We already know PA will have multiple monitor support. I would like us to start dreaming up our wishlist on how they can be implemented. What kind of controls do you want to see, and how they should interact with each other. I am hoping to see. Powerful intelligence/interaction between the monitors Intuitive controls Minimally intrusive. (Less keyboard/mouse clicks and movement the better). I will start tracking our community suggestions for features here.
Placeholder: Will track features refinement suggestions here. Will not start doing this until Uber actually begins to deploy their multi-monitor solution.
Does anybody multibox? I was over on the ISBoxer forums and found this thread: http://isboxer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1214 Seems like it has a few good ideas. For example, if the HUD in PA can be moved and stretched (vectorized), then we can have a 2nd monitor showing our Resources, Build Panel and maybe in-game chat expanded at a massive size. Similar to how this guy is using his multibox for EveOnline.
It's been described by Uber as essentially multiple windows that you can resize, move around, and organize at will. Each one is fully intractable just like the current windows. You can zoom in and out and have different windows on different planets so with four clicks you can tell a group of units to move on two different planets. This allows multi-planet management and combat to be easier and you don't have to zoom in and out and have a hassle to take care of different planets. Gonna be awesome, that's for sure.
For lack of a better term, I shall call this a "minimap". I really hate that name since SupCom's strategic zoom has really eliminated the need for a crippled GUI *cough*like Starcraft 2*cough* We are well past that point now. This part is pretty standard: Window #1This can be your zoomed in base building view Window #2A view of your entire base. I would like to see the abilities to link a window. For example: Let's say I start with only 1 window (Window #2), I would be able to do a "drag a box or draw a circle" in order to create a linked window. Highlighted with a border Labeled with the linking window Double-click the label will jump my cursor to that window. Why? I think this will help with perspective. Allows me to micro either my base or my attacks on the front line while I still retain my overall perspective.
Yeah, I figured that, it's not much of a departure from Supreme Commander. But we can can do oh so much more than that I think? For example, the continued "minimap" debate. I really do hate calling it that. It's not that people want a traditional minimap. Let me continue from my previous post. "Minimap" is Window #2 What we want actually want... I get to see everything. I can get a strategic sense of the game and how it's flowing. I see major unit positions, formations. I see where my allies are getting attacked. I see where my push is succeeding. I see incoming enemy drops. By having this "minimap" All of this, without having to once touch Monitor #2. Zoom in/out Twist a sphere around to see what is happening on the other side Zoom out to a different view type (solar system view). Zoom back into a different planet. I don't have to zoom in and out. and I sure as heck don't have to "twist a sphere" around and expand outwards into a Solar System view. On Window #2 would allow a Robinson projection. This can be my "minimap" I never touch. It will be filled with overarching strategies and strategic icons. This can also be where I see the graphics for Alerts (at least on a planet scale). Ex. "Nuclear launch detected". And it will show me launch location and projected target. On Window #1, we have the the zoomed in action as usual.
for multimonitoring, with a dual setup as the most common occurrence, I would choose an information enhanced standard view-port as a secondary display. information enhanced should be interpreted as a list/history of all alerts and information the player received, linked to locations allowing for one click switch to point of interest. If this list is customizable/interactive (scroll/sort/category filters/etc) the level of alerts can be quite detailed. possible alerts: - the standard attack/attacked messages - scouting information with certain degree of importance (bases, blobs of units, etc), as scouting would count any movement that reveals new information without direct fight - if you link it with timestamps, a replay button could be provided for fights or complete scouting routes which seem to have significance - if you can mark places/units, you could provide an alert if the status of the marked items changes - also fights of allies could be "alerted" in more detail if you can filter them out if needed. - something that might or might not be wished, automatic identification/highlighting of certain structures in enemy bases (e.g. missile silos, orbital launcher etc) If the interaction between alert list and planet view is done right, there is no need for projections, which make only sense in a one planet view anyhow. Given the nowadays usual 16:9/10 displays there is enough space for a nice list box when you have a sphere on the other side. With this being only a modified standard view-port the necessary UI changes should be manageable. The linking and identification of events might take more work, but that will probably have to be done for any kind of information system (depending on detail).
I would like a tab up the top to flick through different views pretty much like we use most web browser now days except only for PA game windows.
culverin, great idea but not... revolutionary you obviously haven't played SupCom, it did just that and more. check out sup com fa on faf. you'll see.
I believe it is just going to be another window that is running the same game. What you can do in one, you can do i nthe other. So you could use the second screen to show the planet zoomed out, or have it zoomed in on your forward base perhaps. Whilst I'm on the topic though, it would be nice if we could get separate key controls to rotate the planet on each separate screen. Or a modifier key perhaps, so up/down/left/right to rotate planet on primary screen, and ctrl + up/down/left/right to rotate the planet on the other screen. Perhaps separate modifier keys for each screen, for those of you with 3+ monitors!
On SupCom, they zoomed in view was not actually linked to the zoom out view. While that lack of info might be fine in that game, because it was 2D and had rather distinguishable terrain features, it still wasn't very intelligent. We did not know where we were zoomed in. There was no context there. I'm hoping to see that "window" that shows Camera 1 is looking at a smaller chunk of Camera 2. Like a key-view.
