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Slope tools: control-click, costs for aggregated changes

Started by whoami, January 11, 2014, 02:12:18 AM

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whoami

I suggest to change the function of the artificial slope tools to behave differently on Control+Click: instead of building the slope upwards (as with normal click), build it downwards. This way, changing to another tool (lower whole tile) and back would not be necessary, also the cost for changing the terrain on one tile would be lower. Regarding the latter: It would also be nice if not every single action would cause costs, but the whole reshaping result (e.g. moved volume), but I do not see a simple and player-friendly way to provide that, because the program cannot know when such a project is finished. But tile-wise, it would be possible (changing another tile completes the former tile).


Ters

Quote from: whoami on January 11, 2014, 02:12:18 AM
I suggest to change the function of the artificial slope tools to behave differently on Control+Click: instead of building the slope upwards (as with normal click), build it downwards. This way, changing to another tool (lower whole tile) and back would not be necessary, also the cost for changing the terrain on one tile would be lower.

I've been missing such an ability as well. Since I often use slope tools to make tunnel entrances below ground level (a slope down, followed immediately be a slop up on which the tunnel entrance will be placed), I can often avoid using money on extra terrain tool by building the road first, one past the point where the tunnel entrance will be. Then I split the road between where the down slope should be and where the up slope / tunnel entrance shall be (costs nothing). Using the lower tile tool on both ends yields slopes rather than a full tile depression due to the roads. I then reconnect the roads (costs nothing), remove the road tile beyond the slope (this is where money is wasted) and build the tunnel. It's a hassle, but cheaper.

Quote from: whoami on January 11, 2014, 02:12:18 AM
(changing another tile completes the former tile).

But how does the game know you've done the last tile? Maybe some emergency forces you to switch tools to deal with it. That shouldn't trigger a completion with possible extra costs.

Leartin

It could be done with a planning mode.
First step: Choose a rectangle in which you want to plan. All the tiles in this rectangle are blocked for vehicles (or you just pause while doing this)
Second step: The chosen rectangle is saved as a backup.
Third step: terraform (or maybe even remove/build stuff).
Fourth step: When done, calculate the cost by checking each tile for what changed, then add these up.
Fifth step: Player can decide to accept the cost and build everything that he planned, deny and revert back, or just continue planning.
Sixth step: If he accepts, the planning area is completely reshaped, the planning mode stops and vehicles can pass these tiles again.

With autopause, this would be easier, but in that case it would be useless in multiplayer, and if the planning area does not include any used ways, it doesn't matter anyway. However, this is probably "too big" just to save some ingame money. (It might be useful for planning stations though)

isidoro

I support that!  CTRL+Click, the opposite tool.  It would save a lot of clicks.  The last time it would have been very useful to me was when manually building a river on the map...

whoami

Quote from: Ters on January 11, 2014, 09:01:32 AM
Since I often use slope tools to make tunnel entrances below ground level
With the new half-height slopes in Pak128 and Pak128.Britain, I always have to adapt the ground on two tiles to get a full slope where a tunnel portal will fit, so the necessity of this change became more obvious. Half-height slopes also cause rejection of several bridge types.

QuoteThen I split the road between where the down slope should be and where the up slope / tunnel entrance shall be (costs nothing).
I use that trick quite often, but it is still a workaround for not being able to specify the correct action directly.

QuoteBut how does the game know you've done the last tile?
For more than one tile, a planning mode (as Leartin said) would be useful, but still a hurdle for newbies. Or use a special button/key to finish, allowing ways and buildings on the landscape. (I once suggested a planning mode for ways as well, using zero-speed tiles in a special colour to mark them.)