How do YOU use M/S:TW interface?

CA said they had redone the interface to make it easier to play Rome.

S & M had a magnificent, simple, intuitive, almost entirely mouse based interface that let you just concentrate on the battle.

For me, I'm battling the new interface much more than the enemy.

It seems to me that with all the complaints about camera controls, grouping & left/right click, there seems to be a disconnect between how CA play/think players play and how players actually play.

The way I use S & M + some of the issues that I see with the Rome interface:

Grouping units

Ctrl + left click on unit icons, then G to group --That works ok but I order my grouping so that I have my groups ordered from left to right, typically in this order: missile units, spears, left flank infantry, right flank infantry, cavalry.
This grouping order doesn't work with Rome because the groups are not ordered left to right = first made to last made or apparently in any logical order whatsoever ~:confused:

I never used group formations nor numbered groups because it was not necessary or didn't do what I wanted.

Camera controls
(using the TW camera setting cos RTS style outright sux)

Scroll wheel for vertical movement --Works ok
Upper 2/3 of the sides for camera rotation --Works ok
Lower 1/3 of the sides for camera strafe --Actually still there using TW camera setting but its less than 1/3. Not too much of a problem I guess.
Upper & lower side for forward & backward Works ok
Right click/right click & drag to alter camera angle --Gone! have to use keyboard. This was a core mouse command. ALL camera controls should be mouse driven ~:pissed:

The camera seems to not go as high as it used to? --Intentional maybe but if we are on unrestricted camera, it should really be unrestricted.

Unit movement

Left click to move a unit/attack --Now right click

Left click & drag a group/unit to reform (location/depth/facing/all)--Now right click & drag but with the complication that to get a group to do it properly, you now have to use the line group formation. This is a biggie problem. Left click & drag of a G group was my most used command other than camera movement ~:doh:
I NEVER used group formations before but now I ALWAYS have to ~:dizzy:

Routing

After routing, units now leave their control group which means you don't know where they are or should be.
Entirely white flag for routers regardless of side means you can't tell if its your router or theirs.
Makes the game harder to play ~:mecry:

Selecting units

Left click the group bar to select --Works ok
Left click unit icon --Works ok
Left click unit on battlefield --Works ok

I never used the drag box to select units.
Ever.
Its just not practical for a game where the units & camera hardly ever line up in a way that a drag box is useful & where you generally want to select specific units for a specific task (flank/missile/skirmish/cavalry) rather than a mob.
But now its the prime interface ie left click & drag?!?!?! ~:argue:

Its really hard to tell what units are selected from the icon highlight, ugh.

Unit info

Counting chevrons is not fun. Numbers was nice & easy & quick.
No indicator for fatigue! ~:confused:

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So, is this how other people play M & S or do you all use group formations & stuff & I'm just some wierdo? ~:wacko:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hoom

Routing

After routing, units now leave their control group which means you don't know where they are or should be.
Entirely white flag for routers regardless of side means you can't tell if its your router or theirs.
Makes the game harder to play ~:mecry:

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What's so bad about that? Routing units completely lose their organisation and coherance and literally turn around and flee, and they have represented this confusion in the game by doing this.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GFX707

What's so bad about that? Routing units completely lose their organisation and coherance and literally turn around and flee, and they have represented this confusion in the game by doing this.

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It's bad because you have NO IDEA if you are marginally winning the battle or losing it anymore. Personally, I'd like to know if their center is breaking or not by looking on the battlemap, and not by hovering my mouse over their units to realize "hahahha victory is mine!". ~:)

Plus there is always the time when I send my cav to chase down routers--and I discover they are my own. It wastes time.

The interface is not supposed to get in the way of gameplay. If you enjoy having routers look like each other, then CA should include an option like "identify routers by using colored flags", and you can turn it off.

I really wish RTW would give us more choices on the interface then the demo.

The Right click drag is still in the game... simply open up the prefrences file scroll down to classic control or something similar and change it to true... ~:p

Yes, but you then lose the ability to position troops with drag & drop then as that is right click now.
Classic UI needs to replace the left click & drag selection box with left click & drag unit/group placement.
Otherwise its useless.