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Author Topic: [CORE] Replacing TFTD "Expend Remaining TUs" button with "Hold Fire" function  (Read 4225 times)

Offline Hythlodaeus

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Having the additional TFTD buttons is nice, however I can't stop thinking the "Expend remaining TUs" button is a hackish and potentially harmful way of making sure your soldier doesn't fire in the enemy turn. Here are my reasons why:

1 - It's not reversible. Once you spend all TUs, you're done. If an alien gets spotted after that, you can no longer move that soldier away from his line of fire or use him to snipe the alien from a long distance.
2 - It forces players to only apply it at the end of the turn, which is a direct consequence of 1 eventually leading to the aforementioned problems, if you spot an enemy target.
3 - It requires a fail-safe. Just two days ago, I was playing TFTD and I swear I couldn't figure out how to activate the expend remaining TUs button. I only learned how by reading the latest nightly log. I take it this isn't exactly good for new players either.
4 - It's still prone to accidents. Yes, it's RMB activated, but that doesn't mean it's entirely foolproof. An accidental RMB click could still throw your entire soldier's turn away.

For these problems I'd like to suggest a different solution: replace the Expend Remaining TUs function with a hold fire function, that instead of depleting the unit of TUs, forbids it to fire during the enemy turn. The pros of this function are as it follows:

. It would be reversible. A simple toggle on/off, like an reaction fire button is all you'd need. If you find an alien that you wanted to shoot after all, you can still do it.
. Allows more tactical flexibility. The player doesn't have to do it exclusively in the end of the turn to avoid regretful situations.
. Doesn't require a fail-safe and it's accident proof.

The only issue I can think of for this, would be that this would have to be a personal toggle, instead of a universal one, like the rest of the reaction buttons currently are. This means that you would individually pick which soldiers would be forbidden to fire, kinda how you already do it for depleting TUs, since if it was universal, it would mean all soldiers would be forbidden to fire. The switch would be reset on all soldiers at the beginning of a new turn. The button should be coloured differently (maybe brown) to mark it's individual nature.

*EDIT* One easier way to implement this to make it, would be to make the button work as in "Expend all remaining TUs at the end of the turn". This would allow the function to remain the same while being completely reversible, although it would still need to be an individual soldier toggle that would be reset at the beginning of the turn.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2013, 11:37:48 am by Hythlodaeus »

Offline kkmic

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Re: Replacing TFTD "Expend Remaining TUs" button with "Hold Fire" function
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2013, 10:51:09 am »
For a unit to hold fire, it means it must be capable to follow an order. If your soldier are panicking/berserking, you can be sure that they won't follow orders :)

OTOH, I remember reading something about berserking units, that they are given 255 TUs and they start shooting around, so expending their TUs wouldn't help either.

However, I like your idea of a "reversible way of making my unit not to fire during the alien turn", and I'd like to see it implemented.

Offline Shoes

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Re: Replacing TFTD "Expend Remaining TUs" button with "Hold Fire" function
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2013, 02:47:29 am »
*EDIT* One easier way to implement this to make it, would be to make the button work as in "Expend all remaining TUs at the end of the turn". This would allow the function to remain the same while being completely reversible, although it would still need to be an individual soldier toggle that would be reset at the beginning of the turn.

This would seem to be the most logical way of doing it. Have the button remain depressed so the player knows who has the Hold Fire order.

Offline Shadow

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While the idea has some merit, I really don't think this is much of an issue, and I must say I've never had a problem with it in all my years of playing TFTD. The button itself is only useful in few, select situations, and the perceived disadvantages pointed out seem overblown:

- The fact the player's "forced" to apply it at the end of the turn is a tiny inconvenience.
- That it requires a failsafe is actually a positive detail, and the player can be informed of the RMB requirement just adding three words to the button's tooltip.
- I really can't see how it's prone to accidents, given the player would have to land a specialized right-click on a small, very specific part of the interface (a very narrow button quite removed from the map view) to trigger the function accidentally. How's that likely at all?

Offline Hythlodaeus

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- The fact the player's "forced" to apply it at the end of the turn is a tiny inconvenience.
I wouldn't call it tiny. It's a matter of comfortable gameplay and option to reverse and revise certain actions.

- That it requires a failsafe is actually a positive detail, and the player can be informed of the RMB requirement just adding three words to the button's tooltip.
No offense, but that's practically polishing a turd. In no way a button that requires a failsafe is a good thing if you can have it otherwise. This button is more the result of rushed development than careful thought on how to apply it properly.

- I really can't see how it's prone to accidents, given the player would have to land a specialized right-click on a small, very specific part of the interface (a very narrow button quite removed from the map view) to trigger the function accidentally. How's that likely at all?
"Alright, and now to remove the remaining TUs of this soldier OH SHI-, I HAD THE WRONG SOLDIER SELECTED, NOW I JUST DEPLETED ALL OF HIS TUS AND THERE'S A CHRYSSALID IN FRONT OF HIM!"

Offline Tarvis

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Yeah, sorry to be blunt, but that's your own fault.

The RMB failsafe IS the result of thought, because if it was just left click-activated, it would be VERY MUCH MORE prone to misclicks.

The other fact is that RMB use is so rare otherwise that yes, you'd have to try pretty hard to do it on accident.