User Interface improvements

[warrenpeace]

1) One of the things I find annoying is trying to figure out the source of sounds on large maps.  I hear gunfire or artillery but I can't tell which unit is actually being fired at unless it is hit.  I wish there was some sort of notification system that would say "unit X is taking fire".  

2)  Obviously a follow the road command would be nice for vehicles.

3)  I'd pay extra for some formation level commands, i.e. Platoon go here and set up line.

4)  Lastly, I don't understand why we can't see actual movement pathways that units will try and use between waypoints.  Other games seem to be able to do this, but not CM.  I can't tell you how many times I have had units do stupid pathfinding things.  I know that good players simply put way points at every square, but it is pain in the ***.

 

Overall, I still love the game and come back to it over and over.  However, these stupid quality of life issues should have been dealt with a long time ago.  My suggestion is have ChatGPT help you write some code faster :).

 

 

[A Canadian Cat]

3 hours ago, warrenpeace said:

1) One of the things I find annoying is trying to figure out the source of sounds on large maps.  I hear gunfire or artillery but I can't tell which unit is actually being fired at unless it is hit.  I wish there was some sort of notification system that would say "unit X is taking fire".  

I'm sure more can be done to improve this but a while back the flashing icons were tweaked to flash when a unit's suppression has gone up a certain amount. I'm not sure the cut off but now icons flash not just for casualties but also for taking fire.

 

3 hours ago, warrenpeace said:

2)  Obviously a follow the road command would be nice for vehicles.

Oh that would be nice. My prediction is we will not get this for CM2. The issue is the roads are not really a contiguous thing from the engine's point of view. They are just a bunch of tiles. That makes a road pathing system super hard.

I'd love to be wrong.

 

3 hours ago, warrenpeace said:

3)  I'd pay extra for some formation level commands, i.e. Platoon go here and set up line.

That would be nice yes.

 

3 hours ago, warrenpeace said:

4)  Lastly, I don't understand why we can't see actual movement pathways that units will try and use between waypoints.  Other games seem to be able to do this, but not CM.  I can't tell you how many times I have had units do stupid pathfinding things.  I know that good players simply put way points at every square, but it is pain in the ***.

Actually I have learned what kinds of terrain cause the pathing a fit and add a few way points in key places to increase the chances that my guys will go where I think is best. But I hear ya.

[PEB14]

1 hour ago, IanL said:

I'm sure more can be done to improve this but a while back the flashing icons were tweaked to flash when a unit's suppression has gone up a certain amount. I'm not sure the cut off but now icons flash not just for casualties but also for taking fire.

Hmm… Are you really sure? I'm really surprised here… I just played a CMFI two days ago and a CMBN game yesterday, and I'm pretty sure the icon flashed only for casualties and lightly wounded pixeltruppen. Not for taking fire/pinning/whatever.

[Artkin]

8 hours ago, PEB14 said:

Hmm… Are you really sure? I'm really surprised here… I just played a CMFI two days ago and a CMBN game yesterday, and I'm pretty sure the icon flashed only for casualties and lightly wounded pixeltruppen. Not for taking fire/pinning/whatever.

Ian's correct.

[PEB14]

2 hours ago, Artkin said:

Ian's correct.

Oh, I think I see what you mean. Incoming fire makes the icon flash, and casualties make it flash AND turn orange. Is that it?

[A Canadian Cat]

The problem is that when a unit is taking fire they tend to take casualties too. Sometimes the window between flashing starting and casualties is short. If you have troops in good cover it is easier to see the flashing icon happening before casualties.

On 5/20/2023 at 2:05 AM, PEB14 said:

Oh, I think I see what you mean. Incoming fire makes the icon flash, and casualties make it flash AND turn orange. Is that it?

I thought the flashing was produced by alternating between the normal icon colour and the orange version. I cannot check that right at this moment.

[Ultradave]

2) would be great. I'd love it. The function that was tested just didn't cut it. Too many oddities happening that made it just as frustrating to correct things as having to deal with each vehicle individually. Too bad because there are a number of situations where it would really help, especially at the very beginning of scenarios where your force comes in a road march. Ian has it - don't see it happening. I know Charles spent lots of time on it, and there was a lot of time spent testing it. 

4) While this would be a nice to have, I'm actually ok with things the way they are. I figure, I'm the Company Commander, and I tell a platoon (or Platoon Leader telling a squad), "go around those woods and cross the stream until you get to the small ridge and set up a base of fire."  If said PL or SL screws that up and ends up waste deep in mud, or out in the open under fire, well, sucks to be them, but it's pretty realistic  At least that's how I feel. Maybe a hotkey for "accurate pathing" vs "show plotted paths" to have it either way?  I don't know this for sure, but I'd guess the path choices don't happen when you plot the path, but happen on the fly as units encounter the next tile, which would make this more difficult to implement. I'm guessing here.

Dave

Edited May 23, 2023 by Ultradave

[CarlXII]

We are not likely to see a complete remake of the riddicolous AI artillery programing interface in the editor but  i would atleast like to see the ability to asign any artillery/mortar/rocket unit regardless of being on- or off map as an AI-group with simular capabilities as current on-map mortars have with regards to areafire. With the added option to select between SMOKE and HE !

The AIs inability to use indirect smoke or HE in even a half decent way is a big handicap...A handicap that the AI does not need !