Indulge my silly goofy question

[Jason Petho]

That's great feedback, Phillipe.

Which circle specifically?

As we will eventually be upgrading the UI, it is nice to know what you'd actually like to see.

[acctingman]

That's great feedback, Phillipe.

Which circle specifically?

As we will eventually be upgrading the UI, it is nice to know what you'd actually like to see.

I'm thinking he means this?

[Jason Petho]

Pressing U on the keyboard will open up the Unit List, which is far more useful.

I never play without it on.

[Philippe]

That's great feedback, Phillipe.

Which circle specifically?

As we will eventually be upgrading the UI, it is nice to know what you'd actually like to see.

I'm thinking he means this?

It's not so much a question of what I would like to see, it's more a question of what I would never like to see.

I have only played the Talonsoft versions of the Matrix's Tiller games so I wouldn't know about the Matrix versions.

I've never bothered with the Matrix versions because I've OD'd on Tiller direct from the source.  Until recently the few changes from the originals that I could detect in the screenshots looked pretty minor. 

I recognize that my attitude is grounded in being an owner of the old Talonsoft Napoleonic and Civil War games, and being excessively familiar (courtesy of modding) with how much better the newer Tiller engines for those games actually are (not to mention that the coverage of the different battles is very extensive).  The only thing the old Talonsoft games have over the JTS/HPS games is hand-painted mapscreens (which severly limit the size of the maps that are available).  As far as the game engine goes, the current JTS/HPS games are in every way superior (though not without faults).

But I also realize that it probably isn't fair to think that because the JTS/HPS Napoleonic and Civil War battles games are using engines that are x better than the Talonsoft originals, that it isn't appropriate to assume  that the modern warfare analogs suffer from the same fate.  After all, a Panzer Campaigns equivalent didn't exist back in Talonsoft days, and even Panzer Campaigns is starting to be replaced with a newer game system/engine. 

Circling back to the original question, there are two problems with the command circle in the upper right-hand corner.

The first is that it's there, it looks awful, and it's counter-immersive.  If it were never there at all that would be a big improvement.

The second problem is that it's annoying to use.  There's a reason why it's only been used once in one game series in the last thirty years, and it isn't one that has to do with intellectual property.  Dodo's are extinct for a reason.

I don't have the Matrix version of any of the Campaign Series games and it's been a while since I played the Talonsoft versions (I'm also fairly long in the tooth so please don't make too many strenuous demands on my memory).  But I have played a fair amount with the Battle Academy engines, and I've never particularly liked fiddling around with the unit menu's for those games, even when Richard Bodely Scott was holding my hand and trying to talk me through it.  So what I'm trying to say is you probably will need to come up with a UI and command mechanic that you invent de novo.

[Nefaro]

WOW!!....epic!

I think my dream is dead.

I want a "pretty" game more than anything. Which tells me I'm doing this for the wrong reasons. Gaming, especially war gaming, shouldn't be for something that is mainly eye candy. I know graphics can have importance, but I want something that is aesthetically pleasing, some what simple and encompasses the entire war.

People are right. It doesn't exist.

I'm guessing someone already suggested the Men Of War series?

Judging by your prerequisites of being simple, tactical, yet looking somewhat pretty. 

I don't think you'll find exactly that anytime soon.. maybe not in a lifetime.  Not turn-based at least.

[Nefaro]

Battle Academy is a lot of fun and I found that over time the graphics actually grew on me.

Same.

I've planned on picking up BA2 on one of the sales but keep putting it off.  Still have too much yet to play.

[acctingman]

WOW!!....epic!

I think my dream is dead.

I want a "pretty" game more than anything. Which tells me I'm doing this for the wrong reasons. Gaming, especially war gaming, shouldn't be for something that is mainly eye candy. I know graphics can have importance, but I want something that is aesthetically pleasing, some what simple and encompasses the entire war.

People are right. It doesn't exist.

I'm guessing someone already suggested the Men Of War series?

Judging by your prerequisites of being simple, tactical, yet looking somewhat pretty. 

I don't think you'll find exactly that anytime soon.. maybe not in a lifetime.  Not turn-based at least.

I loathe RTS, not sure why, but I cannot stand it.

Maybe because I'm slow 

[MetalDog]

Have you tried pausable RTS?  Where you press the Space bar or click something onscreen in order to stop the action/timer?

[Nefaro]

Have you tried pausable RTS?  Where you press the Space bar or click something onscreen in order to stop the action/timer?

Then you're just playing, "press the Space Bar" all the time.   :P

[MetalDog]

True.  But you can get everything he wants out of a game of Hearts Of Iron III if he'll do that.

[Nefaro]

True.  But you can get everything he wants out of a game of Hearts Of Iron III if he'll do that.

Thumb calluses?     :))

[MetalDog]

There is that level of click to it.  Still a lot of fun though :)

[Crossroads]

Circling back to the original question, there are two problems with the command circle in the upper right-hand corner.

The first is that it's there, it looks awful, and it's counter-immersive.  If it were never there at all that would be a big improvement.

The second problem is that it's annoying to use.  There's a reason why it's only been used once in one game series in the last thirty years, and it isn't one that has to do with intellectual property.  Dodo's are extinct for a reason.

I don't have the Matrix version of any of the Campaign Series games and it's been a while since I played the Talonsoft versions (I'm also fairly long in the tooth so please don't make too many strenuous demands on my memory).  But I have played a fair amount with the Battle Academy engines, and I've never particularly liked fiddling around with the unit menu's for those games, even when Richard Bodely Scott was holding my hand and trying to talk me through it.  So what I'm trying to say is you probably will need to come up with a UI and command mechanic that you invent de novo.

Just to make sure I understand your point, you are referring to the unit 'infobox' as the command circle you talk about. The one in a picture few posts above?



This might be the case not recalling it correctly, as the infobox is static. I guess originally it was designed to save screen estate from the side unit bar, which can toggled on or off. Sidebar shows all the units in a hex, while the single infobox shows only the active unit.

With larger displays unit sidebar can be left on, that's how I use it too. Here's a screenshot from an old JTCS West Front AAR of mine:

[Philippe]

Yes, the circle in the upper-right hand corner is the info box.

I wouldn't want to see it ever, and I would want it function to be fulfilled in a completely different way.

My fading memory (probably wrong) tells me that the circle itself doesn't move, but that you click or slide (shudder!) something around that circle. 

I haven't fired up one of these games in this century.  But I distinctly recall that having to see and/or use that circle is what put me off.

[Crossroads]

^^ I haven't fired up the Talonsoft version for ages, either. Don't recall how this functioned there to be honest. I'd guess it was static then as well but I may be wrong of course. Regarless, with Matrix versions of the game you can move it about, should you like to see it. Or toggle the Sidebar on to never see it again