Spring RTS Engine

When playing large maps, especially those with a lot of water, it would be very useful to be able to bookmark particular locations on the map (IIRC TA used F-keys for the job), so that once your scouts have located your opponents radar-jammed base at a particular location in a vast uniformly looking ocean, you could bookmark the spot and jump to it later.

It could be implemented using Ctrl + F-keys to assign, and Alt + F-keys to retrive bookmarks (So as not to collide with existing use of the F-keys).

Comments/suggestions ?

There is a key to set marker where you whant with or without text.
And I was sure that there was already a key to save camera location.

The advantage of bookmarks is, that it allows for quick return to the location of interest.

I think a beacon visible to allies on the minimap would also be very useful (Things written on the map is currently NOT visible on the minimap)

I would be nice to view the markers in the minimap too.
But this maybe obstacles the ability to view units as well.
I think a Tactical Layer may be better, so it can be turned on and off.
Maybe when pressing the draw key?.(uh!, not possible to issue orders then...)

Also, when you are too far away, markers vanish, making imposible to aim TO them. for example with a bertha. (manually).


If there is a bookmark View system i donk know about it.
It used to be one in TA, but was not much used.
In spring i almost feel no need to it... wonder why..

edit:
also, when pressing the tactial layer key, markers could be highlighted and grow (in height).

Tactical map is a nice idea :D
Make it looks like a full screen minimap, with makers shown, and differents icons for each kind of unit (com, builders, stealthed units, defenses, factories, etc...).
Homeworld tactical map anyone ?

The homeworld tactical overlay was in the back of my mind when i thought that.
But for Spring i was thinking in something like masking the normal camara view and the minimap... if you enlarge it... well.. current view is obstacled.

About the unit label... or the different icons HW draws over every unit depending if they are resources, frigates, corvettes... etc., Maybe a bubble (like the debug one) with different colors?
And... only colors in minimap?..
Like gray for resource structures
Red for kbots, tanks... ground units
Green for Labs.
Yellow for commander...
Orange for defenses?
White planes..


(ah, if you drag the minimap from a corner, it can be enlarged, hold shift for symetrical).

To bookmark u do just press \ and double click and it will say Label: u can put V lab or K lab or adv lab or fusion or moho or anything and it will stay there to draw u hold down \ and left click with the mouse and move it around to erase u hold down \ and right click and move it over something drawn

I think the tactical voerlay such as homeworld is a very good idea, in spring there si currently a limit to how far you can zoom out in TA camera mode, and on large maps you'd just see fog, so to see everythign simplified and layed out for the entire map would eb a powerful tool. Perhaps you could show radar and los int he same way homeworld did too.

Maybe a bubble (like the debug one) with different colors?

No, no way, should not be colors. Being colorblind myself (like 10% of mondial population), i can tell ya that showing stuffs by a color code suck for colorblinds.
The best exemple is ingame teams colors. On the 7 diff colors, i only see 4 diff colors. And in many games, i can't even see my units on minimap. So no, should not be a color code.

I'd rather have an adjustable scroll speed.

There could be diferent themes...
So you choose between different ways to identify units in minimap.
For example one theme based in only shape, other only color... another one mixed... and with different icons for set of units.


There could even be a theme that shows veteran units! cool