UI, UX, Hotkeys.

[Keps]

Hi, below you can find list of wishes from a long time RTS player.

Hotkeys:
- SC2 UI and flexibility for hotkey customization. SC2 has it the best, convenient UI with an error highlight if the combination can not be implemented \ hotkey missing. Individual binds for every structure and every unit. https://imgur.com/hnbtFiQ

- Rapid-fire? I am not sure about this one, I liked it for the late game, some people said it is a lot stronger for certain races. Maybe partial implementation for unit purchase, not for spell use?

- Hotkey profiles. Very important. Different races want to have different profiles, same goes for Co-op, campaign

- Ability to bind multiple keys for the same spell, unit purchase, upgrade etc. Convenience feature that has various uses for build menu organization, controll grp<->spell use combinations, and it is a solution for certain language layout conflicts.
For example, TILDA button by default is `````````, however, if my language layout is selected it is ёёёёёё, so when "wrong" language layout is selected - the game does not pickup the hotkey.


UI :

- Minimap. Minimap could be the most important UI tool that we have in RTS, difference between spotting an enemy drop or a runby and missing it - often defines the match. Therefore it should be well built and convenient to read.

-- Allow us to have independent minimap size(scale) and position customization, with 6 or more position anchors (https://i.imgur.com/rNO66r1.jpeg).
-- Team colors. I always want to be displayed on minimap as green, my enemy should always be displayed as red.
-- Unit\Building indicator scale. Currently, everything is quite small, would be nice to make it bigger. (https://i.imgur.com/gCpFKiE.jpeg)
-- Circular timers for camps displayed on minimap

- Unit wire.
-- Bigger indicators for units in production
-- Bigger page buttons.
-- Indication for buildings in production, held production. As you can see on this screenshot, there is no way for me to tell if the structure is just damaged, or is it in production? https://i.imgur.com/Evp6tqI.jpeg

- Command Card

-- Recources info line. I'd really like for this UI element to be centered. See the screenshot (https://i.imgur.com/5TWlynL.jpeg). Overall I dot not understand why this element for as long as RTS exists is not in the middle. You always want to keep track of your recourses and supply. The most noob mistakes are - not spending money and being supply blocked. FoV(field of vision\focus) normally in the middle of the screen, having info line in the middle of the screen would help a lot.

-- Colour coding for supply. When you get closer to be supply blocked - supply color changes to help spot an incoming error. https://i.imgur.com/8fGivnA.png


- Nameplates are very small.

-- SCV from SC2 - https://i.imgur.com/hiVnxbu.jpeg
-- B.O.B from SG - https://i.imgur.com/VOwGTFd.jpeg

- Idle worker button\indicator. Small, no highlight.

Overall Feel:

Overall it feels like the current UI is not an improvement from SC2, not a downgrade either. The current complaint when it comes to overall feel would be how chunky the UI is with unnecessary art taking real estate of the screen. I personally would like to have a minimal version of the UI(in ), with minimal or no art at all. https://i.imgur.com/n3Drkph.jpeg
Another thing that would be great to see is to make the UI modular, which basically means allow us to move and set size for modules like command card, minimap, unitwire etc.

UX :


- Custom unit wire priorities. When multiple types of units selected the unitwire is built according to unit priorities( https://i.imgur.com/pxs8RKB.jpeg ), having ability to modify unit priorities would allow for certain rases and compositions to run under a single controll grp, instead of constantly making a 2nd control grp, just for 1 spell caster unit type.

- Tychus like command card. SG already does it for "Train Units" and "Train Advanced Units". You position units for respective production facilies in a way so that it is possible to make a combined card. Train Advanced Units = Mech+Hangar bay command card.
SC2 Co-op commander Tychus introduced a combined command card for units. https://i.imgur.com/fmV17TG.jpeg
This is just crazy convenient and straight-up life quality improvement. I can talk about this forever, the amount of convenient combinations is countless, the only problem that you'd need to solve is not having enough command card slots and >Custom unit wire priorities< would be very handy in that case.

- Production cancel logic for production facilies. If a combined group of facilies is selected 'command cancel' will cancel last unit order within the entire group, not within the current focus. For example a Barracks a Mech Bay and a Hangar bay is on the same controll group and the last unit order was a Helicarrier, even if the focus is on Barracks 'command cancel' will cancel the Helicarrier. I would love it to cancel last unit within the focus, not the entire group

- Auto Control groups. Settings and customization are necessary.

- Select colour for units. I'd like my units to be teal colored ;)

If anyone from Frost Giant actually reads this and finds feedback like this helpful - I'll write more.