[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Single-player Freeciv notices

[Christian Knoke <chrisk@xxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, Dec 28, 2002 at 01:16:49PM +0100, Stepan Roh wrote:
> Hi. Being sick I played a game of single-player Freeciv (version 1.13.0,
> client gtk1, isometric tileset) and here are my remarks (some are
> gtk-related, some are general; rechecked with 1.14.1-devel from latest
> CVS):

Your comments are good. I think these small things will make Freeciv
more comfortable to play, if they are realized.

> - isometric navigation is not very intuitive (clicking on the right of
> screen center will move actual rectangle on mini-map towards northeast and
> not east, and vice versa) - civ2's style is better

> - mini-images on left panel (like global warming indicator etc. - game
> state indicators according to client manual) needs tooltips else they are
> not very useful

Yes.

> - there should be easy way to see help for built city improvements, active
> units, units in the city, terrain in the city map etc.

Yes, tooltips, or help entry in popup menu.

> - minimap in the city window with highlighted city position could be
> useful

Not sure with this one. We could mark the city position in the Toplevel
window minimap.

> - the space for units in city window is wasted (there can be more units
> visible)

> - deleting units from worklist is very unintuitive (double-clicking) -
> drag&drop or classic <-, -> buttons may be improvement

We have tried ... 

> - supported units should have indication of current location
> (coordinates and city name or "near <city name>", just like in civ2)
> - visible map coordinates in middle-click info

Yes, but not sure with coordinates, though. It's getting to technical, no
fun to play.

> - cities (F1) window should not be reset to default if closed and then
> opened and already opened window should be moved to top if F1 is pressed

Yes. The window should remember its size.

> - it should be possible to sort cities according to production
> (numerically) and not only according to text in column "Surplus F/P/T"

This is in work I think.

> - waypoints for Go to and Patrol commands (it is very annoying if
> patrolling ship goes near the enemy coastline where it is interrupted each
> turn)

I think there _are_ waypoints. Just press 'G'.

> - full demographics (not just first one in each row)

Yes; of course only nations where we have an embassy ...

> - ability to mark map spots with my own signs

> - colorized messages (color based on message importance)

Problem is what is important - this changes over the game.

> - it is very annoying that Coinage blocks city from automatic deciding
> what to build next (it should be automatically changed to some city
> improvement if AI decides it with possibility to turn it off on per-city 
> basis)

The server suggestions of what to build are suboptimal. I think this is
on the player to decide.

> I hope it is understandable.
> 
> Have a nice day.
> 
> Stepan Roh

Christian

-- 
Christian Knoke     * * *      http://www.enter.de/~c.knoke/
* * * * * * * * *  Ceterum censeo Microsoft esse dividendum.