UI improvments

[giddion]

Here is a list of things I feel will help to improve the interaction.

When I click on the Planet in main map, I want it to take me directly to the construction queue, not the world detail screen. Making changes in the queue, abort, should not leave the construction screen.


Menu toggle option to enable System names on main map.

Visual indicator on main map for Systems that are unhappy or not building something or low spice flow.

Visual indicator on detailed system screen for population expansion. Similar to what Civilisation has. It seems to me that there is no way of seeing how far/close a new population growth is. This makes planning super difficult as they can suddenly appear. I find that sometimes population growth on core worlds with good infrastructure is much slower than worlds of poor quality, which is painful. Being able to see this would be very helpful. Maybe even a growth bar on the main map as an in menu toggle.
Main map visual indicators should only be visible at a certail zoom, when you zoom further out the should disappear, else they'll just clutter the map.


I guess a number of the above become map overlays.

Within the main planet list, there needs to be a better indication of what is happening "at a glance", what is being built, how many turns left, idle planets. Visual colour bars for Morale and population. And an option for GRID view instead of list view.

You can cycle through your planets, but I want to go in both left and right direction. I need to be able to restrict this cycling to Faction, or Unhappy, or not building, etc...


Ability to save games to the cloud (dropbox), this would enable the same game to be shared around multiple devices, and possible enable shared play in the future, kind of like the old RPG post (snail mail) play, adding a kind of multiplayer support. Which would need a time limit on turns, like 48hrs, else computer AI takes the turn. Not a short term goal, but something for way down the track (multi-player that is), possibly in ST4XII.


I am pretty sure I had a tonne more, but gotta run to lunch, I will probably expand on this thread later...
As per usual, your consideration is greatly appreciated, and no body expects these things to happen overnight, we understand the contraints. On that note, what about opening it up to user developed content?

[Cory Trese]

1) I am not sure the average player would understand, especially early in the game, why they were taken the Construction Queue. I do understand that you feel this would be optimal for your play style and I will think about better ways to support edge cases like this.

2) We can try to see if this is feasible. Logged that under #3150

3) I cannot provide a visual indicator because refugee landing is calculated as close to the landing of the refugees as possible. Globally, the indicator would probably read "Refugees will most likely arrive next turn, somewhere in the Empire. Definitely from one of your three Factions."

4) We are always working on improving this screen. Many of the key "at a glace" features that players use so successfully today where suggested by players!

5) Adding "Previous Planet" to the cycling feature is on the list!

6) Implementing Drop Box is out of our budget right now -- but we are looking hopefully to our partners (Google, Amazon, Apple, Steam) for solutions to some of these issues.

For stuff like multiplayer and user generated content -- both possible if we have a major turn around in sales numbers on the game. If 4X had such a turn around, we would either add those features to 4X, produce a sequel ... or both!!!

[CdrPlatypus]

fallen, Cory Trese

I'm curious. What is the breakdown of your most monetarily successful games IAPS and elite included in the calculation. Which are your biggest to lowest earners?

[En1gma]

Poor Age of Pirates...

[fallen]

CdrPlatypus - not information we are going to share, sorry. Up the same street as we were discussing earlier yesterday - everyone wants to push and pull, and we have to decide our priorities. If we decide to share this information, it would be in the form of a focused Gamasutra post.

[CdrPlatypus]

fallen I swear Im not a corporate spy; just a cyberknight. I could make A pretty good guess as to the bottom and top 2. I hope you make a gamasutra post on it someday.