Plans for "casualty warning"?

[LRC]

Does anyone know if BF plans to include a "casualty warning" in future releases ?

Here is what I mean:

- I position an AT team to overlook the battlefield.

- I go somewhere else and issue orders to other platoons.

- When tanks arrive, I go back to the AT team. Both are dead....I don't know how and when ...

For realism (and reduced player frustration) it would help to have some visual/sound warning ("casualty warning") when casualties happen outside of the field of view.

[dan/california]

Actually, they put blinking icons in 1.2 for that very reason.

[Chainsaw]

and it works effing good in the 1.20 demo a well

[flamingknives]

Doesn't work too well if you can't see the icon though

[LRC]

Agree with flamingknives. If casualties happen outside the field of view, this reduces the added value of blinking icons. A sound/visual warning with a key command to switch view to the latest casualty would be more practical. Some games already implements this (with an autopause in some case)

[Holman]

I'd love to see an option for scrolling text alerts (say, small print in the lower right hand corner, opposite the soldier list that appears on the left when you select a unit). When on, these would catch the eye when something sudden and significant happens.

Something like this:

"2nd Plt 3rd Sq has casualties"

"Scout Plt 2nd LAV is destroyed"

"1st Plt 2nd Tank is damaged"

etc. etc.

I wouldn't even ask for the text to be clickable for jumping to the event.

[SlapHappy]

How about a fade-in, fade-out graphic in the upper right corner that consists of the floating icon for unit type, followed by a number of soldier icons equal to number of casualties which are individually color-coded with the injury type (Red, Yellow, Brown).

You could also have vehicle/tank icons with color coding. This way you get very exacting information with out having to stop and read text. If you see an infantry icon followed by about 6-7 red and brown soldier silhouettes, you know you better be hitting the pause button!

[Other Means]

How about a fade-in, fade-out graphic in the upper right corner that consists of the floating icon for unit type, followed by a number of soldier icons equal to number of casualties which are individually color-coded with the injury type (Red, Yellow, Brown).

You could also have vehicle/tank icons with color coding. This way you get very exacting information with out having to stop and read text. If you see an infantry icon followed by about 6-7 red and brown soldier silhouettes, you know you better be hitting the pause button!

I'm contractually obliged to post this.

[SlapHappy]

I think the fundamental difference between some of these concepts is overlay/gui notifications vs. on-map notifications. You always can see the overlay/gui - the map...not so much. I think we need both, even with the argument of replication of information

[LRC]

Looks like that a lot a persons have given some thoiught about this, but I did not see any feed back from BF.

In a nutshell possible implementation from basic/limited to sophisticated/convolued are:

#1- flashing icon next to unit

#2- text next to unit (nervous/pinned/...) (CMx1 like)

#3- on screen warning message or specific sound clues.

#4- Clickable on screen warning message in order to jump to impacted unit.

#5- On screen list of events.

#6- Clickable on screen list of events in order to jump to corresponding unit

Implementation #3 to #6 could also have an autopause mode when a new event pops up. However, when action heats up it could be more an annoiance than a solution.

[Field Marshal Blücher]

Looks like that a lot a persons have given some thoiught about this, but I did not see any feed back from BF.

In a nutshell possible implementation from basic/limited to sophisticated/convolued are:

#1- flashing icon next to unit

#2- text next to unit (nervous/pinned/...) (CMx1 like)

#3- on screen warning message or specific sound clues.

#4- Clickable on screen warning message in order to jump to impacted unit.

#5- On screen list of events.

#6- Clickable on screen list of events in order to jump to corresponding unit

Implementation #3 to #6 could also have an autopause mode when a new event pops up. However, when action heats up it could be more an annoiance than a solution.

#1 (or rather, that the unit icon itself flashes) is in 1.20, and should be visible in the demo.

[Other Means]

I think the fundamental difference between some of these concepts is overlay/gui notifications vs. on-map notifications. You always can see the overlay/gui - the map...not so much. I think we need both, even with the argument of replication of information

Yep. I remember when I started playing CM I was surprised there was no off-map notification. I guess I grew used to it and in time it felt more "fitting". The non-map UI (lets call it the panel) used for displaying dispassionate, objective information and the map used to tell the story.

I think this is quite a subtle but ultimately powerful paradigm. You come to think of the map as really happening and the panel on how you influence it.

The panel shows damage to vehicles etc (and should show casualties but that's a different argument) but it's still objective information. The main emotional centre is and should be the map.

I think that's what's behind my wanting large fading-in icons rather than any kind of roll call of actions, mini-map or other.

[Pandur]

#1- flashing icon next to unit

#2- text next to unit (nervous/pinned/...) (CMx1 like)

#3- on screen warning message or specific sound clues.

#4- Clickable on screen warning message in order to jump to impacted unit.

#5- On screen list of events.

#6- Clickable on screen list of events in order to jump to corresponding unit

lol, imagine all 5 in the game. in realtime you will go "nuts", all is flashing, permanently some windows to click, pop up´s cluttering youre fiew. the icons blinking too, the on screen list wich gets longer and longer till you cant track it anymore.

when, in between looking at all this, you contoll your force and play?

honestly for me this sounds horrible. "i" wouldnt had needed the flashing incons either, in fact i never saw this at work so far while playing the brit demo battle.

this is not a soccer manager game or a garrision manager displaying endless information tables, satistics and what not "while" you play. i dont mind seeing this after the battle at all. actually what you "need" to see is on the battlefield anyways and this is showen to you since v1.0

[LRC]

Pandur,

For clarification, item list #1 to #6 is a mutualy exclusive list => it would not make sense to have all items implemented ( to much overlap and overloading player with data).

Anyway, when action is happening outside the field of view, there should be some kind of player notification. I hate finding cadavres when going back to a unwatched unit ... BTW, this would also better mimic real life battle coms "red co, red co, this is team alpha, we are taking fire, we are taking fire, argh..."

[Vinnart]

Although I think the brief (and I mean very brief 2 sec.) flashing warning icon is better than nothing, I do feel the situational awareness can be done much better. Here is re-post of a graphic I made awhile back. I am glad they added some new icons such as the sniper. Out of all the different ways I have illustrated I think a simple colored bar appearing ABOVE the icon would solve the problem. RED bar appears when unit is in the red status, and YELLOW bar appears when unit is the yellow status. In addition to this corresponding colored text reports for HQ.’s showing units current status would be a nice touch. BF could even make a hotkey to turn the warning bars off like the warning labels were set up in CMx1. Keep the flashing icon for casualties, but add the colored bar if the unit slips into that status.

[Pandur]

LRC,

ah i see, ok then.