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NeilN
NeilN
Join Date 05/2002
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User Interface/Functionality Enhancements

May 11, 2008 12:20:37 PM from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
With the new expansion, I've gotten back into GalCiv2 after about an year and have some comments about the user interface:

1) Supposedly there's an option to keep functional components when you're upgrading a ship but for the life of me, I cannot find it.  When I'm designing a ship upgrade I want all the functional components to stay in place and the available hull space to be recalculated based on my current miniaturization tech level.  Even better would be adding an option which allows me to optionally upgrade components with newer versions (e.g., replace Laser II with Laser V).

2) When a ship is guarding a starbase you can't see how many components are available to be upgraded.  Maybe place this number above the starbase?

3) Similarily, right now I have no idea which asteroid fields can be mined further besides having to click on each one. A number  shown above the field would be very helpful.  BTW, is there any reason why a miner has to move off/on, off/on, etc. to improve an asteroid field through to Mining III?

4) This has bugged me since GalCiv I.  Please, please, please add a button to the Colony Management screen that pops up a screen showing where the planet is on a galaxy mini-map. Using the current mini-map (showing the info the player has chosen) is fine; a bigger version would be better.
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NeilN
smakemupagus
Join Date 02/2007
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Reply #1 May 11, 2008 2:47:26 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Agree especially with your #4. To add a UI peeve of my own, you should be able to issue the same move command to multiple selected fleets and have them all execute the order.

re: 1), it's somewhere on the options menu. Uncheck "remove function components on ship upgrade" or something like that.

re: 3), you're right that there's no number, but the graphic changes in a pretty noticable way as the mine upgrades. Also you don't have to move on/off, the miner has an "improve" command which does what you want.
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NeilN
NeilN
Join Date 05/2002
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Reply #2 May 11, 2008 4:44:36 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Re: 1) Finally found it. I was looking at the Game tab when it was on the Interface tab.

Re: 3) Thanks for the improve command tip. I usually play at a zoom level where the graphic changes aren't noticeable (to me anyways). Making them more distinctive would be helpful.
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NeilN
Zyxpsilon
Join Date 02/2006
+80
Reply #3 May 11, 2008 5:19:56 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
2) Not sure exactly why you'd want this. As soon as you click on that Starbase, the UI bottom central info box has everything listed there for you to consult. Stacked items, many values, modules, etc. One extra line of text underneath the new 'X modules available' might be a solution as i can see why two superimposed data lines would corrupt the intended information.

4) You can indirectly force the engine to display the focused Planet once you exit the listings... but, not exactly straight INTO the management screen & pre-formatted ON a pseudo mini-map. Although, I wonder if it would easy for coders to provide certain areas (not only the Minimap or a new 'Maximap', btw!) with the usual 'OS driven stay-on-top' feature defined as optional or limited to certain gameplay context(s) by choice - which could do what you want directly. Things would sure get a little more cluttered on that spreadsheet though!
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NeilN
NeilN
Join Date 05/2002
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Reply #4 May 11, 2008 6:12:47 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
2) The "x modules available" line is what I'm talking about. It disappears when a ship is Guarding the starbase.

4) When I click a "x has been built" notification icon it takes me straight into the Colony Management screen (very nice). Trouble is, sometimes I have no idea where the planet is located in the galaxy (especially in the latter stages of a game) and have to exit the screen, locate the planet, and re-enter the screen.
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NeilN
Zyxpsilon
Join Date 02/2006
+80
Reply #5 May 11, 2008 8:43:45 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
4)Oh, then you meant the *Planetary* Management screen where the surfaces are being worked on. Right, there is no way to locate planet X without exiting; which doesn't contradict the 'stay-on-top' suggestion i've made (but then again, the regular mini-map would actually HIDE the currently building project box at bottom-right - arrrghh!). Another solution would be to just create the necessary space (new or by re-arranging the current layout of items) to provide this option. The box where the planet itself spins might be a good choice either via a toggle or simply optioned off/on, i guess. Dunno if that would be big enough for larger maps though unless a proportional resizing can be applied to whatever & where it could be inserted in a new screen.
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NeilN
NeilN
Join Date 05/2002
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Reply #6 May 11, 2008 10:34:28 PM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Well the screen title says Colony Management so that's what I used

The mini-map doesn't always have to show on this screen. Just be easily accessible without having to exit.
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NeilN
Zyxpsilon
Join Date 02/2006
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Reply #7 May 12, 2008 2:14:29 AM
from GalCiv II ForumsGalCiv II Forums
Yep, i know... it's just me & my wacky brain. Just the tabs in the (well, see - another memory slip) x?x screen where we get the listed planets, graphs, etc sometimes feels more like a *Colony Management* area also!

Nevertheless, a series of very small symbolic shortcuts (such as the Events/bottom row) could do the trick in a number of places including what you asked for. An indirect layer of relevant popping windows called by a single click similar to the main interface hideout to barsize.
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