Matrix Games Forums

Hi all,

About 4 years ago I suggested this in WitP forum:

Vectors (again, I know... I know...) map overlay over sighted TFs...


Then, about 3 years ago, I suggested this for Bodhi’s most excellent utility and he got it in his never released BETA (I think) – unfortunately it was never released to public:

Bodhi: My (old) idea for your most excellent WitP utility!



This is original thread:

What about new addition that would draw vector (line with arrow) over every enemy spotted TF?

That vector would have the following attributes:

#1
The vector's thickness would depend on how many enemy ships were sighted in certain TF.

#2
The vector's length would depend on speed the enemy ships that were sighted in certain TF.

#3
The vector's orientation would depend on course the enemy ships that were sighted in certain TF.


Using this the player would be able to very easily grasp picture of enemy movement (of TFs that were sighted) and this would help tremendously in situation awareness!


Since picture(s) tell more than 1000 words here is what I had in mind... [;)]


Here is what Allied player would see when he discovers enemy TFs:




And now here is what Allied player would see with vectors:

NOTE: New info is presented with yellow vectors.




IMHO, it is clear that this gives 100x more information at glance!


Leo "Apollo11"

Sure Apollo, but how would we do once we're having several enemy TFs in the same hex? [:(]
We need something of this kind for a future WitP2, but I seriously doubt this can be achieved with the current engine...

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Fishbed

Sure Apollo, but how would we do once we're having several enemy TFs in the same hex? [:(]
We need something of this kind for a future WitP2, but I seriously doubt this can be achieved with the current engine...

IMHO it would be not more confusing / cluttered than it is now (i.e. when ethere are several sighted TFs in HEX) and in all other cases it would help tremedously because you could see the situation at glance...


Leo "Apollo11"

Submarines routinely radioed in size, direction and speed of convoys they came into contact with.  They all did this, not just the German ones.  All that we get from any contact now is the size of the TF (sometimes), a direction (sometimes), but no speed.  Is it too much to ask to get an estimated speed of the contact as well as a direction and size?  Many, many times I've tried to intercept a contact with subs or surface ships and found the TF was going faster (or slower) than I thought, and missed the chance for intercept.

ORIGINAL: Fishbed

Sure Apollo, but how would we do once we're having several enemy TFs in the same hex? [:(]
We need something of this kind for a future WitP2, but I seriously doubt this can be achieved with the current engine...

how may TF do you have runing around in the same hex please! sounds like a good idea to me!

Well there can be a lot of them - think about the Allied armadas at the end of the war...

As long as you don't have more than a couple or three of them it's ok. But once they all get put together and are not graphically separated from each other, it's becoming a mess. Remember even a lone enemy sub stands for a TF, game speaking...

Again Im not saying it's a bad idea - it's just impraticable on the game itself with what we seem to have at hands. Looks to me more like a great idea for a third-party analysis utility, like Bodhi's one [:)]

I like Leo's idea. It seems very much in keeping with another request I made to allow players to toggle a graphic overlay that places very large, very bright numbers over the bases indicating the size status of their facilities.

The game could use more graphic cues for the player to use in assessing operational plans.

It's not a bad idea, but it would clutter things up rather a lot rather quickly. Not something that'll be put in AE; would need a clean slate for it, i.e. WitP 2.

NOTE: The above paragraph should not be construed as an implication that WitP 2 is being made or thought of.[:'(]

Termie, I thing after reading of whining of missing fetures in AE, then work on WitP 2 will start quickly to pacify countryside. [:D]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Terminus

It's not a bad idea, but it would clutter things up rather a lot rather quickly.

If done as ON/OFF overlay with hotkey (i.e. just as some other map features features are done currently with ON/OFF overlay) it can be useful many many times and when there is clutter you simply turn it off...


Leo "Apollo11"

I think this gives too much info and with the new improved fog of war you won't be spotting TF's 500 miles away any more. Hopfully you won't see anything unless you go looking for it (patrols) or until it shows up one hex away.[;)]

In AE it won't just be the things you see that will hurt you but, the things you don't see until it's too late![:)]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: pad152

I think this gives too much info and with the new improved fog of war you won't be spotting TF's 500 miles away any more. Hopfully you won't see anything unless you go looking for it (patrols) or until it shows up one hex away.[;)]

In AE it won't just be the things you see that will hurt you but, the things you don't see until it's too late![:)]

The graphics overlay ON/OFF I suggested is just visual info of already given info in textual way (i.e. what you get right now in "classic" textual way).

Thus if you get info in textual way this can only help you understand it better via graphical presentation - if there are no enemy TFs sighted there will be no textual (nor visual) info anyway and FoW (Fog of War is, of course, preserved)... [:)]


Leo "Apollo11"

The graphic info is already there, just mouse over a spotted enemy TF and you'll see (Enemy TF ships sighted 3 moving west).

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: pad152

The graphic info is already there, just mouse over a spotted enemy TF and you'll see (Enemy TF ships sighted 3 moving west).

Yes it's allready there - that's correct!

But you have to do it manually with mouseover for each and every single TF and then remember all that data in your head - why not have simple ON/OFF overlay with all info at glance! [:)]


Leo "Apollo11"

I like this idea. It doesn't convey any more info than is already available (by mouseover), but in a clearer way. As for multiple TFs in a hex, they'd presumably sprout multiple arrows. If there's an on/off toggle, the resulting clutter would seem to be a non-issue. My guess is that it would not be a gargantuan programming and art-design task, either. One question, though, might be: what if sightings report position but not course/heading of a TF? I suppose it wouldn't get an arrow?

All that said, I wouldn't be heartbroken if we didn't see it until a (hypothetical) WITP2.