sthanno wrote:The devs should consider adding this or a modded
version to the game.
I fifth that motion.
I can't get the marines to come up. I found them under faction, but all I get is landing craft and the like. I've tried various combinations of 'type' and 'category' selections, to no avail.
I can't rant and rave enough about this tool. Major Kudos to the creator! If this tool came with the download of the game, upon seeing it I would be that much more sure that I would like the game. I'm in the camp that believes there are some things the player shouldn't know about how the game works--some of the underlying mechanics should remain mysterious--but knowing the stats of your own units oughtn't be one of those things.
I see the devs made every effort to get unit stats to the player in-game, but there's only so much that a visual interface can handle. The interface as it is now is very clean and approachable imo, deceptively so. A seperate encyclopedia like UNT is in my opinion exactly what the doctor ordered.
Props to the Aristocrats for a fabulous game and props to mojko! Thanks for making this game even more enjoyable! Thank you!
Sthanno makes an interesting point. OoB:s almost unique IP is 'depth without clutter'. I play a great many tactical and Ops level wargames, including some with overwhelming reams of data, but I rarely find myself finding this lacking in OoB. I enjoy both approaches and make decisions on what to play based on mood and available time.
Indeed sometimes I find OoB more immersive and believable, depending upon the Scenario quality, than some of the games that show off their depth of unit data and combat calculations, complexity doesn't always equate to accuracy and realism.
That said I'm sure the Artistocrats agonise over what extra data to show, if any, each time they do an expansion. For me, not being able to understand things due to data that isn't shown at all (the torpedo thing) has to be a no - brainer add? If however you can work out how to understand the combat outcomes from the visible unit stats (perm and variable) and terrain modifiers then less so, as with travel distances, as long as the interactions of said stats is clearly presented (assault, shock, etc), any more when it can be assessed by the player is clutter.
Which is why I love this tool. It presents data in a way that enhances understanding of the game mechanics using data that is already available in the game but a challenge to use due to the focus on minimalist screen design, should you choose to do so.
Hence all The Artistocrats have to do to show how elegantly simple and brilliant OoB's design is is to reference the existence of this tool as a link in their product start screen, as not everyone trawls the forums. I guess then there may be some challenges with maintenance and accuracy to overcome but surely not unsurmountable? Reminds me a bit of what Richard Garriott's development company did recently with the world map tool for Shroud of the Avatar. At first they linked to it in game then took it over so they could develop and maintain.