for myself, it depends on what i am doing, i like both levels. When i need to micromanage my ships i zoom in. If not i zoom out.

Almost always play zoomed out as I play on Gigantic & Immense. At those sizes you need to stay zoomed out a lot to keep a perspective on what is going on around you. I think the larger the map size, the more people play zoomed out. The graphics are still appreciated a lot though, as its very easy to zoom in for detail on a particular battle etc.

As always, "One Size Dont Fit All". The game's flexibility is a good thing as it widens its appeal.

Regards
Zy

I adjust it so it doesn't switch to the icons unless you are much further out than the default. This way I can zoom out pretty far and still keep things in the normal graphics mode. Then I occasionally zoom all the way out when I want icons (easier to find certain kinds of things on an immense map via icons). I like being able to switch between the 2 so easily, only a couple spins on the mousewheel and you're all the way out, boom. I use the minimap to move the view around.

Wouldn't mind a Supreme Commander style zooming scheme - automatically zoom to wherever the mouse is pointed rather than to what is selected, but its still very workable as it is. (now that SC has gone and spoiled me w/such a thing I can't get it out of my head).

The fact that GalCiv offers both visual styles is one reason it's such a fantastic game. Sure, I'd like to think that I don't need pretty pictures, and I use the icons for planning war strategies and such, but when I can zoom all the way in and see ships in orbit or the wonderful detail on my small ships, I fully appreciate the scope of the game. It's a lesson well learned if my limited experience with Sins is any indication.

I think you're kind of missing the point here.

In service to gameplay, graphics must convey information. In Pac-Man for example, the graphics tell you the location of your avatar, where you can go, where the available pellets are, where the Ghosts are, and where the power pellets are. They may be plain, but they are clear and distinct about the nature of the gameworld.

The problem with the non-icon view isn't that it isn't plain. It is that it doesn't tell you anything useful! On icon view, I can instantly tell whether a planet is habitable or dead (except for PQ < 4), and so on.

The graphical view could convey this information. It would not be difficult to make the graphical view a lot clearer about where things are. It could be done without damaging the artistic merits of it. It is not an either/or thing; you do not have to sacrifice beauty for clarity.

But the simply fact is that StarDock did not make the graphical view convey this information clearly. It obfuscates the gameplay and interferes with the player's ability to know what things are. It's the equivalent of playing Pac-Man, except half the screen is blotted out unless you stand in a certain spot that reveals it, then the other half is blotted out.

The simple fact is this; if SD had not made the icon view at all, I would have stopped playing the game. It is simply too tedious for me without having vital game information immediately available. Incidentally, this is the reason why I don't play Civilization IV: it's simply too hard to look at a square and know what it is.

You mean there is a mode other than 2D ?!?

Seriously, I still use 2D even on tiny maps. It's not just that it conveys so much more information than 3D, it's that it also doesn't convey any information not directly related to game play...And I'm all about the game play.