The icons need to float so high above units because why?

[Lt Bull]

Because the further away the icon is from where the actual unit is on the ground, the more it gives the player a much better idea where the unit actually is? No. Definitely no.

Because if makes the icon much easier to select and see? No.

Because it makes the unit much easier to select and see? No.

Because someone thought really high floating icons would be kind of cool in a stupid and annoying sort of way? Probably.

I am serious. We need the floating icons high up in the air removed from where the actual unit is on the ground as they are in this game because why?

To me they are just counter-productive to what a player actually wants to know and do when playing the game. Yes they tell the player the unit type and if its selected and what its parent HQ and units are etc which is all OK but WHY THE **** make them float at a ridiculous height above the units?

As a result they provide a practically worthless indication on exactly WHERE the unit is positioned on the actual battlefield. The more horizontal you have your camera, the more useless they become. It actually just confusing things more for the player. The ONLY exception to this is when you point the camera straight down and view from birdseye, or from an angle slightly off vertical which is hardly ever.

Can this ridiculous floating icon height be reduced? Can it be at least reduced by some mod? I would say reducing the height by even 80% might not be enough. I know that the "?" icons behave exactly how I would want the regular icons to behave: they sit at the actual ground level of the unidentified unit. I would definitely settle for having the regular unit icons at ground level than the way they are now.

[altipueri]

Agreed completely. But probably part of the whole design ethos philosophy thingummy

[Boo Radley]

I don't know... even with the icons being as high as they are, I still sometimes lose units in foliage. So then, when plotting moves, I end up having to turn foliage off, which becomes sort of problematic, because it's hard to figure LOS when you can't see the forest... or the trees (Yuk yuk yuk), so I end up toggling back and forth between foliage on and foliage off.

I end up only playing CMBN for maybe an hour each night, where I used to play CM1 for hours on end, just because it takes so long to plot things out.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that the height of the icons isn't really bothersome to me at all.

[ShiftZ]

i never use the icons. turning them on is a distraction for me and wrecks the imersion factor. If I could turn off the UI I'd do that too.

[z1812]

I really liked the bases in CMX1. Too bad we could not choose between bases and floating coins. I do find the floaters annoying at times.

[Pak40]

I never really have had a problem with the floating icons but it would be nice to make the height adjustable AND have the option to switch between floating icons or bases like in CMx1.

I'd say BFC has about a zillion other cool things they'd like to add before this.

[Amizaur]

I would vote for more visible unit bases, like in CMx1.

And of course the ability to turn the bases on/off, or at least abolity to select all units (with a hotkey) so all the bases would be highlighted.

Then I could just disable those annoying floating icons .

[Michael Emrys]

The only problem I have with the floating icons is usually during the set-up phase, when the units can be so crowded together. It often takes me a lot of moving the camera around and switching heights and angles to sort everything out. Also, it can be tough at times recognizing which units are riding which vehicles. Enclosing the icon of the vehicle in an oval with the icons of any passengers would be a gigantic help there.

Michael

[GreenAsJade]

1) I agree the icons float too high, creating confusion about where units really are.

2) I agree that more visible bases are needed. I click on an icon to find a unit,

and still can't find the men if there is anything other than short grass on the ground

GaJ

[gautrek]

I do find the floaters annoying at times.

Lots of toilet paper on top of them and they should go away mate:p

[MikeyD]

Wow, the game got a big 'thumbs down' for something entirely arbitrary. Might as well have given a tumbs down because the icons are cirular instead of oval.

[womble]

Wow, the game got a big 'thumbs down' for something entirely arbitrary. Might as well have given a tumbs down because the icons are cirular instead of oval.

It's not arbitrary. It's about usability. Something that BFC needs to take lessons in.

[ClarkWGriswold]

It's not arbitrary. It's about usability. Something that BFC needs to take lessons in.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. However, I think the height of the floating icons is about 1,463rd on my list of usability issues.

[c3k]

If they were closer to the unit, the enemy would use them to target the unit. Operational security.

[Navigator37]

Wow, the game got a big 'thumbs down' for something entirely arbitrary. Might as well have given a tumbs down because the icons are cirular instead of oval.

MickeyD -

Why the dismissive, snarky response? Lt Bull makes a legitimate point - if you have some insights, share them; otherwise, withold the sarcasm. As a beta tester you have a greater responsibility to foster a healthy dialogue on this forum than some anonymous commentor.

[Guest]

At what height and distance would you have the icons be closer to the units? This isn't an official BFC response, I'm just curious. The icons seem to be at a reasonable height from their units when I'm playing. I usually play at view levels 1-5 or so. Any closer and they'd get mixed in with the units on the ground.

[GreenAsJade]

Thanks for asking.

I think that the best answer will be some screenshots showing when we find the height confusing. I will try to remember to do this next time: the ideal screenies will be "see this icon, where do you think the unit is standing" screenies...

GaJ

[stikkypixie]

Did it change from CMSF? For some reason, I never thought the icons were too high there, but in CMBN I do have the feeling that they are.

[womble]

At what height and distance would you have the icons be closer to the units? This isn't an official BFC response, I'm just curious. The icons seem to be at a reasonable height from their units when I'm playing. I usually play at view levels 1-5 or so. Any closer and they'd get mixed in with the units on the ground.

I think half the perceived problem is the difficulty of seeing the unit bases of the selected unit in some lights on some terrain types (or ever, if there's a Covered Arc in the way). That and the obscure (I'm being generous) rules that govern the order in which they're stacked.

[Navigator37]

I think half the perceived problem is the difficulty of seeing the unit bases of the selected unit in some lights on some terrain types (or ever, if there's a Covered Arc in the way). That and the obscure (I'm being generous) rules that govern the order in which they're stacked.

I agree completely and, I would further emphasize, the extreme difficulty of seeing selected units, bases, and icons in trees.

[GreenAsJade]

At what height and distance would you have the icons be closer to the units? This isn't an official BFC response, I'm just curious. The icons seem to be at a reasonable height from their units when I'm playing. I usually play at view levels 1-5 or so. Any closer and they'd get mixed in with the units on the ground.

I played some of one of my current games today - I realised that the lower the camera angle the worse the problem.

At camera angle 6 there is no problem at all: the icon is exactly where the unit is.

Below this, as the camera gets lower, the icon gets further and further from where the unit is.

At camera angle 1 this isn't a problem, because the icon is no longer giving any information (false or otherwise) about the position of the unit on the map, because the icon is floating in the sky.

I will try to take some screenies when I have a chance, and when I'm playing a game where it's OK to give away unit postions here in the forum!

GaJ

[c3k]

Not to add fuel to the fire, but I do agree that the icons float too far above the units. As GaJ posted, the camera height makes a difference. At some heights, the icons are fine. At others, they seem bizarrely disconnected from the units they represent.

The second point, mentioned by Womble, I also agree with; the icons do not follow an easily understood stacking order.

Ken

[Erik Springelkamp]

I use a mod with smaller icons and they stack closer to the units because of their size

[MOSwas71331]

I use a mod with smaller icons and they stack closer to the units because of their size

Where can we find that mod?

[Guest]

I played some of one of my current games today - I realised that the lower the camera angle the worse the problem.

At camera angle 6 there is no problem at all: the icon is exactly where the unit is.

Below this, as the camera gets lower, the icon gets further and further from where the unit is.

At camera angle 1 this isn't a problem, because the icon is no longer giving any information (false or otherwise) about the position of the unit on the map, because the icon is floating in the sky.

I will try to take some screenies when I have a chance, and when I'm playing a game where it's OK to give away unit postions here in the forum!

GaJ

Interesting. At camera angle 1, up close, my icons are few feet (in game terms) or less over the heads of my men. Very easy to see in relation to the unit. Are you seeing something different? Or are you talking about when the camera is a few hundred meters from the units? Screenshots would be great, as then I could see what you're seeing and get a better frame of reference. Looking forward to them when you get a chance.