possible feature requests

butterw

here are some feature requests for discussion prior to posting them as issues on github.
edited for clarification/update.

In some maps unit graphics already include the country flag, thus in this case "set Flag display mode" should be setup by map.properties rather than the current "Gui>View" setting. The idea is to be able to load different maps without having to change your flag display preference.
map.showUnitFlags = none, small, large (renamed to medium ?), gui
with a default value of gui (user preference)
only the maps with unit graphics including the country flag need to be updated with map.showUnitFlags = none
fractionnal maintenance cost (ex: -1 PU for every 4 units)
<attachment name="unitAttachment" attachTo="infantry" javaClass="games.strategy.triplea.attachments.UnitAttachment" type="unitType">
<option name="createsResourcesList" value="-1:PUs"/>
"Newly Conquered Territories Produce No Income":
new game property: territory PUs/ressources are counted at the beginning of player turn rather than end.
There might already be a simple way of doing this ?
[gui improvement] option to switch off (all or specific) confirmations: they can sometimes become annoying, in particular when testing.
ex: <?> are you sure you don't want to move ?
a) [gui improvement] when you use "File > leave game" the interface (map, player types) is reset, which can be confusing when you just wanted to reload a save of the game you are currently playing.
I suggest there should be a direct "File > reload saved game" option in the game GUI.
b) [gui improvement] player type selection (Implemented in beta v1.9.0.0.5340)
when playing single player vs AI: many clicks are typically required to set up the AI type you want because the default player is human in most maps.
this could be solved by having a "Set All" combo box at top allowing you to set all players in 1 click (ex player type: AI fast). Only one further click would then be needed for each human player.
"does nothing AI" improvement: take unit cost in account for casualty selection
(v1.9.0.3627) in a sure win amphibious assault battle (attack britain with 1 inf + 1 tank), defending AI "does nothing" takes bomber as first casualty rather than infantry ! Hard AI takes the correct infantry loss.
"Does nothing AI" (which doesn't move or collect PUs) has legitimate uses such as neutrals and testing, hence I expected the cost-effective casualty to be selected ?
Neutral charge (in combat move) should generate a confirmation message box.
Currently if the Neutral charge option is enabled and you have the available PUs, you get no info/confirm about the cost of crossing a neutral.
[gui improvement] more room for the map by allowing the menu bar to be hidden
Introduce hotkey (ex: F10) which toggles the menu bar on/off.
[gui improvement] Battle interface window should give Battle Round info in title:
Germans attacks British in 110 Sea Zone (Round 1)
the number of battle rounds can be set to be finite (ex: "Sea Battle Rounds" value="2"), in this case the Battle Round info is important for casualty selection and for attacker retreat considerations.
Casualty selection in Sea Battle: Aircraft carrier should not be proposed as default casualty if it is carrying planes (because carrier costs more than fighter, and fighters might not be able to rebase if carrier is sunk).
Retreat after Air Battle.
It should be possible for the attacker to retreat after the Air Battle has completed (before the 1st round of the land or sea battle). This enables Battle of Britain type air superiority battles.

Frostion

@butterw
I like these requests. I hope some devs find them worth looking into.

I don't understand your a). Are you suggesting like a feature that, after starting a new game with a specific map and player setup, leaving the game and shutting down Triple a completely. Restarting TripleA program and the program has memorized what player are assigned to what nation. Like a memory of the last game setup? Perhaps also remembering the Map Options?

In regards to the "Set all players" to something, I think the devs will add an XML option that lets the map maker pre-set nations and who is supposed to control them, Human or IA.

redrum

@butterw - Responses:

Agree. That would be a good feature request especially for maps that have built in flags.
I believe this can be done with triggers currently (check out Total Ancient War).
This can definitely be done by reordering the phases to have income collection before combat move. I'm not sure if there is another way.
Could be useful. There have been some requests around triggering off political prompts for other nations as well.
a. Its currently resets to the last game selected (not including saved game) and resets players on it. This I think could be improved.
b. Yeah, I was planning to try and add something to be able to set all players to a selected AI or Human.
AI should already consider unit cost if it knows it will win the battle. I'd need to see a save game to see the particular situation.

redrum

@butterw 5.b. is addressed with PR: https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/pull/2015. I've been meaning to add that for a while so thanks for the reminder

ron-murhammer created this issue in triplea-game/triplea

closed Add Combo Box to Set All Player Types at Once #2015

Cernel

@butterw said in possible feature requests:

here are some feature requests for discussion prior to posting them as issues on github

missing "set Flag display mode" in map.properties file (currently only exists in Gui>View ?)
map.showUnitFlags = false
map.showUnitFlagSize = small

@redrum said in possible feature requests:

@butterw - Responses:

Agree. That would be a good feature request especially for maps that have built in flags.

I believe there is a misunderstanding going on here (or let me know if it is me misunderstanding anything).
What @redrum says / understood is that in maps like 270BC (in which units have flags already) then the flag option should not be available; instead, what @butterw was saying is that you should have an option for setting the default behaviour, not for hiding the option from the menu altogether. Thus nothing would change for "maps that have built in flags", as they would likely keep the current false default; what @butterw was saying was to allow having flags enabled as default for specific maps (most likely not the ones with built in flags, nor all the ones without).

On this matter, that option is not very well presented, currently. It has a "Show Unit Flags" checkmark plus "small" and "large" options. This makes you make potentially unnecessary clicks. It would be better having no checkmark but just 3 options "none", "small" and "large"; so that, for example, if you are on a disabled small, you can go to an enabled large in 1 click, instead of 2, as you would just go from "none" to "large".
Also, I would prefer "large" being named "medium", as it is showing the intermediate flag, not the "large" one, but I get that is as much large and it should get, as you don't want to show the actual "large" flag for the units. I would even advice just leaving a "Show Units Flags" checkmark, with no sub-options, only the "small" flag being displayed or not, that is likely the clearly better one of the two, for the job, and would have the value of making faster to enable / disable this option, during the game.

More in general, I would agree the flag display (beside having to be surely off default) should be map dependant, anyways, like the zoom is, since you may want to turn on flags in some maps but not others, without having to continuously enable / disable it, as you change maps. A map.property option, as I understand @redrum is thinking, for removing this option totally from the game menu of maps having flags, like 270BC, or other cases in which it may look pointless / awful would be surely a good addition, once the setting is per-map.

butterw

I've edited my initial post for clarification/update.

@redrum said in possible feature requests:

3 - This can definitely be done by reordering the phases to have income collection before combat move. I'm not sure if there is another way.

which phase is associated with income collection ?

redrum

@butterw I believe the EndTurnDelegate is the one that triggers income and can be in theory placed earlier in the order (not sure if there are any maps out there that have done it). @Cernel Would probably know