Zoom Upgrade

[Firov]

I recently bought Command, and just successfully finished my first actual scenario (Green Tide). I'm pretty impressed by the depth, and the GUI isn't so bad once you get used to it.

There is one upgrade that would be nice to see though, involving the scroll wheel zoom, and that's the ability to zoom in towards, or away from the current cursor location. For an example of what I'm talking about, take a look at Google maps.

I know you guys are pretty busy working on other stuff, but if you'd consider adding this in as an option I'd definitely appreciate it.

Anyway, great game. Now to find another scenario I can try my hand at.

[Blu3wolf]

thats actually already an option... under Game options.

[Firov]

Nice! You're right. Can't believe I missed that. Thanks!

Though it doesn't zoom away from the current position of the mouse cursor, which would be a nice addition at some point in the future.

[guanotwozero]

That's also a feature - check options again.

[Firov]

Hmm. I just double checked. I don't see anything but "Map zooms on mouse cursor", which I've now got selected. Is it somewhere other than the Game Options?

[guanotwozero]

Oh I see what you mean - brainstop at my end - no I don't think that's featured.

[Dimitris]

Correct; we haven't yet implemented zoom-out centering.

Thanks for the kind words. We'll take the "GUI isn't so bad once you get used to it" as a compliment [:)]

Can you elaborate on which elements of the UI cause you the greatest difficulty? We very much want to remove as many obstacles from your enjoyment of the game as possible.

Thanks!

[delphihawk]

+1 for mouse zoom improvement

[MorningDew]

I think that, in addition to zooming on the mouse location, the mouse should also be centered. That way several quick turns of the mouse wheel keep zooming in on the same spot. The current implementation causes it to jump.

[salasnet]

I wish that window sizes in the game would persist between sessions, or at least, give us the option to have the window size be remembered or to make a new size and position the default. Sometimes, even within the same scenario, the DB windows goes back to its default size and position.

[Firov]

ORIGINAL: Sunburn

Thanks for the kind words. We'll take the "GUI isn't so bad once you get used to it" as a compliment [:)]

Can you elaborate on which elements of the UI cause you the greatest difficulty? We very much want to remove as many obstacles from your enjoyment of the game as possible.

Thanks!

Heh. You should. It's not the most efficient interface, but it's at least functional, which a lot of really deep games lack.

One of the interface improvements I would suggest, beyond the zoom enhancements, is the implementation of a more traditional right click context menu for orders. For example, selecting a ship and then right clicking some area of the sea might bring up a small context menu that allows you to plot a course there, or do a bearing only attack, and so on.

Or you could right click on an enemy unit and the context menu might allow you to auto or manual attack. Maybe even hold the right mouse button and drag over a group of multiple enemy units, for the same kind of thing.

Also, this would help deal with the problem of trying to order multiple friendly units that are right on top of one another. You can left click through all of them, but as soon as you right click on them to issue an order it resets the selected unit to the "top" unit. A traditional right click context menu would fix that.

Anyway, just an idea. I'm quite impressed by this game, and the rate at which you're deploying patches. Keep up the good work.

[Dimitris]

ORIGINAL: Firov
One of the interface improvements I would suggest, beyond the zoom enhancements, is the implementation of a more traditional right click context menu for orders. For example, selecting a ship and then right clicking some area of the sea might bring up a small context menu that allows you to plot a course there, or do a bearing only attack, and so on.

We already do that (unless I have misunderstood your request). Right-clicking a friendly unit brings up the context menu with various command available.

Or you could right click on an enemy unit and the context menu might allow you to auto or manual attack. Maybe even hold the right mouse button and drag over a group of multiple enemy units, for the same kind of thing.

This has been requested. We'll look into it.

Also, this would help deal with the problem of trying to order multiple friendly units that are right on top of one another. You can left click through all of them, but as soon as you right click on them to issue an order it resets the selected unit to the "top" unit. A traditional right click context menu would fix that.

You can also bring up the context menu by pressing the context-menu key (the one to the right of the rightmost Windows key, in most keyboards). This allows you to issue a command to multiple units, if applicable.

Anyway, just an idea. I'm quite impressed by this game, and the rate at which you're deploying patches. Keep up the good work.

Thank you. We do what we can.

[Firov]

ORIGINAL: Sunburn

ORIGINAL: Firov
One of the interface improvements I would suggest, beyond the zoom enhancements, is the implementation of a more traditional right click context menu for orders. For example, selecting a ship and then right clicking some area of the sea might bring up a small context menu that allows you to plot a course there, or do a bearing only attack, and so on.

We already do that (unless I have misunderstood your request). Right-clicking a friendly unit brings up the context menu with various command available.

Sort of. You can bring up a context menu listing all possible orders available to that unit by clicking on it, but in this case I'm talking about a more streamlined order system where you select the friendly units, but right click elsewhere to bring up a specific order context menu there.

As a really simple example, lets say I have a destroyer. If I want that destroyer to sail somewhere I currently right click on on the destroyer, which brings up the entire list of orders that unit is capable of responding to. In this case, I then select plot course, which brings up the plot course utility. I then left click where I want that ship to sail to.

However, instead, imagine that I could left click the destroyer to select it, and then right click on the ocean where I want it to sail to. This then brings up a condensed context menu that would only show orders that ship could perform to an empty area of water. Things like plot course, or bearing only attack. In this case, I'd select plot course and that would be it. A course would automatically be plotted to the spot I right clicked on originally.

This would also work for other types of commands. For example. If I wanted that hypothetical destroyer to attack an enemy ship that was near by I would right click on the enemy destroyer rather than the empty ocean, as in the above example. This would then bring up any orders that destroyer could perform to an enemy naval unit. Such as auto attack, or manual attack, or bearing only attack, and so on.

ORIGINAL: Sunburn

ORIGINAL: Firov
Also, this would help deal with the problem of trying to order multiple friendly units that are right on top of one another. You can left click through all of them, but as soon as you right click on them to issue an order it resets the selected unit to the "top" unit. A traditional right click context menu would fix that.

You can also bring up the context menu by pressing the context-menu key (the one to the right of the rightmost Windows key, in most keyboards). This allows you to issue a command to multiple units, if applicable.

Hmm. I'll give that a shot. Thanks.

[djoos5]

I first say that every thing is awesome with Command, but if you are looking for suggestions on map controls the thing I would love to see would be a left-click-hold to pull the map to where you want it. I use Google Earth constantly in tandem with Command to design my scenarios - to have the Command map react to the mouse like it works in Google Earth would be great.

[ComDev]

I presume you are aware of the KML-to-INST tool that converts Google Earth placemarks to Command facilities? [8D]