Switching modes

Once Strategy mode is unlocked, how will we switch between it and organism mode? Because even once the species is advanced, we should still be able to play as one organism.

If this is in the wrong place, move it, since it affected two different modes I put it here.

I honestly have no clue.

Probably by some Largish buttons at the side of the screen.

Cluttering HUD with those buttons might not be the best idea. How about this:

Escape Key->Menu->Switch to Organism/Strategy/God mode button

Commander Keen wrote:

Cluttering HUD with those buttons might not be the best idea. How about this:

Escape Key->Menu->Switch to Organism/Strategy/God mode button

Definitely accessible through the menu.

US_of_Alaska wrote:

Commander Keen wrote:

Cluttering HUD with those buttons might not be the best idea. How about this:

Escape Key->Menu->Switch to Organism/Strategy/God mode button

Definitely accessible through the menu.

I'm liking this idea.
It should also prompt you to save if you haven't saved recently, in the form of a classic box reading something along the lines of, 'Do you want to save before switching?' with the options 'Yes' or 'No' beneath. Selecting 'No' will bring up another window asking 'Are you sure?'.

Selecting yes will, of course, let you to continue your journey to another mode without saving. Selecting no will also let you continue your journey, but your game will be saved.

You can then load that mode just the way it was before you switched to the other mode (which you can, in turn, save sometime sooner or later.)

Noitulove wrote:

US_of_Alaska wrote:

Commander Keen wrote:

Cluttering HUD with those buttons might not be the best idea. How about this:

Escape Key->Menu->Switch to Organism/Strategy/God mode button

Definitely accessible through the menu.

I'm liking this idea.
It should also prompt you to save if you haven't saved recently, in the form of a classic box reading something along the lines of, 'Do you want to save before switching?' with the options 'Yes' or 'No' beneath. Selecting 'No' will bring up another window asking 'Are you sure?'.

Selecting yes will, of course, let you to continue your journey to another mode without saving. Selecting no will also let you continue your journey, but your game will be saved.

You can then load that mode just the way it was before you switched to the other mode (which you can, in turn, save sometime sooner or later.)

I'd say buttons from a roll-over bar would be best that way, you won't see them until you roll your pointer up to the top of the screen.

I envision something similar to Spore's swap between with Edit, Colour and Test Modes.

GamerXA wrote:

I envision something similar to Spore's swap between with Edit, Colour and Test Modes.

Yes, but with smaller, less annoying buttons.

I think we need to think of just how often the player is really going to switch between modes. I know once i hit Strategy Mode i'll only be switching back to Org Mode for some fun or to help out with Societal Changes. And with God Mode becoming a panel, i don't think i'll be changing modes much at all.

US_of_Alaska wrote:

I think we need to think of just how often the player is really going to switch between modes. I know once i hit Strategy Mode i'll only be switching back to Org Mode for some fun or to help out with Societal Changes. And with God Mode becoming a panel, i don't think i'll be changing modes much at all.

I'll probably be mostly staying in one mode at a time. I mean, I'll probably get wrapped up in one mode and not want to leave to go to another unless I need to.

Counting in that changing modes will probably involve loading screen, many players will only change when they really need to.

i don't think players will bother changing modes, they should just start a new game or load the planet from any stage in time and play in that mode.

koiboi59 wrote:

i don't think players will bother changing modes, they should just start a new game or load the planet from any stage in time and play in that mode.

Sorry, but that makes no sense.

InvaderZim wrote:

US_of_Alaska wrote:

I think we need to think of just how often the player is really going to switch between modes. I know once i hit Strategy Mode i'll only be switching back to Org Mode for some fun or to help out with Societal Changes. And with God Mode becoming a panel, i don't think i'll be changing modes much at all.

I'll probably be mostly staying in one mode at a time. I mean, I'll probably get wrapped up in one mode and not want to leave to go to another unless I need to.

This proves that we do not need the mode switching panel on the screen at all times.

US_of_Alaska wrote:

InvaderZim wrote:

US_of_Alaska wrote:

I think we need to think of just how often the player is really going to switch between modes. I know once i hit Strategy Mode i'll only be switching back to Org Mode for some fun or to help out with Societal Changes. And with God Mode becoming a panel, i don't think i'll be changing modes much at all.

I'll probably be mostly staying in one mode at a time. I mean, I'll probably get wrapped up in one mode and not want to leave to go to another unless I need to.

This proves that we do not need the mode switching panel on the screen at all times.

I suppose in the middle of the pause menu would be fine.

InvaderZim wrote:

US_of_Alaska wrote:

InvaderZim wrote:

US_of_Alaska wrote:

I think we need to think of just how often the player is really going to switch between modes. I know once i hit Strategy Mode i'll only be switching back to Org Mode for some fun or to help out with Societal Changes. And with God Mode becoming a panel, i don't think i'll be changing modes much at all.

I'll probably be mostly staying in one mode at a time. I mean, I'll probably get wrapped up in one mode and not want to leave to go to another unless I need to.

This proves that we do not need the mode switching panel on the screen at all times.

I suppose in the middle of the pause menu would be fine.

QFTW

I believe that Strat. should be a panel similar to GTs. (God Tools)
Obsv. will be a camera icon.
And then Org. Mode is just normal Org Mode

Instead of mode switching, all modes could be merged together.

A Strategy & God mode combined mode with strategy and god tools in one would be simple, and as the god tools are just godly technologies, it would make sense. The organism mode could be accessible by right clicking a unit and selecting some sort of 'manual control', not only making it easier to switch, but also making it easier to choose which organism you control. If we do it so strategy mode is unlockable (not available to begin with) we could start them off controlling a random organism, and use the methods I came up with here (or any other preferred methods):

The Uteen wrote:

So basically like the royal family method (without the sexism), so you go to your oldest (or youngest, maybe an option) offspring, if none are available (dead, falling off a cliff, have arranged their death, etc.), then your siblings, if none, then parents (although if you're not playing as them they will most likely be dead), and if none of them are available, then just your closest living relative.

But might you want the option to play as your wife/husband/husbife(in case of 3 genders)?

And we could have the option to only play as:

• male
  
• female
  
• shclemale (futurama reference )
  
• certain ranking (eg. queen of hive, prime minister, monarch, worker (of hive), worker class citizen, and a whole lot more)

And this would be minimising loading times (none of them are really separate modes.

The only thing is that this is putting a bit less focus on organism mode, but it is still completely there, so maybe something should be done to bring attention to the option on the right click menu, eg. bright colours, or a small image by it.

The Uteen wrote:

Instead of mode switching, all modes could be merged together.

A Strategy & God mode combined mode with strategy and god tools in one would be simple, and as the god tools are just godly technologies, it would make sense. The organism mode could be accessible by right clicking a unit and selecting some sort of 'manual control', not only making it easier to switch, but also making it easier to choose which organism you control. If we do it so strategy mode is unlockable (not available to begin with) we could start them off controlling a random organism, and use the methods I came up with here (or any other preferred methods):

The Uteen wrote:

So basically like the royal family method (without the sexism), so you go to your oldest (or youngest, maybe an option) offspring, if none are available (dead, falling off a cliff, have arranged their death, etc.), then your siblings, if none, then parents (although if you're not playing as them they will most likely be dead), and if none of them are available, then just your closest living relative.

But might you want the option to play as your wife/husband/husbife(in case of 3 genders)?

And we could have the option to only play as:

• male
  
• female
  
• shclemale (futurama reference )
  
• certain ranking (eg. queen of hive, prime minister, monarch, worker (of hive), worker class citizen, and a whole lot more)

And this would be minimising loading times (none of them are really separate modes.

The only thing is that this is putting a bit less focus on organism mode, but it is still completely there, so maybe something should be done to bring attention to the option on the right click menu, eg. bright colours, or a small image by it.

I don't think strategy mode will be able to be merged with org mode, because org mode is built for viewing individual places ad organisms, whereas strategy mode id built for viewing populations and managing them.

it's basically the same thing as regular-you'd still have to switch, there most likely would be a loading time.
And between org and strat mode, everything you want to do is different, so it would be a little illogical to combine them, i think.

~sciocont wrote:

it's basically the same thing as regular-you'd still have to switch, there most likely would be a loading time.
And between org and strat mode, everything you want to do is different, so it would be a little illogical to combine them, i think.

cities xl 2009 has something like this but the only thing is to follow the little people with the camera