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Author Topic: Possible design flaw in base building (and couple other minor errors)  (Read 4574 times)

Offline Kenner

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Hello all,

I've been playing Destructavator's latest build for Windows (r29356) and noticed a problem with base building that I've been meaning to mention for a while. If you add a building to your base by mistake (for example you placed a laser battery when you meant to place a missile battery), and immediately go to correct your mistake, your only choice is to destroy the building, which means that you have lost all the credits. I can understand losing the credits when you destroy a fully built building, but when no time has even elapsed, I think there should be a more elegant way to correct your mistake that does not cost any credits. Maybe a remove button for a building that has no construction completed? Or maybe even a formula that refunds credits based on percentage of completion? Zero completion would equal full refund, and 100% completion would equal no refund, with a sliding scale for refunds in between?

Also, couple minor things:

1. When loading the +forest map, the loading screen displays the picture with the text "Little bungalo in the forest". That should be "Little bungalow in the forest".

2. I placed a base in Asia, but the text is a little strange. If you look at the attached screenshot, it says "A new base has been built: Base Asia (nation: The Commenwealth of Oceania). However, the base is clearly nowhere near Oceania.

Neither of these are big problems, but I thought I should mention them now for when you have more time to fix the small things.  :)

Offline Kildor

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Re: Possible design flaw in base building (and couple other minor errors)
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2010, 06:35:57 am »
> 1. When loading the +forest map, the loading screen displays the picture with the text "Little bungalo in the forest". That should be "Little bungalow in the forest".
Thanks, this will be fixed.

> 2. I placed a base in Asia, but the text is a little strange. If you look at the attached screenshot, it says "A new base has been built: Base Asia (nation: The Commenwealth of Oceania). However, the base is clearly nowhere near Oceania.
Can you please attach your save file (both, xml and lint)?

Offline jfrv24

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Re: Possible design flaw in base building (and couple other minor errors)
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2010, 05:09:08 pm »
2. I placed a base in Asia, but the text is a little strange. If you look at the attached screenshot, it says "A new base has been built: Base Asia (nation: The Commenwealth of Oceania). However, the base is clearly nowhere near Oceania.

If you turn on the "Highlight Nation Borders" option you'll see that India and Madagascar and South Africa have joined Oceania to form the Commonwealth of Oceania.  Your base looks to be in India, just south of The Asian Republic.

Offline Kenner

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Re: Possible design flaw in base building (and couple other minor errors)
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2010, 11:38:12 pm »
If you turn on the "Highlight Nation Borders" option you'll see that India and Madagascar and South Africa have joined Oceania to form the Commonwealth of Oceania.  Your base looks to be in India, just south of The Asian Republic.

You're right - it is within the borders of the Commonwealth of Oceania (but just barely). What confused me initially was that the base is just slightly below the phrase "The Asian Republic" that denotes the region. I guess I assumed that the name of the region would be more or less in the centre of the region. However, in this case, it's at the bottom of the region (and almost right on the border). However, in the end, there is no bug here, and I should have been more thorough in my checking. I'll have to do better next time.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2010, 11:42:53 pm by Kenner »

Offline Kenner

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Re: Possible design flaw in base building (and couple other minor errors)
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2010, 11:41:50 pm »

> 2. I placed a base in Asia, but the text is a little strange. If you look at the attached screenshot, it says "A new base has been built: Base Asia (nation: The Commenwealth of Oceania). However, the base is clearly nowhere near Oceania.
Can you please attach your save file (both, xml and lint)?

Never mind, it's my mistake - I'll have to do better next time. I made the fatal assumption that the world in UFO:AI matches the real world, which in hindsight was a stupid assumption to make.  :-\

When I turned on boundaries on the map, I could see that in 2084, India is part of Oceania.

Offline Duke

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Re: Possible design flaw in base building (and couple other minor errors)
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2010, 12:01:56 am »
... and I should have been more thorough in my checking. I'll have to do better next time.
Don't be so demanding with(?) yourself. If the UI can mislead a user, there is a 70% chance that the UI can be improved.
I understand that moving the word 'Asia' a little bit might have prevented your wrong perception.
So plz tell us where you'd like the word Asia to be placed OR even better, figure out how to change it and send a patch ;)

Offline Kenner

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Re: Possible design flaw in base building (and couple other minor errors)
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2010, 02:57:13 am »
Don't be so demanding with(?) yourself. If the UI can mislead a user, there is a 70% chance that the UI can be improved.
I understand that moving the word 'Asia' a little bit might have prevented your wrong perception.
So plz tell us where you'd like the word Asia to be placed OR even better, figure out how to change it and send a patch ;)

Long periods of beta testing for companies like 3DRealms and Software Creations taught me the importance of being thorough and accurate - but that was a few years ago so I must be out of practice!  :)

Anyway, I think the Asia tag just needs to be moved slightly to the right (I'd say five characters) and upward (maybe 3 times the height of the character?). I'm sorry - I don't know how to be more exact, since everyone's screen size is going to be different. I've attached a screenshot with an arrow added to indicate the approximate positioning that I think would work. I wish I could figure out how to change it myself, but unfortunately I have absolutely no programming ability (and all the admiration in the world for those that do).

Offline BTAxis

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Re: Possible design flaw in base building (and couple other minor errors)
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2010, 11:42:53 am »
The text is actually pretty much in the center of the nation. I tried moving it up and right a little, but it doesn't look so good to me.