The fact that approximately 1 in 4 times when i click on something in the UI it doesn't register the click isn't a functionality issue?
A UI's
entire purpose is to be a graphical interface. If it looks bad,
it has failed at being a UI. DF's UI is, functionally, actually not
that bad, it's main failing is being overcomplicated, and it looks no worse than the rest of the game. Spring's UI is just plain poorly designed.
set it on "automatic infinite pattern repeat build", make area commands, build rows or blocks of buildings with variable spacing by simple click-drag, even one-click surround any building with any other building. And you can change building facing, something I was responsible for (and something I don't think Supreme Commander has. At least, I don't recall it having the feature). And there are 4 camera modes.
The only one of those that SupCom lacks is building facing, and that can be added in with a 5 minute mod if you really want it (SupCom buildings are surrounded by 'dead space' that units can walk through but buildings cannot be built on, so you don't need it.)
Furthermore, SupCom's UI can be broken down into little windows that can be stuck whereever you like, or removed entirely, they are unintrusive and user friendly.
Spring's UI is neither unintrusive nor user friendly. At least DF's UI is unintrusive and TA's UI has the excuse that it's an old game. What's Spring's excuse?
I'm somewhat unimpressed by the quality of the SFX as well, on the one hand it's a free game, on the other hand i've done plenty of particle emitter work myself, and it's just not that hard to get sensible looking particles like smoke or fire.
While i very much loved TA (still do) and i think seeing it in 3D is excellent, the transition i'm seeing from a visual perspective is less than impressive. I can't really comment on the gameplay transition, since i can't get Spring to run for more than 20 consecutive minutes before it crashes my video card.