[Suggestion] PiP, screen real estate and rendering cost.

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I think this saves a lot of space. Also, what's the resource cost of rendering the skybox? I guess the question I'm asking is, how much of a performance boost will this provide vs how much developer time will it cost to implement. This begs the question; Can we mod it in?

PS, while making this I thought about having the planet name written in it's orbit, maybe always on the opposite side of the orbit so it doesn't pass through the planet at any point.

The issue will be- how does the game decide what to render? I mean the PIP is essentially just a 2nd window (in miniature) that renders *everything* a normal window does.

What you're suggesting looks cool, but I'm not sure they can easily say "only render this planet" without a whole lot more engine tech (I might be wrong)?

Air/orbital will not all be directly on top of the planet in the PiP. You might get units on the side, and these can get mixed up with units in the main view, since it's transparent.

Another issue is to be able to know which you are controlling when. It becomes a lots less user friendly when you don't have that square there.

Don't see this as an issue, even more so when you consider that no one plays this game through screenshots, but a fluid stream.
http://imgur.com/5PqMNLB,cwQr6iS#0

Making it optional would solve this issue.

You still have to sift through two separate layers of units (unit icons). Precise unit selection is already difficult enough.

For clarity alone, having unit layers on top of each other that don't belong on top of each other, is a bad idea.

What do you mean? I was under the impression that the PiP was only there for information, not issuing commands, aside from fringe scenarios like teleporter linking and such.

If the idea of removing the skybox is to allow access of the freed up areas, you're still going to have units floating around there confusing you as to what belongs to the PiP, and what belongs to the main view. This whether you intend to select units (main view or PiP) or just view them for information. Basically you haven't freed it up as much as you think you have, but it remains to be seen how much of a problem this really is. I imagine, though, with a sky full of orbital in the PiP, you may as well have the skybox there for all the good it does you.

What one wants to do with the PiP really is up to the player.

Ok So how would it work if you are looking at the Solar system. (open pip have mouse in pip, hit space bar.)

lol, that is so much freaking better. I can see this looking great for system as well.
they'll just need a blue halo to make them contrast against the rest, but that looks fantastic!

(btw the skybox is close to nil, you won't get a perf boost out of this, at least not noticeable)