SIMPLE and EASY Ideas for the Patches

[yin26]

double post

[yin26]

[101] I'd like a "relationships overlay" on the game map and mini map: Countries that are friendly would be bright green, pleased lighter green all the way to war, which would be dark red. This way you can see the blocs as they form. Perhaps even let me toggle this for other AI players as well so I can see these relationships from their perspective (this wouldn't always simply be the same or opposite of mine, of course).

[Grumbold]

[102] Clarify the capability of the Red Cross national wonder. It doesn't grant + ability to all units, e.g. Modern Armour, even though some types of units can inherit + from earlier in their upgrade path.

[103] Give machine gunners the option of upgrading to SAM infantry or Mech infantry. MG defenders are great but it can doom the unit to what can be a bad upgrade path depending on game circumstances.

[eris]

[104] In the Save Game dialog box, put the default mouse focus in the file name area, not in the file directory area. I am much more likely to want to change a filename than a directory name. Also, highlight the current file name text when you do so.

These are minor points, but they are part of a file interface behavior that is fairly standard. Not having them there has made irritated with the game for all the wrong reasons.

[sabrewolf]

[105] allow secure SMTP settings for PBEM games. also, allow a retry button if sending fails.


on other points: i think 70-80 are valid under the category "SIMPLE and EASY" but quite a few seem to be preferences in changing GAME mechanics, like for instance no. [93] and many before that. we should focus our final list on the changes which are mainly UI based and not where discussions about sense and non-sense of various game-related aspects are.

and regarding the list: yin, how is this coming? have you notified solver? do you need help compiling the final list?

[Yaga]

[106] The "Keep/Raze" dialogue should appear whenever you capture a foreign city, not just on the first occasion. Presently, when first capturing a foreign city you get the "Keep/Raze" dialogue, but if you subsequently lose the city and re-take it, the dialogue does not reappear.

[Sootbeard]

Originally posted by Fosse
[59] Space Bar as an option to end turn.

I forgot about that one. LIke SMAC and previous Civs, which let you use enter or space.

I've been using space bar to end turns since I got the game. Has worked fine, as well as clicking the little red button or enter key, or clicking on the press to end turn.

[yin26]

Originally posted by sabrewolf
and regarding the list: yin, how is this coming? have you notified solver? do you need help compiling the final list?

I have heard directly, in fact, that the list is being looked at, and some of the requests are either in the patch or up for consideration for future patches, x-packs, etc. The advice I got was:

"Simple is key." At least for the patches. And it looks like this thread has stayed remarkably focused!

I also asked for any feedback about the format of the list, but didn't hear back. It would be nice, though, to catch up the whole list (removing things like the spacebar issue), but I just don't have the time for now. I could e-mail you the raw post with all the code, etc., and you could catch up, mail it back, then I'd could post it. Are you volunteering?

Well, I think this list is working well now, but it would be nice to keep that first post updated...sorry for being short on time.

[Yogurt-in-BC]

The tech tree should scroll when you hold the mouse against the left or right side of the screen, just like the main map.

Yogurt

[RadeonZero]

[106] An improved city screen

I think the game has some interface weak points. One of them is city screen.
I've composed an alternative I think it's better.

original city screen (click on picture to see it at real size)


modded city screen (click on picture to see it at real size)



a) The top of the screen contains info related to game (not city) so it has been modified +50% in size
At the right of the city name, change chess tower (hard to identify) by shield (intuitive icon for defense)

b) The top left contains research/culture/sconomics of the selected city.
This is important info so it has been modified +50% in size (buttons + - same size)

c) Left part contains nationality/culture/GPPs bars all together and same in size

d) Left - City specialist managements. As acually is

e) Left - City building rooster smaller (scrollbar if needed)
An special button (white square) allows to show all the buildings you have built OR
only the ones that are producing something extra (Happines/Culture/Gold/...)

f) Bottom left corner is city production queue (same as original) but
a 4th button to show Religious buildings/units
When some of this 4 buttons are clicked a sliding to right panel appears showing what you can build
Changed tower icon (sugests defense) by a house icon

g) Bottom part of the screen show units in city (note 50% of onboarded units)

h) Bottom right equal (minimap and buttons) as actually is

i) Right part shows religions, resources and commerce
Strategic resource icons has been modified +200% in size (originally microscopic but very important)
General resource icons has been modified +100% in size (they was microscopic. scrollbar if needed)
Note duplication of items (better visually, like civ3) instead of icon (num)
When rolling cursor over trade incoming cities, that city blinks in the minimap
ADDITION:
If you have sell (traded) one resource, a "X" over impressed must be shown. Imported resources perhaps must appear with a glove. Rolling cursor over a traded resource will tell you who has "buyed" or "selled" that resource and how many turns left to finish the deal
The X or glove will have the color of the civ who has "buyed" (X) or "selled" (glove) the resource

Note the difference: The font I've used for text is verdana because is more readable than original font.
Sorry, but I hate original font

If you can see both images (original and mod) in a full-screen browser you will see
the visual effect of both types of screen

EDIT: (Thanks Yin26 for help)

[yin26]

RadeonZero's screens sized for the forum:

ORIGINAL:


MODIFIED:

[mrs_c]

107 That units from different countries who don't have a mutual border agreement can't occupy the same tile at once.

Drives me nuts that units I'm trying to prevent into an area will just land on my blocking unit.

[RadeonZero]

[108-MOD] Icons of builds/units/wonders should be less colorfull and more intuitive.
+ Some examples: Forge = hammer and anvil, Hospital with a red cross, Nuclear plant should show a radiactive symbol in the towers. Bank, bunker, university, hydroplant, supermarket (and a few more)
+ I think for buildings, instead of icons, is better to show the building itself (the picture that appers at bottom left when you are building it)
+ For units, better to show the unit (civ3) instead of an icon. Unit icons are not as clear as the unit itself is.
+ For wonders, the same: better to show the picture that appears when building it.
+ Civ4 team did a great job with the 3D models of units/buildings/wonders so I see no need of using confuse/worst icons

[109] Insufficient/confuse info about economics
+ inflation? concept and how to handle it
+ taxes -> more info on rolling over cursor

[110-MOD] Military advisor is bad designed -> Please, re-design it
+ Better with icons than actually with names (civ3)
+ Listing units(0) of units you don't have
+ Impossible to know which units per city (Better in civ3)
+ Weird (not the best) way (left click on unit or class) to locate units and accumulative!

[111-MOD] Limited functionality of the spies (turn it back as an option)
+ Unable to steal tech / initiate revolt (in CTP you were even able to put a nuke)
+ Add the posibility of after an enemy spy capture allow change his side by money getting a tech or other info (double agent game) ->
So, you can steal the thief (this prevent people to use spies without a great risk)
+ Spies should be available before, and with increased capabilities as you discover new techs

[112-MOD] Color codes to indicate if a unit has movement left or not, etc are microscopic and less-than-intuitive
perhaps a numer of feet inside the icon could show if a unit has movements left

[113] There should be showed an animated version of the improvement ONLY when a tile is in use to allow overview from main map
(ie: smoke to indicate a village is in use, a mine should be animated only when in use, ...)

[114] When finish a wonder, ESCAPE should finish video but show what that wonders gives, A 2nd ESCAPE press should be needed to close the window

[115] When you have several units in a city and a transport, how to know which units are onboard?
+ Indented listing (civ3) was a good solution to show onboarded units
warrior
transport
- warrior
- warrior

[116] Difficulty
+ Difficulty curve should be linear (shouldn't be so hard to play at the next difficulty level)
+ Game score should be proportional to difficulty level (I can actually get 30000 points in settler but only 6000 in Noble)
+ Game score should include game options (w/o barbarians, agressive AI, etc) more points when more difficult

[117-MOD] include a game option to make militar units cheaper (raging world)
- I've played several games and I've seen too few wars. My first war was (after playing previous levels several times) at Noble level and near the end of the game
- Obviously to get a good score you need to avoid engaging in combat with another civs but that is not fun!
- Appears to be a pacifist game. Difficult to conquest a city due to:
+ Difficult to create great armies in ancient times (what about Alexander the Great?)
+ Draft only with nationhood in modern times (heritage of civX) that's not historically correct
Almost since the begining of the civilization, warriors went to villages and cities to draft people
Perhaps draft should be allowed since you discovered monarchy
+ Low cargo of naval transports
+ Load/unload ships turn consumption
+ Airlift turn consumption
+ Low movement rate of units (cavalry, tanks, helichopters)
+ Hard to get promotions
+ Expensive military upgrades
- As consequence of this, you can play a paceful game with a lonely warrior to defend your cities !!!

[118-MOD] Allow forced draft (as actually, one per turn) and payed draft (without raging citizens, one per turn) perhaps linked to a tech
+ When attacked (you don't start the war), draft shouldn't cause discontent and payed draft should join two units per turn (50% cheaper)

[119] Domestic advisor
+ What's the meaning of the icon at 6th column (man head)? There should be hints when rolling over cursor
+ columns 7 (food), 8 (health), 9 (unhealth), 10 (food used) shold be in this more logical order: food, food used, health and unhealth, and after this, the misterious 6th icon (man head)
+ There are two columns with header TOT. After comparing quantities with the city info:
1st TOT = Total culture of the city/500/5000/50000
2nd TOT = GPPs / 1800 to spawn a new one
Hints on rolling over cursor would be good and for headers better to use [Sigma/Sumatory][CultureSymbol] and [Sigma/Sumatory][GPSymbol], is more intuitive than two columns with TOT

[120-MOD] Perhaps would be a good idea to allow develop big companies as national wonder to attack economically another countries (CTP like)

[121-MOD] What about piracy?


Listed elsewhere (I think):

- Main screen
+ Money and year should be showed with greater font

- Bad civilopedia design
+ There should be context (right) click to access civilopedia from a unit/building/resource (civ3)
+ No active links (civ3)
+ Buildings/Religious buildings/Wonders should be in different groups
+ units should be showed in evolutional (historical) order (Warrior -> Phalanx -> Pikeman...) to see what you would get when upgrade, and by group (Infantry, cavalry, artillery, ships, ...).
Not in alphabetical order as actually is.

- Domestic advisor
+ Allow left click to go to a city and double click to enter that city
+ Show turns left to finish what you are producing

- Diplomatic screen
+ Left (instead of Right) click to contact a leader

- Allow limit the number of religions in a game (as option)

- The default font of the game is unreadable

[MattPilot]

Originally posted by yin26
RadeonZero's screens sized for the forum:
MODIFIED:

Like your modified one much better.

One suggestion though - instead of listing multiple resources twice, only list one, and superimpose a Half transparent number over the picture to tell ya how many of each you have. Otherwise the list may get very long if you are a resource hog.

[RadeonZero]

One suggestion though - instead of listing multiple resources twice, only list one, and superimpose a Half transparent number over the picture to tell ya how many of each you have. Otherwise the list may get very long if you are a resource hog.

I though it. Perhaps is the simplest way to implement it, but in the way I say, that gives you an impression of quantity and due to the resource split (strategic resources and other resources) it's less than probably to fill the space available.
Anyway it's a considerably good idea, but icons should be greater enough. It could be done on strategic resources because they are now big, with the other resources perhaps there isn't room enough and the number would be microscopic (and that's what I'm trying to avoid).
And your solution (although good) should be done for all the resources (for consistency) and perhaps with common resources was no room enough.

With this design are room for among 28..32 strategic resources and among 20 common resources. A scrollbar could be added if needed.

Thanks 4 your opinion

PS: With your idea, trading info on city screen wouldn't be possible (See ADDITION on my previous post)