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Forums > Home› Feedback› Controls and User Interface

Please Add Steering Controls To UI

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
edited February 2010 in Controls and User Interface
Just as I am allowed to accelerate / decelerate, I want to steer the ship from the UI with the mouse.

I want a bar over the ship's shields readout that I can click on to lock the turning rate of the ship to the left or right, which would keep the ship turning until I click in the middle area. Yeah, I don't want it to stop turning when I move the mouse away, that would defeat the purpose.

Here is what I mean:
Going straight:


Turning left
[-O---------]

Turning Right

Simple!

Make the rectange taller, and it could even include pitch, like so:
Turning left, descending


[-O----------]

Turning right, ascending
[ --------O-]



Turning left, level

[-O----------]

These simple changes would finally free up my other hand to hold essential slices of pizza or beer.
<rant>Whatever happened to the days when you could play a MMO game with just the mouse?</rant>

But seriously, it would also add finer control over rate of turning.
Besides, the only reason for using both hands at the moment is WASD.
(and maybe the acceleration controls, if you are using E and Q, which I am not)

Make it so!
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    You can steer your ship with the mouse by clicking and holding both L and R mouse buttons.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Itanius wrote: »
    You can steer your ship with the mouse by clicking and holding both L and R mouse buttons.

    I know, but that doesn't help when I want to keep turning AND work the other ship systems at the same time.
    Besides, when you release L+R Mouse, the ship stops turning immediately.
    That's not what I want.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Personally, I'd like it if Cryptic studied some of the nifty LCARS interfaces out there. There is a great example of the pilot's interface that could well be adapted to STO. In fact, I'm rather surprised they haven't embraced the whole LCARS scheme. That... among other minor things... is kind of disappointing. Lack of that kind of polish really makes the huge dents rather obvious. :p

    /carebearstare... :cool:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Yeah the turn thing would be nice I mean if you use WASD it is either FULL LEFT RUDDER or FULL RIGHT RUDDER. what if I want to do a constant 10% turn to the right. I would love to issue the order 15 degree starboard and stay in my circle.

    The mouse things works but if I need my mouse for something else I have to stop my turn to click on what ever action I wanted to do.

    So I agree with the OP
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    there is an Inertia system in place to partially address the issue. The throttle and the pitch commands have numerics that can be adjusted (via /bind_save_file and load respectively - WHILE IN SPACE <-important) but not left/right.

    I'd recommend changing the setup to something similar to what I'm using.

    Right Press = Enable Mouse Look
    Right Drag = Turn Ship to Face Camers
    Middle click = Toggle mouse look
    W, Mouse Scroll Up = Throttle Up
    S, Mouse Scroll Down = Throttle Down
    A = Turn Left (+left)
    D = Turn Right (+right)

    (Bear in mind, my conifg is heavily modified so you probably just want to take note of the patterns/tricks being used and apply them in manner suitable to your own preferred conifg. I personally prefer using the Mouse for Vertical movement but also need it for camera control independent of ship movement. Left+Right = Fire All Phasers in my config as well.)

    The UI is horribly simplistic for the needs of the game and can't handle input adequately so I doubt they'll even consider your idea anytime soon (ie. they need do more basic stuff before they could consider doing it). Ex. using the above config, anytime your turning via mouse and using the keys to modify movement - releasing the mouse input will cause Both inputs to cancel/be ignored. (haven't checked whether keyboard input has similar effect).

    Basic Key Binds and Command List
    should help with getting things working for you. Unfortunately they haven't stickied that thread so its kind of hard to find.

    Also, a lot of people have been saying to use AutoHotkey to compensate for the limited UI (I haven't as it seems to much work to set all that up - I have a Gamepad remapper but even setting up that to compensate for the UI flaws would be excessive IMO). Personally, I just config a little and make the most of things while waiting to see if they'll ever get around to improving the UI functionality.

    Essentially, what your asking for is a leading line/ Vector line. It would work with the Turn-Ship-To-Face function but would also require a control mesh addition possibly (the forecasting system may already be using one though). Thats actually more involved than just UI - networking forcasting - the sync packet contents - basic state variables. Which would require more concrete knowledge and consistency in UI than is present.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Have you ever played Starfleet Command?

    It can be considered the precurser to this game, and is very similar in the space faring, and space battles sense.

    Anyways the controls in that game (series) are much better then STO. That series used the vector approach for steering, and also had a helm control that had options for high energy turns, instant stopping, adaptive follow target, irratic maneuvers, and maintain orbit.

    Also, managing the ship as a whole was much more easier as well because each indiviual weapon can be sorted into a group, and controled from the keyboard. Each individual aspect of the ship had it's own interface (hailing, shieilds, shuttle bay, navigation, power, etc.)

    These new controls are much to cumbersome, and take away from the actual fighting which is what you should be focusing on.

    Hell even the simple option of being able to automatically follow your target would save me loads of keyboard fumbling.
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