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UI Suggestions

Gairnulf

By Gairnulf
in Backer Beta Discussion

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Karkarov

Karkarov

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PoE UI is currently quite underwhelming and you can't fix it with a minor rearrangement of elements. I think that DA:O UI is nearly perfect. Add chat/combat log window and it's perfect.

 

This biggest issue is the action bar. I may be wrong but from what I've seen so far I guess it's not customizable. Do I have to mouseover "1st level wizard spells" icon every time I want to see what I have there? If yes - great, we're back to the 1990s and not in a good sense. I want my action bar to be resizable. I want to be able to add rows. And I don't want any sub-bars (i.e. mouseover a category to see its contents - it's just lazy design). I want to handpick the abilities/consumables for action bar and I want them all to be instantly visible whenever I select the character.

You can set up macro's to quick cast some spells.  There is a thread about it around here somewhere and Sensuki also made a tutorial video about it.

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prodigydancer

prodigydancer

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You can set up macro's to quick cast some spells.

I know and I'm not a clicker. :) What I'm saying is that a party of 6 * average 20 abilities per character = 120 abiltiies. Add consumables and you have a lot of stuff to remember. I want to see everything that I think is relevant on my screen any time I select a character.

 

Being old school doesn't mean keeping all those annoying old school UI drawbacks like limited action bars.

Edited by prodigydancer
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Karkarov

Karkarov

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I know and I'm not a clicker. :) What I'm saying is that a party of 6 * average 20 abilities per character = 120 abiltiies. Add consumables and you have a lot of stuff to remember. I want to see everything that I think is relevant on my screen any time I select a character.

 

Being old school doesn't mean keeping all those annoying old school UI drawbacks like limited action bars.

I understand, but most people would crap a brick if there were 5-6 optional action bars on screen.

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prodigydancer

prodigydancer

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I understand, but most people would crap a brick if there were 5-6 optional action bars on screen.

That's what we had in D:OS and I don't think anyone complained. However, the problem with D:OS UI is that you have to switch between bars which is also a nonsense design from stone age. Just make it one bar with 10 slots by default but make it resizable. Then everyone can get what they want.

Edited by prodigydancer
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Gairnulf

Gairnulf

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I love DAO, but if you remove its characters' interactions it's more an action RPG.

 

Yeah, then NWN was an ARPG too. You see, PoE UI is worse than NWN:HotU UI...

 

What parts of the HUD do you find underwhelming?

 

The composition mostly - it wastes vertical real estate for no reason. But speaking of parts - where is my minimap?
Honestly, in an isometric game I don't think a minimap is needed. It was needed in a 3d person game like NWN (where I didn't like it, I was constantly adjusting it) or DAO.

 

I'm not sure if you are being ironic about NWN being an action RPG, but to my mind it was, at least I found it just as uninteresting as most action RPGs I've played - generic quests, no characterization of plot-important characters and companions, filler combat. DAO was marketed as BGII's spiritual successor but the better description would be - a balanced compromise between BGII and NWN, and in a new setting. Of course nobody in Bioware would have dared to mention NWN as something DAO was building upon, and this should tell us a lot about NWN's quality.

Edited by Gairnulf

A Custom Editor for Deadfire's Data:
eFoHp9V.png

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prodigydancer

prodigydancer

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I'm not sure if you are being ironic about NWN being an action RPG, but to my mind it was, at least I found it just as uninteresting as most action RPGs I've played

I'm sorry, but your classification is strange and isn't functional. :) Just because a game isn't "interesting" (which is very subjective) doesn't mean it's an ARPG.

 

Of course nobody in Bioware would have dared to mention NWN as something DAO was building upon, and this should tell us a lot about NWN's quality.

NWN and its expansions had sub-par content but here we're talking about UI. I mentioned NWN because its UI was a precursor for DA:O UI. It was worse but they were heading in the right direction.

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Gairnulf

Gairnulf

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I'm not sure if you are being ironic about NWN being an action RPG, but to my mind it was, at least I found it just as uninteresting as most action RPGs I've played

 

I'm sorry, but your classification is strange and isn't functional. :) Just because a game isn't "interesting" (which is very subjective) doesn't mean it's an ARPG.

 

Of course nobody in Bioware would have dared to mention NWN as something DAO was building upon, and this should tell us a lot about NWN's quality.

 

NWN and its expansions had sub-par content but here we're talking about UI. I mentioned NWN because its UI was a precursor for DA:O UI. It was worse but they were heading in the right direction.
No time to write a detailed review of NWN, and this isn't the place, but I agree not every uninteresting game is an action RPG. Although I would argue every NWN is an uninteresting game ;)

 

I agree the DAO interface was an improvement to NWN and NWN2 but I think all three games have little to suggest to PoE in terms od UI. If you think otherwise, give me some examples, I can't think of any.

Edited by Gairnulf

A Custom Editor for Deadfire's Data:
eFoHp9V.png

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prodigydancer

prodigydancer

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I agree the DAO interface was an improvement to NWN and NWN2 but I think all three games have little to suggest to PoE in terms od UI. If you think otherwise, give me some examples, I can't think of any.

I already see that no-one is interested in my ideas so I'll just shut up. I played PS:T with its radial menu. I won't lose any sleep just because yet another game has clunky and illogical UI layout.

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Gairnulf

Gairnulf

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Portraits down the side would be good, but the devs have flat out said that they aren't going to do it.

 

Did they bring up any motivation on why not? :) I was considering making another pic where I've ordered them that way. I have two more versions in mind actually, then I guess I'll start a poll thread.

A Custom Editor for Deadfire's Data:
eFoHp9V.png

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Lychnidos

Lychnidos

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Portraits down the side would be good, but the devs have flat out said that they aren't going to do it.

 

Did they bring up any motivation on why not? :) I was considering making another pic where I've ordered them that way. I have two more versions in mind actually, then I guess I'll start a poll thread.

 

 

If I remember correctly it was bad mouse movement.

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Gairnulf

Gairnulf

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Ok, uploading my other two ideas

 

Solid backgrounds, the green gem is to be used to toggle - http://imageshack.com/a/img913/3223/5mESW7.jpg
 
My preferred variant is the one with solid backgrounds:
5mESW7.jpg

A Custom Editor for Deadfire's Data:
eFoHp9V.png

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