The earlier thread about rally points as a minimalist Orders as First Class Entities seems like it was well-received, so I thought I would propose another simple and minimalist OFCE concept. Simple and minimalist systems have a lot of advantages over the more robust, almost script-like OFCE systems discussed a long time ago. Group Objects As an extension of the concept of the rally point, the player might have a second UI button alongside the Rally Point button, also with its own hotkey, which creates a group. When grouped, multiple individual units will be selected together, execute orders together, and in other respects will function as a single entity on the strategic level. Group points, or group objects, can be created, modified, and deleted independently of any actual units, much like rally points. The player places a group point and uses the same basic UI as a rally point to determine the group's definition, or desired maximum size. For example, a player creates a group point, selects it, and specifies that the group will contain 20 Dox and 5 Stinger units. Units can be ordered to join the group by selecting them and right-clicking on the group point (or automatically rallied from a factory or rally point), up to the group's maximum defined membership. A group that already contains the desired maximum number of a certain type of unit cannot be joined by units of that type unless the player first increases the group's maximum size. Using Groups The major difference between a rally point and a group is that groups move. The group point UI object represents the conceptual position of the group, even if its member units are in various positions. Groups will also display one icon instead of displaying separate individual icons for every unit in the group. The entire group can be selected by clicking or box-selecting the icon, and when selected the entire group can be given orders as normal. Groups can be created using the group button or hotkey, such as by selecting a bunch of units and pressing the hotkey to automatically create a group with the selected units, and automatically define the group as its current roster. Groups can be merged, dissolved, or split using the same key (or UI button). To merge, select two groups and group them. To dissolve, select one group and then press the group hotkey or button. To split, dissolve the group and then make other groups using the newly individual units. Issuing Orders to Groups The introduction of a 'conceptual location' represented with the position of the group's UI object allows for a significant change to how players manage their units. The position of an individual unit, and move order primitives, are not necessarily important to the player. However the big-picture positions of large groups is very important. And the concept of telling a group to move to a certain conceptual location, as opposed to telling a single unit to move to an exact location, requires some changes to how players conceptualize positions and movement. I propose that the group's UI object represent the group's station, which is distinct from the group's current actual position. If the group is patrolling an area, attacking a target, or otherwise performing a task that requires movement, the actual positions of the units in the group may not best reflect the player's conceptual position of where the group is stationed. What this means is there should be two movement commands for groups. The more conventional "move" command which tells the group to physically go to the location, but does not permanently reposition the group. The group will move to the area and engage enemies, but it's "home" has not moved. To represent this displacement from its conceptual position, a line or arrow might be drawn from the group's UI object to its current position. The other move command is a "station" command, which moves the group's conceptual position, but does not necessarily immediately prompt the group to go there. This situation is the opposite, and is just like if the group was previously standing on its newly moved station and was given a move order to its current position. Advantages of Group Objects Creating group point UI objects allows groups to have a persistent station, which creates a centralized location that allows the group to receive automated reinforcements, accept new orders, and so on. A unit ordered to move to the group's station after it rolls off the factory floor can join the group, and then proceed to the group's current location automatically. Stations can also make groups much more intelligent than individual units. For example, a player can issue an attack order from its station to attack an enemy base. If the attack is going well, the group will advance towards its objective. If the group is being destroyed, it can retreat and reform at its station automatically, potentially even with automated reinforcements to fill the group up to a specific size. Useful Applications You might create a team of fabbers of a certain size to station a base. The fabber team can be ordered to patrol, reclaim, assist factories, whatever. And your production can be directed to automatically send fabbers to this group. For example, you might place a rally point with a specific desired number of fabbers, which sends its units to the group. If fabbers are destroyed they will be automatically rebuilt and re-assigned. You can give orders to the entire team beneath a single icon, and you can change the group's desired size or position easily to change any of its behavior. More militarily, you might create a squadron of planes you want to fly and fight together. Only a single icon is displayed instead of a scattered mess of individual units. You can give the entire squadron orders easily, such as to attack a particular target or to patrol an area. And if they are destroyed, the squadron's members can be replaced automatically, and even their orders will be preserved. Conclusion PA's large scale calls for developments in command and control user interface that gives players more focused information, as opposed to the SupCom "sea of icons" approach. And players need to be able to give larger-scale orders to those larger chunks, such as setting rally points and attack objectives, instead of manually issuing move and attack orders to each newly produced unit. Orders as First Class Entities has been an approach advocated by many, but the older systems were arguably far too complicated, to the point of almost being scripts the player would write on the fly. Simpler, minimalistic systems such as pre-defined conceptual building blocks like rally points and groups has the potential to deliver a lot more power to players, and to do so much more simply than robust OFCE systems.
The details are different, but in many ways this reminds me of the fleet icons in Sins of a Solar Empire. It worked extremely well there. I would very much like ways to auto assemble my units into armies that stay together using formations. If the group is given a patrol area order the whole formation would stick together instead of scattering like a cloud to fill the area.
The fleet system in Sins of a Solar Empire was useful, but had the significant limitation that it was a rally point to a unit. Usually a capital ship. If that ship was destroyed, suddenly your fleet logic disappears. I would like to see the player's role shift from a micromanage-y, give-orders-to-individual-units perspective to the larger-scale perspective of establishing systems that manage your units as you direct. Such as the player establishing "I want an army like this to station here." Or to say "this base needs to increase production" instead of manually selecting fabbers, constructing factories, and issuing production orders to each newly finished factory. The point is that the player takes the role of setting policies and managing groups and other higher-level UI constructions, while the groups and other features do the busywork of micromanaging your units for you.
OFCE was much more interesting, this is kinda just Total-War-ing PA. by the way did you ever have a read on my future queuing idea? the idea that you could use shift not to queue up not ½ generation ahead but an unlimited amount of generations ahead. Every placed structure wireframe be a selectable entity and so be their build queue units.
I don't really have a problem with just drag selected stuff on the fly as I see them on the screen and issueing orders ie: the way it works at the moment TBH!
Anyone here who has played supcom2 will know what I'm referring to when I talk about the grouping in that game. Where if you had previously give a command to a group of units, it will preserve that group on the strategic zoom, as well as informing you the total number of units located in that group
