[interface] Select with left click. Act with right click.

Brainstorm ideas of possible additions to the game. Read this before posting!

Moderator: Forum Moderators

Forum rules
Before posting a new idea, you must read the following:
User avatar
Alarantalara
Art Contributor
Posts: 786
Joined: April 23rd, 2010, 8:17 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Select Object by Left-Click and select Action by Right-C

Post by Alarantalara »

I would like to object to right clicking being required for any action. There are at least some computers (mostly Macintosh) that have no right mouse button, which means that any action exclusively bound to it becomes unavailable. While OS X does bind a modifier key to emulate right-clicking, it is not certain that all users would be aware of this.

So, if a right click becomes a way to move/attack other units, then there should still be a way to do it using only the left mouse button (note that this is currently possible for all standard game actions, though not UMC menu options).
Velensk
Multiplayer Contributor
Posts: 4002
Joined: January 24th, 2007, 12:56 am

Re: Select Object by Left-Click and select Action by Right-C

Post by Velensk »

You can use right clicking with macs. Whatever gave you the impression otherwise?
"There are two kinds of old men in the world. The kind who didn't go to war and who say that they should have lived fast died young and left a handsome corpse and the old men who did go to war and who say that there is no such thing as a handsome corpse."
User avatar
DEATH_is_undead
Posts: 960
Joined: March 4th, 2007, 3:00 pm
Location: Northern United States

Re: Select Object by Left-Click and select Action by Right-C

Post by DEATH_is_undead »

Velensk wrote:You can use right clicking with macs. Whatever gave you the impression otherwise?
On Macs, it is Control Click, instead of just right clicking like on Windows or Linux. A little more difficult, but possible.
3P MP Scenario - Great Dwarves Escape
The best way to learn is to follow. In order to learn WML, you have to follow other's work, and check their codes.
User avatar
ancestral
Inactive Developer
Posts: 1108
Joined: August 1st, 2006, 5:29 am
Location: Motion City

Re: Select Object by Left-Click and select Action by Right-C

Post by ancestral »

DEATH_is_undead wrote:
Velensk wrote:You can use right clicking with macs. Whatever gave you the impression otherwise?
On Macs, it is Control Click, instead of just right clicking like on Windows or Linux. A little more difficult, but possible.
That still works, but right-click functionality is built-in without any extra configuration since about 2006. (So I too am going to have to disagree with Alarantalara on that.)
Wesnoth BestiaryPREVIEW IT HERE )
Unit tree and stat browser
CanvasPREVIEW IT HERE )
Exp. map viewer
User avatar
Alarantalara
Art Contributor
Posts: 786
Joined: April 23rd, 2010, 8:17 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Select Object by Left-Click and select Action by Right-C

Post by Alarantalara »

It's been built-in in terms of support for a lot longer than that. The mice have supported it for a few years now, but set-up lets you choose to have the mouse behave as a single button even though it can be more than one.

(I personally attached a 5-button mouse to my Mac in 2000 and stopped using the ones Apple supplies, but still try them out each time I get a new computer)

Edit:
Apple http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB829LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA1Mg#overview wrote: One or two. Left or right.

The seamless, one-button design of Magic Mouse makes it simple to use right out of the box.
fabi
Inactive Developer
Posts: 1260
Joined: March 21st, 2004, 2:42 pm
Location: Germany

Re: [interface] Select with left click. Act with right click

Post by fabi »

Okay, I have implemented the whole thing, please let me show two screenshots.
hex_selected.jpeg
Before the shot was taken the highlighted empty hex field containing the number was selected.
This is done by left clicking on the hex field, an action the player can always do since I bound hex field (and unit selection with it) to the left mouse button.
Like proposed by the MetalKing the left mouse button is used exclusively for that.
No danger of doing any change to the gamestate as long as you use the left mouse button only. (Well, with the exception that the designer of the scenario might use the "select" event to change the game state)
You can see from the number that 8 units are able to reach the location, two enemy unit and the rest belonging to the current player.
steps.jpeg
Now the mouse pointer (sadly my screenshot tool does not show the pointer at all) was moved over the Elvish Champion which results in displaying the footsteps from the unit under the cursor to the selected hex field.
Pressing the right mouse button (when still hovering over his hex field of course) will move the Champion to the selected hex.

Regards,
Fabian
User avatar
Celtic_Minstrel
Developer
Posts: 2166
Joined: August 3rd, 2012, 11:26 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: [interface] Select with left click. Act with right click

Post by Celtic_Minstrel »

So how do you deselect the hex so that the whole map is unobscured?
Author of The Black Cross of Aleron campaign and Default++ era.
Former maintainer of Steelhive.
User avatar
Xudo
Posts: 563
Joined: April 3rd, 2009, 5:26 pm

Re: [interface] Select with left click. Act with right click

Post by Xudo »

Left click it again? "Escape" keyboard key?
fabi
Inactive Developer
Posts: 1260
Joined: March 21st, 2004, 2:42 pm
Location: Germany

Re: [interface] Select with left click. Act with right click

Post by fabi »

Celtic_Minstrel wrote:So how do you deselect the hex so that the whole map is unobscured?
Selecting the already selected hex field again deselects it.
Thus double left click deselects, no matter where the mouse cursor is pointed.
User avatar
Coffee
Inactive Developer
Posts: 180
Joined: October 12th, 2010, 8:24 pm

Re: [interface] Select with left click. Act with right click

Post by Coffee »

I've been playing for a while and have always thought the interface controls were unwieldy. However, I'd like to point out something that perhaps some people overlook with the current system:
-- You can click and drag a unit to a destination to move it. One click and a mouse movement is all that is required to move a unit.
-- In this single click and drag you can cause your unit to move for several turns if the unit cannot reach a destination in one move, or you can bring up a combat screen.

Please make any changes to the default control system selectable and changeable from the menus.

As an aside, I'd love to see an alternate interface regarding combat and recruiting/recalling (perhaps alternate control methods from a menu) -- as I think that these areas, in particular the combat interface, is where it is awkward and really slows down Wesnoth play.
User avatar
nuorc
Forum Regular
Posts: 582
Joined: September 3rd, 2009, 2:25 pm
Location: Barag Gor

Re: [interface] Select with left click. Act with right click

Post by nuorc »

Coffee wrote:As an aside, I'd love to see an alternate interface regarding combat and recruiting/recalling
What annoys me most about the current recruit interface is that the usual recruit list is one or two entries longer than what is displayed...
I have a cunning plan.
User avatar
Flameslash
Posts: 633
Joined: December 21st, 2008, 12:29 pm

Re: [interface] Select with left click. Act with right click

Post by Flameslash »

I don't like this, the controls are fine already and, as Alatrantra said, using right click on Macs can be difficult.
TheCripple
Posts: 103
Joined: March 19th, 2011, 3:30 am

Re: [interface] Select with left click. Act with right click

Post by TheCripple »

I agree with Flameslash here - if you're not using a mouse, right clicking can be difficult for people new to using Macintosh laptops and netbooks. Given that Wesnoth has hotseat functionality, and that there is no guarantee that more than one person is used to the touch pad this seems redundant. Added to that, it's one more minor step to remember, which is unhelpful.
User avatar
ancestral
Inactive Developer
Posts: 1108
Joined: August 1st, 2006, 5:29 am
Location: Motion City

Re: [interface] Select with left click. Act with right click

Post by ancestral »

The concern here really shouldn’t be with Mac computers, and work-arounds exist or could be easily implemented (control or command-click, for example). It sounds like the default scheme isn’t changing, and it shouldn’t. This would then only be an option, and options don’t have to please everyone; that’s why they exist.

One more thing to keep in mind is newer touch-enabled devices: they may have multi-finger touch, but otherwise they don't have secondary button functionality.
Last edited by Iris on September 25th, 2012, 12:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Colors.
Wesnoth BestiaryPREVIEW IT HERE )
Unit tree and stat browser
CanvasPREVIEW IT HERE )
Exp. map viewer
User avatar
MetalKing
Posts: 197
Joined: July 8th, 2011, 11:34 am

Re: [interface] Select with left click. Act with right click

Post by MetalKing »

I would like to try that Implementation. And I don't agree with the Statement that the present Interface is fine totally. However, the better is the Enemy of the good. (I don't want to state with that what is is good nor the Opposite.) Is that new Style available as Patch or Config-Option InGame or while Compilation?
"Sir! We are surrounded by our enemies!" - "Excellent ! We can attack in every direction!"
"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." -- Albert Einstein
No Source - No Binary - No Trust!
Map Wesnoth Springs - The great War [200x120],Player=9
Post Reply