The "new" unit state icon on UI cards.

[=Vastator=]

In the last awesome Samnites vs Romans prologue screen we have seen the last version of the interface.
But one of the things that really annoyed me is the new unit state icon.

See here:
As you see the state icon (firing, fighting) now is IN THE MIDDLE of the UI card (not discussing about the beauty of them here) and it's quite big.
I think this makes the UI cards confusing and it's also a very bad aesthetic choice, since it makes all the beauty of the UI cards go away.
In previous screens (and TW titles) the state icon was on a corner, and it was not invasive on the UI cards. The best choice IMHO.


Am i the only one (rhetorical question) that find this new decision really awful? And i'm one that liked (though not madly..) the new UI cards..

[BeastG33]

To be honest the top unit cards look way too cramped at the top to me. I don't need to perfectly see the shields in the unit cards. I prefer the new design.

[osros]

That's what I was thinking also maybe they felt it was too busy up there. However if the unit is in melee and missile fire will there be another same size icon blocking the card? Covering it even more? Will need to see it in action..

[vietanh797]

I think they should lower it a little to the leg, the way it is now cover too much unit card I barely see anything behind it

[boxleitnerb]

Terrible. Rome 1 unit cards were best. A red (signal color!) small icon on the top left to tell the player if they were firing, under fire or in melee combat. Why change something that isn't broken?
Besides, the icon for the unit class makes the cards even more cramped.

[daelin4]

I actually think the state being in the middle is better- I just played a FOTS campaign last night and it was a bit confusing trying to find which unit was fighting and which was not, because there was a small icon at the top left corner above each unit card if it was fighting.
Remember that in a battle, what counts is whether you know what's going on for each unit, and this seems to be a decision that makes players get to that point faster.

[Toho]

I don't mind the change. The sword or arrows should be a different color than white and black borders.

[perablenta]

I don't mind the change. The sword or arrows should be a different color than white and black borders.

I agree, I don't mind the positioning or the size, but the signs that are showing a gameplay mechanic should have a different look then the game art itself.

[Tim_Ward]

It's bad and they should change it back.

On a related note, the unit cards are starting to grow on me quite a bit. I like the pose of the Roman heavy infantry, they look like they're doing a dance move from an 80s music video. Like this, but more heavily armed:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

There's also this weird playing card vibe to them. Like if they had no legs and instead bottom was a backwards version of the top it would fit, you know? I know the whole thing is just totally anachronistic - the playing card design it references is very modern and the pottery style they're going for its out of period - but I think it somehow works. It just creates the right vibe, somehow.

I also like how different types of infantry seem to have the same pose. If you take a look at the pre-Marian infantry from the new screenshot, you can see that the Triarii and what I assume are the Principes are all doing the 80s dance move pose, and likewise the post-Marian legionaries you can see the Super-l33t (Praetorian or Evocitii or something?) cohort and the common-or-garden cohort both have the same pose: all these would presumably be heavy infantry. The Hasatii and the Some-Type-of-Auxiliary-Dudes Unit also have the same pose, and they I'm guessing they're both types of light infantry.

Anyway, I like them.

TL;DR: the unit cards are actually kind of cool when you think about it but the new status notifications are dumb and should be changed.

[Raikou]

It's bad and they should change it back.

On a related note, the unit cards are starting to grow on me quite a bit. I like the pose of the Roman heavy infantry, they look like they're doing a dance move from an 80s music video. Like this, but more heavily armed:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

There's also this weird playing card vibe to them. Like if they had no legs and instead bottom was a backwards version of the top it would fit, you know? I know the whole thing is just totally anachronistic - the playing card design it references is very modern and the pottery style they're going for its out of period - but I think it somehow works. It just creates the right vibe, somehow.

I also like how different types of infantry seem to have the same pose. If you take a look at the pre-Marian infantry from the new screenshot, you can see that the Triarii and what I assume are the Principes are all doing the 80s dance move pose, and likewise the post-Marian legionaries you can see the Super-l33t (Praetorian or Evocitii or something?) cohort and the common-or-garden cohort both have the same pose: all these would presumably be heavy infantry. The Hasatii and the Some-Type-of-Auxiliary-Dudes Unit also have the same pose, and they I'm guessing they're both types of light infantry.

Anyway, I like them.

TL;DR: the unit cards are actually kind of cool when you think about it but the new status notifications are dumb and should be changed.

Thanks, now I have this song stuck in my head !



Billie Jean (not my LEGIONARY ) REMIX

[jtfjtfjtf]

I like Shogun 2's layout. Is it really necessary to see the soldiers' feet? I liked the number of soldiers left better.

[BeastG33]

RIP



Everything about this image is just better to me than Rome 2. I know it's entirely subjective and I'll get used to Rome 2's UI and cards, but sheesh. The cards look cleaner, less cluttered, more professional, and less cheap. The information is more accessible and there is zero doubt as to which unit is which. The number of surviving soldiers is there obviously.

[=Vastator=]

RIP



Everything about this image is just better to me than Rome 2. I know it's entirely subjective and I'll get used to Rome 2's UI and cards, but sheesh. The cards look cleaner, less cluttered, more professional, and less cheap. The information is more accessible and there is zero doubt as to which unit is which. The number of surviving soldiers is there obviously.

Yes, this was better indeed. Notice also the different colors for different states (in Rome II icon it's only black&white).

[BunnyPoopCereal]

RIP

Dang, these REALLY look much better. Light years better.

[Jimakos1966]

RIP



Everything about this image is just better to me than Rome 2. I know it's entirely subjective and I'll get used to Rome 2's UI and cards, but sheesh. The cards look cleaner, less cluttered, more professional, and less cheap. The information is more accessible and there is zero doubt as to which unit is which. The number of surviving soldiers is there obviously.

This is how Unit Cards should be done... Perfection... You can clearly understand which is what and they are really beautiful...

[Tim_Ward]

I'll give you that the information is more accessible, but I'm not sure how you can say that the those are cleaner and less cluttered. They are, in fact, more cluttered. That's the price you pay for having more info on the card.

[spartan_warrior]

I actually like this new change, as during a battle it gives a clear depiction of what's happening with my units, rather than a small icon tucked away in the corner. I don't care if it's intrusive, in fact I prefer it, as it's function is clear. If I want to see the designs of the units cards I will do that on the campaign map, during battle I want information quickly and clearly.

[Tim_Ward]

The drawback, spartan warrior, is that the differences between two unit types are pretty clear... provided you can actually seen the design clearly. Take the card for the l33t cohort and the regular cohort. The two major differences that set them apart are the crest on the l33t cohort, and the different designs on the shields. Given the stark, minimalistic look of the cards those two differences stand out pretty clearly. Until, that is, the design of the shield is obscured by the status icon and you're just left with the crest, which is already slightly obscured by the unit type icon at the top.

The difference between the Hastatii and Principes in the first set of cards is more pronounced, but I think there's a similar issue.

Playing the game, you'll need to be able to pick out different types of units very quickly. As you play Rome 2, your eye will become trained to do this quickly. It'll become accustomed to which part of the unit card to focus on to pick out the differences instantly. Just part and parcel of the motor skills you acquire playing any new game. Except here you've got a problem where you'll look one place where the units aren't fighting (the middle of the card where the differences are most pronounced) and another when they are fighting (the head, which is smaller and harder to focus on). I predict this will quickly become frustrating.

Meanwhile, you'll probably have a pretty good picture in your head of which units are fighting and which units aren't, so I think the ability to distinguish units easily is more important that the status icons.

If they wanted them to stand out more maybe they could, I don't know... maybe make them a different colour to the background? Crazy idea I know.

[#TheTBNR™]

Wait the number of soldiers in a particular unit is not displayed on the new UI? Man I cannot live with that!

[HusKatten]

Imo, if the depiction of the unit on the unit card doesn't reveal what type of weapon type it is, then that's a failure that should not be complemented with a big symbol above the depicted unit. If it's hard to identify weapon type depending on the unit depicted, then it's the depiction that should be reworked, and not complemented with a big symbol.