AI War 8.5? Or 9.0?

[folexe]

I expect it for improvement of UI.

In the advanced research station or the advanced factory. This is important to any play. The structure becoming useful want you always to display symbols in a galaxy map. There should be the blank that displays a symbol if expansion, the reduction of the galaxy map is possible.

It is confusing that co-processor and a design server are the same symbols. I want you to prepare a different icon.

I want a hacking object to give a beam during hacking. This is because it shows it is meaningless to make a downloader on a planet without a design server.

Zenith trader ship, Golem, Rare resources, Minor faction. The encounter with these change a game strategy dramatically. I want how to use to illustrate by an event illustration because it is the encounter that an impression resists.

And this is the most important. I want new GUI such as TLF to do text. I want to Japanize this game. I was going to replace a font file use UnityAssetsExplorer, but gave it up without getting along well. However, I do not give up this game.

[Nodor]

expert play-throughs of AI war

Those don't exist.

Lies.   Lies and Slander.

See this thread for details. http://www.arcengames.com/forums/index.php/topic,11118.0.html

[abuchris]

I'm rather curious about changing the UI, I know it has been changed since the game's inception but I've never really had an issue with it and no one I've taught how to play has complained. Not that it can't be improved, pretty much anything can be afterall, just never thought it was a serious issue.

I've gotten a lot of feedback from expert-strategy-players that were new to AIW that the UI was the really below par in usability compared to their other favorites in the genre, and also that it was the main barrier in getting their friends into it.

I would just like to point out that this is THE no. 1 reason I can't play with a friend, and he LOVES strategy games and comp-stomping, so AI War should be a no-brainer for him. But he refuses to touch the game because of the UI

[Hearteater]

My brother is the same. I've been toying with a total UI revamp for two years actually covering each major area of AIW: Building, Combat and Planning. But my redesign is fairly extensive and unless I'm planning to offer to code it myself I doubt Arcen has the time and resources to devote to something like that. Of course Arcen is one of the few game companies I'd actually be willing to work for. Maybe I'll write up and post my redesign at some point.

[keith.lamothe]

My brother is the same. I've been toying with a total UI revamp for two years actually covering each major area of AIW: Building, Combat and Planning. But my redesign is fairly extensive and unless I'm planning to offer to code it myself I doubt Arcen has the time and resources to devote to something like that. Of course Arcen is one of the few game companies I'd actually be willing to work for. Maybe I'll write up and post my redesign at some point.

Given that I'm hoping to overhaul the UI pretty much completely in the next few months, that would be helpful info   Mainly I'm focused on upgrading the architecture to what we used for TLF (which allows for much nicer-looking stuff and makes it way easier to say "if they click ABC part of the screen between now and the next frame, do XYZ") and on making it easier to plug new stuff in wherever I want, but having someone else's holistic vision for what it could be would help a lot in knowing what to actually do with those new capabilities.  Though it's probable I'd make a bit of a hash of your actual suggestions, but I think you're used to that by now

[Kahuna]

What the hell..
..I thought it was the mechanics and the amount of content that prevented people from getting into AI War.. but the UI? Could someone explain to me what exactly is so bad about the UI? I understand if UI (or the lack of it) prevents someone from playing Dwarf Fortress.. but AI War?
When I started AI War for the first time I didn't even think about the UI. Sure there are a couple of useless buttons in the lower left corner but aside from that there's nothing wrong with it.

[Coppermantis]

I never had problems with the UI getting into AI War. Some advanced functions are hard to find in all the context menus, but the core mechanics are pretty self-explanatory for anyone familiar with RTS at all.

[doctorfrog]

I actually kind of like the UI too, but then again I've had years to get used it.

From skimming Keith's posts, it sounds a bit less like "all the buttons are going to changes places for the hell of it," and a bit more like, "the UI is going to better communicate what it lets you do, and also look better."

Would be nice to see more color choices in the UI  make the cut *koff koff*

[Kahuna]

I actually kind of like the UI too, but then again I've had years to get used it.

It's true that we "old players" have had time to get used to it but still..
..when I started AI War for the first time it took me a couple of seconds to understand the UI. I looked at it and_bam_it was in my head. Which is why I don't get this. But hey I'm an exception in many things.

And don't get me wrong I'm not against udating/improving the UI.

[byljcron]

add replay~

and support for Chinese!

[Aklyon]

...replay?
I don't think you understand how long AI War games can be. A multi-hour replay (no doubt full of pauses) is not going to be any more descriptive than an AAR is already, and would take longer to get through. And would probably take up a good bit of space.

[keith.lamothe]

Replays would be technically infeasible except for games which started and stopped on the same version of the game, so they're not really something we plan to add.

[TelcontarVI]

I don't think that the IU is what is preventing new players to join the fight versus the IA, but the content of the game and the necesary knowledge of it's mechanics to simply start a sucessfully campaing.

This is the improvements i want to see in the UI

- The planet summary (right of the screen on planet view) must be more readable: visible separation between hostile and friendly units, and visible separation between economic, defensive an military units. I know that that is  orderer this way now, but it's separation must be more visible and if possible all elements must have an assigned space so i dont have to search the list because my bombers will be allways in the same place. I think this can be archieved by tabs or desplegable menus.

- Also it could be two versións of this menu: Normal mode when nothing happends and Combat mode when hostile forces are present, focusing whats important: mobile military units, making it easy to locate and issuing orders.

- Specially dangering units must be more visible, i'm not a pro, a lot of times i don't  see a plasma siegue starship, or a leech starship... and my fleet it's wiped, or posseed or the command center blow under its force field. Their icons must stand out over the rest. Make their icon bigger, make it flash, make the human ships scream on terror or all of them.

- Warnings and alerts must be on by default, i don't place a scout on every single enemy planet to be quie:t if they detect an threatening force that surpases my defenses on my neighbor planet i want a big loud alarm to sound. If this happens on the neighborhood of my Home Planet i want the screen glow in red like it was the Apocalypse

- A lot of times i want to know where my fleet sheps are, to use MK 3/4 on attack and 1/2 on defense, i havent found a proper way to locate them on galaxy map. I'm sure there is a way, but i don't now.

[Azurian]

Concerning UI I would like a more fleshed out  Ship and Structure  Encyclopedia, similar to a Bestiary in an rpg game or the Civilopedia of civ 4 . The Achievement screen also could use refinement.