[DONE] [Suggestion] UFO Tracker Window

[Orz]

In effect: a UFO intercept/radar window. Similar to your regular intercept window:



Only that instead of listing your own interceptors, this would show all UFOs currently detected by radars, with respective type, size, location, race, mission, landed, on flight, etc. Whatever's most relevant. If that's too much info to fit into a cramped box (and it sure is), then at least a simple UFO list would suffice with just the bare essentials. This would prove especially useful when there's over 10+ tiny little red dots zipping around all around the globe all at once: you could simply pull up a quick window list like this and quickly find out what's what and where.

Just 5 UFOs here and even after clicking each red dot individually I kinda tend to lose track of which one was which in the heat of the moment

[7Saturn]

Good idea.

[Meridian]

OK, I can implement that.

There's place for about 4 (maybe 5) columns, what would you like to see?
My idea would be:
Column 1: UFO name (e.g. UFO-123)
Column 2: Size (e.g. Small)
Column 3: Altitude (e.g. Very Low)
Column 4: Speed (e.g. 1500)

Heading (e.g. North West) is probably not necessary.
UFO type, destination, race, mission; i.e. hyper-wave decoder stuff will not fit in I'm afraid...

Also, I would include more objects than just flying UFOs, I'd add at least:
1. landing sites
2. crash sites

... and maybe also:
3. maybe terror missions?
4. maybe alien bases?
5. maybe alien artifact sites and similar?

Clicking on a row in this table would close the dialog and open the same dialog as you would get when clicking on the object in the geoscape.

PS: there is no more place for a button for this dialog, so it would be opened using a hotkey... any preference for a default hotkey? "U" is already taken for Ufopedia ;-)

[7Saturn]

There's place for about 4 (maybe 5) columns, what would you like to see?
My idea would be:
Column 1: UFO name (e.g. UFO-123)
Column 2: Size (e.g. Small)
Column 3: Altitude (e.g. Very Low)
Column 4: Speed (e.g. 1500)

Heading is probably not necessary.

I wouldn't count on that! Position and Heading are more important, I think, than for example Altitude. (Or does the latter bring any valuable information? I never figured that one out.) So you can see, whether it's useful to take a base more to the north or whatever direction.

[Meridian]

I wouldn't count on that! Position and Heading are more important, I think, than for example Altitude. (Or does the latter bring any valuable information? I never figured that one out.) So you can see, whether it's useful to take a base more to the north or whatever direction.

Altitude tells you if the UFO is about to land... usually they start very high, and go lower and lower and when they are very low, they're about to land.

What would you like to see in the Position? Longitude and latitude? That doesn't seem very useful to me. Heading is maybe relevant a little bit, but it changes very suddenly and unpredictably, so unless you have the destination (from hyperwave decoder) the heading is close to useless in my opinion.

EDIT: one more useful information I can think of would be if the UFO is targeted by any Xcom craft... but it would be difficult to display, since you can target UFO by as many craft as you want, and that would not fit on the screen ;-) Maybe craft name if there is only 1 and text "multiple" or "none" otherwise?

[7Saturn]

Altitude tells you if the UFO is about to land... usually they start very high, and go lower and lower and when they are very low, they're about to land.

I was always guessing something like that, but were never sure.

What would you like to see in the Position? Longitude and latitude? That doesn't seem very useful to me.

It's not. That's why I'd suggest region/country, where it currently is.

Heading is maybe relevant a little bit, but it changes very suddenly and unpredictably, so unless you have the destination (from hyperwave decoder) the heading is close to useless in my opinion.

Especially when having hyperwave decoder, it's useful. But also when being picked up by radar. Those erratic directions only apply, when the ufo is already searching for a place to land or doing reconnaissance. So in this case, it already doesn't really matter, that's true. But when being picked up early on (often seen: Australia picks it up, but heading is to Southern Africa), the direction is quite useful, even with radar.

[Orz]

There's place for about 4 (maybe 5) columns, what would you like to see?
My idea would be:
Column 1: UFO name (e.g. UFO-123)
Column 2: Size (e.g. Small)
Column 3: Altitude (e.g. Very Low)
Column 4: Speed (e.g. 1500)

Exactly, I was thinking going for the standard four: SIZE, ALTITUDE, HEADING & SPEED as displayed on a normal radar scan would be the most logical way to go. Any more information (CRAFT TYPE, RACE, MISSION, ZONE) would be the domain of Hyper-Wave which would make no sense since you wouldn't have that technology to begin with.

So: UFO/SITE >> SIZE >> ALTITUDE >> HEADING >> SPEED

Also, I would include more objects than just flying UFOs, I'd add at least:
1. landing sites
2. crash sites

... and maybe also:
3. maybe terror missions?
4. maybe alien bases?
5. maybe alien artifact sites and similar?

Definitely! Anything currently under detection. This would also be useful to keep track of alien bases around the globe.

Clicking on a row in this table would close the dialog and open the same dialog as you would get when clicking on the object in the geoscape.

Right, which would mean Hyper-Wave scan would come up when available. Alternatively, right-clicking could bring up UFO/site window and left-clicking could simply center you on the object in question.

PS: there is no more place for a button for this dialog, so it would be opened using a hotkey... any preference for a default hotkey? "U" is already taken for Ufopedia ;-)

Precisely, so I was thinking "O" (for open/overview?) since it's right next to "I" for intercept.

EDIT: one more useful information I can think of would be if the UFO is targeted by any Xcom craft... but it would be difficult to display, since you can target UFO by as many craft as you want, and that would not fit on the screen ;-) Maybe craft name if there is only 1 and text "multiple" or "none" otherwise?

No need, just keep it nice and simple.

[7Saturn]

Exactly, I was thinking going for the standard four: SIZE, ALTITUDE, HEADING & SPEED as displayed on a normal radar scan would be the most logical way to go. Any more information (CRAFT TYPE, RACE, MISSION, ZONE) would be the domain of Hyper-Wave which would make no sense since you wouldn't have that technology to begin with.

I disagree. There's a difference between the zone-data of the hyperwavedecoder (which gives you the destination) and the actual position of the ufo (which you can see, even with radar). This position is not useless.

[Meridian]

I disagree. There's a difference between the zone-data of the hyperwavedecoder (which gives you the destination) and the actual position of the ufo (which you can see, even with radar). This position is not useless.

It doesn't change the fact that I can fit in either 5 short(!) columns or 4 normal size columns... which 4 columns are the most important for you? First column obviously would need to be the UFO name, so actually you can choose only 3 remaining columns.

[7Saturn]

Position, heading and size of the ufo. =) The latter to decide, whether to go or not (attacking battle ships with interceptor is quite useless) and the first two, to decide, from where to start.

[Orz]

Position, heading and size of the ufo. =) The latter to decide, whether to go or not (attacking battle ships with interceptor is quite useless) and the first two, to decide, from where to start.

And what would "position" stand for? (I'm asking since there's no "position" display on radars) Are you referring to geographical position (i.e. city over which they are flying over?)

I merely suggested UFO/SITE >> SIZE >> ALTITUDE >> HEADING >> SPEED for simplicity's sake and continuity (since this is the very same data that a regular radar will display). Either way, clicking on it should bring up the standard radar screen or Hyper-Wave decoding when/if applicable.

If anything, HEADING and SPEED would be the least important. ALTITUDE at least displays if the UFO has landed or is still in flight (i.e. might be important for priority reasons: crashed ones can wait, landed ones may demand more immediate attention due to looting potential, etc). Of course, the most important data would be SIZE for obvious reasons.

I also just want to make Meridian's job easier.

[7Saturn]

Are you referring to geographical position (i.e. city over which they are flying over?)

Exactly that.

[Meridian]

OK, the feature is ready.
Hotkey "T" .

Left click opens ufo/site/base detail, right-click centers on target.

In English, everything fits just barely.... if this should ever get to master, I would remove the "Heading" column, as it is quite useless in such a table.

[Solarius Scorch]

You could change heading into abbreviations like NS, E etc., but that'd require strings. I agree it's kinda pointless though, so whatever.

[harre]

Cool, hope it will be accepted in master