UI Changes for CM:N

[Canada Guy]

Steve,

Are there any plans to tweak the UI for the upcoming game? I realize that creating a UI is extremely hard when you have thousands of different people all needing info in different ways but I did find the UI in CMx1 a little bit easier to understand in certain ways.

2 things come to mind when I look at the UI for info gathering on a unit.

1. How many effectives I have in any unit. If I send out a unit of 9 men and only have 3 left, at a glance I cannot remember if I sent out a unit of 3 or 9 and can they accomplish their mission to begin with. A simple 3/6 would show me immediately how many of my squad had been incapacitated.

2. Can you bring back the old progression of states for a unit. I thought the CMx1 progression of Good -> Routed was a very good indication of how my units were faring. Now with the current progression of a units state, I am always confused as to how they are doing. Even a visual cue such as a green background all the way to a deep red background would help (just behind the unit's state).

I loved the work that gamers did to modify the UI for CMx1 (Tarkus comes to mind). Are we going to be allowed to modify the UI in CM:N as we did in CMx1 (The equivalent of a Z folder but just for the UI)? Not the layout itself but perhaps the words and the colours?

[MeatEtr]

1. How many effectives I have in any unit. If I send out a unit of 9 men and only have 3 left, at a glance I cannot remember if I sent out a unit of 3 or 9 and can they accomplish their mission to begin with. A simple 3/6 would show me immediately how many of my squad had been incapacitated.

Basically bring back the way it was in CMx1. I have no idea why the CMSF UI doesn't give an immediate headcount of your unit. There's times when I have to actually count the weapons to know how many are left in the unit.

[meade95]

Steve,

1. How many effectives I have in any unit. If I send out a unit of 9 men and only have 3 left, at a glance I cannot remember if I sent out a unit of 3 or 9 and can they accomplish their mission to begin with. A simple 3/6 would show me immediately how many of my squad had been incapacitated.

+1 - Definitely would be a great feature added back in -

[Sergei]

Instead of a graphical user interface, CM:N will be sporting a text console. The parser will then try to execute your commands. Example:

[B]> 1st company advance![/B]

Syntax error: no unit named "1st company"

[B]> able company advance![/B]

Definition error: "Able Company" exists in more than one Battalion

[noxnoctum]

Agreed. Don't know why they tried to reinvent the wheel, CMx1 interface was great.

I really miss the "enter" key you could press to bring up penetration values etc. too.

[ChrisND]

Instead of a graphical user interface, CM:N will be sporting a text console. The parser will then try to execute your commands. Example:

[B]> 1st company advance![/B]

Syntax error: no unit named "1st company"

[B]> able company advance![/B]

Definition error: "Able Company" exists in more than one Battalion[/code]


http://yfrog.com/j21ststrikj

[Lt Belenko]

I still like to see a regular windows directory system when in the Load a Battle screen. I want to move files to the "Already Played But Suck" Folder or the "Really Great Scenarios" folder. 1500+ scenarios in one massive list in CMBB gets a little difficult to scan through.

[Sivodsi]

I still like to see a regular windows directory system when in the Load a Battle screen. I want to move files to the "Already Played But Suck" Folder or the "Really Great Scenarios" folder. 1500+ scenarios in one massive list in CMBB gets a little difficult to scan through.

Amen to that! Prey to the (BFT) lords for a simple 'delete' command!

[wipes off dust from pet peeve from 2001]

Of course I have learned to live with it, basically by keeping shortcuts to 'incoming e-mail' and 'outgoing e-mail' on the desktop, and regularly opening them up to delete old PBEM files. However, why oh why can't I also delete the files while I am in the CM interface? It makes sense to do so while I'm selecting the file to play, right?

I know things that seem easy and basic out here might in fact be extremely complex in terms of game implementation, but this has always seemed like a basic oversight to me.

[puts peeve back in the corner where it will gather dust until next iteration of CM series]

[Cid250]

Agreed. Don't know why they tried to reinvent the wheel, CMx1 interface was great.

I really miss the "enter" key you could press to bring up penetration values etc. too.

Absolutely YES!.

This is a feature that was perfect in CMx1, and it's just another CMSF design failure.

[Pvt. Ryan]

Choosing not to include something that was in a different game is not a design failure.

[Sivodsi]

Ah bollocks!

[Pinetree]

Choosing not to include something that was in a different game is not a design failure.

It is if the new game is still called Combat Mission..

[7thGalaxy]

With all due respect, I get irritated by these people who keep calling up comparisons - they are utterly different games, with different code bases. I personally much prefer the CMSF UI, manouvering the camera around the map is much easier, better than those clunky arrows.

That is not to say there isn't room for improvement, just that these comparisons are not really relevent or helpful.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

It is if the new game is still called Combat Mission..

Perspective... get some.

[Pinetree]

With all due respect, I get irritated by these people who keep calling up comparisons - they are utterly different games, with different code bases.

Yes, but when you put the name "Combat Mission" in the title you expect the new game to build on the old (and I mean features here, not code base) and not have parts of the old game that were great, not there. That said, I really hope CMN will be the "true" CM sequel we've been waiting for.

I personally much prefer the CMSF UI, manouvering the camera around the map is much easier, better than those clunky arrows.

I think the new camera controls are great too but the rest of the UI leaves me cold.

That is not to say there isn't room for improvement, just that these comparisons are not really relevent or helpful.

You can't help but not stop comparing the two when they both have "Combat Mission" in the title..

Perspective... get some.

Life...get one.

[Elmar Bijlsma]

If you don't want your sense of perspective mocked, utilise it more. First you fault Combat Mission for being named Combat Mission if it doesn't have feature X, then you launch a personal attack on me that is neither here nor there.

I'm not up for sainthood any time soon, but you are just being a dick.

[Canada Guy]

If I would have known my 2 little suggestions would cause eternal friendships to break apart, I would have kept my mouth shut.

I like CMSF, I love CMBB. The new UI is OK but it does take some getting used to. I do not want to change it entirely, I just need a few more pieces of information in a way that I can easier get to, to allow me to control my troops in a better manner or with greater information. At least for information that is there but not in a user friendly manner.

[Pinetree]

If you don't want your sense of perspective mocked, utilise it more. First you fault Combat Mission for being named Combat Mission if it doesn't have feature X, then you launch a personal attack on me that is neither here nor there.

I'm not up for sainthood any time soon, but you are just being a dick.

First off, my sense of perspective is just fine, thank you. CM is a series of games is it not? So don't you expect everything to improve each game? I accept that we have a new engine and there would be bugs to iron out, but when the new game is missing a lot of the little details that gave Combat Mission it's flavour then, yes, it is a design failure. If CMSF had been called something other than CM then, perhaps, we may have been more forgiving.

Secondly, I responded to both comments in the manner in which they were given.

[Other Means]

Pinetree, did you try my key mod? You might enjoy SF more.

[Pinetree]

I've tried it but don't really use it that much.I play pretty much exclusively with the mouse only as it frees up my other hand to hold a beer or do an Al Bundy.

[Other Means]

I've tried it but don't really use it that much.I play pretty much exclusively with the mouse only as it frees up my other hand to hold a beer or do an Al Bundy.

Sorry mate - should have checked your location

[MeatEtr]

I don't see why you guys are getting so bent outta shape over this. It's just a matter of the way its worded. Somebody calls it a "design failure" fine whatever, another way to describe it is an "odd omission" or "a step back". But we all agree it should be in the game. After all it's just a minor tweak to improve the UI.

Besides look at the rest of the RTS market, many of them have great UIs due to the genre being so old. Love it or hate it, the CM series is very similar when it comes to incorporating a UI. There's really no need for BF to try and reinvent the wheel.