Dragging-Green floating thing in Unity

[Stratego (dev)]

I am about to make to be floater these in unity
- building placing when mega building.
- summoning
- environmental spell dragging to target
(what else we have in android version being floater?)

in android version it is not that good mostly/party because of the scrolling takes place in parallel

so please tell me what is the BEST way of such "dragging" and scrolling together in other games,
so i would like to try making that in Unity version.

I saw some games (eg. clasf clans) have such dragging befora putting in a building, but when it is drag mode you can not scroll at all - that is not good here as the environmental spells might need to be dragged 1-2 screens away from the caster's location (same as the v1 rockets in AOW as i remember)

thanks!
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I have found these as mechanism types, please tell me more

Option 1. Centered on floater: centering camera on floater and by dragging it the terrain moves while the floater is always on center
like in this video (first few seconds):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaZ8paevZdo

Option 2. Leave floating for a moment for scoll: (This is how it should work in android version) so when you touch the floater it moves the floater, but if u leave there and scoll somewhere else then the map is dragged instead, and you can go back touching the floater to move further.
one click outside floater cancels it (or it should not?)

Option 3. One tap somewhere and confirm: The floater appers but you can not drag it you can only tap on any other tile that makes the floater jump there, but it will still need a confirm eg. a tap on floater or on a little confirm button on top left corner of floater. Cancelling needs a button on the top tight corner of the floater - or a HUD button on the botton of the screen? (this latter seems not looking right)

for all options: maybe the whole world could be shown via a red and green "glass" so you see all possible places with green ?
for all options: waypoint should be using the same mechanism

[Endru1241]

Why not use tap event instead of dragging?

1. User clicks on spell
2. If spell is environmental sets some boolean isWaitingForSpellPosition or so.
3. Places some semi transparent text on screen top: "Tap on ground to change position, tap again to confirm", while green icon is automatically shown on unit with some indicator (square outline) to currently selected tile, setting some selectedTile
4. Tile tap event checks if selectedTile=tappedTile and if true executes effect.
If false checks for isWaitingForSpellPosition and if true places green icon, setting selectedTile.
Longtap along with maybe some quit icon to quit.
Drag event should not set tap event for it to work properly.

[Stratego (dev)]

i am not sure, tap (i mean full tap: down-up) somewhere else on the map now means "cancel" in game
(cancel unit selection, cancel pre-set movement location, cancel possible targets showin, even cancels multiple units selection, also cancels green-dragging on android)
so wouldnt it feel a little oppositely working as other things?

also placing text: i think we need to find an intuitive way - and i hoped in some games there are good solutions - i mean intuitive without any extra message.

also: this case user will not see initially the green floater? or he will?

[Endru1241]

I think it could be shown on first targeted tile (on default it could be build starting tile or unit itself in case of environmental spell).

Tap is default action for placing waypoints and it somehow works.

[makazuwr32]

As for environmental spells and summoning spells specifically:
There was an idea to make them targeting tiles instead of units or dragging green floating thing. This way you can easily scroll the screen as you want.

[Stratego (dev)]

I think it could be shown on first targeted tile (on default it could be build starting tile or unit itself in case of environmental spell).

Tap is default action for placing waypoints and it somehow works.

yes... the waypoint... that is also out of standards a little - maybe that should also use same method the dragging-floater?
or it is good to have both one-tap only (no dragged) i mean the thing the earlier floaters (summon/build/environmental) and the waypoint?


i wrote as a new option

[Stratego (dev)]

As for environmental spells and summoning spells specifically:
There was an idea to make them targeting tiles instead of units or dragging green floating thing. This way you can easily scroll the screen as you want.

i dont understand what u mean.
yes, i try making the environmentals being able to target anything (as they work in android version too) but with a better mechanism

[makazuwr32]

As for environmental spells and summoning spells specifically:
There was an idea to make them targeting tiles instead of units or dragging green floating thing. This way you can easily scroll the screen as you want.

i dont understand what u mean.
yes, i try making the environmentals being able to target anything (as they work in android version too) but with a better mechanism

What do i mean is that aoe spells must use for targeting NOT units, but landscape itself.
Yes it will be slightly more noisy since it will look like this:


But in return you would be able to target any tile, square or whatever you call that 1x1 part of map, even when there are no units.

Alas for some abilities we need to remake image and make it smaller since they are too big (thunderstorm for example).

[Stratego (dev)]

i think that target sign appear everywhere (whatever small they are) not looking good (imagine 10 range spells), also will not solve the problem of
a) placing buildings: as we have mega buildings that can overlap,
b) and we also can have muiltiple tile sized "environmental" action-images like a big tornado (even animated) in 3x3 pixel size that can be dragged over a location to execute

[makazuwr32]

Which is why i suggest to add that as an alternative option for targeting like right now you can choose between targeting units and dragging green thing.

I hope that at least in unity we would get such mechanism.

[Stratego (dev)]

you can not chose currently (as a player) also in general i dont like to make multiple mechanisms for same thing, i like a single good one

[makazuwr32]

you can not chose currently (as a player) also in general i dont like to make multiple mechanisms for same thing, i like a single good one

I mean to choose as dev for spells.

[Endru1241]

you can not chose currently (as a player) also in general i dont like to make multiple mechanisms for same thing, i like a single good one

I mean to choose as dev for spells.

But we are not discussing about target and area spell.
Only environmental / megas placement.

And I believe system from waypoint would be the best.
Well, maybe to make them unified change both to work:
1. Select (mega to build, spell, waypoint button)
2. Green semi transparent shows originated on some tile (on targeted to build tile, on unit itself)
3. Tapping any tile changes green thing placement, if needed this step could also allow dragging with screen locked
4. Tapping again confirms, additionally there could be ok button and cancel button.

[Stratego (dev)]

you can not chose currently (as a player) also in general i dont like to make multiple mechanisms for same thing, i like a single good one

I mean to choose as dev for spells.

But we are not discussing about target and area spell.
Only environmental / megas placement.

yes, we should only talk here about spells that need a floating thing to position and confirm.

[Stratego (dev)]

And I believe system from waypoint would be the best.
Well, maybe to make them unified change both to work:
1. Select (mega to build, spell, waypoint button)
2. Green semi transparent shows originated on some tile (on targeted to build tile, on unit itself)
3. Tapping any tile changes green thing placement, if needed this step could also allow dragging with screen locked
4. Tapping again confirms, additionally there could be ok button and cancel button.

ok, i think this is exactly about the "option 3" in first post, so you vote for that (additionally making waypoint the same way)

[TntAttack]

I don't know if this thread is closed seeing that no-one has posted in months but I have another idea.

A Dpad: WASD controls for PC and clear DPad for touchscreen devices.

A small DPad appears whenever they have to waypoint/build/ability. Positioned in the bottom left corner, it can be used to scroll around the map, maybe 1-2 tiles (depending on zoom depth e.g. closer, 1, farther 2-3) per click. Then players have their other hand on mouse or screen to tap simply where ever they desire to place waypoint, ability or build.

[Stratego (dev)]

intertesting idea but somewhat feels making new mechanism for scrolling that we already have by simply touching-dragging the map.

[makazuwr32]

intertesting idea but somewhat feels making new mechanism for scrolling that we already have by simply touching-dragging the map.

That mechanic will be used not for scrolling though but for actual dragging.
Touching and dragging the map is for scrolling.
D pad is for dragging green floating thing.

This way you will not misclick and not use green thing or loose it in process of dragging since map scrolling and green thing dragging will have different mechanisms.

[TntAttack]

intertesting idea but somewhat feels making new mechanism for scrolling that we already have by simply touching-dragging the map.

That mechanic will be used not for scrolling though but for actual dragging.
Touching and dragging the map is for scrolling.
D pad is for dragging green floating thing.

This way you will not misclick and not use green thing or loose it in process of dragging since map scrolling and green thing dragging will have different mechanisms.

Actually I meant the dpad for scrolling and touch/tapping for different mechanics but this works also.

The original idea was trying to fulfill Stratego's condition i.e. dragging an ability casted far away off screen, I thought it would be easier with a dpad then trying to scroll.