Feedback requested for POA-2

[Dr Zaius]

Scott is looking to get some feedback on the current state of the sim. He is no looking for a bunch of new "wish list" items, he wants your feedback on how the interface and overall feel of the game can be improved. Right now POA-2 seems more difficult to play than it should be and he wants to make it easier and more user-friendly.

What do you like about the interface? What don't you like? Do you have specific suggestions for improvements?

With that in mind, at this point I’m also open to any concrete suggestions you have that will make POA-2 easier to play. For example, three things I’m considering right now are:

1. New Orders Mode (button) to move formations (of a certain level and above - in fact only those HQ units would show up on the map).
2. New Orders Mode (button) to Set Target SOP’s for an entire formation - similar to above.
3. In targeting mode - option to use a map overlay to show what locations/enemy units the currently selected weapon can engage.

So if you have a “pet peeve” where something is a pain in the neck or you don’t know what’s going on, please let me know what it is and how you would like to see it taken care of. Depending on how detailed it is, I’ll see if I can get it in.

The way I would like to handle this is for members to post their comments here and then send a copy to Scott. Be sure you send them directly to Scott as Greg is now gone. scott@hpssims.com

 

[RobAPol]

Heres my pickups that I have sent to Scott:

'1. Overall a <LOT> more stable than the original release. Very few C++ exceptions occur now.

2. The 'How Do I?' menu item is in the wrong place and clutters up the interface. It should ideally appear under the Help menu.

3. Dialog window clicks between each move is excessive! You get asked at least 3 times to save your game!!! And then you get a further dialog pop up with the turn number. I recomend dropping the save dialogs altogether. If a player wants to save the game they will do it of their own volition from the main menu. You could still leave the reminder for a save before exit though. The turn number can be displayed in the status bar so that there is no need to display a dialog informing the player what turn they are on.

4. Combat resolution dialog box always gets in the way! I run a 2 monitor setup at 1280x1024 each and the dialog still gets in the way! If you drag it to the spare screen it forgets its postion when next invoked. I think this dialog window should be replaced by a memo box with a vertical scroll bar. It should either occupying the top right of the upper toolbar, or occupy a little screen real estate onlong the bottom of the main window. Doesn't have to be too tall as players only read the current report as it comes in. If they want to view the others then they can use the vertical scroll bar.

5. The program seems to lack 'snap' when you click on one of your units. Even on a fast machine it can take the best part of a second or two for the computer to obtain that units movement paths and have it selected. This can get a little irritating especially as the majority of mouse clicks in a game are unit selects.

6. The ability to set SOP for entire formations. As an example, currently infantry seem to have a default SOP that lets them think that an AFV is a valid target at over 1600mtrs with an M16!!! I normally go around my units at the begining of the game and have to set each of their engagement ranges which can take a long time.

7. Map scrolls a little too slow.

8. The ability to issue commands to unit hierarchies would be a cool feature.

9. I know this one is nigh on impossible because of the coding required, but it would be very cool that when the tooltip pops up for a unit you get information on who is the intelligence source.

10. Overall I like the interface. It makes a lot more sense (at least to me) than for instance ATF's menu system. I don't think much needs changing here.'


RobP

 

[RobAPol]

Reference to my pickup No4, I think another way of display the combat resolution data is on the same pane as the unit hierarchy tree. This pane will now be a tabbed pane that will automatically switch to the 'action' tab when displaying results. If the player then wants to look at the hierarchy they just click teh hierarchy tab. With this system it could even hold all the text for the entire battle as you never need to free its insatnce for the duration of the game.

RobP

 

[tws71669]

I definetly aggree that a "Detected By" mouse over is needed. How else can I develope my intel if I don't know from my intel team what's working and what's not?
Granted that info should be influenced by FOW just like anything else. But it sure would be helpful.
A

 

[WNourse]

A couple of things that would be helpful - similar to some of the above of that have been mentioned in other threads:

Display of spotting by unit - could be similar to the LOS button so that you would click on the tool, then click on the unit and see which enemy units it can detect/see/target

Default ROF setting - this often seems to be a problem - tank main gun set at 134 rpm? This could/should be settable as SOP

This may be wish-list, but formations would be nice to have - e.g. be able to define formation for platoon/company/battalion level and maintain formation during movement

Finally, as someone who ends up using the scenario-builder for battles against the AI almost exclusively, some explanation of the AI's mechanics/key values would be helpful.

Other than that - I definitely agree with Rob's comments above.

Will

 

[tws71669]

Reworking of victory conditions....
I mean, being able to specify that some units must be on station for a certain amount of time, or that a certain amount or type of unit(s) must survive. Or that a soecific type of unit(S) must be destroyed to a certain percentage.
This would make "defend" or "transit/convoy" missions have more meaning.

 

[tws71669]

Here is what I emailed Scott....


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Hi Scott,
I heard from Don Maddox you were interested in some wish list items for future builds of POA2.
I've given this some thought and I have two suggestions.

1- Some form of information regarding the detection of enemy units. This way I would know what of my intel resources are working and how better to employ them. "Detected by" as a mouseover information box would be a thought.

2- Alternate victory conditions beyond just objectives. I would like to see certain goals like percentage amount of unit X must survive or percentage amount of unit Y must be destroyed. This would better reflect mission ineffetiveness and attrition of an enemy and also force commanders to think about force preservation beyond just VP's for units. It also makes a convoy transit mission clearer.
There would also be a "Time on Station" victory condition that would include having certain units in a certain area for a specific amount of time or safely exiting the map.

3- Civilian colors switched to yellow and the oppurtunity for multiple sides beyond just two. Each with thier own "posture" towards the other sides. This would be interesting for peacekeeping ops and also partisan units.

That's what I can think of now.
Talk later,
Tim
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[Dr Zaius]

I sent this:

1. I don’t like the way the “Combat Phase window” pops up. This needs to be integrated into the interface as a whole. Take a look at how Decisive Action does it. The current implementation is just too cumbersome and blocks up the screen.
2. I’m not sure what can be done for optimizing the code, but the program as a whole is a massive hog. I use a custom built Alienware PC that I had built for the express purpose of gaming and POA-2 slows it to a crawl.
3. The menu on the RH side that display the units could be improved. For one thing, does this really need to be on-screen as a default setting? How about having this pop up like the similar menu that Armored Task Force uses? It clutters up the screen and still seems somewhat non-intuitive (even when using composite units).
4. Not sure exactly what the “shading” is supposed to do. Perhaps I am using this wrong, but the Area LOS button only seems to produce LOS info in hexes adjacent to the original unit.
   

 

[cbelva]

Reply to Don's above:

1. I agree. I have suggested to Scott that he intergrate it into window that shows the force tree. However, I don't think that Scott is going to do so. As of build 160, he has reordered it so that it pops up over the force tree which is better. I would like to see the movement window intergrated into the force tree window too.

2. I agree whole heartedly.

3. The menu on the RH side can be turned off with a setting under the Display menu.

4. I had the same problem until I found a setting under the Preferences menu which allows you to adjusts the size of the area shown for area LOS.

 

[tws71669]

I would also like to be able to print out my OOB and mission orders. Or at least export them to a .txt file.
Sometimes I am planning battles away from my computer... it would be helpful to have that info handy.