UI feature: Give fleet/ship orders from sitrep/encyclopedia

For what's not in 'Top Priority Game Design'. Post your ideas, visions, suggestions for the game, rules, modifications, etc.

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Ophiuchus
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UI feature: Give fleet/ship orders from sitrep/encyclopedia

#1 Post by Ophiuchus »

Idea
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I see in the sitrep that I just spammed out a bunch of scouts, and want to set all of those to explore.

I currently need to select that ship, e.g. via sitrep message (or fleet window).
Maybe it would make sense in many cases that it is possible to give fleet orders without having to select the ship first.


So the idea is to add options to the right click menu when ships/fleets are mentioned.
* "Pedia lookup <ship design>"
* "explore"/"stop exploring"
* If a planet/system is selected it could offer "Rally to system <system>".
* If a planet is selected for troop ships it could offer "Invade planet <planet>". (similar for bombardment)
* "rename ship".

Gain
----

Better UI/easier management (less clicks, no extra context switches)

https://github.com/freeorion/freeorion/issues/3305
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Geoff the Medio
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Re: UI feature: Give fleet/ship orders from sitrep/encyclopedia

#2 Post by Geoff the Medio »

Ophiuchus wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:45 am...add options to the right click menu when ships/fleets are mentioned.
* "Pedia lookup <ship design>"
Usually the design is mentioned in the sitrep message immediately before the ship itself, so that's probably redundant.
* "explore"/"stop exploring"
Probably possible, though a bit niche...
* If a planet/system is selected it could offer "Rally to system <system>".
"Rally" is the wrong term, rather "Move to". A bit tricky / confusing because not all selectable systems would be possible to move to, so it would have to hide or disable the option sometimes, or allow it to fail silently when requested. Also, that's not even available in the Fleets window when right-clicking a fleet, so would probably be worth adding there first. Also, if a sitrep message mentions a ship, it's not clear what such an order would do if the ship is in a fleet with various other ships, since fleets are given move orders, not ships individually. How that would work could be confusing without the graphical feedback of the Fleets window to show how ships and fleets are organized.
* If a planet is selected for troop ships it could offer "Invade planet <planet>". (similar for bombardment)
Probably doable since ships are ordered to invade individually, though tricky if a fleet arrives since it doesn't always list all the ships in the sitrep, so you'd have to order the whole fleet to invade at once...
* "rename ship".
Probably a bit tricky since the sitreps include name substitutions in the text, which would need to be updated...


Also, in general, additional context would need to be taken into account when generating such popup commands, since a sitrep saying a ship was produced or arrive doesn't mean the ship is still available on the turn when the sitrep is being viewed. Even on the first turn when a sitrep is visible might have a message about a ship arriving or being produced but then also a sitrep about that ship being destroyed in combat, so that it can't be given orders.

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Re: UI feature: Give fleet/ship orders from sitrep/encyclopedia

#3 Post by Ophiuchus »

Geoff the Medio wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 10:31 am
Ophiuchus wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:45 am* If a planet/system is selected it could offer "Rally to system <system>".
"Rally" is the wrong term, rather "Move to". A bit tricky / confusing because not all selectable systems would be possible to move to, so it would have to hide or disable the option sometimes, or allow it to fail silently when requested.
I took that "Rally to" functionality from the production window.
Geoff the Medio wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 10:31 am Also, that's not even available in the Fleets window when right-clicking a fleet, so would probably be worth adding there first.
In fleet window this is little bit redundant as you can directly give the order to move to a planet. But it sure helps if you want to send multiple fleets to a planet, especially if that planet is not on the same screen as the fleets. So, I like it.
Geoff the Medio wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 10:31 am Also, if a sitrep message mentions a ship, it's not clear what such an order would do if the ship is in a fleet with various other ships, since fleets are given move orders, not ships individually.
I guess it should say "Rally fleet to" if more than one ship is in the fleet and send the fleet. Or even "Rally fleet to <planet> (<number-of-ships-in-fleet> ships)"
Ophiuchus wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:45 am
Geoff the Medio wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 10:31 am* If a planet is selected for troop ships it could offer "Invade planet <planet>". (similar for bombardment)
Probably doable since ships are ordered to invade individually, though tricky if a fleet arrives since it doesn't always list all the ships in the sitrep, so you'd have to order the whole fleet to invade at once...
Similar to rally to I guess, make it "Invade planet <planet> with fleet", maybe even "Invade planet <planet> with fleet (<number-of-troops-in-fleet> troops)" if there is more than one troop ship.
Ophiuchus wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:45 am
Geoff the Medio wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 10:31 am* "rename ship".
Probably a bit tricky since the sitreps include name substitutions in the text, which would need to be updated...
Not sure that is really necessary. If you rename the ship in the fleet dialog, the sitrep also does not get updated, does it.
Geoff the Medio wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 10:31 amAlso, in general, additional context would need to be taken into account when generating such popup commands, since a sitrep saying a ship was produced or arrive doesn't mean the ship is still available on the turn when the sitrep is being viewed. Even on the first turn when a sitrep is visible might have a message about a ship arriving or being produced but then also a sitrep about that ship being destroyed in combat, so that it can't be given orders.
Good point
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Oberlus
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Re: UI feature: Give fleet/ship orders from sitrep/encyclopedia

#4 Post by Oberlus »

"Rally to" means something like "gather at". It makes sense for just-built ships but no so for already-built ships, better "move to", as Geoff the Native said.

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Re: UI feature: Give fleet/ship orders from sitrep/encyclopedia

#5 Post by Ophiuchus »

Oberlus wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 4:07 pm "Rally to" means something like "gather at". It makes sense for just-built ships but no so for already-built ships, better "move to", as Geoff the Native said.
"move to" is totally fine by me/really dont care. Just note that in one case you select the planet first and in the other you select the ship first.
A bit tricky / confusing because not all selectable systems would be possible to move to, so it would have to hide or disable the option sometimes, or allow it to fail silently when requested.
More importantly i was referring to existing functionality. So these are topics for both cases (production queue and sitrep window).
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