns in PBEM 1.05 indicate that many of these concerns may have been already addressed, though not in the patch notes. But it seems more natural FOW. So maybe ignore me.

The firing portion of your turn is done on opponents pc otherwise you could just crash the game and play the turn again if u didnt like the results.

ORIGINAL: VegasOZ

Map Graphic Clutter:

Have the Question Marks disappear after the player clicks on them. They are a nice historical touch but do clutter the view greatly.

Reduce the size of the Red X markers, they are way too chunky looking, ugly really.

Reduce the size of the RED FIRING LINES. Too big, a much thinner line would be perfect and we do not need the arrows embedded in the line.

Less Is More Graphics Mod

We have it in our power as players/modders to adapt the game's graphics more to our liking.

Let the user modding of BaB graphics begin!

One serious problem in 1.04b and I assume is still in 1.05 is how quickly the game handles plotting movement paths and executing the move. Right now when you select a unit and then select a hex for it to move too the game visibly hesitates. I have messed up moves a number times thinking that the destination click didn't take and clicked again only to see the move take place and then move again to my second click which is now the wrong hex because the map shifted center due to the first click. It not only slows the game play with 20-30 second lags but creates movement errors. This problem showed up I believe back in beta around release 1.36. Before that movement executed in less than a second.

Some people appreciate the original...which means your mod is perfect for both camps. Anybody know if this mod would cope well in a pbem with someone not using it?

ORIGINAL: kwhitehead

One serious problem in 1.04b and I assume is still in 1.05 is how quickly the game handles plotting movement paths and executing the move. Right now when you select a unit and then select a hex for it to move too the game visibly hesitates. I have messed up moves a number times thinking that the destination click didn't take and clicked again only to see the move take place and then move again to my second click which is now the wrong hex because the map shifted center due to the first click. It not only slows the game play with 20-30 second lags but creates movement errors. This problem showed up I believe back in beta around release 1.36. Before that movement executed in less than a second.

I don't remember this coming up before (but, of course, this isn't my area). Can you please report it in the support area? It sounds like a possible bug, if it changed during testing. Thanks!

ORIGINAL: Clinchrifles

Some people appreciate the original...which means your mod is perfect for both camps. Anybody know if this mod would cope well in a pbem with someone not using it?

for a guess it wouldn't matter as it's not game altering mod, where as having the wrong version in pbem is the most common error users are having, as both side need the same version, but a odd picture file different shouldn't matter one bit imo, then again i could be wrong, i normal are [:D][;)]

i've modded sound and pics for awhile and have no errors to report, that's not to say others won't have either, just a comment[&o]

I wish the game was on STEAM

I'd like to have the ability to slide the info box's along the bottom and top edges of the screen
out of view so as to open up more of the map.

An improved player messaging system. One that enables you to write/send the message at the end of your turn and for incoming messages at the start (as at present). Ideally also to be able to see previous messages sent/received when writing/reading new messages.

Would it be possible to use only the NATO-style unit counters even when zoomed out to the max

yes use the chit view all the time, then it will never show anything other than that view