Suggestion regarding left click and interactions

I second this! We don't want to scare new players away and having them kill a Champion they were trying to recruit will only frustrate them.

It just seems like it would make more sense and be easier/quicker to do.  

Yea I agree, Im new to Elemental and find hiring NPC very difficult, Ive killed everyone ive tried to hire. The left click on a NPC with an option would be a good idea, save confusion.

Anyway how do you hire someone rather than starting a fight? And How can you tell if its another faction or someone you can hire?

Yeah, I ran into this as well on my first few games. Would make sense if the default left click action for non-aggresive units would be something other than attack.

I needed also some time to figure this out.

To hire somebody just left click on the NPC while they are either near to your sovereign our with in the borders of your realm.

Then you have the option to hire the character if you have enough money and to look at the details of the character, e.g. if he is an adventurer, merchant, researcher or what ever...

I rather not have a default at all, what i think would make the most sense:

after you left click on any NPC a little mini-menu (with a nice gui) pop up right above the mouse giving you the option to:

kill

hire (if applicable)

move 

or more infore

(something like this)

Yea, the mini-menu would be intuitive, ala Civ IV's Shift-Leftclick, except:

• Left-click = Select Unit (then click actions at bottom)
• Right-click = Attack if hostile (spider/etc.).  If neutral, show mini-menu (below).
• Shift-click = Show mini-menu.  This lists all actions available at bottom (Details, Attack, etc.).  This makes "What can I do with X?" more immediately to the user because he's focused on the mouse (not the bottom of the screen).

Ideally, Right/Shift-click mini-menus would also be available for objects on the map (City, Oasis, etc.).

Part of the confusion might also happen because it's hard to differentiate between the different types of NPCs wandering the map.  In something like Civ IV:

• Unmarked = Barbarian (usually aggressive)
• Colored flag = Other Kingdom/Empire.

In Elemental, it's not as simple because a lot of the NPCs are neutral but hireable.  This makes for a lot of NPCs on the map.  It would help to have clear visual indicators based on NPC type.  Either colored flags or circles at their feet, e.g.:

• White = Neutral but can be hired.
• Black = Neutral but aggressive (rat, spider, troll, etc.).
• Kingdom/Empire color = NPC belongs to a Kingdom/Empire (neutral/aggressive depending on war).

Left clicking selects them. Right click issues a move/attack order to your current selection. I'm not sure how that could be a problem unless you've got your mouse set to left-handed and not everything is respecting that setting.

I think what he means is that right clicking on a person should give you the option of talking to them or slaughtering them.

( I made the mistake as well.)

I just accidentally killed a champion I was trying to recruit with that 'counter-intuitive' right-click. Ended up jumping two levels, but that was probably luck of combat and not exactly what I'd wanted.

I definitely like the idea of a tiny context menu for right-clicks on non-hostile units; that would include units from other kingdoms and empires during peacetime.

i only made this mistake once. First time playing.

But i do think its bad gaming Etiquette.

right click on a neutral person automatically attacks them and doesnt intereact? hmmm 

So I'm not the only person having some kinda deja-vu here?

I, personally, have no issue with the 'left-click to interact, right click to attack' functionality.