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1

9 (8.6%)

2

8 (7.6%)

3

22 (21%)

4

33 (31.4%)

5

33 (31.4%)

Total Members Voted: 105

[Malorn]

So in case anyone missed it:  "Added ability to do designations over Z levels (e.g. long up/down staircases)."  I'm sure you have all noticed this as well.  First off, hell yeah Toady, that made my day!

But secondly, let's talk game design and focus.  Personally, I'm all in favor of these small additions as well as major feature updates.   Just one or two here or there could go a long way toward improving the flow of the game, making it more accessible.  Personally, I loved the game enough to climb the learning cliff, but I have another friend who says:

I could fall in love with this game, screw the learning curve, but the interface seems like would remain highly difficult.  I don't want to have to fight the interface even after I've learned the game.

Personally, I think he's a being a whiny pansy about it, buuuuut he was my roommate for two years and is probably one of the best gamers I know (anyone I can rely on to play Resident Evil 5 professional difficulty with hardcore rules is both crazy and damn good).  So here's my question, I know I care about these little additions that smooth out gameplay, and the same for my friend  How does everyone else feel about this sort of thing?

For the record, I am not talking graphical overhaul, that fight is in several other threads, and I want nothing to do with it . . . though I must admit the ability to see 'faded' terrain below your current level would be awesome.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVhsIGGg3QE

The only reason I'm popping this quiz out here is curiosity and because it might help Toady gauge the fanbase if he is considering more of these kinds of updates.  No pushing.   

[Crustypeanut]

Edit: Durp durp, nevermind, didn't think before posting that.  XD


I like the idea of interface changes.. right now, the UI is rather.. quirky.  Took me a long time to get used to it, and I think there is much room for improvement. 

[Kay12]

No you can't - yet. It's in Toady's latest update and will probably be in the next release.

Myself, I consider it quite important to have a working UI. For example, I'd be much happier if disarming prisoners could be done with a couple of keypresses instead of dump juggling.

[dragoncurse]

Improve UI?

THIS IS BLASPHEMY.

[lanceleoghauni]

some things, Like multi-Z designation will be AWESOME. But I still want some of the Arcane commands to remain, Don't want none o' them CASHAWAL Gamers  up in here.

[Kay12]

some things, Like multi-Z designation will be AWESOME. But I still want some of the Arcane commands to remain, Don't want none o' them CASHAWAL Gamers  up in here.

The Cashawal will be kept away by the CP437... just don't tell them about the tile sets.

[yggiz]

I love any development. This one saves me some time, since I do not use designation macros and am a fan of central staircases. A good game gets better.

[Sutremaine]

I thought this topic was going to be strictly about how you make the game do what it's capable of, not adding minor new capabilities...

These little things not only make general fortressing easier, but make projects relying on their existence less trouble than they're worth.

[Alastar]

There's a lot to be done in the game, and still more to be done with the game. As such, the interface needs to be powerful and extensible rather than pleasant.

I think the controls are good enough for the moment where it comes to manipulation of the fortress itself. If anything, I'd like a more convenient method of managing the inhabitants - that's the part where many players (myself included) rely on third party programs.

[Kay12]

I thought this topic was going to be strictly about how you make the game do what it's capable of, not adding minor new capabilities...

Um, multi-level designation is just that - you can already do that, but this'll reduce the amount of keypresses needed dramatically.

[Malorn]

There's a lot to be done in the game, and still more to be done with the game. As such, the interface needs to be powerful and extensible rather than pleasant.

I think the controls are good enough for the moment where it comes to manipulation of the fortress itself. If anything, I'd like a more convenient method of managing the inhabitants - that's the part where many players (myself included) rely on third party programs.

I agree it needs to be powerful, but what part of a 'smoother' UI would preclude better methods for managing the military (a very powerful, yet rather arcane system), or trading?

Um, multi-level designation is just that - you can already do that, but this'll reduce the amount of keypresses needed dramatically.

I think he meant using the current UI, rather than talking about UI improvement.

[Kay12]

In any case, other stuff I'd like to see at some point: Better wall building, like only placing the endpoints of a wall instead of having to order 10*1 segments. Same for floors.

Military screen is confusing, but I don't have any suggestions on how to improve it myself (mostly because I'm not very aware of its current workings either).

[Nameless Archon]

I think the controls are good enough for the moment where it comes to manipulation of the fortress itself. If anything, I'd like a more convenient method of managing the inhabitants - that's the part where many players (myself included) rely on third party programs.

Truthfully, while reliance on third-party programs (like the ubiquitous Psychological Reconstruction Ray Dwarf Therapist) is bad in a final product, it's in those aspects where the third party programs DON'T cover the gap that I'd like to see improvements over the short term.

Long term? Sure, at some point, the need for DT needs to go away, but over the near term, making upgrades in other places allows Toady to keep taking advantage of other programmers' time and skills, without actually giving them the source code to tinker. Since we know that Toady is not interested in allowing other programmers to work 'under the hood', I'd like to see him focusing his efforts in areas that aren't duplicating effort now, and then incorporating their best ideas later when the time to remove the need for their work arrives.

[Kay12]

Therapist does a good job. I think the best Toady can do (for now) is focusing on other aspects of the interface and not screwing Dwarf Therapist compatibility somehow.

[Malorn]

It sounds like blasphemy, but honestly I'd be interested in eliminating the difference between constructed walls and ordinary stone.  That aside, I'd love to designate constructions rather than build them, much more flexible system, and the designation code is already in place.  Just choose a material and start painting wall build orders.

Anyway, this is stuff that belongs (and exists) in the suggestion area.  The purpose of the poll is just to give Toady feedback on his recent change, and hopefully encourage further such changes (assuming the trend continues in the voting).

Fun fact!: Currently the average is 3.88.