Keybindings Thread - Master of Tactics

Hello, MoT!

So, more keybindings would be great. The specific keys I indicate for different options don't matter, they're just used as a starting point. So, some ideas to start with (lots inspired by Dominions 4, if you've ever played it):

1. '?'. This key, when pressed on pretty much any screen in the application, would popup a list of keybindings available to the screen that the user is currently in (planet view, galaxy view, battle view, craft design view, etc) (inspired by Dom4)
2. 'n', in galaxy view. This key would take the user to the 'next' (by any algorithm is fine) ship/fleet that doesn't have any orders (inspired by Dom4, others)
3. 'j', in galaxy view. Same as 'n', but the previous ship/fleet instead (inspired by Dom4, others)
4. [Escape], in every view. Closes whatever window is currently open, if any.
5. 'e', in battle view. This key would end the current ship's turn, same as pressing 'End' button.
6. 'f', in battle view. This key would fire all weapons at the ship currently located underneath the user's mouse button, without moving.
7. '[Shift]+f', in battle view. As 'f', but with moving.
8. 'c', in battle view. This key would fire all weapons at the ship closest to the current active ship, without moving.
9. '[Shift]+c', in battle view. As 'c', but with moving.
10. 'n', in battle view. This key would take the user to the next ship in the current turn order.
11. 'j', in battle view. Same as 'n', but the previous ship instead
12. 'n', in planet view. Takes the played to the next planet (as listed in the 'display colonies window', which should remember the last sort that the user selected when in the window, and use that sort the next time they open the window too for that matter)
13. 'j', in planet view.. Same as 'n', but the previous planet instead.

Is there a way, in battle, to turn a ship but not move at all? Would be nice to be able to turn towards an enemy and not use up extra movement (even might allow turn, fire, turn kind of stuff). In battle, you're already using [Shift] as an action modifier, so another one for 'only turn' could work too ([Alt]?)

Edited by: wyantb

I shall try to get most of this in version 1.07...

ESC - Exit all windows (good idea)
Battle View e - End turn (good idea)
Battle View f - Fire at closest craft without moving (good idea)
Battle View SHIFT+f - Move to and fire at closest craft with moving (good idea)
Planet View n - Move to next planet (good idea)
Planet View j - Move to previous planet (good idea)

Battle View, Ability to restrict a craft's movement to turn only - Good idea.

Galaxy View
During the exploring phase it's important to have your craft(s) moving around (must try to avoid leaving a craft idle because you forgot to move). However, during most of the game craft are left idle most of the time.
1 - Is this true?
2 - If it is true, is there a better way to avoid missing a craft move during the explore phase than having a user always press n or j?
Alternative: Press ‘end turn' when a craft that has not moved and can be used to explore gives a warning (and focus on craft)?

Battle View
1 - Focus automatically moves to next craft, do we need n/j keys (only use would be moving craft out of initiative order - When I do this I do not want the next craft and want a specific craft)?
NOTE:
Version 1.07 is clarifying and improving the attack command on the battle view. Currently angle of attack is very important but the game does not always interpret your mouse click position sensibly and its not clear to the user that angle is being determined. In version 1.07 we hope to have an attack angle indicator in the attack command! This is hard to express with an express key.

I may implement n/j on all screen for consistency. I will also consider reminding a player to move a craft to explore or have auto explore!

masteroftactics wrote: However, during most of the game craft are left idle most of the time.

Probably, yes. The player can organize ships into fleets, though; n/j wouldn't take the user to specific ships, just toplevel groups that have no decisions (speaking of fleets, why does the fleet view show individual ships and not the fleets they're grouped into? I don't care that CraftName1-50 are moving towards the enemy planet, I care that FleetA is moving there and has 50 ships). So if you only have, say, 5 fleets, each with 50 ships, without orders, the player could flip through those pretty quickly.

masteroftactics wrote: Focus automatically moves to next craft, do we need n/j keys (only use would be moving craft out of initiative order - When I do this I do not want the next craft and want a specific craft)?

Most of the time, I give out orders without using Express Click. Therefore, most of the time I don't get automatically moved onto the next ship. With all the battle keybindings I'm suggesting, the intent is to be able to move through movement more easily, as well as actually control the movement that does happen. Want to have some small fighters run along the outside, but point inward and do a driveby along the way? Move, turn, shoot, turn, move...No way Express Click and the autofocus next craft situation can deal with that.

I shall change the fleet window so it displays the fleet instead of all crafts in the fleet - thanks for pointing that out, sometime its hard to see the wood for the trees!