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Context sensitive quick commands. Another layer of immersion

#1
Hello everyone! I think I found a way to make the game more "alive" and immersive. Please let me know if this idea has any merit:

I see that the game requires a lot of RTS style micromanaging. I was thinking about a process that makes one less reliant on the command screen so one can stay in cockpit view a bit longer without having to constantly switch views. In my opinion, the more one can stay in the ship view and fly around/fight, the better. That's why I thought of a solution could be a core game mechanic and adds immersion:

I'm proposing "context sensitive AI quick commands". They're basically little messages that appear unintrusively at a screen corner in which your fleet or the ships in your vincinity ask you to perform certain tasks based on the situation they're in. The answers you can give amount to "Yes" or "No", which could be answered with two hot keys or the mouse.

Examples:
When accepting a mission, your AI commander might ask if the fleet should engage the enemy. Y/N
When you're nearing a station the AI commander asks if they should dock. Y/N
When you're with your mining fleet the AI commander will ask if they should mine a certain asteroid once they're near it. Y/N


This can enhance immersion because it gives your AI personality. They will seem like beings that directly talk to you with the ability to assess situations. It could even be vital in combat, if an important ship of yours is badly damaged, the pilot may ask you if it should keep fighting or flee. Again, you can answer with a single button press that doesn't require any more complex interactions that will hurl you out of the fight and break immersion into the action.

Let me know if you think this idea is feasible and should be implemented. I think this could give the game even more personality and make the players job a lot easier/more intuitive.
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Re: Context sensitive quick commands. Another layer of immer

#2
Giving the player all the information he needs to make a decision on something that happens on the other end of the sector could get lengthy. Which ship is paging, local force / damage / supply levels, relevant missions, nearby bases...

These messages could be status reports.
"Task group 3: weak enemy force detected at long range"
"Task group 1: supply levels < 50%"

If you click on such a message, the tactical interface opens with the sending group or ship selected. Then you can either get more information about it, just have a quick look, or do something about it.
Keeps you updated but doesn't pester you with questions. =)


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What I expected "Context sensitive quick commands" to mean:

If 3 fighters are assigned as quick group 1, you can use that to command them from the cockpit.

Target an enemy.
Hold down "1". While you do so, you can use some sort of menu to order quick group 1 to do context-relevant things to current target.

(Fighter) group 1 to attack this target,
(Bomber) group 4 weapons free.

(In X3 I had written a script to do something like that)
There is no "I" in Tea. That would be gross.
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Re: Context sensitive quick commands. Another layer of immer

#3
I think your idea makes sense but what I proposed is basically a way to cirumvent the command interface. When you're in a fight or other situations it is sometimes cumbersome to keep on switching into another interface. Very X3-ish, where you kept on going through menus or using the sector map to get stuff done. You can live with it, but it's X3 isn't exactly known for its brilliance in menus/menu navigation.

Perhaps it can apply to a "favourites" squad that's currently following you. But just imagine having to press only one button to get stuff done because the AI basically takes the micromanagement out of your hands. I believe that can truly add something to the game.

Btw, Gazz, could you move this post to the main suggestions forum? I wasn't aware that I posted in the LTP forum, I'm not sure if it warrants implementation into the prototype.
Post

Re: Context sensitive quick commands. Another layer of immer

#4
Gazz wrote:What I expected "Context sensitive quick commands" to mean:

If 3 fighters are assigned as quick group 1, you can use that to command them from the cockpit.

Target an enemy.
Hold down "1". While you do so, you can use some sort of menu to order quick group 1 to do context-relevant things to current target.

(Fighter) group 1 to attack this target,
(Bomber) group 4 weapons free.

(In X3 I had written a script to do something like that)
Or one other way of doing that would be to:
a) press "1" to select the group, then
b) press "c" to open communication channels to that group, which will present a list of commands to issue
c) press the number indicating your selection whereby the options could be as follows:
1. Attack My Target
2. Break Formation and Attack
3. Form on my Wing
4. <Insert your choice of commands here>

The inspiration for this method comes from the Wing Commander series. ;)
In Josh we trust.

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