They actually did it! - Culture Specific Pop-Icons

[Homecastle]

Yesterdays Tinto Flavour on the Inca showed us a lot of interesting buildings, but what caught my attention were the Pop-Icons used for them.

While the resolution isn't the best, you can clearly see that they differ from the normal, european looking icons we're used to. This is wonderful! It was something I wished for quite early on and I think they did a great job colour coding them. I was instantly able to identify them as slaves, soldiers and clergy respectively. Things like this help immerse you into the region you're playing and it's one of the ways UI can improve the enjoyment I and many others get out of a game.

 

[Fawr]

I find them less instantly identifiable, and I still hope we get the option of instantly recognisable icons rather than tiny pictures of blue, red and white clothed people.

 

[ArVass]

I think they are very neat, although I think the soldier pops could benefit from some touch-up, perhaps the guy representing sailors could be wearing a light blue like the European-style pop icon does, because the homogenous red makes it harder to read

 

[za3tarani]

I find them less instantly identifiable, and I still hope we get the option of instantly recognisable icons rather than tiny pictures of blue, red and white clothed people.

yeh, not a fan either, but i can get used to it.

 

[High Speed Flying Gladius]

If they're going to be so varied, i think it would be best if they were accompanied by a recognizable, universal icon.

 

[Fawr]

yeh, not a fan either, but i can get used to it.

I suspect I will eventually too as long as there are simple rules. Although I have been known for making mistakes in Vicky2 due to getting pops mixed up when trying to get back into the game years later.

To help it would be good if there was strong colour coding applying to these different roles (and the text matched the dominant colour in the pictures). Having the orange clothed people being different roles depending on their culture would make it much harder. I know orange clothed monks make sense for some cultures and black clothed monks in others (or Blue soldiers vs Red ones), but the icons need to be much bigger to go down that route.

 

[ArVass]

yeh, not a fan either, but i can get used to it.

I on the other hand really like these icons, especially if they are culturally varied like that, because it lets me visualize them as actual people. These pops are not rakes or burning candles or purses of gold, but supposed to be actual humans

 

[ArVass]

I suspect I will eventually too as long as there are simple rules. Although I have been known for making mistakes in Vicky2 due to getting pops mixed up when trying to get back into the game years later.

To help it would be good if there was strong colour coding applying to these different roles (and the text matched the dominant colour in the pictures). Having the orange clothed people being different roles depending on their culture would make it much harder. I know orange clothed monks make sense for some cultures and black clothed monks in others (or Blue soldiers vs Red ones), but the icons need to be much bigger to go down that route.

There actually does seem to be colour coding, Clergy is white, Nobility is blue, soldiers are red etc.

 

[Ekyman]

I suspect I will eventually too as long as there are simple rules. Although I have been known for making mistakes in Vicky2 due to getting pops mixed up when trying to get back into the game years later.

To help it would be good if there was strong colour coding applying to these different roles (and the text matched the dominant colour in the pictures). Having the orange clothed people being different roles depending on their culture would make it much harder. I know orange clothed monks make sense for some cultures and black clothed monks in others (or Blue soldiers vs Red ones), but the icons need to be much bigger to go down that route.

They are color-coded. Maybe it’d help if they added a small vertical bar of color next to the pop icon to reinforce that.

 

[FleetingRain]

Man, I still wish we had more abstract icons. But if they're color-coding them, it can still work.

 

[Sindai]

It might help if the population counts on the estate screen used these icons instead of the generic pop icon.

Multiple pop types can be in one estate but there's plenty of room to put multiple icons on the bar.

 

[SAmaster]

I find them less instantly identifiable, and I still hope we get the option of instantly recognisable icons rather than tiny pictures of blue, red and white clothed people.

How about this as a compromise- keep the little people icon, but introduce a solid color that can allow a player to quickly identify them. In the case of Clergy and the color white, I would suggest either a white circle behind the picture, or a bar of white to the left of the picture. That way if a player needs to quickly identify the estate, they look for the colored symbol first, while players willing to take their time can digest the rest of the picture a bit slower. It's a matter of appealing to two equally valid approaches to the game.

 

[Fawr]

How about this as a compromise- keep the little people icon, but introduce a solid color that can allow a player to quickly identify them. In the case of Clergy and the color white, I would suggest either a white circle behind the picture, or a bar of white to the left of the picture. That way if a player needs to quickly identify the estate, they look for the colored symbol first, while players willing to take their time can digest the rest of the picture a bit slower. It's a matter of appealing to two equally valid approaches to the game.

There are lots of compromises that would help.

I prefer having a game option where I can get simplified icons. A rake, a sword, a money bag, etc. That way people who love the little icons get to enjoy them, but people who can't distinguish them get something they can distinguish.

Using colour codes would certainly help. I'd recommend making both these symbols and any time they are mentioned by words the colour of the text line up. One downside is the learning curve that imposes on new/returning players. The learning curve gets worse if the colours aren't identical between different cultures.

 

[SAmaster]

There are lots of compromises that would help.

I prefer having a game option where I can get simplified icons. A rake, a sword, a money bag, etc. That way people who love the little icons get to enjoy them, but people who can't distinguish them get something they can distinguish.

Using colour codes would certainly help. I'd recommend making both these symbols and any time they are mentioned by words the colour of the text line up. One downside is the learning curve that imposes on new/returning players. The learning curve gets worse if the colours aren't identical between different cultures.

I don't know why mechanically you'd change the associated colors.

I would argue against though putting the color in text when they are referenced- because that depends on the background. I don't know if Paradox is gonna have a lot of background colors, but it makes more sense when it comes to visual design to keep everything white.

What could work is more tool-tips though- when it talks about the Peasants of your nation, you can hover your mouse over it, and you'll see the icon and green color, along with a short summation of what peasants do and the like.

In fact- I was thinking Paradox should add a tooltip to titles for rulers and nations. I understand why people would want Tenochitlan to be an Altpetl and not a County, but I know what a County is and not what an Atlpetl is. So if I could hover over it, and it tells me 'this is a County rank' that would satisfy both ends.