Author Topic: [DONE][Suggestion] Show ufo preview/info at base defense  (Read 834 times)

Offline Delian

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[DONE][Suggestion] Show ufo preview/info at base defense
« on: March 09, 2025, 11:54:24 am »
In the original game, it was only Battleships which would attack your base, and the player would always get to see the battleship as it approached the base, so the player would know who was attacking them. However, in modded games, attacks can be instant, done with any ufo, and the player doesn't get to see this crucial info when making a decision of whether to try to shoot down the craft or just let them attack.

I suggest that, when the base defense screen is shown, the player should be shown the name of the enemy ufo and, if Hyperwave Decoder is present, the alien race as well.

The logic behind it is that, even if it's a surprise attack, if the player has enough time to choose between shooting or letting them enter, then they should also have enough time to get a glance at who's attacking the base before making that decision.

Offline Meridian

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2025, 12:13:22 pm »
Why the name tho?
Standard radar shows only the size.

Offline Delian

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2025, 12:14:33 pm »
Oh, right. Then just the size is fine I guess. And Name+Race if Hyperwave Decoder is present.

What about the dogfight image? You can see that image in any dogfight, so perhaps it would make sense to see it at base defense as well.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2025, 12:17:07 pm by Delian »

Offline Meridian

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2025, 12:51:53 pm »
What about the dogfight image? You can see that image in any dogfight, so perhaps it would make sense to see it at base defense as well.

geoscape and basescape palettes are too different, we'd need to duplicate the images

Offline Delian

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2025, 01:56:55 pm »
Hmm. I could write an image/palette converter, so duplicating images wouldn't be needed.

Or, have that screen use a geoscape palette instead.

Offline Meridian

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2025, 03:55:29 pm »
And Name+Race if Hyperwave Decoder is present.

Present in the attacked base?
Or present in other base with enough range?
Or detected already?

Offline Delian

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2025, 04:01:10 pm »
If decoder is present in the attacked base, or it was hyper-detected already, show info with 100% chance. But if the decoder is present in a different base and the ufo is not yet detected, then the chance to show info is equal to the detection chance of the HD of the other base.

But even if no decoder is present, I think UFO's image should be shown. I think that's the most important part of this suggestion.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2025, 04:06:04 pm by Delian »

Offline Meridian

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2025, 04:17:10 pm »
And if there is no (even standard) radar present at all and UFO is not detected, show nothing?

Offline Delian

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2025, 04:23:59 pm »
I suppose in that case it would make sense to not show anything. It's your choice how to handle this case.

Offline Ethereal

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2025, 04:56:56 pm »
If the base is attacked, the ship is visually noticed and described. I think everything should be standard and the completeness of information should depend only on the presence, or absence, of a decoder on the attacked base.

Offline Yankes

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2025, 08:59:56 pm »
Hmm. I could write an image/palette converter, so duplicating images wouldn't be needed.

Or, have that screen use a geoscape palette instead.
This could be correct only as stop-gap, you can't covert palette images without loose of information.
Adding that some mods use custom palettes result can't be easy predictable. Modder need create graphic that fit both palettes.
This mean best long term solution is use dedicated graphic that perfect fit used palette.

Then as modders need prepare some graphic, why not allow background graphic to be changed?
It will not have information what exactly attack base but have enough hints what it could be.
Plus this could work as some fluff (image picture of radar screen with some embedded green text with some general info).

Offline Meridian

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #11 on: March 23, 2025, 09:26:38 pm »
The path of least resistance will be modding the UI palette to PAL_GEOSCAPE (via `interface:` ruleset) and optionally enable/disable the additional info (via mod or user option).
Background graphic is also already moddable, right?

Offline Delian

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #12 on: March 23, 2025, 09:55:59 pm »
This could be correct only as stop-gap, you can't covert palette images without loose of information.

Sure, the auto-converted ufo image can be the backup if the modder doesn't provide a custom ufo image. Altho I wouldn't call it stop-gap, because it doesn't matter if the image isn't pixel perfect. Even if an image was converted to grayscale, I think the quality would be good enough for players to get the idea of what the ufo is.

The path of least resistance will be modding the UI palette to PAL_GEOSCAPE

So you're saying that the BaseDefenseState should be modded to use "palette: PAL_GEOSCAPE"? And then no image conversion is necessary?

Also, a question. I think BaseDefenseState is technically a Geoscape State, but the standard (xcom1) interfaces set its palette to PAL_BASESCAPE. Why wasn't this State a Basescape State from the beginning?

Offline Meridian

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2025, 10:16:36 pm »
So you're saying that the BaseDefenseState should be modded to use "palette: PAL_GEOSCAPE"? And then no image conversion is necessary?

I didn't try it yet, but I am pretty sure it should work.

Also, a question. I think BaseDefenseState is technically a Geoscape State, but the standard (xcom1) interfaces set its palette to PAL_BASESCAPE. Why wasn't this State a Basescape State from the beginning?

Why do you say it is technically a Geoscape state? Because it is in the Geoscape folder? That's just source file sorting... doesn't technically mean anything.

The state is a Basescape state, because in the OG it was also a Basescape state, no other reason.

Offline Yankes

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Re: [Suggestion] Show ufo info at base defense
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2025, 10:56:37 pm »
The path of least resistance will be modding the UI palette to PAL_GEOSCAPE (via `interface:` ruleset) and optionally enable/disable the additional info (via mod or user option).
Background graphic is also already moddable, right?
I mean moddable per ufo, not globally, similar how misson screen change based on alien mission.