Strategic zoom

[rtsfan]

I viewed the trailer ... very promising.

However, one question: will there be a strategic zoom available ala Supreme Commander/Forged Alliance style?

I've played RTS's for many years, and after experiencing the freedom provided by a strategic zoom function, I am loathe to a play an RTS which lacks this feature. Forcing me to only view a portion of the battlefield now feels completely old-school and artificially limiting.

Please don't tout lack of a strategic zoom as a "feature" or "gameplay design decision" as has Blizzard with regard to StarCraft 2. Please include strategic zoom, and let the player decide if or how to best utilize it.

[Anlashok]

Yeah, I actually feel a bit claustraphobic if I play CoH or CC3 after playing Supcom. Would be nice if more games used a strat zoom like that. It gives you so much freedom.

[edrperez]

But you must consider that SupCom is a RTS and WS is a RTT, reason why there will not be many units in a combat and the whole strategic zoom will be worthless. SupCom; make huge armies and experimental ones. WS; make raids on small posts.

Greetings.

[rtsfan]

RTS (strategic) vs RTT (tactical) ... it makes no difference to me. The problem is the same ... I want a zoom out function that is not arbitrarily limited by the designer OR is MUCH further out than is the current norm for every RTS/RTT game except SUPCOM. With a completely 3D design, what's the problem with providing that?

I would simply prefer to make the decision regarding the value of strategic zoom vice having it made for me by the developer. Again, I don't care if the zoom goes as far back as SUPCOM ... just have it go further back than 99% of the other RTS/RTT games that are currently on the market.

[Anlashok]

Agreed.

[NikeBG]

Well, I personally don't give much of a damm for a zoom out in a game like Worldshift! If BSS decides to make it - fine with me, if not - fine, they'll have more time to work on the more interesting aspects!

[IWM]

Don't be so harsh to him...
anyway yes, this will be RPG/RTT, not RPG/RTS. And IF it's an RTS, it will be skirmish level, not grand/world level. So, I think your proposal is overruled. But it is the BSS guys who can approve/not approve this...

Still, I don't care very much.

[OOmiz]

I registered just to comment this thread but I will surely stick around. :)

"Claustraphobia" becomes a really big problem when playing older RTS/RTT games after playing games with free-zoom like Supcom and World in conflict. It feels like your face is in the ground and almost all sense of freedom is lost.

The game is in 3D and the year is 2008, the technical limitations no longer exist. Not allowing people to move their viewpoint freely is something that should have been abandoned years ago.

[IWM]

But, it will make some features in this game meaning less. Ambush? And there is a fog of war, so it will not make sense to see the whole map, but there is no light.

[OOmiz]

But, it will make some features in this game meaning less. Ambush? And there is a fog of war, so it will not make sense to see the whole map, but there is no light.

There is no reason this would make ambushes meaningless. Just because you have the freedom to move your point of view freely doesn't mean that you can see everything all the time. Units have line of sight and you can only see what your units see. However having the possibility to zoom out makes workflow when managing units at different locations much nicer. Once I got used to it I've never wanted to go back.

I don't know what other features you are talking about that will become meaningless but I can't really see any reason (other than time and money) to not implement strategic zoom.

[Mephistopheles]

I think many people prefer using the main screen to get an overview to using the minimap for the same task. Either way, the amount of information available to the player is the same - the method of using a large scale of zoom-levels simply makes things a bit easier for those players who like to use the mouse-wheel to get an overview.

[schuubars]

Just to get straight do you mean Strategic zoom exactly like in SupCom. with the transition to 2D-Icons? Or more some sort of it, where you have still 3d units(i guess then with LOD's).

Because MP is all about balance, and then only the "exactly like SupCom." mode woul'd keep the balance,because one wise business decision is always to "catch" most broad audience. (trade-off = beauty vs performance)

IMHO it would not add something necessary to the Game, i agree on traditional RTS it makes mostly sense and is a big plus, but WS is not traditional.

I Think a better way would be to make the units easier to differ from enemy units on the minimap.

Or a Feature like in Spellforce 2 with(Supcom has this as well.) where your groups are displayed as Icons (highest Unit Class in the group.).

But, + zoom, 10 to 20 percent more zoom ability and the same for - zoom would be nice imo.

[redmanz]

Well I do a bait and ambush ploy in the beta. I send 2 troops ahead and agro and run them back behind my main group. In this way ambush works great. Remember when ambushing the place is as key, as the size of the ambush force. This game has taken into account natural
advantages. Such as high ground, you should see the bodies stack up at the bottom when you r at the top. As a former USMC I find this part of the game play fascinating. Thanx for eltting me add my 2 cents.