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Author Topic: Suggestions for the DEVS  (Read 3451 times)

gabriel.dac

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Suggestions for the DEVS
« on: August 14, 2015, 12:04:22 PM »
Just a couple of ideas I've had.

It should be possible to reset the simulation timer as well as add a custom m/d/y.

Parent body and distance to parent body should be in the left-click infobox of an object. It is important to know clearly and easily the distance your planet is from its host star. The orbital period would also be an interesting information (see 1st attach.)

More compact and transparent infobox. It blocks too much of your view of the simulation. Is it really necessary to have a whole rectangle to display a small miniature of a round object? (see 1st attach.)

The "stars" tab should come before "planets" in the add menu. When you create your own solar system, you add the star first. There should be an order. First the star, then the planet, then the moon, etc. (see 2nd attach.)

Add the Andromeda and the Milky Way galaxy please. They are already rendered in the "galaxy collision" simulation. Just let us be able to use them in the next version, please.  ;D

Turn grid on by default. It looks modern and gives the player a better sense of position, movement and scale. The zoom ins-outs are logarithmic (base 10), and it might confuse some players. They will think the universe is much smaller than it really is.

Radius should change instantly when the mass of an object is changed. Really, if I change the mass instantly, why does the radius have to change slowly?

more on-screen text for a better communication with the player. It can be any sort of message. I feel kinda lonely playing this.

That's it... I'll think of something else later on

Cryo

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Re: Suggestions for the DEVS
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2015, 01:06:57 PM »
the grid and some form of interaction with the player would be nice

gabriel.dac

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Re: Suggestions for the DEVS
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2015, 09:14:16 PM »
the boundary of the observable universe is still something I'd like to see. I suggested that a few months ago

Cryo

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Re: Suggestions for the DEVS
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2015, 07:28:54 AM »
the boundary of the observable universe is still something I'd like to see. I suggested that a few months ago
that too would be nice

Dan Dixon

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Re: Suggestions for the DEVS
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2015, 08:13:13 PM »
These are good suggestions...

I'll move the star tab to come before planets in the next update. That makes lots of sense.

I disagree with having the grid on by default...

I know it seems like the galaxy thing should be easy, but it's strangely not. We're working on it, but don't expect any galaxy fixes in the next update.


gabriel.dac

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Re: Suggestions for the DEVS
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2015, 11:20:44 AM »
Thanks for the reply. I personally believe the changes in the left-click infobox are the most important

Cryo

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Re: Suggestions for the DEVS
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2015, 02:47:17 PM »
i never thought i'd see the day when i have something i didn't agree with Mr. Dixion on....wow

Dan Dixon

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Re: Suggestions for the DEVS
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2015, 03:31:39 PM »
Are we talking about grid defaults?

Press g on your keyboard to turn them on.

gabriel.dac

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Re: Suggestions for the DEVS
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2015, 05:36:59 PM »
The infobox location is awful. Why did you put it locked in the right side of the screen?

Dan Dixon

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Re: Suggestions for the DEVS
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2015, 10:13:45 PM »
Fair question... I find that it gets in the way otherwise... and when you watch 'let's play' videos, the info box is often in the way as something awesome happens on screen. I'm open to suggestions for how to make it better.

gabriel.dac

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Re: Suggestions for the DEVS
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2015, 09:05:45 AM »
You could have made it more compact and more transparent. Pretty much like in US1, where it is just a list.

PewDiePie just played the game and what was shown for hundreds of thousands of people was the infobox on the right side of the screen. That's kind of disappointing for some reason

Arian

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Re: Suggestions for the DEVS
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2015, 11:12:49 AM »
How about removing the preview pic from the infobox and replacing the box by a small table (3 rows x 5 columns or so) at the top of the screen, showing the most important data and allowing for a quick edit of those. The selected body gets a visible border anyway.
Question is: What is the most important data?

As for the grid, I find it doesn't need to be on by default, but it clearly lacks a third dimension. It's sometimes hard to add a body at the right place in a moving simulation and pausing "breaks the magic" somehow. Also if we have a grid already, why not get a "snap to grid" function for the add button?
And while we are at aiming: Having some kind of "dummy" object that doesn't interact with anything but can be placed in space or glued to objects would be nice. It would allow for more precise targeting with the launch button if set as the aiming point. So far launching seems to depend on the last selected object and the camera orientation when that object was selected, not necessarily the current camera orientation. The current camera orientation only works for aiming if you select nothing or if you don't move the camera after selecting something.