Clashing sensibilities

[Justinian]

There's been a lot of discontent over the look of the character creation screens for many good reasons. The main beef is with the large zoomed in character model and the clashing aesthetic it has with the rest of the game. While I agree with many people that the character model should be shrunken down, and a UI more consistent with the rest of the game used, it didn't bother me too much since it would be seen just once during the game.

 

In the Gamescom demos however, we see the same full screen zoomed in interface used for levelling up characters too. Not only that, there is a much uglier background (which I dearly hope is placeholder), and even more wasted space than character creation.

 

In the Infinity engine games, levelling up was done in a screen similar in style to the character sheet. This not only makes sense from a mechanical perspective, it's also consistent with the UI used while playing the game. In Eternity, the player is suddenly ripped out of the game to a full screen with completely clashing layout and aesthetics to the pop up windows that make up the rest of the interface. Not to mention seeing our character models blown up like that in the middle of gameplay bothers me way more than character creation.

 

What does everyone think? Please vote above.

Edited August 16, 2014 by Justinian

[Bryy]

I agree with all points.

[dorkboy]

In both of the recent streams I've watched the question that bugged me was: Why can't he level up more than once while he's already in the level up screen.

 

Can't say I noticed any issue with it other than that (and documentation/transparency will no doubt be addressed at some point).

[Silent Winter]

^I agree that the char should be able to level up all at once without leaving the screen - but I don't think it'll be an issue in game since you'll only gain a level at a time.

(Though maybe for PoE 2 if you start a new level 12 char and need to level up from 1).

 

As for the level-up screen aesthetic - didn't bother me (though I'm also a fan of the zoomed in at Character Creation screen).

Having said that, using something more in line with the character sheet like in BG would be fine.

[PrimeJunta]

I would prefer a pop-up levelling window.

 

I don't really care all that much though. This works fine and we won't be looking at it all that much. No point changing it at this point IMO. Perhaps rethink it for the expansion or sequel.

[Bli1942]

I like the character creation screen they have, cool to see your character zoomed up huge even if it's not the best looking character model ever. They should just leave it as it's not worth any more work IMO

Edited August 16, 2014 by Bli1942

[Sabotin]

In addition to the other comments, I'd like if there was some class road map or something shown during the leveling process, where I could see what abilities etc. my character gets at what level.

[Caerdon]

I hate small pop-up windows that don't utilize the screen space available. It's not like anything's happening in the background while you're leveling up, so why not use the entire screen? I'd rather make all the rest of the windows take up the whole screen as well.

 

The up-close-and-personal character model is also used in inventory page, so it's nothing that clashes with the game's aesthetics. In IE games the paper doll was used in inventory page only, so isn't this an improvement towards more consistent aesthetics?

[Cthulchulain]

^I agree that the char should be able to level up all at once without leaving the screen - but I don't think it'll be an issue in game since you'll only gain a level at a time.

(Though maybe for PoE 2 if you start a new level 12 char and need to level up from 1).

 

As for the level-up screen aesthetic - didn't bother me (though I'm also a fan of the zoomed in at Character Creation screen).

Having said that, using something more in line with the character sheet like in BG would be fine.

 

IIRC, you can leave some of your PC companions around the stronghold to gain exp while your main party is out adventuring, so if you do this for a long stretch of time, I could imagine them gaining multiple levels.

[Silent Winter]

 

^I agree that the char should be able to level up all at once without leaving the screen - but I don't think it'll be an issue in game since you'll only gain a level at a time.

(Though maybe for PoE 2 if you start a new level 12 char and need to level up from 1).

 

As for the level-up screen aesthetic - didn't bother me (though I'm also a fan of the zoomed in at Character Creation screen).

Having said that, using something more in line with the character sheet like in BG would be fine.

 

IIRC, you can leave some of your PC companions around the stronghold to gain exp while your main party is out adventuring, so if you do this for a long stretch of time, I could imagine them gaining multiple levels.

 

Good point - in that case, it's definitely a good idea to allow to stay on the screen and just click to make each level up choice.

[FireExit]

I hate small pop-up windows that don't utilize the screen space available. It's not like anything's happening in the background while you're leveling up, so why not use the entire screen? I'd rather make all the rest of the windows take up the whole screen as well.

 

The up-close-and-personal character model is also used in inventory page, so it's nothing that clashes with the game's aesthetics. In IE games the paper doll was used in inventory page only, so isn't this an improvement towards more consistent aesthetics?

Have you never leveled up a character during combat?  I know I have during Icewind Dale (1 and 2) as well as Baldurs Gate(s)

[Raistlin82]

Zooming in on the character model is an absolute OWN GOAL by the developers.
The graphics are good as long as you avoid doing something like that.
I hope they don't do that at all, being for leveling up or for other purposes.

[GreyFox]

I prefer the old way but it won't ruin it for me either way.

 

I know this will not be the case for the more graphical elitists and I've said in another thread that Obsidian left the criticism door wide open with the decision to put those low res models on display like that.

 

This could be a 9+ rated game but the "lawl graphix sux" crowd knocks it to 8 or so because of character creation models/level up screen.  It's stupid but it's happened before.

[Valorian]

I don't have to see pores on a character's model to appreciate it. So zoomed in for me!

[Justinian]

I have to say I'm a bit surprised by people's preference so far. I was expecting IE fans to gravitate towards nice solid skeumorphic UI (which just happens to be used for everything else) in favour of character screens straight out of The Sims.

[Silent Winter]

I have to say I'm a bit surprised by people's preference so far. I was expecting IE fans to gravitate towards nice solid skeumorphic UI (which just happens to be used for everything else) in favour of character screens straight out of The Sims.

Then your poll should have had more options

I like the idea of an IE style screen - (but that involves full-screen for inventory/level-up/spell-book etc, not the floating windows.)

I like the zoomed-in character as an advanced paper-doll.  It's on the inventory screen too.   I'm not going to vote against it.

The poll didn't let me choose 'keep the zoomed in character but change to consistent screens' so I went with option 1.

 

I get that some people don't like the zoomed in character but I honestly think they're great - looks better than I'd expected.  I'm comparing it with BG and finding it favourable.  I'm not comparing it with the latest games.  I work with higher res 3D models than those in my spare-time so I guess it doesn't impress me.

[Marceror]

It's good as it is. Leveling up is supposed to be a special, even sacred event. It deserves its own dedicated screens.

[Justinian]

If they must have a dedicated screen I sure hope they update the UI and that terrible painting.

[Shallow]

Personally I generally prefer more fullscreen style UIs, however what's important for me is that the interface is consistent throughout the game, nothing is more annoying than  every seperate part of a UI looking like it was torn from an entirely different game with an entirely different design philosophy.

[Ztirual]

I see no problem in having the fullscreen level-up, but then again, it wouldn't bother me if it were a pop-up window. The background painting looks nice, that's a cool touch, but the char. model could be slightly 'decompressed' in its stature, or mass. It's as if it is being squeezed together, by itself and by the UI. So either perhaps 'decompress' the char. model, or have some more 'air' in the UI. Other than that I have no gripe with leveling up in fullscreen.

[dorkboy]

Personally I generally prefer more fullscreen style UIs, however what's important for me is that the interface is consistent throughout the game, nothing is more annoying than  every seperate part of a UI looking like it was torn from an entirely different game with an entirely different design philosophy.

Yeah, that's the only aesthetics issue, as far as I'm concerned.

The conversation UI has one palette/look*, the vendor/inventory UI another and the character creation/level up screen yet another. 

(*I mean buttons/text and UI elements like that. )

Edited August 16, 2014 by dorkboy

[BillyCorgan]

"Current full screen, zoomed in character model, painted background"

For me.

 

Really good and nice.

[Marceror]

"Current full screen, zoomed in character model, painted background"

For me.

 

Really good and nice.

It's nice to see such refined sensibilities from a rat in a cage.

[Ganrich]

It is also despite all of his rage.

[LaZoR_Bear]

I prefer the full screen UI, especialy for the character sheet. It helps having things not too clutered and gives a sense of importance to the whole thing. Like it was mentioned already the one thing they must get right is the unicity between all the UI elements in the game.