Re: Snapshot 7.1.91, and general remarks

[jdunson@vt.edu (James R Dunson)]

At 7:31 PM 5/14/97, Stan Shebs wrote:
>   Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 11:58:19 +0200
>   From: Marcus Schrattenholzer <1schratt@informatik.uni-hamburg.de>
>   Also, while playing these huge maps, I noticed the subtleties of
>   delaying and selecting the next awake mover. Frequently Xconq scrolls to
>   southeastern Asia while you're engaged with an invasion at the English
>   Canal. I don't know the ultimate solution, but I think a lot could be
>   improved by making *any* unit selectable via the mid mouse button. I
>   think it is apparent that you really want to do something with a unit
>   which you explicitly click on, may it be asleep or delayed or whatever.
>   Also, after rescaling the map it should be automatically centered around
>   the current unit.
>
>I've experimented with ways to deal with large maps and large numbers
>of units for some years now, and still don't have anything entirely
>satisfactory.

  This is indeed a complex issue, and the "best" answer(s) will vary
for individuals with different play-styles, and for games of different
time/technology/genre.  For something as generic as Xconq, it should
probably be player-controlled, with some sort of default style
set by the scenario.

  Personally, I prefer to select units manually in the order I
want to handle them.  Convienent hotkeys would do things like
the following: (Note: [Modifier] and [OtherModifier] are things
like [Shift], [Control], [Alt], etc.)

* Set the "locked" unit (new feature) to the currently selected
unit.

* Unset the locked unit.  This could also be done as a modifier key
on the above.

* Select the next of my units *of the same type as the current unit* that
has actions left and is not asleep; preferring those that are in the same
hex, then those that are on screen.  [Modifier]-[this hotkey] would include
slept units.  Same-hex and on-screen are relevant to the current current
unit, not the original current unit.  [OtherModifier]-[this hotkey]
would work in reference to the locked unit, rather than the selected
unit, and same-hex and on-screen would continue to be in reference to
the locked unit.  Both modifiers should combine logically.

* As above, but remove the "of the same type as the current/locked
unit" clause (this could be done as yet a different modifier, but

* Select the next of my units that has actions left and is not asleep,
and is capable of launching an attack against the currently selected
enemy unit; preferring those that are in the same hex,
then those that are on screen.  [Modifier]-[this hotkey] would include
slept units.  Same-hex and on-screen are relevant to the current current
unit, not the original current unit.  [OtherModifier]-[this hotkey]
would work in reference to the locked unit, rather than the selected
unit, and same-hex and on-screen would continue to be in reference to
the locked unit.  Both modifiers should combine logically.

* Center the map on the current unit.  [Modifier]-[this hotkey] would
do so and possibly adjust the map scale: if the currently selected unit
is one of mine and after recentering there would be no enemy units on
screen, increase the map scale such that there is one on screen, if
possible.  If the currently selected unit is an enemy unit and after
recentering there would be none of my units on screen, increase the map
scale such that there is one on screen, if possible.  [OtherModifier]-
[this hotkey] would  work in reference to the locked unit, rather than
the currently selected one.   Both modifiers should combine logically.

* Adjust the map scale: if the currently selected unit is one of mine
and there are no enemy units on screen, increase the map scale such that
there is one on screen, if possible.  If the currently selected unit is
an enemy unit and there are none of my units on screen, increase the map
scale such that there is one on screen, if possible.  [Modifier]-
[this hotkey] would do so and also recenter the
map halfway between the selected unit and the unit newly brought on
screen.  [OtherModifier]-[this hotkey] would  work in reference to the
locked unit, rather than the currently selected one.   Both modifiers
should combine logically.

  Menu-selectable options might include:

* Switch the default behavior of [OtherModifier]; ie, without would
now work in reference to the locked unit, and with would work in
reference to the currently selected unit.

* Adjust which modifiers (shift, control, alt, option, command, meta,
whatever) are considered to be [Modifier] and [OtherModifier].

* Adjust what counts as an "enemy" unit for purposes of the above keys
that refer to them.  (Checkboxes for the different sides, and perhaps
an option to ignore units that neither moved nor fired in either the
current turn or the last one.)

* Adjust what to do if there is no locked unit set and an action is
taken that refers to it; choices being nothing at all, beep, screen
flash, or just use the currently selected unit.  If this is
set to beep, and the sound is turned off, change it to screen flash.

* Change "preferring those on-screen" to a strict distance preferrence.
This is important if you have units near the edge of the displayed
map.  On a system where a map re-draw is "costly", you probably want
the prefer-on-screen; on systems where it is trivial, you probably
want the prefer-pure-distance.

  Hopefully this will provide some food for discussion.  I have another
post I'm mulling over that goes into what "next unit" could mean,
which looks to be a pretty complex issue.

** James **

James R Dunson
jdunson@vt.edu