Change the build Periodic tower hotkey to "r"

[Guest Sancdar]

The proposed system will still be intuitive.

I know the system by itself wasn't better than the current system - it was no better, no worse, and that's why we didn't make the change.

The element-based system was at best no better than the current system, except that the work needed to make the element-based system would allow for multiple upgrade paths without excess cost.

I'm not a huge fan of any left-side system just because it makes it much more likely that a mistake will do something bad for you. With a more spread system, half the time if you hit the wrong key or have the wrong tower selected, nothing will happen and you'll be fine. I don't think I lose any significant amount of speed moving one hands-width to the right for small fractions of the game. Compared to the motions shown in that first SC video, I practically don't move.

[Cisz]

That's why I posted the 2nd video. Boxer was great, now he is of historical importance. His keyboard usage is outdated. Refer to the second video please when evaluating left side systems.

And when I don't move my hand I am much less likely to hit a wrong key. Mistypes usually occur when relocating my hand. And no, I don't think it's acceptable having to look away from the screen, because then I loose time by relocating my eye focus, resulting in about the same speed loss again. Speed wise a left only system is unbeatable imo.

But i don't like how we lose the first letter rule with nature and light here. ("r" and "t"?)

I guess the elemental upgrade system could be explained to the players with tooltips pretty easily: "Add (F)ire to upgrade to Vapor Tower"

[Guest Sancdar]

Give me a timestamp, I'm not watching/loading a half hour video for a 5 second look at hand positioning.

The reason why an elemental system is at best no better than the first-letter system is that if you know what you're building or starting from scratch they take about the same amount of time/effort, but if you've got a few towers that you just now want to upgrade it becomes awkward and in my opinion worse. For example, if you have a blacksmith and a hydro and want two zealot towers, you need to remember which elements are in those two towers and which element is missing, and hit those two different keys.

[Cisz]

Timestamp is: The whole video after the first 27 seconds.

Good point about the mixed group situation.

[Guest Sancdar]

Oh, I thought there was more of a view than the little PIP at some point.

[DDRKirby(ISQ)]

(note that i was mostly posting that video for laughs =P)

[jolin012]

Sorry echinodermata, for misunderstanding. I didn't get that you meant element based hotkeys for upgrading. too.

Anyway, another advantage of this idea, not mentioned is that if we would choose, say W(Water) E(Earth) R(Nature) S(Light) D(Darkness) and F(Fire), those are located all next to each other, in a rectangle. This means that upgrades of towers could also be located in the same Rectangle. (the "add water" button always beeing up left just like the W on the keyboard is located down left, the add fire always being down right etc.) This is another system, that comes for free with the upgrade element system when we move light and nature around (which are the only ones not part of the rectangle from the beginning).

[Cisz]

"S" is taken by stop, and I guess it should stay free for that..

Question: Could we have two hotkey systems in the same map? So we could have one "fist letter of tower" and one "fast" version?

[holepercent]

probably there are conflicts.. like 'F' for fire or flamethrower? or the player could select which system he wants to use using '-hotkey' or something..

[Cisz]

I was thinking about a trigger based switchable hotkey scheme manager.

"Type -key to change to first letter based hotkeys."

[Guest Void]

That would be rather hard to do, and to be totally honest, I don't think it matters that much.

[jolin012]

I was thinking of the exactley same, and yes that say from upgrading from hydro F would mean FleshGolem and Fire(Zealout). So that either a command or a button to change it. I've heard changing abilities of units is possible, but having ability twice with different Tool tips would not be a very small project guess. Although, I have also heard about one map file with several languages for the Tool tips - and that should also allow different hotkeys to change, Right? So different hotkeys could be changed this way, as "an own language" perhaps?

problem is flamethrower would be one ability with 3 different hotkeys, F from gunpowder, E from Magic and D from Blacksmith, and that's a bit troublesome i guess?

[Guest M45T3R]

I say we just set the hotkeys to 1, 2, 3, or 4, in the order in which the icons appear. All you have to do is take a quick look and the bottom.

[Cisz]

You can't use the group hotkeys for commands. Andeven if you could, which you can't, I would need them for groups.

[Guest M45T3R]

In what way does groups would be useful in Element TD?

[Cisz]

Worker: 1

Temp arrows: 2

Dmg towers that need micro (impulse etc): 2

Windstorm: 3

Tidal: 4

Elemental Summoning center: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0. (Don't want to look for this one.)

[DDRKirby(ISQ)]

Worker: 1

Temp arrows: 2

Dmg towers that need micro (impulse etc): 2

Windstorm: 3

Tidal: 4

Elemental Summoning center: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0. (Don't want to look for this one.)

Wow, that's great. I always just set it to 0 and then end up hitting - by mistake and making the whole game slower xD