Which HUD UI do you prefer?

[Seari]

symmetry

[Sensuki]

Anything that gets the log out of the right side of the screen is a win in my books, it's the ****ing worst design decision ever and Wasteland 2 AND Div:OS both ****ing did it. It's an even worse crime for PE because the IE games revolved around the combat log.

[IndiraLightfoot]

Yeah. I've tried and tried to use those very UI logs, and I have played those games hundreds of hours in total so far, and I can hardly read them.

 

My eyes keep reading from the left to the right. However, I guess that there are other cultures out there which would prefer having it on the right side, provided that the letters started from the right as well.

Edited November 6, 2014 by IndiraLightfoot

[Sensuki]

It's a really big problem. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that games these days often don't utilize visible logs, they go for floating damage numbers, floating icons and visual feedback. 

It kind of seems like PE has a log because the IE games have a log, and that's about it. Doesn't seem to matter whether it's useful - just as long as it's there. 

Edited November 6, 2014 by Sensuki

[Seari]

BTW the blue buttons on top of the bars would have the same function as in BG - if you click on them the bars would collapse. So people could play with only the right bar, or without any bars at all, only utilizing the floating combat UI+combat log if they wanted to.

 

I really wish Obsidian would change their minds and make a BG-esque UI, since I have a feeling it would be really hard, if not impossible to mod in.

 

edit: The combat log+action bar in the middle is a must for me, I really can't stand the current UI.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Seari

[Karkarov]

It's a really big problem. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that games these days often don't utilize visible logs, they go for floating damage numbers, floating icons and visual feedback. 

 

It kind of seems like PE has a log because the IE games have a log, and that's about it. Doesn't seem to matter whether it's useful - just as long as it's there. 

I think this is the real truth.  Games these days can be far far more visual. Back in IE days there was no floating combat text because I am not sure the IE engine could do it and no one thought about it.  Truth is though when you have "good" floating combat text you don't actually need to look at the log during combat.  I know you don't like MMO's Sensuki but there is a reason they use floating numbers and most serious math crunchers simply run mods to track numbers to an outside site then go there to actually interpret them.  It works, and combat in MMO's, during a raid, with 10+ people and who knows how many mobs is just simply more complex than anything you will see in Eternity or any IE game.

 

If it works for games that are far more fast paced, with even more hectic and complex combat, that you cant even pause.... there is no reason it cant work for Eternity.  I feel like it is just another case of "but the IE games did it this way!!!!".  Look at Shadowrun Returns, it is a very old school turn based game, but has no combat log and it doesn't really feel like I am losing anything by not having it.  I don't even know why Divinity:OS has it, I turned it off like 30 minutes in and never regretted it.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Karkarov

[Sensuki]

Well I would prefer that the log actually be useful, rather than being an 'afterthought' of sorts.

 

Aarklash Legacy went in the direction you described, even though it plays (unfortunately) a bit like a singleplayer WoW Raid with 4 heroes, cooldown spam and heaps of HP bloat.

Kind of OT, but the RTS side of Aarklash really shines through and tactical movement is actually really enjoyable in that game, even if after a while it gets very repetitive.

 

This is something I thought Obsidian were going to do by default because that's how the Infinity Engine games played, but truth is the game plays much more like Neverwinter Nights 2 than it does BG/IWD/BG2 or an RTS game. The only difference is the camera and the controls.

 

  Edited November 6, 2014 by Sensuki

[Seari]

It is a matter of preference, and your reasoning is kind of dumb. I personally hate seeing floating numbers on my screen, and I prefer using the combat log for that.

[Karkarov]

It is a matter of preference, and your reasoning is kind of dumb. I personally hate seeing floating numbers on my screen, and I prefer using the combat log for that.

If my reasoning were dumb WoW wouldn't have over 10 million players and Divinity:OS with it's basically useless combat log wouldn't have been #1 on steam for weeks and getting hailed as the return of "classic old school RPG".

[Seari]

 

It is a matter of preference, and your reasoning is kind of dumb. I personally hate seeing floating numbers on my screen, and I prefer using the combat log for that.

If my reasoning were dumb WoW wouldn't have over 10 million players and Divinity:OS with it's basically useless combat log wouldn't have been #1 on steam for weeks and getting hailed as the return of "classic old school RPG".

 

Ahahaha. Dvinity:OS was only popular because there were no alternatives, I think it's an overrated POS. And you're also missing the point.

[Quantics]

symmetry

 

I always like my Dock on the side 

 

Makes it possible to see more things when browsing. 

[Silent Winter]

I think this is the real truth.  Games these days can be far far more visual. Back in IE days there was no floating combat text because I am not sure the IE engine could do it and no one thought about it.  Truth is though when you have "good" floating combat text you don't actually need to look at the log during combat.

I'd still like the log as a record though - a number of times in combat, I've needed to scroll back up a lot to see something I missed.

Not sure whether I'd prefer floating text/numbers or just the log - but I wouldn't want to do without the log at all.

[Silent Winter]

I think I would prefer it if all the buttons on the left hand bar were moved to the bar on the right.

 

There's no need for 2 vertical bars IMO. 

I'd be happy with the L-shape too (or rather one vertical bar on the right and the combat log et al in the middle as shown)

[Quetzalcoatl]

Floating damage numbers should ideally be something you can toggle on and off, to satisfy both camps.

[Sensuki]

It would help if they actually floated above the units being hit rather than way higher on the screen.

[Rumsteak]

 

symmetry

 

I always like my Dock on the side 

 

Makes it possible to see more things when browsing. 

 

 

I keep the the dock at the center and auto-hide it.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Rumsteak

[Lephys]

What if you had a combat UI, and a non-combat UI, like in Fallout? I mean, the UI changes for dialogues, so it's not that crazy to change it for combat (hide some things, broaden the log area, etc... minor things).

[ryukenden]

I think they should make the spells/ability button bigger. The icons are way too small in both combat screen and leveling screen.

 

would be ideal if that is move to the center bottom of the screen.

Edited November 7, 2014 by ryukenden

[Gairnulf]

One week and just 45 votes? Son, I am dissapoint. Come on, people!

[Sensuki]

The Backer Beta forum is not very active at the moment. Lots of people have been visiting less due to the news that the game has been delayed, and lots of people have announced that they 'need a break' from the game and will give it another go when it's closer to ready. There also hasn't been as much developer activity on the forums recently either, which is what a lot of the people read the forums for. It's also a busy time of the year.

 

So yeah that's not too surprising.

[Endarire]

My desired UI depends on what the portraits are meant to show over them.  I prefer the Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition-style portrait bar at the far right.  Each portrait was big enough so it could show:

-The unit's current and max HP

-The unit's currently-queued action.  (Mirror image spell, attack with a bow, talk, etc.)

-A list of every applicable effect on that character.  This includes, but is not limited to, invisibility, mirror imaged, poisoned, diseased, level drained, hasted, slowed, charmed, confused, being targeted with an attack (if prudent), and slowed.

I like how Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition puts the combat log at the bottom with an easily-adjustable size.  All icons for system stuff (journal, inventory, spellbook, etc.) are along the left side.  This lets me focus on the middle of the screen, where most the action takes place.

Compare the UI of Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition to Icewind Dale II; the second game's interface just feels clunky, and Pillars of Eternity feels like its interface is there or strongly headed in that direction.

Just like World of Warcraft set the standard for MMORPG UI design, the Infinity Engine games (especially, in my opinion, Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition) just get this interface right.  With the enhanced editions of the Infinity Engine games allowing me to toggle the visibility of each interface panel (left and right) and the ability to just hide the interface on a whim, that simply seems like the best option for Pillars of Eternity.

Edited November 8, 2014 by Endarire

[Bester]

Just like World of Warcraft set the standard for MMORPG UI design

 

LoL.

[prodigydancer]

 

Just like World of Warcraft set the standard for MMORPG UI design

 

LoL.

You may not like the fact but that doesn't make it untrue. Before 2005 MMORPGs had very different (and IMO much less convenient) UIs.

[Bester]

 

 

Just like World of Warcraft set the standard for MMORPG UI design

 

LoL.

You may not like the fact but that doesn't make it untrue. Before 2005 MMORPGs had very different (and IMO much less convenient) UIs.

 

 

Lol again. Have you played mmos before wow? A little hint: Everquest 1, Lineage 2? Have you seen their UIs? Even NWN's UI featured all elements found in wow.

 

And frankly, wow's ui sucked for the inability of moving ui elements, something LA2 had out of the box. If it wasn't for addons, wow's ui would've rendered the game borderline unplayable in the end-game content.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Bester

[prodigydancer]

Have you played mmos before wow? A little hint: Everquest 1, Lineage 2? Have you seen their UIs? Even NWN's UI featured all elements found in wow.

 

And frankly, wow's ui sucked for the inability of moving ui elements, something LA2 had out of the box. If it wasn't for addons, wow's ui would've rendered the game borderline unplayable in the end-game content.

I wonder if you played MMOs before WoW. EQ1 had completely different UI. L2 and NWN were close but not quite there.

 

And yes addons helped a lot but vanilla WoW UI was a solid base to build upon.