Stealing from SC2

posted on August 5th, 2010, 4:18 am

There are a few SC2 features that appear to fit in with the FO design philosophy that I would recommend for inclusion into FO.

* Smart casting - single cast of special ability per button press (i.e. 2 diamonds are selected, click the nanites special ability, only one nanites is cast. 2nd click equals second cast)

* Multiple building selection (MBS) - allow for two (or more) staryards to be selected and queue up build orders at the same time.

* Don't transfer control group number assignment when a staryard builds a ship and the staryard had a control group number.

* Multiple control group membership - allow a ship or building to belong in more than one control group.


Just a thought

posted on August 5th, 2010, 4:29 am

I dont like the last one because i reassign ships to get them out of the group that they are in now, but i have been meaning to make a comment about the first one. It would be nice if you wanted to still be able to cast them all at once if you had both. Anyway my idea was to make it so that when you held down the "shift" that one would cast but if you dont would fire the normal way.

posted on August 5th, 2010, 4:30 am

Good to see you, Yandon!  I actually like all of these ideas, and it would be nice to see them if it's possible.  I can just see the multiple building selection now:  People making 8 turrets with one swift command!

So I take it you've been playing SC2 now?

posted on August 5th, 2010, 6:49 am

Absolutly for it.

posted on August 5th, 2010, 8:09 am

I'll say this only once.....F@*! SC and SC2.  I'm sure more than a few of you have heard my rants about SC, but until the world succumbs, I will not be purchasing SC2. 

posted on August 5th, 2010, 8:36 am

So this OT was needed or why do you mention your pointless opinion? Since the suggestions Yandon made are common for many games its valid to propose them for FO...

posted on August 5th, 2010, 11:22 am

* Smart casting - single cast of special ability per button press (i.e. 2 diamonds are selected, click the nanites special ability, only one nanites is cast. 2nd click equals second cast)

* Multiple building selection (MBS) - allow for two (or more) staryards to be selected and queue up build orders at the same time.

* Don't transfer control group number assignment when a staryard builds a ship and the staryard had a control group number.

* Multiple control group membership - allow a ship or building to belong in more than one control group.

i like 1 and 2

i dont like 3 and 4 unless they have a toggle to switch back to how it is now.

i like having my yard assign ships i build to a number. my only problem with 4 is the same as dircome's, i like assigning a new number and removing the old one. maybe the features you like could require a separate key press.

so giving a shipyard its own non-transferrable number could require a different key combo, so ctrl+# works as normal, ctrl+shift+# would assign it the way you like.

posted on August 5th, 2010, 12:48 pm

yep i dont think these features are SC exclusive, even Age of Empires fullfills a few of them

I'm not sure if we will implement some of them. SC2 is quite a different style of RTS game. But if something improves usabiliy, i'm all for it. We will investigate

posted on August 5th, 2010, 1:02 pm

...is it bad that I only just realised this referred to StarCraft and not Starfleet Command? 

I'd like the multiple building selection though...also a "repeat buildqueue" option maybe?

posted on August 5th, 2010, 5:13 pm

Not really, I didn't know what it meant at all. Starfleet Command is SFC, though.

posted on August 5th, 2010, 7:07 pm

The only thing I think FO could use is right clicking to build a unit so that it repeat builds. That would be so epic for FO. 

posted on August 5th, 2010, 7:35 pm

Well we kinda will whenever the noxter come in. But i wouldnt mind having that too, bug spam FTW

posted on August 6th, 2010, 2:19 am

You know, oddly, I'd have to argue against perpetual build...in the name of multiplayer balance.

Reference:  Borg.  It would be a severe disadvantage for them to not only lack the ability to queue anything but constructors, probes, detectors, and collectors, but to also be the only ones without infinitely repeating build queue?

posted on August 6th, 2010, 2:30 am

... SC2 is quite a different style of RTS game....

There are obvious similarities and dissimilarities. I'm terribly interested; would you mind elaborating on where you see the significant differences?

And even if you don't apply anything, thanks for looking into it.

posted on August 6th, 2010, 2:46 am

I would definitely love to see option 1.  Smart casting sounds really nice.  Something else that would be nice is to be able to click on a benefit ability, and be able to select a ship on the bar, rather than on the map.  So if you want to do vector calculation, you can select a fleet, select vector calc, then click on the ship you want from the bar.  I'm certain that's been suggested before, and it's still a great idea if it's possible.