PIE CHART COMMAND SYSTEM?

[Peter Cairns]

This is just an idea i'd like peoples opinion on , it's pretty rough but I think it might be worth looking at. I doubt if we would see it in CM2 BB though.

The idea is to replace sneak move crawl etc, with a three segment pie chart made up of the three basic elements associated with armour, firepower, mobility and protection.

Rather than pick a set comand you would click on a segment and it would expand with the other two diminishing. Thus all move, no fire or protection would be the equivelent of "Fast", while all protection, no fire or move would be "Hide".

The three sections would be colour coded and their shade would denote unit status. So if we used Red for "Fire" as a unit expended amo or took casualties or it's moral dropped it would go from Scarlet through orange to yellow. A similiar range for movement could incorporate fatigue.

I am not sure if colours should be unit specific,(compared to their peak) or set against some standard level,( a platoon squad would be red, but an HQ only orange because it's got fewer men and less firepower.)

My main reason for doing it and thinking it might appeal is that in real life there are a probably an infinate number of different combinations and people might like more flexibility in the orders interface to reflect that.

Although you could argue that this would give you a level of precision that field commanders just don't have and you would introduce unrealistic unit performance and move from a command "feel" towards a control type game.

In case your wondering I got the idea from looking at a paint colour ring in a "mix your own" machine in a DIY store.

Any thoughts welcome

[Andrew H.]

That is an interesting way of visualizing the different elements of movement. But I think your point about it allowing too much micromanagement is probably the reason why this would not be a good way of giving orders: it's way to detailed, and doesn't correspond to any orders that would actually be given. Sort of akin to the sergeant ordering his men to crawl, and then adjusting how high their butts rise above the ground to control cover vs. speed.

But I would like to see a chart like this used to explain the different speed/cover tradeoffs between the various orders -- like, is Move 1/3 as slow as running, but 4 times the cover.

Of course, this might vary depending on terrain, too.

[Peter Cairns]

I think your right on it as a visual aid rather than a order system.

It could perhaps be used as a chart in the main unit info screen or below the main window where fatigue and amo etc is shown at the moment, we could even super impose amo level fatigue and moral on the various segments.

Another option might be for it to appear beside a unit when you clicked on it, although like any info the feature could be turned off.

Peter.

[Deadly Dave]

Sort of akin to the sergeant ordering his men to crawl, and then

adjusting how high their butts rise above the ground to control cover vs. speed.

Thats the funniest comment Ive read for over year

well done