That is true. But you can also do a let's play video search and see it's similar.  People tend to play FAF abstractly - it plays well that way.  There's nothing wrong with wanting a game that plays that way.  It's just not the game we want to make.

Which is a different discussion than zooming out of course. What we want to avoid is the call to having zooming out turn into "now that we've got it zoomed out, can you put icons on the map?" path.

We won't really know until we get our hands on the heat maps. What is the ETA on that?

If the heat maps don't cut it, then we don't get the high zoom out. If we don't get the high zoom out, we don't need the heat maps. Chicken and egg.

It isn't meant to be played this zoomed out. Okay, I get it. But why?

I find the design decision to make a large strategic RTS game played on large maps without this ability questionable. Was it too hard technically?

The problem is that no one can effectively manage units across the scale of the map effectively. This ends up being a failed UX. Part of that has been voiced elsewhere in this thread. If I have to click and drag twenty times to send a unit (precisely) where I want it to go, it is broken.

The situational awareness is also lacking without this ability. I know there is a mini map. But honestly I feel it ruins the flow of the game and is less playable and elegant a solution.

Unfortunately I understand software development and it is likely too late.

What you guys have built in most regards is really impressive at this point. It could have been legendary...

God idea if You can zoom out to this view (Even if you cant select/move units at this zoom level). The whole idea with zoom out (in my opinion) is to easy navigate between areas. Also good idea to make this optional in settings.

I would really love to see this too

I agree, I see zoom primarily as a navigation tool as well. It's especially important for ashes given the huge size of some of the maps. I find existing navigation options, such as double clicking on a control groups #, to be kind of disorienting when you are fighting numerous battles throughout the map.

1000x this at the very least for folks with the hardware to run it.

Kickstarter-funded side project!

I personally think the zoomed out view is killer.  You must feel like a demi-god of your own personal little world when you play around with this stuff.  

Talk about introducing a sense of realism if you round the edges a bit to drive home that you are battling it out across an entire planet or portions of a planet.

I also love ASADDF's mock-ups.  

This may be a dumb idea, but why can't you cheat a little and use a fixed image at the 100,000 ft. zoom out view as the basis for the strategic layer on each map?  You could:  

• Have a zoom out effect or something when you hit the space bar that appears to zip you up to a fixed 100,000 ft. image of the planet.
• Have the colors on the map presented in ASADDF's mock-up update in real time with flash points, etc. like you already plan; but not render the movement of individual units around the map in real time or w/e causes the optimization issues.
• Use the stationary or whatever icons you already plan to use for resources, etc. on the strat map (I'm NOT advocating the whole control by icon view -- just w/e you guys already have planned).   
• When the player clicks on an area on the strat map, insert zoom effect (or w/e is actually possible), and take em' down to that point on the map and back into the real time battle.

I feel like you'd add realism to the experience by making people feel like they are looking at an actual planet vs. a 2D swath of land or readout, you'd make the strategic map really eye-catching, etc.

Just my two cents.  Keep rockin' this game guys.  Exciting stuff.

Things from Zoom games and reading all the posts:

I get ashes want to re-invent the wheel- that's ok- but for that it must be one of a kind.

Zoom works out great if it doesn't impact performance.

Until the wheel is re-invented- could take years- give an option like a simple tick- "Zoom enabled", "Zoom disabled" that way you would avoid flame wars from both parties until heat signatures or even a different approach is re-designed.

If you give it like an option- more people would be satisfied and people from both parties would be more involved to figure out the right way. Some will say Zoom dsnt work, some will say heat wont work- so give it an option.

Also my idea would be layer warfare. You zoom to a new layer- to a new UI where it is optimized for 1000 units, then 10k, 20k etc. Each Ui layer would have its implementation and you can easily add whatever approach you want. Make it fun to be blunt.

The tech is already here, would save V-ram, c-pu cycles and it all can be made fun. So want to re-invent wheel- think outside the box! Or in this case- get rid of the box and you have your 3ed option.

If you hit the space bar you can do that right now.

Speaking as someone who has studied perceptual psychology, there is a huge perceptual difference between moving via the strategic (space bar) map, and moving via zoom. Zoom emulates how we visually perceive movement in our optic array. For instance, global expansion (i.e. everything getting bigger) specifies forward movement of the individual, and vice versa with global contraction. The graduated expansion as one zooms in and out implicitly provides an understanding of one's relative location to other points on the map that is not as effectively communicated with a static strategic map.

I completely understand that you don't want to game to be played at a high zoom level, and that you don't want to create abstract unit icons (beyond a heat map); however, I feel that zoom is still a necessity from a usability perspective for navigating the expansive areas that we have in this game.

im still waiting for let us test full Zoom out.

On map editor we have full Zoom and its  fantastic

Maps too big , to this kind game this zoom dont work well here, we on 2015, but  change or at least let us try for 2 weeks full zoom or 1 week and wait for ower feedback.

On 2015 players want full Zoom its a win strategy see how in other games players start complain limited zoom like we have on ashes.

http://steamcommunity.com/app/318020/discussions/0/535150948598530578/

Has you read RTS games still come with the  limited zoom and players dont want,time to change this.

Plz give us the option to test and change the right file  so we all find a good solution to this ,im fight vs the zoom and its a pain,or its all in the time lines that give hard work change?

Your words sounds bether then Adele Music Awsome.