Add unfinished buildings and amphibious unit icons

[biass]

You literally denied a better suggestion earlier because of icon size and now are trying to use icon size changes to further your own point now.

We've seen the icons, and they only make sense to you and you alone, you've also put them in the most recognisable, high contrast display zone, and not in a group of units, different colours, the outside outline, or on different terrain backgrounds. "great"
if we just threw these said icons in, how many people do you think will understand what the icons mean within their first two tries?

I don't know how much i need to explain to get through to you that you're making a step in the wrong direction here so i dug up some semi related articles about icon design for you.

http://www.givegoodux.com/the-right-way ... n-your-ui/
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/bad-icons/
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/icon-t ... pt=article
http://turbomilk.com/blog/cookbook/icon ... on_design/

enjoy.
also, don't act like everyone who disagrees with you are misinformed

[JoonasTo]

These are the exact same symbols the game comes with so I am not quite sure I understand how they can be any more confusing for existing users than what we already have. I also was under the impression that the consensus by now was not to divert from them so I did not.

The bottom two rows are what they look like in the medium icon size(most unit icons are this size in the game.) These are what you need if you want to make unique experimental symbols inside a faction, but not across factions.

The third row from the bottom is what they look like in original experimental icon size, you can't even fit some of the standard symbols there properly and I'm not sure why the experimental icon is that small to begin with. Not enough possible icons to differentiate experimentals inside a faction.

The five rows above are 16x16, which is not a game system icon size and would be one pixel off-center in game I assume(possibly a problem if you play on low resolution, like 1024x800, probably not though because of the auto-aim feature of the engine) but allows for clearer icons(double lines because not odd number.) This is the preferred size if we wish to make unique symbols for all experimentals due to readability.

[nine2]

This is turning into a flame thread. I think the base idea is good just needs a lot of refinement to get it to a professional level. Biass you raise some nice points but do you have to be such a d*** about it.

[TheKoopa]

Almost like someone here has a degree in graphic design

[Steel_Panther]

A bunch of stupid things that need correcting:

"As an 1800 player, I'm going to assume that you realize that the Megalith and Fatboy are from different factions. It's just dumb to make overly complicated icons when the T4 icon already tells you "this is a strong unit" and that you need to focus on countering it. Spend the half second to gloss your cursor over the T4, or, realize what the T4 is because you scouted it 3 minutes ago when it was 30% built like most players do."

I have been in probably hundreds of team games where t4s get gifted from one player to another to micro (eg from air player), or where they get an engi from another player to build different faction units. Simply knowing the faction of the person controlling it doesn't tell you anything definitive. And even still, it would be nice to know a bit more easily if it is a mega or monkey anyway.

"I really don't have any words for this other than stupid. If it's a fast circle, it's an air experimental. If it's a slow one, it's a land experimental. If it's in the ocean, it's a navy experimental. Use the faction of the dude you're facing to realize what the experimental is. This is all without addressing the BASIC idea of s c o u t i n g and l o o k i n g. There is zero reason in changing a 10 year old system. It is a system the veteran players are totally used to. Adding 1000000 new icons will do nothing but complicate the game for new players when the only information they need is a basic summary of a force's strength which is given by simple general icons."

Just fyi, sometimes players will have an air experimental sitting or hovering, waiting for the opportunity to use it. It would be nice to be able to know which t4 icon is which unit without having to zoom in again to see. You could say that "BASIC IDEA OF SCOUTING AND LOOKING" APPLIES FOR LITERALLY EVERY STRATEGIC ICON, SO WHY DO WE HAVE ANY AT ALL? Obviously, because it saves you time by NOT having to look closely at the unit. And again, I have seen it literally hundreds of times, where a t4 is BUILT IN THE WATER. They can travel through the water too, in case you didn't know. This happens in probably at least 5% of all setons games.

I can see a benefit to this particularly in team games when there are multiple t4s on the field.

So in conclusion, "I really don't have any words for this other than stupid."

[FtXCommando]

Icons = quick and intuitive way to give information at a glance. You can argue that this change will do that. I am arguing that it complicates a basic system that is easy to understand and make decisions off of for no extra, or just marginal, gain in utility. Not worth the effort of programming, not worth the effort of thinking about it, and not worth the effort of discussing it.

You can make up all the scenarios you want, I've never lost a game because I thought a T4 icon was something else. My 20 apm ass strangely has zero issues spending the second to see the experimental that is coming at me. The only time this entire issue has affected me at all was when I played BHedit and the brick icon was the same as the loya icon. The closest issue similar to the loya = brick icon one is the amphibious tank = normal tank icon and as I said before, it's the only icon change that I think is even justifiable in any way.

[JoonasTo]

Yeah the Brick/Percival icon was changed before, that's a great example of speed not being enough. They don't move all the time after all.

This is not very hard to do at all btw. I could do this in an afternoon. Requires making the new icons and replacing the name of the icons in the unit blueprints(if size is changed also placement code for the icons.)
The problem is that we can't make an UI mod that does this because changes in the unit blueprints are required. It has to be done in official FAF build.

Also another thing, would amphibious markers for things that can go underwater be useful? Because Wagner, Othuum are pretty much the only things affected, now I think Wagner icon could possibly have some use(if nothing else, to separate from Rhino) but Othuum is already the only level three tank so the icon is unique.
I'm thinking the icon shouldn't be for amphibious but rather icon for hover since everything that hovers is amphibious (exception of sera sniper bot but that is already classified as a bot.)

If you've got any good ideas for the amphibious/hover unit icon shape, I'd be glad to hear them.
Upside down triangle might work. There's also the bot icon but in vertical form. We can have the circled out half-diamond as well. Those are what I've come up with for this so far.

I think the upside down triangle is the most distinct out of these but I think that would be better used for the engineering drone(currently same diamond as T1 engineer) actually because it's an air unit and triangles go with air.

[biass]

I really don't want a major rework of the most crucial parts of the UI made "in an afternoon". I want actual evidence behind why this would be a good change with proper testing. Else im going to have to push to add the old icons to bhedit.

If you've got any good ideas for the amphibious/hover unit icon shape, I'd be glad to hear them.
Upside down triangle might work.

No, you're taking the basic identifier for most if not all air units, and then making it a land icon? I'm literally not sure if you understand what you're trying to change here. Design an icon that actually conforms to the existing system, test it for actual quality, and then bring it here, don't think up (im sorry) garbage that will cause a negative impact.

Spoiler: show

Almost like someone here has a degree in graphic design

only a diploma :/

[stormbeforedawn]

What a crap idea. Only adds complexity. Defeats strategic zoom, the defining characteristic of the game.

Make it a mod and see if you can get anyone to play with it.

[---]

@stormbeforedawn
I think you get it wrong. According to your logic, all unit icons oughta be removed.
Strategic zoom is important for microing - no matter which icons you use, strategic zoom will remain essential to the game.