Spring RTS Engine

If this has already been suggested, then, well, I guess I'm too lazy to look for it.

Rather than just dragging out a repair or reclaim order circle, how about being able to draw custom shapes? Hold down a modifier key while dragging a command to surround whatever shape of an area you want. Why? Not everything fits in a circle, and then if it does there's something in that circle you want it to ignore.

Mainly for me, it's when you tell a mobile builder to keep everything in a spot repaired, but to fit in all the stuff you want, the turrets on the upper level are included. It will wander all the way around the back of your base to get up there, even while the turrets you really wanted protected are being obliterated.
Or you want to save a particularly large hunk of scrap until you had enough storage for it, but to avoid reclaiming it takes 4 circles or more when you want the small wrecks around it cleared.
There's probably a few more uses for this, but I'm feeling uncreative right now.

Never seen this sort of thing implemented in a commercial game. One more 'advanced'/'new'/'revolutionary' thing on the features list.

Custom shapes would be nice on a modifier key. Honestly, I would probably prefer that as a default, as it would help keep cons from reclaiming trees if you want them only going after wrecks. That being said, smart construction units that reclaimed what you had less of would be nice too.

Some modified version of JKs custom formations widget might do this.

I think that while we dont get anything better, all area commands should be changed to the retangular style that the attack command uses, instead of the circle style...

manored wrote:I think that while we dont get anything better, all area commands should be changed to the retangular style that the attack command uses, instead of the circle style...

Or vice-versa. Either way, consistency is good.

I dont have a problem with drawing multiple circles. With repair your con will be on repeat anyway, so draw several circles.

Cant hurt though, i guess.

I think this would only be feasible (UI wise, not development effort) if command queues are separated from units, so you can also edit the shape when your base expands (instead of needing to erase and redraw it), or assign more units to the same command queue.

(The last thing is ofc already possible using the copy queue command (ctrl+guard iirc))

Pxtl wrote:

manored wrote:I think that while we dont get anything better, all area commands should be changed to the retangular style that the attack command uses, instead of the circle style...

Or vice-versa. Either way, consistency is good.

However I find it easier to include what I want while excluding what I dont with retangles, since you can shape em at will while with circles you can merely change the size...