[Beta 4] UI Suggestions

from Elemental Forums

I have played several games, and started and never finished countless more. I wanted to make some suggestions to make the game easier to understand and play. Most of them have to do with the new way city enchantments are handled.

 

  • In the Enchantments tab, it would be helpful if the enchantments were listed alphabetically by city. That makes handling large amounts of cities easier. Right now they are listed by the order in which they are cast, which does not help very much.
  • On the cloth map, it would be much easier if the city title and building tab were still displayed (the same one as zoomed in). I found myself trying to zoom out to get a good look at what my cities were doing, but the cloth map does not provide any useful city information.
  • Also with the city title and building tabs, it can be difficult to tell how many enchantments a city can have cast on it. A simple change would be to have empty circles where the enchantments could go, and as you cast enchantments their icon appears as normal, filling in the circle. This is an easy reminder to cast enchantments on cities.
  • I don't know how, but it would nice if there was an easier way to see when a resource could be upgraded. Perhaps a little upgrade arrow present on the tile.
  • When an improvement gets destroyed, a pop up tells you vaguely where it got destroyed. It would be helpful if there was an option to zoom to the improvement.
  • When a city is selected, as well as when it upgrades, it would be nice if you could clearly see the city type (town, conclave, fortress) so the player has a better idea of what to build there.
  • When left side city icons are hovered over, please show what is being built and the type of city. When idle, tell what bonuses are being created.

 

These not UI changes, but things I would like to see changed.

  • When building cities on river elbows, allow piers and other river buildings to be built.
  • When upgrading outposts, please limit the amount of upgrades (perhaps start at one, and more are unlocked in tech to a maximum of 3). Also, it is very unintuitive that their upgrades take up the que in the whatever city it is closest to. Please just make them cost money and resources.
  • There are three city placement values: essence, grain, and materials. But since essence can give cities 5 material and 1 grain per essence, essence is incredibly strong. I would suggest changing the spells or making essence more common and balancing it with the other values more.

Really enjoying this beta, looking forward to the next!

2,913 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

 

These not UI changes, but things I would like to see changed.


When building cities on river elbows, allow piers and other river buildings to be built.
When upgrading outposts, please limit the amount of upgrades (perhaps start at one, and more are unlocked in tech to a maximum of 3). Also, it is very unintuitive that their upgrades take up the que in the whatever city it is closest to. Please just make them cost money and resources.
There are three city placement values: essence, grain, and materials. But since essence can give cities 5 material and 1 grain per essence, essence is incredibly strong. I would suggest changing the spells or making essence more common and balancing it with the other values more.
Really enjoying this beta, looking forward to the next!
End of quote

Right on the same page with you. Have recommended the same things.

  • Limit the number if upgrades an outpost can have (for the current outpost system) or refer to https://forums.elementalgame.com/430009 for an EXCELLENT idea....though it would obviously mean a great deal more work for Stardock.
  • Essence is powerful....which means that those who have it...win. I agree that every city should be able to at least obtain access to +1. This of course does not have to be easy....but it should eventually be possible. This will balance the game out alot. See https://forums.elementalgame.com/429805/page/1/#3212976 for details.
Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

There are three city placement values: essence, grain, and materials. But since essence can give cities 5 material and 1 grain per essence, essence is incredibly strong. I would suggest changing the spells or making essence more common and balancing it with the other values more.
End of quote

First off, its 5 production per essence ;).

I think it would be way better to limit the enchants to not stack with how much essence there is in the city (Say enchanted hammers gives +10 production, Nature's Bounty gives +1 Grain). The  current system favours a 3 essence start for massive research, and since all enchants stacks with how much essence a city has, and each city can have as many enchantments as they have essence, it gets to be a tremendously powerfull force if you have more than 1 or 2, but not really too big a deal once you only have 1 or 2.
I also hope to see less stuff that grants more essence, to make it more special.

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

I am glad those last few points are being discussed seriously elsewhere. They are pretty important.

Any comments on the UI stuff? Essence and city specialization add a lot of new mechanics that many aspects of the UI does not take into account.

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

Hi again Naid, I cant have my bird-brain to reply to everything posted on a multitopic thread at once, so I usually only take a part of the thread and focus on that, to comment on the UI stuff.

Took out a bit of your post and numbered it, consider the other ideas good and agreed with ;)



1: In the Enchantments tab, it would be helpful if the enchantments were listed alphabetically by city. That makes handling large amounts of cities easier. Right now they are listed by the order in which they are cast, which does not help very much.

2: Also with the city title and building tabs, it can be difficult to tell how many enchantments a city can have cast on it. A simple change would be to have empty circles where the enchantments could go, and as you cast enchantments their icon appears as normal, filling in the circle. This is an easy reminder to cast enchantments on cities.

3: When a city is selected, as well as when it upgrades, it would be nice if you could clearly see the city type (town, conclave, fortress) so the player has a better idea of what to build there.

End of quote

1: You can already make the enchantment list sort by alphabet, source, upkeep, and... something else :S... by clicking the tabs up top.

2: There are already markings on the overview of the city, tiny half-circles carved into the city's title overview thingie, (the big sign hanging over each city when not in cloth map view, with name on it etc.)

3: I agree with this, except I also want to see grain, materials and essence of the upgrading city! :D

Sincerely
~ Kongdej