Spring RTS Engine

You've just assigned your fighter planes to a patrol path or a "strike, return, repair, do it again" cycle. Some of them are getting destroyed, and you want other planes to join them. Do you have to do all the shift-clicking all over again? No ---- thanks to the following features!

Proposal:
1/ We need a "join" or "copy orders" order, so you can tell some units to do the same thing as some other one is already doing.

2/ The ability to save a path/set of orders you want to re-use would be very useful. Just as you are able to save groups 1-9, you'd be able to save paths 1-9, and assign units to them with a keypress. Use it to have two or three pre-planned attack routes and start the attack simultaneously on all three; use it to rebuild/continue building your missile turret forest when all the construction units which were doing it get destroyed; use it for...

3/ In TA, when you select a unit and hold the shift key, you see all its planned waypoints. Unfortunately, you can only add one at the end of the queue, or cancel one if you give the exact same order on the same spot (very hard for build orders). Instead, I want to be able to move/replace/delete waypoints anywhere in the orders queue. What I propose is: shift+right-click-and-drag moves a waypoint; shift+right-click on a waypoint allows you to insert another waypoint after this one; shift+double-right-click deletes a waypoint.

4/ You should have a special display to edit stored paths in a similar manner as in 3/; only you should have even more freedom: moving/deleting waypoints, resizing area waypoints, moving groups of waypoints or even the whole path. Uses: copy your missile turret forest pattern or the set of defenses in front of your base to build it somewhere else; modify the patrol path of your fighers to avoid the newly-placed enemy AA defenses.

5/ Something to consider: save some of these orders combos for use in later games, and edit them (or create some) outside of the game. This would allow some people to become real masters on certain maps, if they already have their base layout, scouting patterns and attack paths planned and available at a keypress, before the game even starts. I don't know if it's something to wish for, but it would certainly bring another form of planning and strategic thinking to the game. Clicking frantically to build the exact same base as usual on the exact same map isn't fun after a while, isn't it?.

Why not simply create a unit command script and you can write them or record them as you play and use them later on, perhaps even create a simplistic AI out of it

How about alt+#+click creates an order list and pressing alt+# with units selected gets them to start following the corresponding order list?

Basically you want any units of group X to follow the 'standing' orders of that group.

Sounds like it should be done automatically, or semi-automatically (button + assignment click).

Assuming the new units to be added CAN execute those orders...

This is a fantastic idea. I've always wanted a way to tell masses of units all to do the same thing (usually coordinate an attack) without going through the motions for each group. Your idea would really help against micromanagement.

I'm adding it to the request list.

Why not make ti so that if I set hawk 1 to follow a patrol route, that patrol route appears as a translucent line with circles at patrol points.
I can then select hawks 2-20 and so on as they're built and make them follow the path by simply clicking on a patrol waypoint, also makes for quick seeing of where your patrol routes are

Alantai Firestar wrote:Why not make ti so that if I set hawk 1 to follow a patrol route, that patrol route appears as a translucent line with circles at patrol points.
I can then select hawks 2-20 and so on as they're built and make them follow the path by simply clicking on a patrol waypoint, also makes for quick seeing of where your patrol routes are

Yeah, that's the way I see it too. (Of course some people will want to turn that display off.) And then with right-dragging or some other key combination you could move/add a waypoint to adjust the route.

[K.B.] Napalm Cobra wrote:How about alt+#+click creates an order list and pressing alt+# with units selected gets them to start following the corresponding order list?

Maybe it would be easier this way: ctrl+alt+# copies the orders of the currently selected units to an order list, and as you said, pressing alt+# with units selected gets them to start following the corresponding order list. I guess this could be used in combination with the shift key: if you hold it at the same time as alt+#, the order list is appended to the units' current orders instead of replacing them.

Or maybe we should ahve a small panel with a list fo the orders we've given, we can then save that list if we want and copy parts of ti over into the order panel for other groups or units. Factories would also have an extra panel of orders which would be given to units that're built.

Or we could just do a macro recording sorta thing then just assign macros to units and groups.

Perhaps if units added to groups automatically followed the orders of the groups, and if you could give more orders to factories it would help too.

there is a similar system in earth 2150 where macro can be recorded. but it took me many moons to figure out how to use it. it was quite useless coz objectives cange very quickly on the battlefield. keep it simple in this area, [K.B.] Napalm Cobra's idea is the best

I think you can have a botton "copy order" for each units...and you juste have to clique on the unit you want to have the same order.
I think it's easy. You'll never have the time to record order when you play.

this project seems dead, there has not been a dev related topic by a dev team member for ages. RIP spring

If the SY's had abandoned us on spring they'd have released the source code and made a news post at the least.

What could possibly have spawned a "Spring is dead!" post? Have the SY's ever posted here all that much? (excluding the ones that get bored when they finish their tasks and have nothing else to do)

Off to sweden we go ay Alantai?

To take back the promised land we go!

And at the start of spring itself, how fitting.

heh lol....

Anyways

Back on the topic, We currently know of a game that allows you to save waypoint paths, it was release at the same time as OTA, is worse graphically but has a similar storyline for the most part. Its called DARK REIGN.

Really useless game, cool interphase in many respects. Saveable waypoint paths, proper upgrading of buildings etc. DECOYS.....

DarkReign waypoint interface was way too complex to be useable. They acknowledged that and added a simpler way to create waypointed path, but it was still a bulky complex procedure unfit for a Real Time Strategic Game. TA waypoints system wasn't allowing order copying, but it was much simpler and intuitive, so could be used even in tense situation without losing time.

Of course... It might just be that Dark Reign Suxed, and had a terible AI (IE one you could not beat as it used the fact it was a computer to its advantage...). Horrible game I still have nightmares...

aNorm