4 replies to this topic

[Zyzyx66]

A simple suggestion, but I get the feeling this could really improve information gathering, and by proxy get the whole map involved in most games.

I'd love to see the entire map displayed cleanly in the HUD, instead of only a few hundred metres. Having a limited map is ultimately pretty useless, as it means a huge amount of positional information is lost - scouts are far less useful to the team, and players have no immediate idea what's out there beyond their limited range. In the end, this promotes 'blobbing' behaviour, and rush tactics.

take for instance, I'm running a medium mech, and want to play a cavalry role. As it stands, all I really have to work with is what I can immediately see on screen, as well as a couple hundred metres strategically on my minimap. If a light mech has decided to swing out to the side and spots an enemy flanking force, I've really got no idea it's happened unless I've got the battlemap open or my teammate opens chat to point it out (while likely under fire). Thus the cavalry - and scout - roles are hugely diminished.

If my minimap displays the entire map, along with the locations of all known units (obviously still using my communication range, etc.) I could instantly see that small force, and divert my 'mech to intercept the flank.

Because we'd now have full-map awareness, it would be MUCH easier for pathfinders and scouts to find weaknesses that the rest of their team can SEE. Any team still using a blob formation at this point would be easily outflanked and crushed. Especially on the larger maps with many paths (that nobody ever uses).

I know this is a long post for a really tiny change, but I really believe this tiny change could have a huge and very noticeable impact on information warfare.

Edited by Zyzyx66, 23 October 2014 - 05:25 PM.

[Redshift2k5]

I can understand why some people might want a larger view present in the HUD.

How about a SCALABLE map in the hud? Perhaps map the square brackets to scale up/down, and it's certainly not information we don't already have available in the Battlegrid.

[Zyzyx66]

True, it is in the Battlegrid. The problem I find is intuitive access to information. The battlegrid removes your ability to move, see and act, and also once open it takes a few seconds to take in all of the information. That's effectively the spearhead of my argument - a player is most likely to opt in to information warfare if the information is immediately accessible. I'd like to make a longer suggestion for info warfare that includes more readily available info on ECM/NARC/TAG/etc and their effects, but I thought a scaled minimap would be a really simple place to start.

I think the best minimap solution would be a zoomable minimap, that begins at max zoom (displaying the whole map), with the ability to zoom in with +/-

[9erRed]

Greetings all,

It has been brought up before about the lack of tactical info on the mini map.

- Dynamic scaling map, changing to what your targeted on or where your reticle is aimed at.

As was stated, the lack of marker on the map for a NARC'd target(s), the lack of shown selection for what your TAG is locked on. Many items that could be added to the mini map.
- Another BattleTech game with the same Mech's use's the mini map for only the terrain and has a separate semi-transparent HUD map for target info and IFF indications. This is where you can change the sensor range of your Mech's scanning, 'active, passive'. It's normally in an upper corner of the HUD display and indicates TAG, NARC, Mech's in range, Enemy, Friendly.

What the OP indicates as a need for some Mech's could be 'Role' specific, specialized scout or flank protection class Mech's have this separate type of scanning map HUD. Or also built into the Command console, since that's what it's for.

Just some ideas,
9erRed

Edited by 9erRed, 24 October 2014 - 07:33 PM.

[Pz_DC]

IMHO we we need 2 minimaps in ccpit - one for whole map and other for tactical, lance-sised actions. Andwened that arrows on mps that show the way whre urs teammates/lancemates are.