This is my first week in MAN2. I have occasional played Domination at my friend's before. I would like to make some suggestions to come up for discussion.

a) It would be nice to have some kind of log window besides the message window within the game. In this log window it should be displayed who have gone online/offline. But not all players, only players of interest: Players of active games with oneself and marked players like friends. Addtionally in this log should be messages like "xyz continues your current game 12345" and "xyz has finished turn #99 of your game 54321". The last one is already sent by email. But if I am in the game it could be displayed instantly. Via email there is alway a delay of at least 10 min. And in these 10 min my oppenent started another game or quit while I was unsuspecting struggling vs the ai.

b) On the main web site of MAN2 should be the server status be displayed: Not only the number of active players, but also is the server online. It happend more than once that the game server was offline - and the web site was not reachable either. It would be better to be informed on the site "Sorry, game server is offline since 06-04-22 13:13 (gmt-5) due to maintenance. Will be online at about 06-04-22 13:30 (gmt-5)".

c) The key layout should be adjustable. This is maybe a very unimportant feature for most players. But I really need it: Every time I press the left ctrl key, my monitor/keyboard switch catches the keypress first and wants me to switch to the other pc. It is really annoying ;o)

d) It would be nice to see permantly the hex layout without the flight routes (of course customisable). Because the not loaded units are not included in the attack warning, everyone needs to counts the hexes.

e) Maybe the flight routes could be updated with the carriers included?

f) I find it strange that a jeep (smallfoot) or a trike (lav) is slower than a tank. In MAN2 we have now the bunker/dot as canon fooder. Maybe the smallfoot could be make a bit faster and in return less durable?

g) It should be possible to remove own bunkers/dots. For example in the recruitment phase to scrap them. Or in the combat phase to blow them up by oneself. Sometimes after some turns your own unmovable cannon fodder is your own way (blocking a border or sitting in a town on a road and preventing fast movement)

h) Better than g) it would be to change bunkers/dots and maybe guard tower / death turret to real bunkers: They can load other units. By this way other units could also pass them.

i) Another game mode is needed. At the moment we have only fighting for points ... what about a match just for fun, training or experimenting? Not counting for the ranking system? In this not ambitious mode it would also be possible to adjust the game balance if a well known good player wants to play vs a not so well known poor player: I am talking about a voluntary handicap like less allies for one side and/or more allies for the other. Or adjustable units, maybe?

j) The censorship in chat needs a bit improvement: It should be possible to turn it off and it does not detect nasty words split up by blanks.

k) I need a possibility to save and recall a camera viewing angle. I now there are shortcuts for changing it. But it is tiresome to set it up again and again and again ... Especially if your opponent uses the <return> to write a message in a game while your are watching his moves. It is good that his viewing angle is copied to oneself, but thereafter I would like to return to my familiar view: Straight from the top, north to the north

l) The option to change the availability ("Free for play", "Occupied", "DND") should be changable form everywhere in the game. And I dont need an email to notify me that I am now on "DND"

m) Isn't it possible to withdraw an offer to surrender/draw a game? I don't know: I was playing vs a quite well player I found out later in a game. But in the first rounds he has offered me a draw, 'cos we experienced some technical problems in that game (my pc crashes more than once). Some turns later after I learned that I am no match for him, I stumbled across the still existing draw offer ... I could not resist, I am sorry

n) Last but not least we really need the facility to save a not yet completed turn, like others players requested it before.

There were other things I wanted to mention. But I cant remember right now.

If the smallfoots become the same speed as tanks, the tanks will become obsolete, since for the price of a single tank you will be able to by 2 smallfoots, with the same speed, same added amount of damage and +3 added hit points. That would really screw up the game balance.

The rest of suggestions I agree with.

Lots of nice proposals. Probably too many details that will be ignored.
One thing to comment on: Bunkers .
I think they should remain indestructable, because it gives a perplexing chess-like kind of "Once it's done, it's done and you have to deal with it".
There are lots of dynamics to the various units' abilities and limitations, often topics of threads wanting to change the units. I don't think a unit has ever been changed, once in place.
I wouldn't mind being able to see certain chosen players' online status, but again, I think this kind of detail will certainly be ignored.
Faster access to game-play is way important to me, above any other consideration or "cutting-edge graphics".

Mmh, I don't need that.


True.


Yeah I don't need it, but I do encourage the dev's to make it adjustable. Not many games aren't adjustable these days, and I don't think it's that hard.. But I'm not a programmer ofcourse.


You know CTRL & "x" ? (Thanks Tiger )
I don't want the hexes to be permantly on the map, so optional would be a good idea, since you can bring them up, you may have the choise to leave them on.


Hu?


There is a discussion on this somewhere, I don't think it should be distructable. It's part of the tactical planning now, if the enemy defends his border with only bunkers, he can't move out anymore, tactical planning..
Btw, don't see the units as real units, "bunker" is just a name, doesn't refer to a real bunker..


Agreed


This is gonna change. (see other topic)


You can turn the email notification of in your profile.


I'm not sure what you mean, but I you can't redraw surredering, draw neither I think.


I don't need that, but I'm not against it

A request for "flight routes from carriers" is a fine idea.(This would be something like a "circle" showing the 6-hex range bombers can fly from carriers)
However: A big part of MAN is counting hexes...and you will have to do it yourself to play a good game.
I would really love to see the hex display(ctrl key) without the blue lines.It is extremely busy to look at.
Therefor I request a separate key for displaying bomber routes.
I will try ctrl-x - sounds good (What does it do?)
Being able to save the moves in a turn would be really comfortable...but how lazy should we become?...This is a potential threat to humankind!

The blue lines with CTRL (hex showing) is idd anoying.
I guess it has something to do with heights, but I don't understand it..

Try "x" yourself, I'm sure you're gonna love it!!!!
(No more counting hehe)

When Tiger told me that button I was in heaven man

The blue lines are the capitols which bombers can reach, from one capitol to another.
I'm interested in other "secret" two-key tricks.

It's not a "two key" trick.
It's just "x".
You point with your mouse at the place from where you want to start counting (from were a unit is ..), and then you press & hold "x".
You will see a "0" in yellow next to your mouse pointer, move your mouse now and you will see the number raising, as in counting..

Thanks....This TIP should be made easily available, especially to rookies who want to get competitive.

OMFG. And here I've had to clean off my monitor after (sometimes during) games because of snack enhanced fingerprints on my monitor from counting the damned hexes!

I h8 u awl for not sharing this one.

-Brewer

ps: Thanks a ton!

Sweet.
Sweets?

All hail Tiger for this tip!

He said that it was somewhere on this forum though, never saw it

If the smallfoot / lav is less durable, e.g. only 2 or 3 armor points the balance would be changed but not screwed up.



A bit strange, isn't it? No red button with self-destruct or the possiblity to attack the your own bunkers? And if I have to see the units not as real units, I need a button to switch the unit graphic to symbols


Now I know this function (Thanks Tiger & Bokkie).


I don't want to turn off the email notification. But this was not the point: The online status should be changeable from everywhere in the game.


I have tried it out. You are right. But it should be possible to withdraw a draw offer.

This brings me to point

m) How about a not instant accepted surrender offer? If the surrender offer is rejected: The weaker player gets once additional guerillas, or something like that?

o) As I have mentioned it in another topic, why is it not possible to play a game to the final end, like in Domination: After reaching 100% both players are asked if the game should stop here, or if both agree it is played until all units of one player are eradicated >:>

The draw isn't accepted automaticly. The other player still have to accept it. This to prevent players who are loosing bad stopping the game with a draw.

I don't like the idea of the not instant accepted surrendering.

Playing until the final end isn't necessary for me, and I can imagine that if you're loosing you don't want to drag the game and see you're being slaugtered to the bone..
It's fun for the winning person though

Actually, it gets tedious, and boring. I find myself letting rev accumulate, and don't really do anything with the units that are far away from the last few countries to capture.

Against players its not so bad, against the AI, its very painful.

-Brewer

As most of my suggestions, m) and o) are optional. If someone don't like it, there is no need to use it and nothing is changed for that person. - btw I dropped n) ...

So here is

n) In the challenges list: It would be nice to see the changes to the standard set up of a game emphasized. For example a different color for the changed settings.

o) ... see above

p) In the chat list: How about a additional column to show the oppenent someone is playing? -> If a player is "only" playing vs AI, he is more likely to be convinced to finish his turn and than play against a human player. At the moment you have to gab into the running turn (maybe vs a human player) and disturb him. Or you have to enter the game by watching it - time consuming.

Yeah. No need for an extra column imo though, a mouse over info thing with who's playing vs who would also do the trick.