Advanced Strategic Icons mod

[Shadows]

Version 3.2.0 beta is ready for testing.

I did put a lot of hours on this one but as long as others won't test it out it would stay experimental..
So I'll just put it here to cool off with some testers who have the mass and energy.

Changes:

• Bigger T1 mass extractor/storage (Laserpoint's suggestion).
• The white outline (highlight) has been removed from all mass extractors and power generators to increase the color area. They dont need it because the green and white symbols are bright enough (Inspired by Sir Prize's suggestion).
• Brighter symbol background in build queues for all size sets that improve readability (Inspired by arhun's suggestion).
• Bolder diagonal black outlines for all icons in the medium set that improve visibility (Phlegm's suggestion).
• Bolder pink marking for the strategic defence in the medium set. (Kulu's suggestion)
• Bolder black outline for the experimental icon in the medium and small sets.
• Smaller experimental icon for the large set.
• Bolder black outline for the T3 shield icon in the medium set.
• New marking for the tactical defence icon in all size sets. It defend only against ground to ground missiles so its marking changed into ground fire marking (lines on the sides). Also, the icon in the medium set is a bit smaller to accommodate the tactical launcher.
• Improved green marking for the T2 and T3 radar icons.
• Improved strategic launcher icons for all size sets.
• The symbols of the T2, T3 mobile shield and the T2 shield boat are now shorter in the small set to accommodate the icon space.
• Bolder black outline around the symbol for all power generators in all size sets.
• Smaller T1 power generator in the medium and large set.
• The installer can now identify when different sizes are installed on multiple forged alliance installations and gives you the option to change all of them globally.
• Fixed: Capped icons in the build queues when using the small set (This issue was inherited from the unmodded icons).
• Fixed: Occasionally white tint around the experimental icon (Discovered by Aarhun).
• Fixed: The strategic launcher in all size sets no longer show a yellow circle in the white outline when selected.
• Fixed: The strategic launcher in the medium set now show the white outline in the correct width when selected.
• Fixed: The T1 land scout didn't show white symbol when mouse cursor pass over it.
• Fixed: Several icons in the medium set had the wrong size when selected or when the cursor hover over them.
• Updated help.

key subjects that need more testing:

• Is the color area of the T1 mass extractor icon large enough so that the player could notice changes in it? (like when it belongs to the enemy, out of vision range and have been destroyed or upgraded).
• Is the new, slightly bigger size of the mass storage icon makes the overlapping issue dramatically worse?
• Is the tactical missile defense icon too similar to the tactical launcher icon?
• Is the expiremental icon in the large set too small?

Download:

Advanced Strategic Icons mod installer 3.2.0.zip

Open the zip file and start the one-click installer.

(740.51 KiB) Downloaded 92 times

I need feedback before making this the main download so please post your experience and let me know about any issue.

[belatedcube]

I can't download version 3.2.0. I think the link is broken

[Sheeo]

I can't download version 3.2.0. I think the link is broken

The link works here.


I've played quite a few games with the new version today, and so far I'm digging the new look and feel. They're less intrusive with the colours, and I think this is good for getting people to try it out

Nice work Shadows.

[belatedcube]

I can't download version 3.2.0. I think the link is broken

The link works here.

works now. guess I can't download through the faf client

[Shadows]

works now. guess I can't download through the faf client

Glad you managed to work it out. Could you post some feedback about your experience with the mod here in the forum?
I need to know how fast people acclimate to the icons.

I've played quite a few games with the new version today, and so far I'm digging the new look and feel. They're less intrusive with the colours, and I think this is good for getting people to try it out

Nice work Shadows.

When you write "Less intrusive with the colours" you proboply talk about the the new tactical defence style.
Do you think that the change is in place?

tactical defence - medium.png (3.12 KiB) Viewed 2364 times

My concern was that it would look too similar to the tactical missile launcher.

tactical defence vs launcher - medium.png (3.1 KiB) Viewed 2364 times

The reason behind the change is the logic that stands behind the colored markings. The old tactical defence marking was too general and could imply for some that it protects against every type of fire (from surface, air and underwater) while the new marking indicates that it protect specifically against surface fire. Also, I toke the liberty of making it smaller for more visibility when the player build tightly concentrated defences.

[Sir Prize]

Version 3.2.0 beta is ready for testing.

I did put a lot of hours on this one but as long as others won't test it out it would stay experimental..
So I'll just put it here to cool off with some testers who have the mass and energy.

It is glorious . I can now play on medium with better functionality than i had on 3.0.2 on large. On large I can tell when the Dark Blue Colour of Death and Bad Intel has upgraded a mex without re-scouting it, which is pretty awesome. On medium I can just switch to the auto-colours to see if a mex is upgraded for that colour and the rest are crystal clear, so not even slightly an issue.

The better functionality I referred to that comes from playing medium is that I can now more easily tell fake PDs from real ones, what upgrade a mex is that is surrounded by storage, whether an ACU is getting an upgrade and what direction my bomber is flying so I can micro it better. Great update.

One possible thing you might want to look at is the various sizes of T1 and T2 mex and pgens, PURELY for aesthetics, they're a little inconsistent. BUT I almost want to delete that sentence because I'm 99% sure it would be extra work that might even reduce functionality just for the sake of prettiness, which I am 100% against. I don't play this game to look at nice icons (although I like yours more than default) so feel free to do no work on this issue at all

[Aarhun]

Like the new version, especially the build icons.
All is fine for the moment, didn't noticed any issue. (I play in medium size)

I will try to find the time to test more deeply the points you have mentioned.

Anyway great job

[Shadows]

It is glorious . I can now play on medium with better functionality than i had on 3.0.2 on large. On large I can tell when the Dark Blue Colour of Death and Bad Intel has upgraded a mex without re-scouting it, which is pretty awesome.

Cool, so no issues on the large size.

On medium I can just switch to the auto-colours to see if a mex is upgraded for that colour and the rest are crystal clear, so not even slightly an issue.

Switching to the auto-colours doesn't sound like the perfect practice.

The better functionality I referred to that comes from playing medium is that I can now more easily tell fake PDs from real ones, what upgrade a mex is that is surrounded by storage, whether an ACU is getting an upgrade and what direction my bomber is flying so I can micro it better. Great update.

When you say that now you can tell fake PDs from real ones more easily, you must be talking about the change of the 3.1.0 version (that you skipped) in which the icon's size of the wall segment has been reduced.. but you lost me when you wrote about the ACU's upgrade and the flying direction of the bomber. In the new versions (Both 3.1.0 and 3.2.0) the ACU and bomber's icons remained the same.

One possible thing you might want to look at is the various sizes of T1 and T2 mex and pgens, PURELY for aesthetics, they're a little inconsistent. BUT I almost want to delete that sentence because I'm 99% sure it would be extra work that might even reduce functionality just for the sake of prettiness, which I am 100% against. I don't play this game to look at nice icons (although I like yours more than default) so feel free to do no work on this issue at all

You're right. It's all because I was very cautious about the overall size of the icons and that made me do some consistency compromises for saving the player's colour visibility. For example; the mexes' icons in the small set were redrawn to fit the smaller scale. If I drew them like the ones in the bigger sets without increasing the icon's size then it would be at the expense of the player's colour area (and you had a serious issue with that). That's why I had to cut the symbol a little in the corners and make it rounder. It reduced consistency between size sets but improved the player's colour visibility.

current mexes upgrades.png (3.92 KiB) Viewed 2317 times

The thing is that now, unlike before, the removal of the white outline give me more colour space to work with while I no longer afraid from increasing the size of mass extractors that are above T1, so I might change them to be something like that:

sketch for new mexes upgrades.png (3.93 KiB) Viewed 2313 times

What do you think?

Like the new version, especially the build icons.
All is fine for the moment, didn't noticed any issue. (I play in medium size)

I will try to find the time to test more deeply the points you have mentioned.

Anyway great job

Looking forward for your review.

[Sir Prize]

The issue is with the colour, not your mod. I've always played with autocolours when playing with or against that colour, it's just stupidly dark. My point was that to have the functionality you managed with large is a pretty good achievement.

The pics - I suppose I prefer the second sketch but both are good. Is there a difference on medium and small? I'm actually posting off my phone here so it's hard to see...

[Shadows]

The issue is with the colour, not your mod. I've always played with autocolours when playing with or against that colour, it's just stupidly dark. My point was that to have the functionality you managed with large is a pretty good achievement.

It's the maximum I can do without worsening the issue of the overlapped mass extractors.

The pics - I suppose I prefer the second sketch but both are good. Is there a difference on medium and small? I'm actually posting off my phone here so it's hard to see...

The difference between them is the biggest.