Suggestions for Interface and Gameplay

from GalCiv2 Forums
This is an excellent game. Despite a few issues I'm enjoying it immensely. I have been looking for a game to play to replace MOO2 and this is it finally. Thanks for your great work on this. I think I will enjoy playing this for some time to come.

I like the detailed design options, the great animations, the smart AI, customization options, and the depth of the gameplay. After playing I realized a few things that would help make gameplay smoother and better. Please take these into consideration. I think the only problems with this game are a few streamlining and clunkiness issues here and there.

Design:

1. An update button like the one in Space Empires 4. You click update and all your components are updated to the latest tech level you have in the same locations they are already in. This would save so much time.

2. Have a replace option so engines or other components that you want to remove can be 'switched' with newer ones. I tried to update a current design I had made to simply replace the engines for more advanced ones. I could not remove an ion engine without taking apart my design. It did not indicate which part was in the way, and it seemed like a strange requirement as the engine was not on an extra but on the ship body itself. I ended up having to redesign the ship and losing all the time I had invested in designing the first one.

3. When removing components during design, sometimes removing the second engine of identical type will replace both engines. This one seems like a bug.

4. When selecting a component in the added components list perhaps highlight it on the ship to make it quicker to find. Allow for quick removal by right clicking on the listed component to remove it.

5. Perhaps separate the design extras into marked categories or color coded for ease of use. For example: Large mass components could be red, small trinkets blue, armor gadgets green, etc.

6. Instead of a horizontal list a vertical list with more powerful options would be better. Allow for better organization of the list by category. This will make updates to the design later quicker and more efficient. Extras all in one list, engines all in one list, weapons in one list, etc. Allow a replace option that could work by selecting the current part on the ship and then clicking on the replacement part from the new techs on the left.

7. Option for saving designs. For example I created a design in a previous game that I wanted to use in my new game. Allow me to import it and if I don't have some of the techs like a more advanced engine, remove it from the imported design for the current game.


Tech:

1. When researching have the option to hide obsolete techs.

2. Change the tech tree into vertical lists that can be quickly scrolled with the mouse wheel.

Trading:

1. When trading techs with empires it would help to have something to indicate whether a technology is obsolete already in your tree. Perhaps indicate with parenthesis next to the tech (obsolete) or a button to hide all obsolete techs.

2. Rating on trades. Also, indicate the relative level of the tech in comparison to the one being traded for. This would help to make better choices when trading. Perhaps a 1 to 10 rating to signify how much in your favor the trade would be.

Refitting:

1. Allow ships that have not been launched or that are in fleets to be upgraded/refitted while in fleet or on planet. Launching each ship individually to upgrade individually can be streamlined into a one step procedure.

2. Option to Hide obsolete designs in the refit menu. I had a few ships with the same name and found it confusing when I went to refit and found all my obsolete designs listed with the current ones.


Battles:

1. I would prefer to watch the battle from the back with my forces in front with the enemy in the background. For example: like a chess board or like Rome Total War. My forces in front lined up or in formation, the enemy in back lined up or in formation in three dimensions. So like a chess board in three dimensions.


2. Formations. Since we cannot control our forces perhaps allow an option to select the fleet formation from a few options. For example battleship in middle with smaller vessels to the side or battleship in back with smaller vessels in front. Missiles on the flanks or behind the laser ships. Many possibilities here.


Bug:

1. When creating a fleet of destroyers with different tech levels I found the create fleet button created space holders (ships indicated as 0 and no picture). These could only be removed after much fussing around removing the real ships away from the 0's and then merging the 0's as a fleet and disbanding them.
ideas
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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
This is an excellent game. Despite a few issues I'm enjoying it immensely. I have been looking for a game to play to replace MOO2 and this is it finally. Thanks for your great work on this. I think I will enjoy playing this for some time to come.

I like the detailed design options, the great animations, the smart AI, customization options, and the depth of the gameplay. After playing I realized a few things that would help make gameplay smoother and better. Please take these into consideration. I think the only problems with this game are a few streamlining and clunkiness issues here and there.

Design:

1. An update button like the one in Space Empires 4. You click update and all your components are updated to the latest tech level you have in the same locations they are already in. This would save so much time.

2. Have a replace option so engines or other components that you want to remove can be 'switched' with newer ones. I tried to update a current design I had made to simply replace the engines for more advanced ones. I could not remove an ion engine without taking apart my design. It did not indicate which part was in the way, and it seemed like a strange requirement as the engine was not on an extra but on the ship body itself. I ended up having to redesign the ship and losing all the time I had invested in designing the first one.

3. When removing components during design, sometimes removing the second engine of identical type will replace both engines. This one seems like a bug.

4. When selecting a component in the added components list perhaps highlight it on the ship to make it quicker to find. Allow for quick removal by right clicking on the listed component to remove it.

5. Perhaps separate the design extras into marked categories or color coded for ease of use. For example: Large mass components could be red, small trinkets blue, armor gadgets green, etc.

6. Instead of a horizontal list a vertical list with more powerful options would be better. Allow for better organization of the list by category. This will make updates to the design later quicker and more efficient. Extras all in one list, engines all in one list, weapons in one list, etc. Allow a replace option that could work by selecting the current part on the ship and then clicking on the replacement part from the new techs on the left.

7. Option for saving designs. For example I created a design in a previous game that I wanted to use in my new game. Allow me to import it and if I don't have some of the techs like a more advanced engine, remove it from the imported design for the current game.


Tech:

1. When researching have the option to hide obsolete techs.

2. Change the tech tree into vertical lists that can be quickly scrolled with the mouse wheel.

Trading:

1. When trading techs with empires it would help to have something to indicate whether a technology is obsolete already in your tree. Perhaps indicate with parenthesis next to the tech (obsolete) or a button to hide all obsolete techs.

2. Rating on trades. Also, indicate the relative level of the tech in comparison to the one being traded for. This would help to make better choices when trading. Perhaps a 1 to 10 rating to signify how much in your favor the trade would be.

Refitting:

1. Allow ships that have not been launched or that are in fleets to be upgraded/refitted while in fleet or on planet. Launching each ship individually to upgrade individually can be streamlined into a one step procedure.

2. Option to Hide obsolete designs in the refit menu. I had a few ships with the same name and found it confusing when I went to refit and found all my obsolete designs listed with the current ones.


Battles:

1. I would prefer to watch the battle from the back with my forces in front with the enemy in the background. For example: like a chess board or like Rome Total War. My forces in front lined up or in formation, the enemy in back lined up or in formation in three dimensions. So like a chess board in three dimensions.


2. Formations. Since we cannot control our forces perhaps allow an option to select the fleet formation from a few options. For example battleship in middle with smaller vessels to the side or battleship in back with smaller vessels in front. Missiles on the flanks or behind the laser ships. Many possibilities here.


Bug:

1. When creating a fleet of destroyers with different tech levels I found the create fleet button created space holders (ships indicated as 0 and no picture). These could only be removed after much fussing around removing the real ships away from the 0's and then merging the 0's as a fleet and disbanding them.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Some quick feedback:

Tech:

1. When researching have the option to hide obsolete techs.


This option already exists - at the bottom of the research screen is a button to hide researched techs.


Battles:

1. I would prefer to watch the battle from the back with my forces in front with the enemy in the background. For example: like a chess board or like Rome Total War. My forces in front lined up or in formation, the enemy in back lined up or in formation in three dimensions. So like a chess board in three dimensions.


The last camera option is a Free Camera, so you can look at the battle from whatever POV you prefer.

2. Formations. Since we cannot control our forces perhaps allow an option to select the fleet formation from a few options. For example battleship in middle with smaller vessels to the side or battleship in back with smaller vessels in front. Missiles on the flanks or behind the laser ships. Many possibilities here.


Since it doesn't make a difference in combat resolution (all weapons have infinite range, hence no 'screening' units, etc...), you're basically asking for a cosmetic fix, right?
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Some nice ideas there. I agree with many of your suggestions. There are a couple of things you can do already that you may not realize:

4. When selecting a component in the added components list perhaps highlight it on the ship to make it quicker to find. Allow for quick removal by right clicking on the listed component to remove it


You can select a componet on the dispaly right below the ship window and it will highlite it on the ship.



7. Option for saving designs. For example I created a design in a previous game that I wanted to use in my new game. Allow me to import it and if I don't have some of the techs like a more advanced engine, remove it from the imported design for the current game.


You can do that already. Create a design, but don't place any components on it. Save the design. After you add engines, weapons and so on, rename the update to a new name such as Cruiser Mk I or whatever. Your original base design will be there for your next game.

Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The one thing I really want right now (aside from randomized civilizations/personalities) is a galactic senate leader - you know, like the one in Alpha Centauri. What bugs me about the current system is that you have no say on what issues get voted on. Every so often a new leader should get elected and if that happens to be the player, the player should get maybe 4 random options to choose from.

Failing that, it would be nice if I could contact leaders during a vote and try to sway them my way with a little bribery or bullying.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I just had a few ideas to help the player with finance, fight and research.

For research something like a view of the full research tree could be useful. About new ship design it's not possible to know what tech you already researched to unlock a ship design, mabye adding something where you can see what tech you've already reseached to unlock ships.

For the finance mabye add a system where the computer can manage finance if you want by setting priorities that the computer must follow and there is an order in the priorities that you've setted, priority 1 must be respected priority 2 respected if it's not against priority 1, etc.

To add a little realism and fairness in fights destroyed ships in defense should have an attack roll like in Axis&Allies board game first reason the dread lords they attack your fleets and they destroy everything and get out of the fight without a scratch it's a little frustrating, reason two i dont see why a ship would wait that the attacking ship fire first before attaking. There's another reason big and/or powerful fleets oftenly get out of fights, if they attack, without damage
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Ah, so that's how save ships, thanks.

I like that idea about the Senate, sounds interesting.

Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I want the ability to click and drag slide bars and have them continue dragging even if the pointer strays from the bar. Right now, if the pointer leaves the bar while scroling it, the bar stops moving, which forces you to be overly careful when scroling bars. It's quite anoying.

A bug I get is that sometimes, when upgrading a design and I want to remove compenents from the list. I'll click the compenent on the list, remove it and click again, only to see the design reset it self to the old configuration. This forces me to click on the model to select components. I should be able to do it either way I prefer.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I gotta laugh.

Don't get me wrong some of the ideas are fine and some of them might find their way into the game but if half the ideas presented were put in you would have a completely different game.

Also, when you start putting in new this and new that, you have to keep in mind the law of unintended consequences. That law is the main reason it usually takes two or more years to develop a game.

What I hope for is that the game will be refined and made to work the way the developers intended it to work. It is pretty much already there but they will keep working on it to make it even better.

I wish everyone luck in getting their ideas adopted.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I would just like to see some cool options to "terraform" class 0 planets, some of them could be like earth, but polluted so much that the strong acid rain is falling all of the time (PQ0, noone can live there, can they?) ; so you build SOMETHING, maby go there with a ship that have "atmosphere purifier" module on it, spend 5 turns there and you get a PQ2 planet with 2 green squares, 6 yellow squares for soil enhancement (because the acid rain has destroyed the soil), 1 for habitat improvement, and 3 for terraform, so it's PQ12 in the end, it would be a slow process, but it would be realy realy cool! That is a feature i would realy like to see, the game would be so much cool!

some planets could become PQ2, but without space for soil enhancement, so it would be realy a gamble, you don't know what can happen with the PQ0 planet that you are "terraforming"

i speaked about "atmosphere purifier" module in text above, there could be even more modules, like "gravity spinners" or "solar flare protectors", and you could see on each planet what is needed to make it habitable; ofcourse, some of the planets could need even two of those, and some of those would be realy uninhabitable (Jupiter, saturn and other gass giants... )
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I would like to be able to set teams and starting conditions (war) at the beginning!
Right now, we can set one team (ours) but we cant have 2vs2 or stuff like that. I'd like to be able to set up a game like starcraft = a 2vs2vs2vs2 bloodfest!!
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You guys have some really good ideas, particularly the one about 0 class planets. I haven't gotten that far yet, I'm still halfway through the tech tree so I thought it would come later. If 0 class planets stay uninhabitable forever then yes, I agree you should have some terraforming option to make them at least class 2 like you said. From there it would be slow to get it up but it would be possible.

1. I still can't get my ship designs to save in the game database. They only save for that particular game so are useless if I end up having to reload a previous save and find my design is gone.

2. "A bug I get is that sometimes, when upgrading a design and I want to remove components from the list. I'll click the component on the list, remove it and click again, only to see the design reset it self to the old configuration. This forces me to click on the model to select components. I should be able to do it either way I prefer. " - Yeah, my problem exactly too.

3. "This option already exists - at the bottom of the research screen is a button to hide researched techs." - It hides the ones you researched yes. I'll explain my problem better: I didn't research any mass drivers the entire game to focus on lasers and missiles instead. My opponents researched mass drivers. I later traded for mass drivers II and expected all the techs preceding it to disappear from my tech tree when I did 'hide researched techs'. They didn't disappear. Technically they are unresearched but since I have the newer tech they are pretty much useless as old tech takes up more space usually. So I would like to be able to hide these old techs such as mini balls i and ii etc. For Mass Drivers it's not so much of a problem since I remember but when you have the harder ones to remember it would be easy to make mistakes like researching obsolete techs. Please let me hide and remove these from the tech research list.

4. "Since it doesn't make a difference in combat resolution (all weapons have infinite range, hence no 'screening' units, etc...), you're basically asking for a cosmetic fix, right? " - Yeah... I don't think it will change the results but it would look nicer and more realistic. That would be a nice way to do battles in the next one or in a patch later down the line.

5. A faster way to repair Star Bases. I was still learning the ropes and mistook mass driver tech, shown as red, for missile tech. I was researching and installing anti missile tech and my base took a lot of damage from my enemies' mass drivers. I later figured out my mistake and started installing armor instead. My base is surviving with a lot of support from ships but I would like a way to get my base up to max faster. Perhaps with "repair bots" can come a "repair module" for starbases. Or you can throw it in with Starbase Defenses or what have you. I haven't found such a module yet so please excuse me if it's already done. I have spent a lot of constructors building up this starbase so I would hate to see it all go because my starbase can't heal faster than 1 hp every few turns . These bases are such a huge investment of capital and time that it seems the slow repair rate is iadequate in compensation.

This is really slow... a repair module or repair ability for constructors would help. Perhaps with Enchanced miniaturization and "repair bots" would come the first level repair module that would do about 10% healing per turn. The next one would come later and do aboutu 20 to 25% per turn.




Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I agree that the design options need to be streamlined a bit more. When I'm creating ship jewelery, there is a list of about 50-60 (or more) different objects I can put on, and it can be a bit tiresome trying to look through for them all. Maybe break it up into 'engines' (for those pieces of jewelery that look like engines), 'wings', 'antenna', 'lights', etc. It would make finding the specific piece you're after much easier. It would also be useful when there are hundreds of player created objects - I'm just remembering the 'parks' menu from SimCity 4, which was where every bit of city beautification was put - my list was at least two hundred long, displayed five at a time.

Really wish I could have got the special edition stuff
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Why not give an innate ability to contructors to repair space station fully and you make it work the same way as building or upgrading starbases. it happened to me too to have a very advanced starbase destroyed by the enemy
(in that case dreadlords)
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Jester, what I have found out so far is that your ships are saved under the race that you are using. If you used a custom race it should be saved. When you start a new game and go to pick your race at the bottom there should be a save/load button click on that and it should have your race saved. The ships that you have designed only work for the race that you designed that in. This is all that I have found out so far hope it helps!

Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks astartes I will try a new game and see if they are there.

Another idea I had:

|Freighter Patrols|

I have put ships in enemy trading paths set to auto attack and guard. I can't tell if it's attacking the freighters or not. I usually end up seeing the freighters pass them right by so I do it manually. I can't do that every round, it gets too tedious.

I think it would be good to have an option separate from guard, sentry, and auto attack. This option would be blockade and destroy enemy freighter routes. Your ship would stay put in one spot waiting for freighters to pass by like an ant lion waiting for ants. If they move around too much they will go into enemy defended territory where they will get destroyed. I would like to set it and forget it but have it be effective at intercepting enemy freighters.


This option would be just for freighters. So for example; if an enemy combat ship passes by without attacking your ship then your ship will let it just pass on by and stay waiting for freighters only.


1. One way to implement this is to have your ships attack any freighters that are in range at the end of every turn. If the freighter is out of range then it gets through your blockade. If the freighter stops within range and at the end of your turn it is in range your ships attack it.


2. Another way to do it. You set your ships to patrol between two points and the ship will only move and attack freighters within this area. You could have one patrol for all ships and one patrol focusing solely on enemy freighters. Once the freighter is down it comes back to the middle of the patrol line. If it figures that to reach the out of range freighter would require moving out of the patrol area then it stays put waiting for a new one to come by without extending outside the area of the patrol markings.
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I like the Trading suggestions:

In Alpha Centauri you could "consult datalinks" essentially pull up the tech tree or the game encyclopedia while in negotiations. I'm sure after you've played a few dozen times you won't need it, but for someone starting the game like me I have no idea what the Xeno *((*( is and what it might do for them.
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Jester, what I have found out so far is that your ships are saved under the race that you are using.


You're right the designs I made without engines and just the bare bones are saved when using the same race again in a new game. Thanks for your insight.

Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Maybe I am just missing it, but when viewing a planet's screen, I want someway to tell which planet it is in the galaxy via a small map.

I am constantly using the 'Go To' button when a planet finishes building a social project, then I get to the screen, and go "Hmm, does this planet need more influence" or whatever.

The only way I can figure out where the planet is in the galaxy is make note of its name, exit the planet screen, look around for that name, then go back in.

Just some sort of mini-representational map indicating where the planet I am looking at is would be helpful.
Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wow. Most of the things asked for are already there. Might help to read the Manual and play a complete game or 5 before you jump in. Might want to look at what has already been posted first. Just sugestions mind you.

Also please remember that this is GC II. Not some other game that you really wanted it to be.
Reply #20 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Wow. Most of the things asked for are already there. Might help to read the Manual and play a complete game or 5 before you jump in. Might want to look at what has already been posted first. Just suggestions mind you.

Also please remember that this is GC II. Not some other game that you really wanted it to be.


I like to get the ideas out while they're fresh in my mind. I don't need to play 5 games to figure out stuff that I can see right away. The only thing I mentioned that was already there was ship design saving. However, it only works when you play as the same race in a new game. Why not make it work in your current game? It should work regardless of the game you are in is what I'm saying. For example you play a hundred turns, you make some ship designs, you make this or that mistake some time later and decide to reload. You go to find your design and it's not there... why can't it be saved universally?

These were constructive criticisms not flames. I don't know why you have to take your attitude. I think these and the other peoples ideas are useful observations. In fact, some of us have mentioned the same observation so it's not just one person. Imagine how many people may be thinking the same thing.

What are the other ones that are already there? Please be more specific and read the follow ups that clarified before you try to belittle someone.
Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
A big change that i've thought about is that they're could be flavors of planets that each have advantages/ disadvantages which are also race specifc. IE say there's 3 different atmosphere type's, and each race loves one, can deal with another, and sucks in a third. Further maybe each type would give an advantage to research or production or weapons, or whatever.

With enough tech you would be able to overcome problems by the "bad" type of planets for your race. Also invasions would favor the race native to the type. (the bads would be poor soldering, poor use of tiles (get less), and poor economy, and morale)
Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
i still would like to see planet's names that belong to empires shown in that empire's color.