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Old 05-10-2018, 01:13 PM   #1
Toltrin
 
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Default Intuitive unit selection

RTS games have a common unit selection theme:
(Lmouse = Left mouse button and Rmouse = right mouse button)

Lmouse on unit = select unit.
Lmouse on map = deselect unit with no unit selected.
Lmouse on unit then Rmouse = move unit there.
Key + Lmouse = orders (a=attack, m=target main battery, t=target treads, r=target road, etc.)
Drag cursor w/Lmouse = select all within lasso box.
Many units selected can be ordered as if a single unit.

Remember, the least amount of physical commands to the most commonly used functions.
I should not have to right click TWICE to deselect a unit or wonder if I am moving my previous unit or my current one.
I can't tell you how many times I have destroyed my own road or moved my GEV backwards thinking it was another unit.
Selecting and ordering my units should be intuitive. Phases are extremely useful in a turn based board game with many pieces, but in a turn based computer game, they seriously just get in the way.

Last edited by Toltrin; 05-10-2018 at 01:43 PM.
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Old 05-11-2018, 04:08 AM   #2
AurochJake
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Default Re: Intuitive unit selection

Quote:
Originally Posted by Toltrin View Post
RTS games have a common unit selection theme:
(Lmouse = Left mouse button and Rmouse = right mouse button)

Lmouse on unit = select unit.
Lmouse on map = deselect unit with no unit selected.
Lmouse on unit then Rmouse = move unit there.
Key + Lmouse = orders (a=attack, m=target main battery, t=target treads, r=target road, etc.)
Drag cursor w/Lmouse = select all within lasso box.
Many units selected can be ordered as if a single unit.

Remember, the least amount of physical commands to the most commonly used functions.
I should not have to right click TWICE to deselect a unit or wonder if I am moving my previous unit or my current one.
I can't tell you how many times I have destroyed my own road or moved my GEV backwards thinking it was another unit.
Selecting and ordering my units should be intuitive. Phases are extremely useful in a turn based board game with many pieces, but in a turn based computer game, they seriously just get in the way.

Right-click is deselect, if that helps at all.

Moving multiple units wasn't really an option as units all have different movement ranges, and this would have made things more complicated than moving individually. Bear in mind it's an adaptation of the boardgame, where moving multiple units at once wasn't possible.

Appreciate the feedback, we'll take it on board and see what we can do with it :)
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Old 05-11-2018, 10:18 AM   #3
Toltrin
 
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Default Re: Intuitive unit selection

Thank you for the response. I hope my message wasn't too heavy handled but maybe we could include an option for us to deselect by left clicking the board?
Press 'g' to target the ground?
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Old 05-11-2018, 10:21 PM   #4
selenite
 
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Default Re: Intuitive unit selection

Not having played many RTS games I find this much less intuitive than the current interface.
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Old 05-12-2018, 08:41 AM   #5
GranitePenguin
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Default Re: Intuitive unit selection

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Originally Posted by selenite View Post
Not having played many RTS games I find this much less intuitive than the current interface.
I don't play any RTS, and I don't have an issue with the current setup, either. Maybe part of it is the fact Ogre isn't an RTS and shouldn't be expected to behave like one?
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Old 05-13-2018, 01:13 AM   #6
Toltrin
 
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Default Re: Intuitive unit selection

My point is many people who would buy this game and thereby increase the popularity of this game will be coming from an RTS unit selection scheme.
Think about how other operating systems like Linux operate. They have a "start" button, a "control panel" and other features that people are so used to they may as well be in the dictionary.
I'm not trying to be overbearing, I just want more people to get into this game that has been a part of my young life. :)
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Old 05-13-2018, 11:00 AM   #7
GranitePenguin
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Default Re: Intuitive unit selection

Quote:
Originally Posted by Toltrin View Post
My point is many people who would buy this game and thereby increase the popularity of this game will be coming from an RTS unit selection scheme.
Think about how other operating systems like Linux operate. They have a "start" button, a "control panel" and other features that people are so used to they may as well be in the dictionary.
I'm not trying to be overbearing, I just want more people to get into this game that has been a part of my young life. :)
I totally get that; I want that, too. Any "negative vibes" you might be getting from me are just trying to work out how things would work. I'm not disagreeing with you, just walking through the pros and cons. :-)
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