User Interface (UI) suggestions

[Fenyő]

New suggestion:
Save the state of the units-inventory on mission start and load it back on next pre-equip before mission start.
So i mean automatically reequip the team with their last weapon layout. (its from UFO Extender)

I have inspected the code, and i have some ideas for implementing this, you can read it in the development section, HERE.


EDIT:
I have implemented this feature!

You can read it (and things need to be know about this) in the development section, HERE.

[Fenyő]

I was thinking on the feature named 'Auto Flares' in UFO Extender, and i think i've got a better idea for that.
I think not everyone uses flares in night missions for lighting, after all an incendiary weapon can be used to that purpose also.
So my idea is:
There could be night-time equipment layouts also!!
They could be independent from normal layouts, and applied instead of normal layouts when mission is at night. (there could be a darkness threshold to decide when is it counted as night, this could be in Options.cfg)
If a soldier only has night-time equipment layout when entering daytime mission, then the daytime layout is copied from the night-time, and vice versa on the contrary case. (but then it is handled independently)

Before i implement this, i want to ask you guys, what are your opinion about this idea?

[Volutar]

Autoflares? First of all player should know how dark is outside, before pre-mission equipment screen or during it.

[Fenyő]

You're right!
Perhaps a text should tell the darkness value on the pre-equip screen. (and maybe the fact that it is considered as daytime or night (by the aforementioned threshold value in options.cfg))
This way, would this feature be a good idea?

[moriarty]

I think a pre-mission briefing screen would be nice in any case. it could feature several additional pieces of information:

- country
- local time and light level
- terrain type
- type of mission (terror site / crash site / landed UFO site / alien base assault)
- if crashed/landed UFO: size of UFO https:// - if hyperwave decoder info available: type of UFO and UFO's mission
- if hyperwave decoder info available: alien race involved

(for V1++: a "surveillance satellite map" of the terrain, like a blurry, maybe partially cloud-covered top-down view that lets you estimate the outlines of the terrain, buildings and the UFO)

[Fenyő]

- type of mission (terror site / crash site / landed UFO site / alien base assault)

This is already exist, the "Briefing screen" with an OK button. D' u remember?

- country
- local time and light level
- terrain type
- if crashed/landed UFO: size of UFO https:// - if hyperwave decoder info available: type of UFO and UFO's mission
- if hyperwave decoder info available: alien race involved

These are actually known before the Battlescape starts, if you look at the place on the Geoscape.
Ok, the time is not local time, but is this a relevant info anyways?
Actually, light level is also visible on the geoscape, before the mission starts, however i admit that it's hard to evaluate the Battlescape darkness based on this.
Terrain type is a similar issue than light level.

Hmm, and how about if i expand the Briefing screen with some of these infos? (the one with the OK button)

And a new idea: Maybe the user could choose (on the Briefing screen) which "Layout-preset" are going to be used. (there would be Layout-1, Layout-2, and so on) This could give the user more freedom.
Opinions about this?