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View Full Version : Planet and Ship Menu suggestions (Devs please read)



Supamand
05-31-2012, 04:20 AM
As my empire grew beyond 100 planets, it's becoming a real challenge to manage things.
I have few ideas on improving the interface menu of planets and ships and would appreciate to get some feedback from developers ;)

Planet Menu:

Clean up:
1."planet details" on the bottom left feels almost useless because all useful details are already listed next to each planet on the list. I would remove it and create UI space for other things.

2. At the bottom right an enlarger rotating planet shows up, it's really is not needed. Remove and create space for other UI controls :D
(keep the button for the sector view at the veerryy bottom right, by far it's the most frequently used button ;) )
3. Planet guide. I love it and I hate it at the same time. It would be worth keeping it here if the planet information is corrected and expended in explanation of each parameter. Otherwise I would move this tab to settings or help menu's.

Update to "Sort:" tab:

This tab is pretty neat and does provide your basic filters, but I think it should be expended to contain options like:
1. Planets with trade routs
2. Planets with out trade routs
3. Planets with harvesting routs
4. Planets with out harvesting routs
5. Planets with "idle" ships/fleets (because the general information that shows all fleets and ships could be useless because most of those ships are probably in AI mode).
6. Planets with highest CO growth (including from harvesting & trade).
7. Planets with highest RO growth (including harvesting and trading)
*note: items 6&7 could be an average growth value that is average out on income per hour basis.
8. Make filters to select from a scroll menu, rather then clicking.

Update to "Type:" tab:

I kinda liked this tab at first, and it's useful for bragging rights. But wile occupying 5-6 galaxies, this tab almost never used. So I suggest to implement the following options to it (or make a new filter tab):

1. Planets in galaxy 0,0
2. Planets in galaxy 0,1
3...... And so on, you get the idea ;)

Add a "Favorite" tab on top (next to "All", "colonies" and "outpost" tabs), which will show any planets that a player manually flagged during an exploration (this would also require a "favorite" added in system view. )
This menu would only show planets not owned by player, if a player to colonies the planet or place an outpost, it would automatically be removed from a "favorite" list.
This will have multiple purposes:
Trade, future colony/outpost planing, combat planing.


Updates for Scrollable planet list in the middle of screen:

1. Add some type of symbol next to a spinning planet, indicating that the planet is being harvested.
2. Add some type of symbol to indicate that a planet has trade routs.
3. Add some type of symbol for planet that's sustained an attack within 24 hours.


New UI tabs (in the clear space at the bottom):
1. Factory Display/Control tabs, which would allow you to see what's being built at the planet and would allow you to go straight to the factory build menu.

2. Fleet/ship display and control. This tab would only show "idle" ships and fleets and would allow you to assign an action (move, trade route, colonize, set outpost, harvest, etc..) without leaving the planet menu.

*note: These tabs and displays would appear once a planet is selected in planet menu.


Ship Menu:

I know there are some fixes that are being worked on to fix fleets and other bugs. So I will have to comment on this one at a later time.


Please read let me know if any ideas are possible.

Thanks

Supamand
05-31-2012, 11:32 PM
I guess long posts take a wile to digest :D

zarkwizard
05-31-2012, 11:36 PM
Actually it's in the wrong forum. I'll move it to suggestions. I generally spend 90% of my time looking at the Suggestions forum, and the Tech Support forum, and when I have a little spare time I'll scan the rest. I just saw this now.

Supamand
06-01-2012, 12:26 AM
Thank you Zark. I'm using the forum app to post things and there is a big that will only let you post in the general forum :(

Wrath
06-01-2012, 02:24 AM
I'm all in favour of anything that will get me to the factory display quicker!! :)

Noah David
06-05-2012, 02:56 PM
I added a * as the first character of my primary colonized planets so they sort to the top of the list. What I don't like is having to click the Sort button every time I log in to make it go to Sort by Alpha (i usually don't care to sort by ships).

GeeWhiz
06-05-2012, 10:37 PM
Definitely need some marking tools for sectors. Very hard to plan where I need to set up harvesting routes, attacks etc.

As empire grows it is starting to feel like a job to simply make plans and I refuse to use paper & pen (especially being in more than one game).

Not sure if it just me but it would be helpful to be able to select an ally and have their sectors be a different color than red or blue.

Niwininon
06-10-2012, 11:10 AM
Here some suggestions on how to improve the ship UI.

- a "destination" button that would allow to travel to another planet directly by selecting the ship in the ship menu
- while in orbit of a planet, instead of showing the coordinates, show the name of the planet. That would make things much easier
- show the currently transported trade resources for trade vessels
- being able to name ships not only fleets
- also sector-level navigation would be a great idea, i.e. being able to select a ship on sector level, rather than only on planetary level in order to give commands

Furthermore customizable ships would be an idea, however I guess a debatable one.