SE:IV Gold vs SE5 Demo: Basic UI

[Phoenix-D]

Just a quick rundown of the basic tasks in each game. I'm trying to get an idea of exactly where the SE5 UI could use help. Once the list is *finshed* I'll email the areas that can be improved to MM. Feel free to add your own comments and additional tasks..but please, UI items only.

System Display: Se5 takes up the entire screen. At resolutions greater than 1024x768, SE4 takes up a 1024x768 "window".

SE5's systems are much larger, but this results in scrolling and panning of the system display. Oddly, there doesn't seem to be a way to move the viewport left/right in skewed view, nor is there a way to lock the camera. The Center View button resets the view to skewed, which it should not do.

Advantage: slim SE5. Improvements: add a left/right panning command and a lock view feature, as well as a "range to target" display (click on a square in SE4 and highlighter another square- it will tell you the range. SE5 doesn't do this). Adding some indication of what *level* of scanning a hex is under would be helpful as well.

-
Control Grouping: SE4 has all the controls at the top and right of the screen; SE5 puts them at the top and bottom. SE4s controls do not block the system map- SE5's can.

Advantage: SE4. Improvements: allow the SE5 command blocks to be dragged to different points on the screen.

-
Right Clicking- Right Click works only for unit stats in SE4, and then only in the Design windows and unit groups. It brings up a SE3-style command menu as well in SE5. Advantage: SE5.

-
Selecting planets: in SE4 you click on the sector, then on the planet. In SE5 you do the same. However the empire flags in SE5 sometimes force you to move the camera so you can see the planet to click on it. The flags also tend to overlap if two nearby hexes are occupied.

Advantage: SE4. Improvements: Make the flag itself clickable, or make it smaller without reducing the size of the status icons.

-
Status Icons: SE4 tells you how many objects are in space in that sector. SE5 does the same but breaks it down into Bases, Ships, Units.

Advantage: SE5. Improvements: See above.

SE4 allows you to have lettering under a planet for a number of different facilities on a planet. SE5 removes most of those catagories, retaining only Has Spaceport, Can Resupply, Has Spaceyard, and Can Repair. It adds icons to display empty construction ques, domed colonies, fighters/sats/mines/drones/troops/WPs in cargo.

Advantage: SE5. Improvements: ?

-
Access Construction Que: process is identical.

-
Sector List: The SE4 sector list is longer - it displays 9 items to SE5's 6. Units do not stack in SE5, so they will take up more room on this display. In SE4, clicking a unit displays its detailed screen- you have double or right click for this in SE5. In SE4 you have to shift-click to select multiple units; in SE5 you just click them in turn.

Advantage: Nil. Improvements: Allow the size of the SE5 unit icons to be reduced, fitting more into the sector box.

-
Construction Que: SE5 adds item costs and an icon for each item to the list of items to be built. In SE4 you have to right click on an item or add it to the que to get this info.

SE5 tells you if there's a spaceport in the system; SE4 does not. SE5 lets you specify a number of items to add. SE4 has the "emergency build" command right on the main screen- SE5 needs a sub-menu to access it, along with On Hold, Repeat, and Move To. (the Repeat command has improved, though).

The reorder que setting is similar, except SE5 lacks the "go to top" and "go to bottom" commands. Right-clicking on an item in SE5 gives you more information (eg its strategy).

Advantage: Leaning SE4. Improvements: Move Emergency Build, Hold Que, and Repeat back to the main screen. "Clear items" and "Create item list" could be moved to the More Que Options button, since they aren't used as much.

-
Retrofitting: in SE4 you click on a sector, then click the scrap/analze/mothball button, select the items you want to work with and pick an option on the right. Clicks: 5.
In SE5 you click on a sector, click on the unit to be worked with, click "deconstruction orders", then on the appropriate item. However you cannot do ANYTHING besides scrap to multiple ships at once even if they are of the same class. Clicks: 6 per ship.

Advantage: Se4. Improvements: Allow multiple ships to be retrofitted/fired on/etc at once. Leave the menu in "deconstruction orders" after an option is selected.

-
Scrap Facilities: SE5: Click on the sector, then on the planet, click on "Cargo orders", then "scrap cargo", select the facilities and cargo you want to scrap. Jetison cargo works the same way except its a different button on the sub-menu. Number of clicks: 6
SE4: Click on the sector, then on the planet, click "jetison cargo" or "scrap facilities". Select cargo to jetison or facilitiy to scrap. Number of clicks: 5. SE4 does not allow you to scrap cargo.

Advantage: Slight SE4. Improvements: Make sure the manual mentions that facilities are considered cargo!

-
Command Menu: SE4's has 40 buttons. SE5's has 18, and SE5 has MORE commands to use, resulting in many sub-menus. Advantage: Se4. Improvements: not sure yet