Bloodshot Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 Is, or will there be a patch, to allow me to reconfigure Combat Mission's controls? Here's some ideas that I think would improve CM's User Interface: Deployment Left Click on a unit, hold down and drag, to reposition a units starting location. (Or, tap the LMB on an already selected unit to attach it temporarily to the mouse pointer and again to drop it.) Right Click on a unit, hold down and drag the "Rotate" Command Line, (drawn from the units centre to the mouse pointer,) to allow you to turn the unit to an alternate facing. (Again, the "tap button" method above, could be used instead.) Camera Movement "Through the eyes" Mode Both Mouse buttons held down will allow you to move the camera the same way as in most First Person Shooters: Rotate Left/Right and Look Up/Down. Support the Mouse Wheel, please! Mouse Wheel (or Middle Button held, whilst mouse moved forward backward) is used to Lower/Raise the camera's elevation. Arrow keys are used to move forward/backward and strafe left/right. (Currently, CM's strafe keys move the camera too slowly!) "Birds Eye" (Satellite/Map) Mode When I move the mouse to the edge of the screen,I'd like it to scroll Left or Right rather than rotate. Imagine this is the screen: RL---UP---RR L...............R L...............R RL-DOWN-RR If the Mouse is moved to the Top Left of the screen, it Rotates the camera Left(RL,Anti-Clockwise) If you avoid the screen corners and move the mouse to an edge it will scroll the map in that direction: Left, Right, Up and Down. Orders Left click on a unit to select it - as normal. Left click on empty map to deselect - as Normal. Right click on unit to give first Waypoint - as normal. Right click on a unit's waypoint to Add another or change it! (Not go all the way back to the unit). Left Click on Waypoint and drag, to reposition it. Keyboard Commands Make it so that Esc Key doesn't "Alt-tab" out to Windows, but presents the Option Screen instead. (That's so annoying! Nearly every other program I've ever used in 20 years has done that, why do you have to be different?) Mouse alternatives for all the "Hot-Keys" would be a bonus too! (i.e. An option screen with buttons and sliders etc..) I would like to be able to access the "Detailed Unit Info/Kills" screen from the Right Mouse click Unit Command Menu. That's all I can think of for now. Is there anyone else in agreement with me, or am I just a stubborn old fart? [ March 12, 2002, 12:41 AM: Message edited by: Bloodshot ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Kruger Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 Holding in the "Shift" key while moving the mouse to left and right screen edges will move the screen left and right rather than panning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWB Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 Learn the hotkeys. The interface is actually elegantly simple. And the esc bosskey is quite handy actually. I do agree on the mousewheel though. WWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 What is this 'right click' you speak of? Are you some kind of PC Nazi? [ March 11, 2002, 07:36 PM: Message edited by: flamingknives ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodshot Posted March 12, 2002 Author Share Posted March 12, 2002 flamingknives, Zee Right Click of zee Mouse Button, you Schweinhund, not zee Right click of zee heels! "Big Smile! Big Smile!" Herr Kruger, I forgot to mention that one of the reasons I want everything more accessible with the mouse is so my Left hand is free to pick my nose, hold a drink or food etc.. while I can control the game with just my right hand! wwb_99, learning the Hotkeys is the easy way out for the developers, but wasn't my main arguement anyway (which is why it was mentioned briefly at the bottom of the post)! At the end of the day, I want a control system that feels natural to me, so I can concentrate on the gameplay instead of constantly correcting myself to control the game in an unfamiliar way. I've played enough games in my life to know a dodgy interface when I use one. (Luckily, I bought this game on its other merits (even after waiting for a UK release for years), else I'd be complaining about the graphics too.) The Esc key was one example of this, but the camera movement/unit controls are my main problem. As another example, have you ever played a Flight Simulator or First Person Shooter where the Pitch controls were the opposite of what you're used to? Luckily, most developers put a "Reverse" toggle in the options somewhere to prevent this. Being able to reconfigure the controls, is definitely a step in the right direction to World Peace! [ March 11, 2002, 10:29 PM: Message edited by: Bloodshot ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfe Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 Originally posted by Bloodshot: Is or will there be a patch to allow me to reconfigure Combat Mission's controls?Nope. No more patches for CMBO. Left Click on unit, hold down and drag to reposition a units starting location.The 'P' key is sooo much easier. And not having to hold down the mouse button while moving is very much preferrable, IMO. Right Click on unit, hold down and drag the "Rotate" Command Line (drawn from the units centre to the mouse pointer) to allow you to turn the unit to an alternate facing.Try the 'O' key. Much easier. Both Mouse buttons held down will allow you to move the camera the same way as in most First Person Shooters: Rotate Left/Right and Look Up/Down.Would be nice to be able to switch camera modes to do this, but I'd prefer a toggleable setting (Shift-Whatever) to switch between modes permanently rather than having to hold down mouse buttons to change the behavior. Mouse Wheel (or Middle Button held, whilst mouse moved forward backward) is used to Lower/Raise the camera's elevation.Sounds good! Arrow keys are used to move forward/backward and strafe left/right. (Currently, CM's strafe keys move the camera too slowly!)Being able to configure the keys to scroll more quickly would be welcome. When I move the mouse to the edge of the screen,I'd like it to scroll Left or Right rather than rotate.Yes! Another configurable option! Allow us to choose what we want it to do. More power to the user! Right click on a unit's waypoint to Add another or change it! (Not go all the way back to the unit).You can't add another waypoint inbetween, but you can change the existing waypoints by Left-clicking on the waypoint marker and choosing another movement type with the keys. Left Click on Waypoint and drag, to reposition it.Try Right-click-drag instead. Keyboard Commands Make it so that Esc Key doesn't "Alt-tab" out to Windows, but presents the Option Screen instead.Oh good lord, yes! Please allow us to change this key's behavior. Mouse alternatives for all the "Hot-Keys" would be a bonus too! (i.e. An option screen with buttons and sliders etc..)If you mean for issuing orders to units, you can already Right-click on the unit. If you mean being able to configure the game (smoke detail, unit size, etc), then a good configuration menu a-la Serious Sam would be welcome (to go along with the current hot-key settings). It's nice to be able to look at a menu and see how things are currently configured and what you are able to change them to. I would like to be able to access the "Detailed Unit Info/Kills" screen from the Right Mouse click Unit Command Menu.[Edit]I was wrong; left-click doesn't solve this. Right-click brings up the orders menu. Hitting the Enter key seems ok to me, though. Is there anyone else in agreement with me, or am I just a stubborn old fart?Those choices aren't mutually exclusive, are they? - Chris [ March 11, 2002, 10:50 PM: Message edited by: Wolfe ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattias Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 Originally posted by Bloodshot: That's all I can think of for now. Is there anyone else in agreement with me, or am I just a stubborn old fart?You probably are, but your not alone to start out that way Back when the Beta Demo came out there was a lot of whining and complaining going about, but it died down over the next few days and weeks as everybody learned to handle the game as the designer intended it. I don't recall ever having thought much about it after the first few battles and I switch between flight simulators, FPS's and different strategy games on a daily basis. It will become second nature in short order. Your suggestions for added functionality are pretty what we all want, but the changes in how to do thing we already can do pretty much belongs, in my opinion, in the old fart department. In any event, welcome to the forum -- M. [ March 11, 2002, 11:21 PM: Message edited by: Mattias ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer Leader Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 I'm hip to the wheel idea, but as for the rest... well it works fine for me. I just wanna use my wheel for elevation. Those damn single finger Mac users are holding us back!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berlichtingen Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 Originally posted by Panzer Leader: Those damn single finger Mac users are holding us back!!!Careful... its single finger Mac users that program the game. Grovel before the mighty Mac users that allow you to play CM on a PC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodshot Posted March 12, 2002 Author Share Posted March 12, 2002 Thanks for the criticm guys, but Mattias, please, NO! Not that old line about "as the designers intended" again! Anyway, if I pretend that I got my left ("keyboard") arm shot off in the War or something, do you reckon they'd change it for me then? Wolfe, I already know about Right clicking to drag a waypoint, but the reason I had changed it to Left was because I had suggested a different use for Right clicking in the previous line (changing or adding a waypoint). Still, thanks all anyway, for ramming the Keyboard alternatives down my throat! I suppose I'll just have to stop lounging around and sit up straight with BOTH hands at the computer for now on then?! Hmmph! (Like what I'm doing right now, TYPING....DOH!) [ March 12, 2002, 12:28 AM: Message edited by: Bloodshot ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seanachai Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 Originally posted by Panzer Leader: I'm hip to the wheel idea, but as for the rest... well it works fine for me. I just wanna use my wheel for elevation. Those damn single finger Mac users are holding us back!!!SILENCE! former Squire! I am displaying a single finger to you now, lad. Can you tell what it is? That's right, I'm shaking the extended index finger of shameful admonishment at you. Most bloody Macs have mice now with any bloody number of wheels, buttons, triggers, and whoopee buzzers, just like the ever present whinging PC users, whose endless Windows wastelands still can't come up with half a dozen decent keyboard commands that function the same from program to program. Pillock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodshot Posted March 12, 2002 Author Share Posted March 12, 2002 Hey, look guys! Seanachai has signed his name there as "Pillock"! -------------------- "The Amiga is dead! Long live the Amiga!" [ March 12, 2002, 10:03 AM: Message edited by: Bloodshot ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattias Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 Originally posted by Bloodshot: Mattias, please, NO! Not that old line about "as the designers intended" again! I know exactly what you mean Blood. Looking at it now I think my point was that, yes, the keys can't be customised, but beyond that I, as in subjectively, think the controls in CM are highly functional and easy to learn. A highly informative post -- M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew H. Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 My mouse came with a program that allows you to reconfigure what the various keys do, either globally or for one particular program. I set the third mouse button (i.e., what happens when you depress the mousewheel) to equal the "shift" key. Thus, I can press down on the mouse button, slide the mouse left or right, and it works the same as if I had pressed shift and moved the mouse. Although I'm so used to the regular commands that I rarely use this feature. I do wish that a key other than "shift" controlled the sliding, though, since I'm always hitting "shift lock" by mistake, which messes up other commands. Probably if I bought a new keyboard, it would allow me to reconfigure things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted March 12, 2002 Share Posted March 12, 2002 Those damn single finger Mac users are holding us back!!! Like I said, some kind of PC Nazi Zee Right Click of zee Mouse Button, you Schweinhund, not zee Right click of zee heels! "Big Smile! Big Smile!" How does one right click ones heels? I keep falling over. Is it the American way? Commies! Burn them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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