Slitherine

UPDATED FOR JUNE 16 11th BETA RELEASE.

As we draw closer to release, I thought it would be a good idea to make a list.
First post of this thread is for critical need to have, features.
Second post lists items that would be nice to have, but may have to wait for DLC or expansions.
Any items partially implemented have been marked with italics.
Third post will list items implemented successfully.

Feel free to add your own thoughts to this thread of what you think the game absolutely needs to have or would be nice to have, and I'll add them as appropriate.

Features currently lacking, but critical to implement before release, in order of importance:

1.

1.5

2. Balancing the entire campaign.
Prestige, enemy experience, enemy strength, time tables, objectives, unit stats, AI settings, difficulty setting, et cetera.

3.

4.

4.5

4.75. From The Bug Thread:
Combat predictions visual for Allied player need to conform to the standard. (Player losses on the left, opponent losses on the right)

5.

6.

6.5

7.

8.

9.

10.

11. Ability to discard transport, especially when transports interfere with special movement types (Mountain infantry with Opel Blitz)
11a. - Purchase Screen - when selecting an unit with carrier (artillery with Opel Blitz f.e.) deselecting the carrier is not possible any more.


11.5

11.75 Stronger and more prominent markings for victory hexes.
AND
Separate marking for secondary objectives on the actual game map.

12.

13.

13.5 Library needs to explain some critical game mechanics. Including:
Terrain information.
Specialty unit markings and explanation.
"My plan is just to show all special abilities at the end of the list of unit stats, in the form of icons which you can hover with the mouse and see a detailed description of each ability. These icons will be shown throughout the UI: in main screen, purchase screen, "new equipment available" screen etc. "
Game rules, such as reinforcement costs and why and when they differ.

14.

15.

16.

16.25 Yellow and red tinted Strength numbers is a visual short cut for players to reference suppression severity instead of needing to mouse over for exact details.
Although this would make a lot of intuitive sense if the blue negative number matched the yellow and red tint.

16.5

17.

Would be nice to have eventually, but not critical for first release, in order of importance:

1.

2.

3. If you load a unit on to rail transport, decide you don't like the paths and movement available, you cannot undo your load, you have to disembark and make the unit lose it's turn.

4.
4b. For multiplayer games: when viewing the current games in progress window, the ability to sort by scenario name, player name and date. This way I can see which games have sat the longest and should be played first. Ability to sort and arrange games, the list can get very long.


5. Different nation color backgrounds.
Moving past Green Allied and Grey Axis.

5.5

6. Options in the editor to: Name sides and Choose color plate for side, and dual offensive scenarios.

7.

8.

8.5 Hero bonus visualizations
viewtopic.php?t=25055

9.

9.5
9.5a Floating text for level up graphics.

10. Artillery units cannot enter swamp terrain(probably intended). However, artillery units can enter swamp/river hexes, which to me is even rougher terrain.

11. Improved AI, including artillery.

11.5. Customizable hot keys

12. Toggle stats panel needs memory between scenarios/save files.

12.5

13. A panel useful for reviewing the player's core only, without seeing any AUX units.

13.5 unit list display would be to center the screen in the unit being cliked in the list. Could be of great help to find specific units in large maps. Specially aircraft.

14. Stragetic map improvements:
Visibility of deployment zones on Strategic map.
High - on teh strategic overview make VP hexes blink as they are not very easy to see especially if enemy units occupy them.

14.5 Varied language to describe kills and units destroyed in the expanded unit information panel.
viewtopic.php?p=232472#232472

15. Ability to write my own notes about scenarios
A little text box on the side that pops up when I click an MP scenario but before I hit play. Sort of an in game note pad

16. On easier difficulties: I think a "Restart (Mission)" option would be useful, especially when playing campaigns.

Primary items implemented:
1. Four State Visualization.
Can Move Can Shoot, Can't Move Can Shoot, Can't Move Can't Shoot. Can Move Can't shoot.

1.5. Define unit movement types in game and on units. What is wheel movement? What units have wheel movement? German recon cars have wheel, ATV, and tracked movement, but they all have the same foot print icon to represent their movement.

2a. Transformer units
Implementation and balancing,

3. Multiplayer specific content.
At least a few 'custom' scenarios to showcase the game's capabilities.

4. Multiplayer scenario preview chat window.
Short hand description for challenge issuer: For example, tagging a game as: EP, NH, QP. (Experience players wanted, No Handicap, Quick Play)
4a. Multiplayer interface general improvements.
Refresh button. Surrender button. Ability to recall the chat log at will during the current player's turn, and possibly write to it as well.
Button or option to allow phasing player to review battle after it's concluded. Currently only the 2nd player gets the victory message and option to review the battlefield.
High - PBEM messages. We need messages to introduce the player to PBEM and explain how it works. E.g. they need to issue a challenge or accept a challenge. Opponents get notified by e-mail etc. etc.

4.5 Visual and record keeping differences between official stock maps included with the game or released as official content and user created custom maps, scenarios, campaigns, and equipment files. (Can't have people abusing custom settings, especially modded equipment files, for stat inflation)
Perhaps a tracker for 'official' games, and a tracker for 'custom' matches.

5. Chat or some message leaving communication between players in mutliplayer
At the end of a player's turn, there is a new prompt to leave a message. At the beginning of a player's turn the messages automatically pop up.
May need some improvement and a size limit though.

6. Multiplayer scenario descriptions/instructions for custom scenarios.

6.5 User made 'custom' scenarios should have a separate directory. Currently all maps, official and custom, are stacked together, which unnecessarily clutters the 'custom' option and window.

7. Single scenario descriptions.
7a. Currently the game lacks:
1. Ability to recall briefing mid scenario.

8. Train movement, and all unit movement to an extent (actual unit sliding not teleportation falls under this too)
viewtopic.php?t=22329&highlight=rail

9. SS units
Implementation, balancing, acquisition.

10. Leaders
Implementation, balancing, acquisition.

11.5 Stronger core and aux difference.

12. In game hot key documentation, not just in the manual.
Supply tooltip should say (S) somewhere to show players that 'S' is the hotkey for that button.

13. Artillery experience rate needs to be adjusted.

14. Transport ownership visualization needed during deploy phase.
High - unit icons dont show their trasnports. I am deploying and the only way I can tell if they have trasnport is to go to the upgrade screen. I think the transport should be in the background of the unit image.

15. Deployment hex functionality.
15a. Buy units during deploy phase.
High - warning when trying to deploy a damaged unit to the map in a new scenario. Its easy to do and cant be fixed once you do it.

15.5 Army Management 'phase'/button.
Nice to Have - linking screens between the briefing and deployment. Here you can repair & upgrade your troops. Also review upgrade options and access library for units.
Also screen to notify player of new equipment that has become available.

16. Rugged defense visualization and notification.
Also visualization for unit surrenders, air ambushes, and artillery/AA defensive fire. Also visualization and feedback for AI attacks.

16.5 Special sounds/animations when an unit is destroyed.

17. High Priority - Weather icons - these needs to be more stylzed likea rain drop/sun etc so they are clearer and have teh tooltip tell you teh actual weather condition & its effect.

Secondary items implemented:

1. Option for alternate mouse scheme, reverting to original PG style
Critical - when deploying new purchases & at teh start of a scenario the right button should place units, not cancel. It reverses the UI paradigm and is confusing.

2. Cannot undo recon movement of any kind.

5.5. High - when trying to purchase units the purchase buttons is sometines disabled. A toopltip needs to tell me why I cant purchase. I have no idea why - I have teh money & the core slots.


7. Pop up tool tips for the tutorial.
Critical - Tutorial messages. We need pop ups to walk the player through the tutorial scenarios

8. Individual unit stat tracking.
Kills, medals, commendations.

9. This picture (also quick save and quick load):
http://www.theonslaught.org/forums/atta ... 1305253630

9.5 Floating text for damage
Nice to Have - Show damage inflicted on your opponent. E.g. with a 2 or 4 to show damage points inflicted over teh map screen. Maybe allow it to turn off/on

12.5. Timestamps on multiplayer messaging system.

Need to fix the AI so artillery moves first, not last.

Option to make both sides attacker in the editor.

16. Rugged defense visualization and notification.

Also visualization for unit surrenders, air ambushes, and artillery/AA defensive fire.

Improved AI, including artillery.

Improvement in AI's defensive stance -- right now it is too quick to leave solid defensive positions to make pointless attacks.

Stronger core and aux difference.

Not sure if this is the same, but also better visual aids in showing core vs. aux units.

One point to add: better visual aids in showing owned vs. unowned objective hexes.

High Priority - Weather icons - these needs to be more stylzed likea rain drop/sun etc so they are clearer and have teh tooltip tell you teh actual weather condition & its effect.

Critical - Tutorial messages. We need pop ups to walk the player through the tutorial scenarios

High - PBEM messages. We need messages to introduce the player to PBEM and explain how it works. E.g. they need to issue a challenge or accept a challenge. Opponents get notified by e-mail etc. etc.

Nice to Have - Show damage inflicted on your opponent. E.g. with a 2 or 4 to show damage points inflicted over teh map screen. Maybe allow it to turn off/on

High - A way to see the strength points of both ground and air units when in a single hex. You cannot tell what happens when you air strike currently.

Critical - when deploying new purchases & at teh start of a scenario the right button should place units, not cancel. It reverses the UI paradigm and is confusing.

High - warning when trying to deploy a damaged unit to the map in a new scenario. Its easy to do and cant be fixed once you do it.

High - unit icons dont show their trasnports. I am deploying and the only way I can tell if they have trasnport is to go to the upgrade screen. I think the transport should be in the background of the unit image.

Nice to Have - linking screens between the briefing and deployment. Here you can repair & upgrade your troops.

High - on teh strategic overview make VP hexes blink as they are not very easy to see especially if enemy units occupy them.

High - when trying to purchase units the purchase buttons is sometines disabled. A toopltip needs to tell me why I cant purchase. I have no idea why - I have teh money & the core slots.

I'll integrate your all posts into the first two threads tomorrow, bit tired atm.

admin wrote:Critical - when deploying new purchases & at teh start of a scenario the right button should place units, not cancel. It reverses the UI paradigm and is confusing.

This, however, I strongly disagree with. I specifically pushed to have left click place units because of the purchase unit system. Left click purchase button. Left click your selection. Left click Purchase. Left click to place. Right clicking here, after a series of three left clicks, is an even worse paradigm reversal.

Because of that system, it feels natural that any 'placing' of units would be regulated to left clicking.
Perhaps more discussion on this topic is warranted, and perhaps a setting for the player to decide their preference?

High - unit icons dont show their trasnports. I am deploying and the only way I can tell if they have trasnport is to go to the upgrade screen. I think the transport should be in the background of the unit image.

Alt+left-click brings now up the unit info screen, here you an see your transports.
Later the battle history screen should also show your iron crosses and aces/heroes.

On the purchase placement I always do it wrong and its really annoying. When not have a cancel button to return you instead of right click and you can use both left & right to place.

The List has been updated, all comments above this post have been integrated into existing issues or have been given new numbers entirely.

I believe 2a has been included in latest patch.

Important features missing I think could be included in the list :

- Terrain information accesible somehow

- Destroyed unit animation

- Inform of different replacement costs according to circumstances

- Number of turns left for achieving Decisive victory


And a couple wishes :

- Strategic map of Europe showing Axis conquests and options given for next battle in Campaign mode (similar to the scenario ones)

- Make entries in the Library locked until you unlock the proper unit in the campaign (as an extra bonus for campaign advancing)

2a has been implemented. But is it balanced? Russian artillery/assault guns beg to differ.

1. Terrain information is planned to be included in the library, same as 'special units' explanations, such as behavior of mountain, engineers, and bridge engineers.

2. Destroyed unit animation as in very large explosion, or something else?

3. Also should be explained in the library, and possibly tutorial.

4. I'm pretty sure there is a plan to display this information, but not as a countdown, just a static number.

Kerensky wrote:
2. Destroyed unit animation as in very large explosion, or something else?

A very large explosion would do, but probably should be bigger than the current ones (maybe some bit and pieces flying around?). Of course, making it custmized by units (ship sinking, planes crashing...) would be a blast and would add a nice touch, but this is just a wish. I think is important to let know if you destroyed the unit, as sometimes might seem you did but just retreated out of sight.


Also important for Multiplayer is the feature to review your opponent last turn. An accesible text log with units damaged and/or destroyed during the scenario would also help. As it is now, is more of a guess game, which I think is not right.

Thanks for the rest of info, nice to see those coming!

How about a gravestone "rising" from the ground or a cross or something creepy like that?? It would be obvious what the units current "disposition" is (was), at least for a land unit. I like the idea of a ship sinking or plane crashing animation, as that would also tell the story.

Not sure if discussed elsewhere, but a great feature for the unit list display would be to center the screen in the unit being cliked in the list. Could be of great help to find specific units in large maps. Specially aircraft.

Re: "Load Game" in option screen.

I think a "Restart (Mission)" option would be useful, especially when playing campaigns. It should reload at the Deployment phase as this is where I seem to make the most mistakes. Sometimes I forget to resupply or upgrade all my units and the only alternative is to reload a save from an earlier scenario.



I'd like the information for unit ranges to be easier to see. If not visually, by highlighting the valid hexes on the map, could it not be added to the "unit detail card" that gets displayed on the right when mouse hovering, instead of just the "toggle stats panel".

One "nice-to-have" thing is to have a window telling us what new units are available between scenarios.

REPLAY in multi-player is a must have.

It maybe a week or more before your opponent moved, so replay of last move is essential.

Have experience shown on map for units. Stars or number. Also number of experience needs to be in the Stat panel on the right. Aplayer should not have to move the mouse and wait for a tool tip.

Another nice to have feature would be a schematic to show a campaign tree.

For multiplayer games: when viewing the current games in progress window, the ability to sort by scenario name, player name and date. This way I can see which games have sat the longest and should be played first. (Put this under the "would be nice but not urgent" heading.)