Well, let's see if I can help.ORIGINAL: Lingering Frey
I'm struggling against the endless forms and windows. I go to a menu or use a hotkey to open a form and they regularly appear hidden behind the map. I move my mouse over new windows that I finally manage to get on top of another window, only to have the window vanish back under. I only have one monitor, so I don't have endless screen real estate. I tried playing some more for the last six hours and I literally spent MORE than half my time just trying to move windows around to get at information or buttons. (My wife has heard me swearing and has started calling the game "Windows in Flames".)
Is there a full description of how to control the game's windows someplace? The Player's Manual just refers you to the tutorials. The Picture and Text tutorial doesn't have anything. The "Interactive Tutorial" is less than helpful in getting the big picture (I did my best to decode some of the encrypted information...I didn't learn much and had to stop before I punched my monitor. At least I know where to click to drag some of the windows now, even though I still cannot really control what is going on overall). The "Video Tutorials" just activate the "Windows Media Player Classic has stopped working" form.
Any thoughts or advice? I'm 16 hours into fiddling with the game now. I've only managed to get to 1 impulse into Nov/Dec and I still feel like I'm in a constant wrestling match with the interface.
Most forms open so their top is right up against the bottom of the Main form. The detailed map is set up that way too. Try making the detailed Map slightly smaller at the top (the thickness of the border) so there is a gap between the Main form and the detailed map. Then when Help forms, or other forms, appear, you will be able to see their border above the detailed map. Click on their border and they will be on top of the detailed map. Be careful not to run the mouse over the detailed map or it will jump back to being on top. If you do this and like the results, be sure to Redefine the New Game screen layout (.SLY) so the change will be permanent whenever you start the game.
I think the above paragraph describes the best solution, but here is another. Click on the icon in the top left corner of the detailed map. That will roll it up into its top border, getting all but its top border out of the way. Click on the icon a second time and it will roll down again. This might be useful if there are a lot of things you want to review one after another.
Lastly, as a new player you are undoubtedly using the Help menu and the items therein a lot. This is why we want everyone to have the printed manuals. The appendices have virtually all the help pages gathered together in one place. Leave the manual open to those sections and you won't need to display so many forms. Of course everyone is still waiting on the manuals to arrive - and that includes me.
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If you get frustrated with something, please ask for help. There are many beta testers, not just me, who will be able to answer questions. The game is challenging enough as a game. The player interface shouldn't be getting in your way so much. And if it is, then I want to work on fixing that.