Ripcord red dots

[French_Touch]

When you want to rip, there are red dots that appear right next to the sectors in order to show you which one of them has a tp. It's very usefull!
But why do I have to press R to access to these dots? I mean, I would be great to see them all the time.

Look at this picture, it's very convenient!


Actually, one glance and you know that this specific sector has no tp, for example, so it's gonna take a while to defend if there is an attack. Maybe you should stay close to this sector just in case...

And I don't think it would need a lot of work to just keep it. It's just a red dot that already exists but just appears when we rip.


p.s.
By the way, one thing that could be great (but maybe it would be too long to add this feature) is a sign on the sector where you can rescue pods. For instance, you buy a rescue probe because you want to drop it "high right" and before you get there, somebody has dropped a rp there, you can go somewhere else in order to drop these rp on close to 2/3 empty sectors (no base, no rp).

I hope it's clear! It would be very usefull. Like the number of probes in the next version! Very good idea!

[Makida]

I don't really agree. Which sectors do, and which do not, have TPs is not such an obscure or difficult-to-remember fact... And having those dots on the map all the time just clutters it up more. If you really want to see them, hit the R key and hit it again to abort. Maybe not convenient but if you're finding yourself thinking "hmm, I wonder which sector has TPs..." without actually intending to rip somewhere at that moment, you probably have the second this would require.

With this suggestion, and the blinky-sector thing in R6, I think there's a real danger of adding too much stuff to the mini-map and making it cluttered. It provides a ton of information as it is... let's keep it to the stuff that's really essential.

[French_Touch]

Maybe you're right. I'm personnally confused sometimes with the tp. I know a lot of newbies who asked me "How can I know if I can rip to a sector or not?"
Well, I can tell them to press 2 times on R...

Not very convenient !

But anyway, I think the manimap is one of the most important part of the screen. We should pay attention to it and put a maximum of information on it (not too much, of course). In the next release, the number of probes will be shown. Great idea, why not the tp or the rescue probes ?

[Freyja]

I don't agree either, it's something that most people will remember and will only therefore serve to clutter things up.

The sector blinky think I don't think will make it into r6 with a vote, I like it but it's really more effective to use the chat.

[Makida]

QUOTE (French_Touch @ Aug 31 2010, 04:00 PM) I know a lot of newbies who asked me "How can I know if I can rip to a sector or not?"

I don't think there's anything wrong with telling them "you can rip to those sectors where the red dots appear when you hit R"... No need to complicate it with "Hit R twice." Also, tell them that it's important to pay attention to which bases are located or being built where, and to pay attention to commanders' orders for things like TP2 drops, etc.

[Jimen]

It's already possible to tell where there is and isn't a tp! Just MOVE YOUR MOUSE OVER A SECTOR ON THE MINIMAP AND BE TOLD EXACTLY WHAT KNOWN BASES AND SHIPS ARE IN THAT SECTOR. Sure, you can't be flying with your mouse over the minimap the whole time (maybe joystick pilots can?), but that is what you have a brain for - unless you've just joined the game, you should have at least a pretty good idea of what's where. And if you happen to forget, it's a good thing you can tap R to be reminded of the locations of rippable ships and bases!

The only information that should be displayed at all times is information that a pilot is required to know at all times - anything else should be hidden when unneeded, and you don't need a CONSTANT reminder of where you can and can't rip. This isn't me hating against change, it's basic principles of information presentation, and it's why so much info is hidden behind a single keypress or mouseover: easily accessible when the player wants to see it, but GONE when they don't need it.

[French_Touch]

To my mind, I'd prefer the blinky-sector thing in R6 rather than the automatic-blinking sector when (for instance) 2 scouts are just passing by in the same sector. THAT is useless. If something important is happening, the comm can show us where to go by clicking on the right sector and makes it blink. Imagine that 3 sectors are blinking, how do u see the blinky sector thing? You would have 2 different blinks?

I don't understand the logic. And yes, we can memorize. After all, why not remove the green/blue dots for all the known bases, I should know where they are ! Isn't it the most important?

[Makida]

Now that is just silly. Little dots for bases is one thing. A giant red splotch under every sector with a teleport receiver in it is another thing. I think the mini-map is fine the way it is now. R6's new probe-count feature isn't the most useful thing ever, but isn't completely useless either, and doesn't really get in the way. But making the teleport dots visible all the time is just a bit much, I think. And the discussion on why the blinky sector thing may not be great is in another thread.

[French_Touch]

Yes, I'm teasing you but you're right, let's keep it simple. I wouldn't mind small red dots but I'm able to press 2 times on R ! On big maps, it would help me.

Thanx !

[Psychosis]

you should know all the sectors that have teleports in them, in fact, you should know almost every base in every sector!

This is clutter, I don't like it. Also, did you notice that the little icon changes shape depending on what you are ripping to? bases/ships have a different symbol. Please learn to play allegiance properly