Middle mouse button intrerface gripe

Right click is used for moving the ships on the starmap, so it would cause confusion at best to have the right button rotate the camera.  I believe that all of the model view windows where you would want to rotate your ships have the camera control buttons that can be used instead.  On the starmap, you can use the F1-F4 keys to change to default rotations. 

I have to agree with Glavius. I was designing a new ship type last night and thinking that the middle mouse button is very unintuitive for rotating the model. Homeworld was a great example of an intuitive control setup.

I know that on the main map the right-click button has been used for setting a ship destination, which was kept from GalCiv 1, but I think you should ask yourself this question:
Is the right-click used for setting a ship destination because that is the best intuitive interface for the user,
OR
Is it because that's the way it used to be in GalCiv 1 (a 2-dimensional game) and its easier to not change it

I'm not trying to be rude with that comment. Since the development team looks at the current interface every day, I'm sure it is hard for them to be objective about it. Do any other Beta testers have an opinion on the model rotation controls?

- Proud Canadian

I think I order ship movement more than I rotate the map tbh, so I wouldn't change it. Also, the mouse wheel zooms as well as rotates the map, so both camera controls are tied to the same button. If clicking the wheel controlled ship movement while scrolling it zoomed you could accidentally zoom or give an order, now that would be frustrating!

I'm not a beta tester, but I'll give my thoughts on the subject if you don't mind

When designing a game's interface, you have to decide what are the most important/most frequent actions the player will be performing.  In GC2, those actions are, in order of importance...

-Panning Around the Map
-Selecting units, planets, other game objects
-Setting Destinations for your Ships
-Zooming In-Out
-Rotating the Map

The first three items on this list are necessary to playing the game. If these actions aren't available to everyone, in the easiest method possible, then the game won't be fun (or simply unplayable).

So, since the left mouse button is the primary one, we use that for the first two items (with a bit of logic to determine which action to perform). Setting destinations for the ships gets the right mouse button (universally known as the secondary button).

We're then left with the last two actions, which aren't necessary for gameplay (unlike in Homeworld) but still should be accessible to players at all times.  This is given to the middle mouse button, which a small percentage of players won't even have.  For this reason we've added keyboard commands or onscreen controls so everyone can still easily perform these actions.

Using the right mouse button for setting destinations isn't something we're doing as a throwback to GC1...it's that way because we believe it's the best choice for the game. In GC2, rotating the map is a fun diversion, but it really is just for fun, whereas setting destinations is a key element to playing the game, and should defiantly take precedence

Of course, we have been known to be wrong (one or two times, at least) so if anyone can come up with solution that makes more sense, we'd be happy to implement it!

I agree whole-heartedly with BoogieBac's statements.

Most modern game use MMB for camera rotation, and RMB to assign orders. Homeworld is hardly a modern game (though it is a great classic), and besides that it's a totally different dynamic since it's in a true 3D environment, rather than a planar map with 3D graphics for effect, rather than gameplay.

Furthermore, you can easily play this game without ever needing to rotate the map, and the casual user might never even realize you can, without destroying his experience. By comparison, rotation and general traversal of space was a necessity in Homeworld.

Frankly, I think the current setup is great, and I far prefer it to other common option they could have implemented:
Controls like in the shipyard screen (these are awkward at best).
Having to hold a keyboard key like some RTS's make you (CTRL or ALT).
Using the LMB when it's better suited to "assign context-sensitive order."
No rotation at all.

Oh boy, did I ever get flamed!

I think you guys have won me over with your arguments. The only place I actually use rotation is on the ship design screen, when I am trying to mount components on the back and underside of the ship. On that screen, I found middle mouse button to be annoying. However, to be consistent through all interfaces, I guess it makes more sense to rotate with MMB everywhere. I will adapt accordingly!

- Proud Canadian

Hehe Not flamed...nobody should ever get flamed here.  

We just want to make sure players know that we're putting thought into our decisions, and not just being stubborn babies about it "No, this is how we did it in the first one and we're not changing. Wah! "

Oh boy, did I ever get flamed!

Heh, forum etiquette 101.

Flamed: "you dumb noob stfu!"
Constructive criticism: "I disagree, here's why...."

Discussing the game is what we're here for, well done for bringing it up.

Yep. If that was flaming, tell me what other forums you visit, because they sound like very nice places.