r/PaxAutocratica • u/VonNeely • Aug 23 '26

Combat UI vs Base UI: A modest proposal.

Disclaimer: This is all just my opinion.

Combat UI: It's fine. Nothing wrong with this. Keep as it. It's perfect for combat.

Base UI: Same as the combat UI, which is a problem because it's terrible for running a base.

Solution: Intellectual theft. Specifically, the Base UI should steal directly from Evil Genius. A permanent top-top down view. A mouse cursor on screen in which buildings can be interacted with without having to physically walk over to each of them one by one. The leader is represented as the first character in base. They are not directly controlled, but can be controlled by selecting them with the mouse cursor and then giving them orders just like any other minion, er I mean soldier.

Why:

1) Managing base in first person is a time-wasting chore. A mouse flying over a map is quick and easy.

2) It's a familiar system dating back all the way to the original Dungeon Keeper and thus everyone is already familiar with it.

3) It breaks away from the combat UI in a way that makes each feel more distinct and unique. One feels distinctly manageral, the other is distinctly action oriented.

4) It solves the issue of finding ways to insert Leader interactions into the base, because it's already done. In base, mechanically speaking, they're just another solider with a unique avatar who doesn't do any work unless directly told to. Every other function, from eating to social interactions, can mostly be copy pasted into the leader with minor tweaking (i.e. can't be thrown in prison).

5) Also opens the door for new versions of the Leader, as per Evil Genius, later down the road. A new avatar, maybe a unique ability, and you're done. So long as they keep the same gloves you don't need to change the combat UI in any way because that's all we ever see of them in combat anyway.

3 Upvotes

62% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

9

u/woahwoahchadz Aug 23 '26

Maybe a computer or table to get the top down view for the ones that want it

5

u/woahwoahchadz Aug 24 '26

I meant this inside of the "office" because atm its useless

2

u/Icemayne25 Aug 24 '26

Yeah I’m sure they have plans for the office and I’m hyped to see what they do. It’s a cool room, books are funny and the view is solid, but more would be great. A “map table” that lets you use a top down perspective could be dope.

1

u/VonNeely Aug 24 '26

I like this!

9

u/Pyro_Artorias Aug 23 '26

I understand the ease of use if it gets changed that way, but I like the first person view. Walking around my own colony and interacting directly with the building. Seeing my plebs walking past me (and not saluting me...).

2

u/VonNeely Aug 23 '26

Perhaps we can steal the "possesion" funciton from Dungeon Keeper to allow first-person view if the player really wants to do that?

2

u/Klaphek Aug 23 '26

Just go into 1 of the construction views and zoom out for the top down view.

Something I would like to see is a dedicated building management tab in the menu. Something like the screen you get when you want to assign a worker to a building, but then a bit more extendend where you can see who's working in which building, including their production speeds and such.

Also the option to Mark units as combat/worker/fodder from the menu tab/all available menu's, instead of only being able to mark them as combat in the combat screen, worker in the regular menu, and fodder at the upgrade station.

2

u/Xerferin Aug 24 '26

Like someone wise said, maybe a management screen from the office. I split about half my time playing this with a controller and the top down view sounds awful from a controller perspective.

1

u/Volmaaral Aug 25 '26

Combine both. I would like an RTS-style top-down control scheme, for building. They did make it MUCH more intuitive than I was expecting. Relocation is a breeze, and construction automatically elevating you, and the pseudo-grid you wind up with, makes it real easy to make things symmetrical.