Uber, do you agree PA needs a huge UI update?

I want to build everything in lines (except mexes). I place many factories at once, they may as well be placed in a line. Even turrets can be built in a line with spacing.

Firstly we would not play solely on the 2D projection of the sphere. Even if we did, a 2D projection on a sphere does not behave like a plane, it still has the interesting topology. I am interested in the structure of the game world and the method of displaying it changes nothing about this structure. In this sense it doesn't matter if the world is drawn as a 3D ball, a 2D projection of a sphere or a commandline printout of the latitude and longitude of each of your units.

Clearly this is silly, I want the UI to be better than a commandline printout. My reasons for caring about the visualization of the world are based in usability. I don't really care how the game world is drawn as long as it gives me the relevant information in an easy to read form.

Actually, this brillant idea is a 3D => 2D projection.
It is an azimuthal equidistant projection of the units.

As you can see projection make sense...

Everybody is saying that a projection would be hard to grasp for player.

Is ANYONE ever tried that to begin with?
I'm pretty sure the human brain is perfectly able to process some deformations inherent to a projection as long as they are consistent in time.

I'm doing that on a daily basis when I deal with 3d models.

Code:

http://youtu.be/SHX1RGanEWA?t=48m52s

Yes, I saw that, but the camera is still reset each time.. Almost there..

you didn't understand. that's the last barrier in PA standing between 3D an 2D, if you want to project the map than what point was there in making 3d maps in the first place?

or​

The 3D map is just an interface, it could be anything else (2D map or even commandline printout as googlefrog said). The UI doesn't change the fundamental law of the game. The UI is improve here to improve the relation between the user and the system.
Using a 2D projection has an impact about the graphic design of the game, not the game rules.

and my answer : projection minimaps are not the answer.

why can't anyone consider this miniglobe/minicube idea for example?

because it is hard to tell on what side of the planet something is

disclaimer : I don't have all the answers
then some reference points? or a transparent globe that has your exact viewpoint in real time,

...would start to make sence after the first couple of minutes of "wtf!" and then you'd be like "genius!"

would you believe it: rookies on fa don't use the scrool wheel and dissagree with the no minimap thing and don't get how people are able to handle so many things at once as they stay on the first level of zoom.

it takes a bit of time to get used to the UI of these complex games but quickly they make you reach further and multitask more than you'd ever think you could have done.

The concept of zoom in FA makes sense in my mind. But imagine you have 2 large armies on opposite sides of the planet and they are in one line with the minimap viewpoint. They would merge together into one large blop of points. You would need to pan the minimap. I don't think that's a solution.

Yep.
Agreed.

To me, I want the projection to see the context of everything.
Not just what units are on the other side of the map, but their build pattern.
When something blinks off the radar I want to see what disappeared. Did my T2 power get sniped? Or did they just send a useless wave of bots against my turrets?

This doesn't make the game any less 3D.
The threat of attack from all sides still exists.

We are still fighting on a spherical planet.
And will be able to battle between planets!
The game dynamics don't change if you "unlock" the UI potential.
What hurts the scale of the game dynamic is having a locked UI (like StarCraft 2)

This is, as far as i'm concerned the best possible option. Any comment from Uber ?

Tranparent globe is the ultimate UI. But it's more useful in an actual 3D holographic projection.
It's a bit small on the screen.
I would be all over that once I get my 4 27" IPS monitors.

Click+Drag to Pan by by spinning a planet around to constantly check things isn't multi-tasking.
What you've described is very, fast uni-tasking.
I think you've essentially hit the nail on the head.
By locking the UI like this, you turn it into an Actions Per Minute game like Starcraft 2.

Multi-tasking is the ability to take in vast amounts of information.
And juggle an army all at once.



Let's say PA gets super, super optimized in the future.
We are fighting in a 20 planet solar system all with moons.

You have bases and forces spanned over 7 planets and moons.
Without projection view. How are you going to monitor all 7 at the same time?
If we just have picture in picture. You will need 14 windows open just to see all sides of the planets.
Then you need 1 for celestial view.
Then you will have the 1 for local detailed view.


Not having a projection view simply will not allow the game to scale up.
Build the UI for the game could have.
Instead of the game that's bogged down to 2 planet battles.

I think you missunderstand, I am questioning tatsujbs holographics 3d sphere minimap. Not a projection.

Id just like to see the other side of the planet I have zoomed out on, like the exact opposite side.

If you do that, your brain has to stitch it back together.
You will have lost continuity in your UI.

I think your brain is better off planning where to attack next.

Then really, I'll be a player who uses mass patrol scouts to monitor my installations, giving full vision radius of my holdings and what is around, slowly expanding the patrol ring as I expand in order to keep my omnipresence of my base, making attacks easy to spat.