OpenXcom Forum

OpenXcom => Suggestions => Topic started by: Unknown Hero on June 24, 2014, 01:38:08 am

Title: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Unknown Hero on June 24, 2014, 01:38:08 am
3) Tired to click everywhere on the combat area to throw a grenade without knowing if it will work?

When the soldier is ready to throw an object (ex: grenade), moving the mouse cursor over the combat area gives informations.
When the soldier can throw to the selected destination tile, a yellow 3D box is displayed and a message is displayed above the control bar: "Able to throw here!".

(https://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/392961GrenadeRange01.png)

When the soldier cannot throw to the selected destination tile, a red 3D box is displayed and a message is displayed above the control bar: "Out of range!" (or "Unable to throw here!" depending the situation).

The 3D box and the message are updated each time the player move the mouse cursor over the tiles.

(https://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/782647GrenadeRange02.png)

*****
Cut from this thread on demand for better convenience:
https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=2279.0 (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=2279.0)
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Yankes on June 24, 2014, 02:09:21 am
This could be used for aiming too. Less clicking more shooting/throwing :)
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Unknown Hero on June 24, 2014, 02:24:45 am
Absolutely.  ;)
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Falko on June 24, 2014, 08:27:02 am
+1
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: davide on June 24, 2014, 09:40:55 am
+1
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Aldorn on June 24, 2014, 12:46:21 pm
Agree
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Solarius Scorch on June 24, 2014, 01:01:57 pm
Agreed, as long as it only shows throwing range and not grenade's radius. :)
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: moriarty on June 24, 2014, 08:38:15 pm
+1

getting "unable to throw here" messages only on mouse-click is very tedious at times... it even leads to click-click-click-click-oops-I-didn't-even-want-to-throw-there situations sometimes.

it would be really nice to display this directly.
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: clownagent on June 26, 2014, 09:48:07 am
Yes, this addition would be really useful!
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: SenniTrebor on June 28, 2014, 09:00:02 pm
good improvement.
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: BlackLibrary on July 01, 2014, 12:28:34 am
+1
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Qpoter on July 01, 2014, 02:48:51 am
+1
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: yrizoud on July 01, 2014, 11:37:21 am
Just changing the box color (red=impossible or out of range) would be enough IMO. You'd have the information "Impossible" or "Out of range" if you click anyway.
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: darkestaxe on July 04, 2014, 10:24:37 am
+1

I'm not sure I like the text strings at the bottom of the screen though, Id prefer something on the cursor. Changing the cursor color seems non-ideal also, and it wouldn't fit international standards for colorblind accessibility.

Wait-a-minute! Why am I even thinking about international accessibility standards for a basement project?

OXC, you have really raised the fucking bar! James Cameron has a diving ball that could use your help!
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Hythlodaeus on July 04, 2014, 12:18:43 pm
I've already suggested this before myself (https://openxcom.org/bugs/openxcom/issues/653) on the bug tracker, so /thread. Besides, using a new icon is a better idea than using a lit box, given that the latter already means something else on the battlescape UI context, namely that a friendly or enemy unit is targeted. It's a bad idea to use the same element for different contexts.
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Falko on July 04, 2014, 01:06:38 pm
how about this
you already have the launch missile button you can put the "can throw" info there .. with two colors you even avoid new language strings
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Hythlodaeus on July 04, 2014, 01:11:24 pm
Too clunky. Although I like the recoloured arrow. It's a good way to implement it before getting a better icon.
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Falko on July 04, 2014, 01:14:38 pm
the more subtle version is
the throw-arrow has an animation
if can throw - animate
if can not throw - do not animate
+colorblind compatible :)

(+perhaps make the animation a bit faster/more frames?)
Title: Re: [SUGGESTION-CUT][#003] Grenade, to throw or not to throw?
Post by: Unknown Hero on July 06, 2014, 12:53:52 am
@ Hythlodaeus

Quote
I've already suggested this before myself on the bug tracker, so /thread.

You win.

Quote
Besides, using a new icon is a better idea than using a lit box, given that the latter already means something else on the battlescape UI context, namely that a friendly or enemy unit is targeted.

The yellow color, as you said, is "namely that a friendly or enemy unit is targeted"

This means: "It's ok, I am on the right spot, I can do it!"

Yellow color for the Throw action animated 3D box --> "It's ok, I am on the right spot, I can do it!"

It's a good idea tu use the same color code for the same possibility.

Quote
It's a bad idea to use the same element for different contexts.

The context is the same, the Battlescape area.

The element is not the same, the Throw action animated 3D box is very specific.

Why add another code when it's unnecessary.


When I make a suggestion, I try to use what is already in the game.

Specific animated 3D box for the Throw action --> ok

Yellow color 3D box --> ok

Preservation of the color code for the user (yellow --> "it's ok, I am on the right spot, I can do it!") --> ok

Additional display for different users (visual understanding of the interface), already in the game, text displayed above the Control Bar --> ok