Team "colors" for colorblind people

[Viliam]

I think there is a simple solution that could be useful for colorblind or partially colorblind people. So far units from different sides are distinguished by color. Of course, changing shapes for units for each side would be too much work. But how about changing the shape of "team color" ellipse below them?

It is pretty simple to implement -- no change in code necessary, only changing a few pictures in "images/misc" directory. It is not necessary to make it a separate option for colorblind... the marks could have both different color and different shape. (This last thing is only my opinion; maybe others would prefer to keep the ellipses.)

(The shapes on the picture are only a suggestion. It is surely possible to make nicer ones.)

[Tux2B]

Very good idea !

[turin]

The new shapes are extremely ugly. IMHO, anything other than an elipse would be necessity be.


If you really want to add this as an option for the colorblind, fine, but I don't think we should make the rest of the game ugly just to help the colorblind with an optional feature. (Elipses aren't mandatory, and tcolor wasn't added until quite recently. It is perfectly possible to play without either.)

[Casual User]

Elipses aren't mandatory, and tcolor wasn't added until quite recently. It is perfectly possible to play without either.

Yes, but before that, you knew which units were yours by looking for light green (or yellow) circles on top of the hp bars, i.e. another color code.

Colorblind people wouldn't be able to tell either way. He has a point.

P.S. I don't think the shapes look so ugly.

[Eleazar]

I think there is a simple solution that could be useful for colorblind or partially colorblind people. So far units from different sides are distinguished by color. Of course, changing shapes for units for each side would be too much work. But how about changing the shape of "team color" ellipse below them?

It is pretty simple to implement -- no change in code necessary, only changing a few pictures in "images/misc" directory. It is not necessary to make it a separate option for colorblind... the marks could have both different color and different shape. (This last thing is only my opinion; maybe others would prefer to keep the ellipses.)

(The shapes on the picture are only a suggestion. It is surely possible to make nicer ones.)

While the concept is simple, the code would be simple, but the execution would prove difficult.
For this to work:
1)The ellipses need to stay within the hex (all the examples are too big)
2)The ellipses need to be recognisable when large units (like drakes) are selected.
3)Someone has to come up with 9-10 shapes that are distinguishable while meeting criterion 1 & 2.

If someone can do all 3, i would support it as an option but i have a hard time imagining that be successful enough to be perferable for non-colorblind people.

There are also some reasonably proposals for using the ellipses to convey other gamplay information. While nobody is working on that ATM. I think the use of ellipses for something else would take priority over this idea, especially since i don't think it could be very successful.

Feel free to prove me wrong.

[scott]

Can this be implemented in a new theme or are ellipses only specified in game.cfg?

How about team color specifications? I would play with a theme that didn't have cyan in it.

[Darth Fool]

Can this be implemented in a new theme or are ellipses only specified in game.cfg?

How about team color specifications? I would play with a theme that didn't have cyan in it.

This is certainly not themable at the moment. There would need to be some changes to the C++. As for the team colors, they are defined in data/team_colors.cfg and are easily changable, but they are not part of any theme.

[Noyga]

In fact the code use the #1 ellipse then t-color it ...
Not sure that the other ellipses are ever used somewhere.
So this would require some code changes, altrough quite trivial ones.

The idea is quite good btw.
Current ellispse is expected to be pure-red, so if someone is willing to make new ellipses, it would be easy to test if they are pure red.

[Viliam]

Eleazar, I agree with most of what you said. The example shapes were just a result of 5 minute playing with mspaint, just to illustrate the idea. They need to be smaller (I did not realize how much smaller).

It seems like the best place to use to put more information is below the ellipses; the bottom part of the hex. To make many different combination, I suggest something like the binary system.

Here are two examples. The one with separate dots is probably best, because these dots could be in separate images. So users could select to see only "team colors" or also "team signs". The "team signs" do not have to be dots, they are simply something shown below the ellipses.


(PHPBB displays the attachments in inverted order. The lowest one was the first idea, the highest one is the latest.)

[Ken_Oh]

Keep cracking at this idea. I, as a colorblind person, have some trouble with the team colors but I know some people who aren't even colorblind that get confused too.

[toms]

Why isn´t the team number shown in the info bar?

[deserter]

Why isn´t the team number shown in the info bar?

Perhaps we could have option: "Show teamnumbers", which would show the number of the team that the unit belongs to under the ellipse. Better than infobar, but uglier maybe... Would roman numbers be more distinguisable than arabic numbers? Or at least more "cool"...

Should turn indicator show teamnuber too?

All this should be in preferences IMO.
I don't remember if the teamcolor thing is in the preferences, but I suppose it is. We could have both of these options there, and could check either one or both or neither. Simple.

[Eleazar]

Here are two examples. The one with separate dots is probably best, because these dots could be in separate images. So users could select to see only "team colors" or also "team signs". The "team signs" do not have to be dots, they are simply something shown below the ellipses.

Now you are thinking inside the hex and outside the box.
something like this could work.

[SmokemJags]

What about my poor thread about more visible team designations? I feel left out.
Heheh it's okay I made too many threads anyways.

The idea of being able to toggle an option of team signs sounds like a great idea to me...
But the dots seem a tad confusing. Why not incorporate the idea to use a number system, roman numerals were mentioned, instead?

Now something else that comes to mind...
You're trying to differentiate between different teams by using dots or numbers instead of colors. Great.
Isn't there still a problem of differentiating between your units and other team member's units?

Imagine thinking saving that Drake Blademaster to finish off a weakened target, only to find out you don't control him, your ally does, and it isn't his turn till after that enemy has a chance to do their turn.

Now normally, color would work as a means of identification. Since we're here because color is an issue that isn't feasible.
There's also the reality that your allies will probably not pick the same faction as you, further avoiding possible confusion. Still, I believe any solution should take this 'what if' scenario into consideration.

So perhaps two seperate, options toggles should be considered. One that uses a dot system and another that uses a number system. One to describe team affiliation, and one to describe player affiliation. Though it comes to mind just how cluttered that might become...

Maybe stack the number and the dot... I dunno just brainstorming.

[martenzo]

You know, most colorblind people just can't see a certain colour, they don't always see everything grey. So I think that if the colour is shown in the beginning of the game, they would understand what colour are their ellipses supposed to be.