Battle UI redesign suggestions

**Lord-Fisher** · August 23, 2012, 05:50 PM

So, some sort of UI has always been need needed to distinguish one unit from another, and allow for easier point and click attack. However, I've always found the banners to be very distracting from the army itself. It's quite difficult to explain, but for some reason I picture that the units are actually carrying these humongous banners, which is of course, ridiculous.

My suggestion would be that instead of banners, we have small circle icons floating above each unit, with the corresponding unit type as represented as either bow, spear, sword etc. Perhaps each new rank of veterancy could be represented as extra ring around the circle.

For me, this would would help me appreciate the look of the army more, but I'd like to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

**General George S. Patton** · August 23, 2012, 06:15 PM

Napoleon total war naval battles I think (not sure haven't played it in forever)

**Lord-Fisher** · August 23, 2012, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by Chosen Man Lt. Richard Sharpe

Napoleon total war naval battles I think (not sure haven't played it in forever)

Yeah, pretty much that. (I'd forgotten about that actually)

**General Maximus** · August 24, 2012, 08:30 AM

Napoleon's interface blended much better than any other TW game.

About those banners, again Napoleon came out to be best with it. There were no floating 'mega-flags' anymore, but proper banners which didn't have any weird looking poles attached to them. It seemed much more comforting and polished to the eyes.

**Lord-Fisher** · August 24, 2012, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by General Maximus

Napoleon's interface blended much better than any other TW game.

About those banners, again Napoleon came out to be best with it. There were no floating 'mega-flags' anymore, but proper banners which didn't have any weird looking poles attached to them. It seemed much more comforting and polished to the eyes.

Yeah, totally agree. Far less distracting, while reliable gameplay wise.

**General Maximus** · August 24, 2012, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by Lord-Fisher

Yeah, totally agree. Far less distracting, while reliable gameplay wise.

Exactly.

One more point I forgot to add was that Napoleon's banners were very less in altitude, making them look even more polished. Shogun II's flags seemed like mountainous skyscrapers when looking from far enough. Napoleon's banners were mostly fixed about 10 m above the units, making the army seem much better. An absolutely gorgeous effect it had was that the army seemed much, much more larger. With Darthmod Napoleon, it 'became' larger because of unit sizes. So it was totally unbeatable UI and just awesome.

**boxleitnerb** · August 24, 2012, 11:28 AM

Sorry for saying it again, but please...

put the map back down from the top right corner where it is now - the split up interface is distracting and annoying and needs to change

thanks, CA

**Lord-Fisher** · August 24, 2012, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by General Maximus

Exactly.

One more point I forgot to add was that Napoleon's banners were very less in altitude, making them look even more polished. Shogun II's flags seemed like mountainous skyscrapers when looking from far enough. Napoleon's banners were mostly fixed about 10 m above the units, making the army seem much better. An absolutely gorgeous effect it had was that the army seemed much, much more larger. With Darthmod Napoleon, it 'became' larger because of unit sizes. So it was totally unbeatable UI and just awesome.

Originally Posted by boxleitnerb

Sorry for saying it again, but please...

Yeah, so nobody can even complain, saying "I'm having trouble clicking on the banners". I literally don't see any reason not to revert back to the naolean scheme of things, except maybe a little altered to suit the time period, and or faction.

put the map back down from the top right corner where it is now - the split up interface is distracting and annoying and needs to change

thanks, CA

Yeah, I didn't see any need for the animated dude in the left bottom corner anyway.

**=Vastator=** · August 25, 2012, 03:50 AM

Originally Posted by Lord-Fisher

Yeah, I didn't see any need for the animated dude in the left bottom corner anyway.

I made a thread few days ago about the battle ui and the "animated dude", showing that, not only is unuseful, but maybe is causing also performance loss, but nobody seemed interested...

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=558180

**Erwin Rommel** · August 24, 2012, 06:57 PM

Shogun II's flags seemed like mountainous skyscrapers when looking from far enough.

Sorry. I beg to disagree. Shogun 2's uma-jirushi-style-floating-ui-banners fits itself to the theme. Not only because Shogun 1 did it as well but because it makes my battle look like straight out of an ukiyo-e print. Where banners protrude from mists and mountain peaks clad in autumn mist and foliage.

Example. Like this.....

**General Maximus** · August 24, 2012, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by Erwin Rommel

Sorry. I beg to disagree. Shogun 2's uma-jirushi-style-floating-ui-banners fits itself to the theme. Not only because Shogun 1 did it as well but because it makes my battle look like straight out of an ukiyo-e print. Where banners protrude from mists and mountain peaks clad in autumn mist and foliage.

Example. Like this.....

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Another good find, Erwin. I really want to know how you search things out this quick.

About the flags, yes I agree that they are accurate period-period wise and so, but they seem too crowded to eyes sometimes. On top of that, the experience flags really do it.

**hochmeister devin** · August 24, 2012, 10:30 PM

I think erwin keeps a japanese/date clan history folder full of pictures and information and looks through that to post here. His japanese histroy porn if you will.

**Erwin Rommel** · August 24, 2012, 10:32 PM

On top of that, the experience flags really do it.

Thats when you bunch several veteran units in a melee blob in an open field.

But I like those "sub"-banners to show veterancy, they look more intimidating.

I believe there is an option for the banners to fade entirely or just like default RTW, disappear when the camera zooms in, otherwise, you'd see on top of the head of an ashigaru, a gigantic pole floating.

Erwin. I really want to know how you search things out this quick.

Almost entirely out of Fujiarts.com ............I need to save some pictures coz they are taking them down when the bidding is over and the painting is sold.

Priceless internet pictures will be lost! (Not to mention showing spidermen samurai

)

Originally Posted by hochmeister devin

I think erwin keeps a japanese/date clan history folder full of pictures and information and looks through that to post here. His japanese histroy porn if you will.

I have 2 actually..........then again, I have another for Meiji just for the steampunk/samurai, some Meiji and Nippon Kaigun...........oddly, I keep HUNGARIAN tanks and Austro-Hungarian infantry in late 19th century early 20th century........LOTS of Qing Dynasty and Three Kingdoms China, Koumintang pictures and 18th century pictures of Turkic tribes...........no Rome whatsover

**hochmeister devin** · August 24, 2012, 10:35 PM

I was right erwin does have a serceet collection of high value samurai pictures and articles.

**Raimeken** · August 25, 2012, 04:10 AM

I'm not sold on the floating circles thing, I still prefer banners over circles. It definitely is not going to fit the classical atmosphere.

What do you think will be the unit card theme this game? S2 vanilla was of traditional Japanese painting, and FoTS was of really old looking camera pictures. Would it be like marble reliefs of soldiers or what not?

**magpie** · August 25, 2012, 05:25 AM

Hmm, I like just one flag bearer/emblem per unit and rely on shield emblems to show who is who when romans are fighting romans.
When Romans are fighting other factions armour and clothes should tell the difference.
Makes the battles more interesting.

**Lord-Fisher** · August 25, 2012, 06:22 AM

Originally Posted by Erwin Rommel

Sorry. I beg to disagree. Shogun 2's uma-jirushi-style-floating-ui-banners fits itself to the theme. Not only because Shogun 1 did it as well but because it makes my battle look like straight out of an ukiyo-e print. Where banners protrude from mists and mountain peaks clad in autumn mist and foliage.

Example. Like this.....

Lovely images, although, I don't think the banners in those pictures look as big as the ones in shogun2. However, I see the point you're making.

Originally Posted by =Vastator=

I made a thread few days ago about the battle ui and the "animated dude", showing that, not only is unuseful, but maybe is causing also performance loss, but nobody seemed interested...

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=558180

Good thread. I think the reason the thread didn't take off is because its such a 1 way subject. There's not really anything for discussion, as there is absolutely no good reason for there not to be UI optimization in R2. Thanks for taking the time to do it though. It's interesting to see "improvements" on the engines

Originally Posted by magpie

Hmm, I like just one flag bearer/emblem per unit and rely on shield emblems to show who is who when romans are fighting romans.
When Romans are fighting other factions armour and clothes should tell the difference.
Makes the battles more interesting.

The only reason I don't turn of flags is because it makes distinguishing where one unit ends and the other begins easier, and also makes point and click attack orders easier.

**General Maximus** · August 25, 2012, 07:36 AM

You sir, Erwin, are a master of searching and getting. Maybe you should open a Dojo for this quicksearch 'art'.

The sub-flags are somewhat mucked up in my opinion. RTW flags disappeared much before you got closer to them, even before you could view your units properly.

M2TW flags mostly same case as Shogun II, but all flags were different from each other, so it didn't muck things up but instead added a little flavor to them.

ETW didn't have those subflags. Experience was indicated by a smaller flag just beneath the main flag, on the same pole. This was a good step, but sometimes it made difficult to spot your own veteran unit.

NTW again came out perfect in this. The experience was shown just beside the main flag, and it was always distinguishable.

Shogun II, although nicely represented these experience points, watching so many flags of same colour was sometimes....err....wierd. I once encountered a large Mori army which had many full experience unit. When I was viewing from soldier perspective, those banners seemed like huge red coloured mountains sticking out from a pole.

Well, it is CA to decide whatever they do to the interface. But I will have to say, that they MUST make the battle UI moddable.