Selecting multiple fleets

[mark_from_briz]

Hi guys

Something id like to see to enhance the game play , especially for us mac one button mouse users
would be the ability to drag out a select box to select multiple units (mainly fleets) rather than having to select one at a time.
This would be very useful as most players seem to break up their fleets into small units for maximum flexibility.

this would allow for eaiser movement of fleets and hopefully targeting a single target from multiple units

regards

Mark W

[Pox]

This has been discussed before, and it was decided that having a hard time managing your fleets is part of the game and helps distinguish it from ye olde C&C clone strategy games - you have to micro if you want maximal control.

[mark_from_briz]

This has been discussed before, and it was decided that having a hard time managing your fleets is part of the game and helps distinguish it from ye olde C&C clone strategy games - you have to micro if you want maximal control.

but but but... the bombs are falling on me....... arrrgh................

[ynbniar]

and hopefully targeting a single target from multiple units

There is a school of thought that spreading your fire, rather than concentrating, is more succesful due to the way Defcon decides if a hit destroys a unit (probability rather than hit points).

There might be some maths on this in other threads...

[xander]

Something id like to see to enhance the game play , especially for us mac one button mouse users ;-)

If you are on a desktop machine, you should be using a multiple button mouse. There is no reason not to, and they are pretty cheap (Apple even includes one with all new machines, though I really dislike the MightyMouse). If you are on a laptop, you should already know that laptops are not really meant for gaming. I run DEFCON on a PowerBook, but I know that it is less than ideal, and I still use a multibutton mouse.

would be the ability to drag out a select box to select multiple units (mainly fleets) rather than having to select one at a time.
This would be very useful as most players seem to break up their fleets into small units for maximum flexibility.

DEFCON is about tradeoffs. AA fire vs launching. Bombers (offense) vs fighters (defense). Stealth vs attack power (subs). One of those tradeoffs is flexibility vs ease of management. Large fleets are very easy to manage, but they are very inflexible. If you want flexibility, then you break up your fleets, and manage them. Otherwise, what would be the point of fleets? If you could arbitrarily select units, and command them in groups, then wouldn't it make more sense to place all of your ships individually, and manage them as fleets?

And don't think that I am trying to be hostile. Way back in the day, when DEFCON was still in beta, I had the same complaint, so I know where you are coming from. However, after playing the game a bit, and talking with other players, I am convinced that box-selection of units would be a Bad Thing™.

this would allow for eaiser movement of fleets and hopefully targeting a single target from multiple units

Honestly, you don't want to be concentrating your fire. Units in DEFCON are destroyed probabilistically -- rather than having hitpoints, each shot has a certain probability of destroying a units. Because each shot is an independent event, it makes more sense to spread your fire than to concentrate it.

xander