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Author Topic: Numbered UFOs  (Read 9227 times)

Offline Another Guy

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Numbered UFOs
« on: June 23, 2009, 11:15:46 pm »
I see that at some point in the last revisions u guys got the new UFOs appearing on the geoscape to be numbered according to their appearence as X-COM used to be. Even better, a number for each craft type. Very nice to keep track of UFOs. Welldone!

Edit: I'd like to sugest this also appeared on geoscape message log:
eg. "Our radar detected a new UFO (Harvester #23)"
« Last Edit: June 23, 2009, 11:50:39 pm by Another Guy »
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Offline geever

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2009, 12:53:41 am »
Quote from: Another Guy on June 23, 2009, 11:15:46 pm
I see that at some point in the last revisions u guys got the new UFOs appearing on the geoscape to be numbered according to their appearence as X-COM used to be. Even better, a number for each craft type. Very nice to keep track of UFOs. Welldone!

The numbering is the first step to the SAM autofire function. (I wanna show in a menu which UFO a SAM site is targetting at).

Numbering by type would be better but more difficult. What should we do if we don't know an UFO? What if just get researched while it was visible on the geoscape?

What I was thinking about is not numbering by type but rearranging the text: "UFO #43 (Harvester)" (last part shown only if it's researched.)

-geever
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Offline BTAxis

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2009, 01:28:27 am »
That makes the most sense to me, yes. Numbering by type isn't such a good idea.
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odie

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2009, 06:53:11 am »
Quote from: geever on June 24, 2009, 12:53:41 am
The numbering is the first step to the SAM autofire function. (I wanna show in a menu which UFO a SAM site is targetting at).

Numbering by type would be better but more difficult. What should we do if we don't know an UFO? What if just get researched while it was visible on the geoscape?

What I was thinking about is not numbering by type but rearranging the text: "UFO #43 (Harvester)" (last part shown only if it's researched.)

-geever

This sounds like a good idea. Generally, u wont know what u are aiming at until u actually examine the debris.

Unless of course this was a known (researched / previously encountered and classified) UFO.

Else, u could also take this approach - Small UFO #0001, Medium UFO #0001, Large UFO #0001....

Or simplify things by simply using Encounter #0001.

Sounds logical?
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Offline BTAxis

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2009, 10:56:35 am »
I simply think you should only have a single number queue. If you have more than one, in any way whatsoever, you may end up with two equal numbers on the geoscape at some point, and then you will have to check the categories to differentiate them, which is more thinking. It seems trivial, but I think it matters.
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Offline Another Guy

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2009, 03:37:24 pm »
Quote from: BTAxis on June 24, 2009, 10:56:35 am
I simply think you should only have a single number queue. If you have more than one, in any way whatsoever, you may end up with two equal numbers on the geoscape at some point, and then you will have to check the categories to differentiate them, which is more thinking. It seems trivial, but I think it matters.
I happen to think the oposite. Very rarely number will be the same if there is separate count for each type. And even if it occurs, is a lot less thinking to just see Fighter #4, Fighter #5 and Harvester #4 to see wich of them is the harverster (the most important thing for the tatics part is to identify the craft type).
Better than seeing UFO #4, #5 and #6. It and WILL require more thinking (or memoriztion of which UFO is which).
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Offline geever

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2009, 04:53:15 pm »
There won't be soo much UFOs on the geo at the same time that an average (wo)man can't remember them...

-geever
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Offline Borsti67

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #7 on: June 25, 2009, 01:31:25 pm »
my 0,02€...

First of all, I'd say you could count upwards (no need to count types separately or "reset to zero" at any time). To clarify it's not a count of a special type you could set the number in brackets, e.g. "Harvester (UFO #4)"...?

I'm not sure how to handle identification of UFOs we already saw before (but lost contact) - are we able to recognize it (so it gets the same number) or will it be a "new" UFO?

Identification could be done in 2 steps:
On 1st sight it's just "UFO #1".
The next step would be classifying it as "large UFO #1" or sth like that. This could be related to better radar systems, longer scan-time or by a direct approach of an aircraft (as soon as the type of the UFO is already known/researched we would see "Harvester #1" instead of that).
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Offline geever

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2009, 05:27:18 pm »
Quote from: Borsti67 on June 25, 2009, 01:31:25 pm
I'm not sure how to handle identification of UFOs we already saw before (but lost contact) - are we able to recognize it (so it gets the same number) or will it be a "new" UFO?

We recognize we've seen it before. About the other suggestions: I found the way I'll do, and BTAxis agreed so I'm happy with it. :)

-geever
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Offline Another Guy

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #9 on: June 25, 2009, 07:23:29 pm »
Quote from: geever on June 24, 2009, 12:53:41 am
Numbering by type would be better but more difficult. What should we do if we don't know an UFO? What if just get researched while it was visible on the geoscape?
Good point.

Quote from: geever on June 24, 2009, 12:53:41 am
What I was thinking about is not numbering by type but rearranging the text: "UFO #43 (Harvester)" (last part shown only if it's researched.)
Seems good to me.

Quote from: geever on June 25, 2009, 05:27:18 pm
We recognize we've seen it before. About the other suggestions: I found the way I'll do, and BTAxis agreed so I'm happy with it. :)
Well, if it means you are doing the way you wrote on your previous posts here, I'm happy about it too.  :D
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odie

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2009, 02:27:58 pm »
Quote from: geever on June 25, 2009, 05:27:18 pm
We recognize we've seen it before. About the other suggestions: I found the way I'll do, and BTAxis agreed so I'm happy with it. :)

-geever

Yayness!

Geever, does that meant that in next 300 revisions we will see a 'ID tag' to the encounters? :D
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Offline geever

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2009, 02:52:46 pm »
Quote from: odie on June 26, 2009, 02:27:58 pm
Geever, does that meant that in next 300 revisions we will see a 'ID tag' to the encounters? :D

Sorry, I don't get it. The feature is already in only some little changes left. The UFOs spend quite little time on Earth you won't see them back too much times.

@Odie, if we ever meet there will be a title above your head: "Man #9641744". After some some beers it will change to "Man #9641744 (Odie)" ;)

-geever
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Offline Another Guy

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #12 on: June 26, 2009, 03:55:17 pm »
Its there a chance crash sites and terror missions be numbered too? So u can keep track of them as u advance the game?
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Offline BTAxis

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #13 on: June 26, 2009, 04:02:29 pm »
Why would you want to do that?
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Offline Another Guy

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Re: Numbered UFOs
« Reply #14 on: June 26, 2009, 04:26:28 pm »
As a campaing benchmark.
Supose on the end of ur first campain, u let 43 terror missions happen and shot down 78 UFOs (just made the number up).
Then on second campaing, you get better on fighting harvesters, get only 27 terror missions and manage to shoot and rescue 93 UFOs.
A nice improvement. So u have some kinda of self campaing benchmark along with the date u manage to finish it, Bases built, money made, etc.

Maybe it could even show on statitics screen.
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