NLIPS

I want to be very clear from the get go: I hate this feature. I would never want to see it forced on ever.

That doesn't mean it couldn't be an option though. Instead of strategic icons representing units at a distance, NLIPS or Non-Linear Inverse Perspective Scaling could be used. It was present in Homeworld and RUSE most notably.

Units at close zoom levels would appear at the regular, realistic scales like so:


Whereas units at a distance would appear greatly exaggerated in size and stack as such:


I don't like the effect but some may find seeing the units themselves at an exaggerated scale more pleasing than icons.

Strat Icons



Additionally I'd like to see strategic icons that don't cover the units up completely. As you can see here in Homeworld 2 the equivalent of strategic icons surround the units, with the unit graphic still visible inside the shape, instead of covering it up. In HW2 the icon also fades a bit when the unit is not selected, allowing even more of the graphics to be seen easily.

Home world did icons well. I wouldn't worry about unit stacking so much because its still pre-alpha.

I liked that about RUSE as well. It was one of the only things that game did well.

NLIPS makes a game feel SOOOO cartoony, but that might not be a bad thing for PA. Then again, it also might be.

I believe Mavor has spoken on multiple occasion that context, clarity and conveyance are priority issues for this project.

My understanding of this legibility > all else....
So in my puny brain, this means icons would/should be the preferred method.


I think if you compare PA Pre-alpha terrain vs SupCom terrain, you already see much better clarity and conveyance.
You know where chasms start/end and where non-passable terrain begins.
One quick glance and you know exactly what it is.


I'm hoping for clear, simple and concise icons.

Again with the icon derailing.

This is not about icons this is about alternatives to icons.

What makes you think there are going to be "alternatives" to icons. Why are you getting your panties in a twist bmb?

Because you are derailing and not posting constructively.

That screeching pre-teen anime avatar suits you.

2edgy4me

If you can produce some kind of proof that the Devs are putting in "alternative" overly cartoony models or symbols to represent units at strategic zoom levels and know exactly what the end result is likely to look like... I'd like to know where you're getting your information from...

Because I have a feeling I could put it to better use than your incessant whining.

Neutrino has told you already (if you'd bothered to look) that the current symbols are "zero-th" pass. They were done in an afternoon just to show they have the tech to show SOMETHING at the strategic level.

Do you understand what a suggestion is?

I am quite capable of understanding a suggestion bmb. What I'm struggling with is why you're so hung up about it during pre-alpha.

There are half a dozen threads you're posting in at the present time that is just you jumping to conclusions about barely implemented mechanics and worst of all, ART. Why are you so defensive over something that can be changed in few man hours... or better yet, modded to your liking?

Why criticise this aspect now when they're still having positional and pathfinding bugs that are sending the Commander halfway round the planet?

Please take your "but it's an alpha" elsewhere. Suggesting things for a finished product is futile. Suggesting them for an alpha is much more sensible.

They'll fix things and they'll make them better, but they can't implement features they haven't even considered.

Ahh, So you're absolutely sure they're actually a bunch of monkeys set in front of keyboards then?

How are you so sure they "haven't even considered" this yet? And even if they hadn't what makes you think they would never consider it in the future...

They made a POINT of telling you that the strat-icons weren't final. that means they're on the "To-Do" list.

This is such a non-critical issue for a first release public Alpha.

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I agree with the sentiment, just not the timing.

Who's talking about first release alpha?

Please stop derailing the thread any further.

Just keep inching your goalposts around bmb, Some day you might even be able to move them by such a small amount that people won't notice.

What I'm saying is this is Beta stuff bmb, or super-late Alpha at best. You act like this should be considered right here, right now.

Things to get right in Alpha:

• Not have the Commander Teleport halfway round the globe.
• Make sure Strat-Icons show up at all.

Things to get right in Beta:

• Make sure the Strat-Icons are to everyones tastes.

Okay so start a thread about the commander bug but do not derail this one any further.

FFS.

idk nano, i'm not really in support of the OPs sentiment but alpha and prealpha definitely is the time to give critical feedback about this sort of stuff.

there's a 0% chance that this game doesnt use strategic icons but the legibility of said icons and non-strategic zooms is going to be something that is worked out in alpha.

to my (imperfect) knowledge alpha and beta go a little something like this:
alpha: fix everything
beta: fix balance, any bugs missed in alpha

I like NLIPS because you can view the stance of the unit(aiming direction, movement direction, animation state) from a really zoomed out view.