What do you all think about the interface?

People who got the game, what do you all think about the interface?

I thought that the new interface in the demo was a step backwards compared to earlier TW games. Things like no slidebar, smaller unitcards, no indication who is winning, etc. annoyed me quite a bit.


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well - im not sure, but ive never actually enjoyed playing battles - and now i do

they actually compliment the strategy map

i really enjoy them and i am glad that CA got rid of the old controls and style

i know, im a blashphemer

It is starting to grow on me. Most of us tend to have a negative reaction towards new trends and changes that affect things we already like. Many of the unit commands have remained the same for example [control] = [G] still groups units (with a tab above the group represented by a roman numeral... I wonder if there are hotkeys for selecting groups by number? hmmm... experimenting shortly) and [control] + [C] stilll selects all cavalry units and so on and so forth. left click select/right click move is also starting to grow on me as I have averted quite a few errors in marching orders while trying to select various units in the heat of battle. The only two concerns I have currently are that I am having difficulty making selected units charge an enemy instead of merely advancing (sometimes a doublclick charges and other times a single click is needed :dizzy2: ) and it is difficult to tell from the unit panel which units are highlighted when they are selected.

So far, I find the unit flags hard to interpret during the battles. I'll appreciate the grouping more when I can get them to move as a unit.

The way they've tied the campaign and battle maps together is really brilliant --- you don't feel like you're playing to entirely different games.

As for the details of interface, the only thing I notice is that I'm not using the pause button at all, where I did loads in MTW. I know that's counter to what should be happening since charges are fast, cavalry flank charges are deadly, etc... but there's a great sense of flow to the battles that's very easy to get caught up in if you just group your units to the right granularity and set their formation.

The one thing on the battlemap level that is really irritating is that sometimes when you hit the 'R' button to make troops run and you're not watching them, the boot either lights up when it should have been turned off, or doesn't light up when it should have.

My first impression is negative regarding the new interface. Specifically, I dont like the little buttons (too small really to use) and the lack of speed slider. These to me are really annoying.

The cut scenes are fun though.

I like the new interface but I have 3 critiques:

1. having to group units to put them in a group formation just plain sucks
2. No more speed slider (and lack of speed changing hot keys)
3. The mini-map is too big and is mostly useless except to see routing units. (the zoom levels are completly useless)

depends on if you're talking about the tactical interface or the campaign one. lots of folks seem to be reporting they saw no reason to change the tactical from the mtw one.

and the campaign one is nice, except i find that there are times i wish the map would swivel so you could find 'hidden' agents better. i'd also like to be able to zoom in a touch further and zoom out a touch further, also.

K.

Yeh, campaign map interface is a vast improvement over S&M ( :whip: )

But I see no good reason for the changes to the battle interface (other than cosmetic)

I want my damn right click camera centre command!
I also want my damn left click & drag out a group of units & I want it to work regardless of where the units are on the field & I want the right click while doing it that helps to get them all in the right depth/width ratio :furious3:
Likewise I want groups to line up at the bottom in order of grouping ie furtherst left group = group1, then group2 --> groupn

:furious3: So many new cool things but at the expense of the best features.

The gods they giveth but also they taketh away ~:mecry:

Here here!!!


Now I need to cry. :bigcry: :bigcry: :bigcry: :bigcry:

I don't mind it too much. Sure there are some gripes (slider bar, grouping probs...) but a lot of the gripes will probably be fixed in the first patch. Also I have come to really like the right clicking thing, it does save problems and once you get used to it I think it's actually better. Although I still prefer the MTW combat UI. Best would be MTW UI with the new right-click movement and it would awesome.

The interface is great!! Except for a couple of things:

1. Minimap. Those little "star trek" arrows aren't very functional. However it adds dificulty which I like.

2. Maybe move a couple of buttons here and there. For example when I look up the trade breakdown for provinces, the buttons for the second scroll is all the way to the left. Why not just put them in the right along the close parchment button? :embarassed: That way I don't have to move my mouse coast to coast all the time.

3. When pause and I double click my units, it doesn't go behind the unit instead I get unit description parchment ~:confused: I have to fish out the unit card which is highlighted white!!! ~:eek: It disrupts the flow of the battle.
:inquisitive:

That's from the top of my head. I'm currently making a list of pros and cons of the game and I may post it soon once I get enough.

Strategic map UI is very good. Some non-intuitive stuff bothers me.

Tactical map UI has a fair number of non-intuitive features. I love setting up, selecting all, then forgetting to group-all before I advance :whip:

Left and right click feel backwards to me on both the strategic and tactical maps.