The Keyboard

[Kuth]

I can think of plenty of ways Defcon could be better- even without adding sattelites or knicknacks like that. For example, let's think of the keyboard.

First of all, it would be nice to have a hotkey customizer to adjust certain keys. I, for one, use the X key for down in all First Person shooters I use (prolly because I have bigger hands)- it's annoying to use the S key. Would be nice to have the option of changing this.

Secondly, when in the deployment phase (early Defcons), hotkeys for constructing fleets and placing units would be exelent features- as players who've memorized the layout can just hit a series of keys and deploy their fleets almost at the same time as the computer AI. This extends to being able to deploy fleets quickly in thier incomplete form, since the game presently will only allow you to place smaller sized fleets when you hit the special button at the end of the fleet selection bar (at least to my knowledge).

Other nice hotkeys would be;

A key to expand and minimize the scoreboard at the press of a button.
Keys that allow the lower-right displays to become selected for viewing.
Hotkeys to switch functions of vessels when selected (i.e., a carrier is selected. hitting B would switch it to bomber mode).
A panic key that switches all silos between their AA and Nuke mode.
A key that can switch functions of an entire formation (submarines from passive to active, Carrier modes).
An operation key that can be pressed or held down to initiate the same action to the entire group (tried the shift key- didn't work).

[PekkaR]

I'l add to this since I also feel there are some rough edges in the control scheme. In the tutorial, you're told to nuke an enemy missile silo that is in air defense mode. To succeed, you're encourage to fire with all nuke silos at the same time. I immediately tried to find a way to give commands to multiple units of the same type together. Is there really none? Being able to order all your air fields to send bombers to the same target, or the whole submarine fleet to nuke the same target... Against humans everybody faces the same limitation, but has this been considered and abandoned as too powerful?

I'd like to drag-select a submarine fleet and have my order given to all of them (to switch mode or fire), or select multiple ground units of one type by shift-clicking or control-clicking to add and remove further units of the type. It could also allow you to have different kinds of units selected, and commands would get given to only when it makes sense for a unit to receive that command. Like letting your order subs, silos and bombers all to the same target at once.

[trickfred]

I'l add to this since I also feel there are some rough edges in the control scheme. In the tutorial, you're told to nuke an enemy missile silo that is in air defense mode. To succeed, you're encourage to fire with all nuke silos at the same time. I immediately tried to find a way to give commands to multiple units of the same type together. Is there really none? Being able to order all your air fields to send bombers to the same target, or the whole submarine fleet to nuke the same target... Against humans everybody faces the same limitation, but has this been considered and abandoned as too powerful?

I'd like to drag-select a submarine fleet and have my order given to all of them (to switch mode or fire), or select multiple ground units of one type by shift-clicking or control-clicking to add and remove further units of the type. It could also allow you to have different kinds of units selected, and commands would get given to only when it makes sense for a unit to receive that command. Like letting your order subs, silos and bombers all to the same target at once.

Hold Shift when giving your subs (or other ships) an order - all of the same type within the same fleet will obey.