Beta 4a - suggestions
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This game is really shaping up. I think it will be a winner at 1.0, and even better as the later versions with new features are released. I have some suggestions...
Suggestions:
User interface - let me zoom the main map. At start this isn't really a big problem, but as my ranges increase, I can't see all the places my ships can reach in one turn.
User interface - let me annotate the minimap. Others have mentioned it, I'll add my vote to it. Nothing complicated, just a dot or an x or whatever, with 20 chars or so for notations. Maybe on multiplayer your allies could see it too?
User interface - planet/ship lists. Make the sort order a drop down list rather than an arrow-through. Having so many options to choose from is great, having to step through all of them is not.
User interface - diplomacy with major/minor races should be on the same page. What is the diff between the major and minors anyway? My minors routinely colonize, build wonders, etc.
Gameplay - Reduce the range of survey ships to that of the scouts. My survey ships become the heaviest warships of the early/mid game, and can go anywhere and kill anything. I still get told that my weapons are increasing by +2 when they are only going up +1.
Misc - is this the time to start working on typos and grammar errors? I'll start noting them if it is...
User interface - Pop up my homeworld production at game start. I sometimes get 3-5 turns into a game before I remember to produce... doh!
User interface - at turn end, optional popup if ships have moves left. Sometimes I'll accidently hit turn end twice.
User interface - make the message log scrollable. If I click on something (ship finished, for example), it drops off the log and I can't get it back - or the things above it.
User interface - resources without starbases show on the minimap as white x's whether or not they are in visual range of my ships. Make resources with other races' starbases show up the same way; don't update until it is seen again (i.e. even if the starbase is destroyed, don't remove it until I am in sensor range again).
User interface - mini map should show explored/unexplored and fog of war. The sector-by-sector thing is pretty useless, to be blunt. This gets back, as well, to the zoom-the-main-map issue too. After I finish scouting an area, it takes way too much work to decide where to send a scout next.
That's all for now, I'm sure I will think of more as soon as I hit the submit button...
Scott
Suggestions:
User interface - let me zoom the main map. At start this isn't really a big problem, but as my ranges increase, I can't see all the places my ships can reach in one turn.
User interface - let me annotate the minimap. Others have mentioned it, I'll add my vote to it. Nothing complicated, just a dot or an x or whatever, with 20 chars or so for notations. Maybe on multiplayer your allies could see it too?
User interface - planet/ship lists. Make the sort order a drop down list rather than an arrow-through. Having so many options to choose from is great, having to step through all of them is not.
User interface - diplomacy with major/minor races should be on the same page. What is the diff between the major and minors anyway? My minors routinely colonize, build wonders, etc.
Gameplay - Reduce the range of survey ships to that of the scouts. My survey ships become the heaviest warships of the early/mid game, and can go anywhere and kill anything. I still get told that my weapons are increasing by +2 when they are only going up +1.
Misc - is this the time to start working on typos and grammar errors? I'll start noting them if it is...
User interface - Pop up my homeworld production at game start. I sometimes get 3-5 turns into a game before I remember to produce... doh!
User interface - at turn end, optional popup if ships have moves left. Sometimes I'll accidently hit turn end twice.
User interface - make the message log scrollable. If I click on something (ship finished, for example), it drops off the log and I can't get it back - or the things above it.
User interface - resources without starbases show on the minimap as white x's whether or not they are in visual range of my ships. Make resources with other races' starbases show up the same way; don't update until it is seen again (i.e. even if the starbase is destroyed, don't remove it until I am in sensor range again).
User interface - mini map should show explored/unexplored and fog of war. The sector-by-sector thing is pretty useless, to be blunt. This gets back, as well, to the zoom-the-main-map issue too. After I finish scouting an area, it takes way too much work to decide where to send a scout next.
That's all for now, I'm sure I will think of more as soon as I hit the submit button...
Scott