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One Modal Button: solving one big BG UI problem

NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
in Archive (General Discussion)
BG(1/2) has a lot of different modal abilities which a character can attempt:
- Guard
- Turn Undead
- Stealth
- Detect Traps / Illusions
- Bard Song

These modal abilities share a couple of features:
- You can only do one of them at a time.
- Feedback about the ability is provided in the button itself (highlight around the ability, or greyed out for a Stealth cooldown).

My insight is as follows: since you can only do one of these at a time, you don't need multiple buttons. Let's just have one button for ALL modal abilities. You can switch which modal ability is available just like you switch between quick spells: right click (or long tap) to bring up a list of available modal abilities, pick one, done.

This will be hugely useful to the Cleric/Thief, but it will benefit everyone with more than one modal action, including every plain old Thief.


It also opens the door to allowing kits / effects which grant extra modal buttons, if the developers wish to grant that ability to modders. Like, a Necromancer who can Turn Undead, or a Paladin of Sune who can sing.

Comments

  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    I like the current UI just fine.
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    As it stands now, you'd only be implementing a necessity for 2 clicks (rather than 1) to activate a modal action. More clicking when you can have less goes against the tenets of good usability.

    However, that would be useful if the new version of the engine implemented the "weapon combo" functionality from IWD2. Then you'd need more space for weapons in the lower toolbar.

    I don't see that happening, though. Pity.
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    Kilivitz said:

    As it stands now, you'd only be implementing a necessity for 2 clicks (rather than 1) to activate a modal action. More clicking when you can have less goes against the tenets of good usability.

    I'm proposing one click to active and two clicks to swap which ability you activate.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited March 2013
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  • AHFAHF Member Posts: 1,376
    Nifft said:

    Kilivitz said:

    As it stands now, you'd only be implementing a necessity for 2 clicks (rather than 1) to activate a modal action. More clicking when you can have less goes against the tenets of good usability.

    I'm proposing one click to active and two clicks to swap which ability you activate.
    I love this for the C/T!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    @subtledoctor -- yeah, and best of all the modal uses seem to be "sticky clusters". That is to say, if you have reason to use the Detect Traps mode, you're very likely to need that exact mode again immediately after. Same for all the other modes: if you've got cause to Turn Undead, you're probably going to want to Turn Undead again before you want to Hide in Shadows.

    So the fact that the buttons exhibit modal hysteresis is actually a benefit, and will make people's lives better, even if they don't know what "hysteresis" means, and if "sticky clusters" just makes them hungry.
  • TJ_HookerTJ_Hooker Member Posts: 2,438
    edited March 2013
    That's a weird use of the term hysteresis, but I suppose it works.
    Post edited by TJ_Hooker on
  • MathmickMathmick Member Posts: 326
    This is the same as the IWD:HoW Bard song select, and I really liked that one. With this system, you can pick which one you use most (or select 2 different ones if there is enough room on your hotbar e.g. Thief).

    Basically, it's a solution for Cleric/Thief and adds to modder tools. Sounds nice.
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    IWD2 had a nicely customizable interface.

    I'm not proposing that BG(1/2) gain that full degree of customization, but it is a step in that direction!
  • Magnus_GrelichMagnus_Grelich Member Posts: 361
    Nope, however you put it, still sounds plain awkward to me.
  • AHFAHF Member Posts: 1,376
    Magnus_Grelich said:

    Nope, however you put it, still sounds plain awkward to me.

    Not sure what this adds when the alternative is incredibly awkward.

  • Magnus_GrelichMagnus_Grelich Member Posts: 361
    I mean, I have no problem with the way the things currently are. To change it would make things more complicated, in my view.
  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    I like the IW2 interface, where you can customize your quick action buttoms.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    DJKajuru said:

    I like the IW2 interface, where you can customize your quick action buttoms.

    Yeah, that interface would be awesome, but I'm willing to bet that the Beamdog guys don't have access to IWD2 code.
    subtledoctor said:

    I seriously think this is the single best feature request I've ever seen since these boards were created.

    Plus, @Nifft's eloquent verbiage in this thread has left me both hungry and hysterical. I salute you, sir.

    You are too kind.

    I'll make a thread over in Feature Requests.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,675
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  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    Nifft said:

    I'll make a thread over in Feature Requests.

    ... and here it is:
    http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/17364/ui-tweaking-please-consolidate-modal-buttons
  • AHFAHF Member Posts: 1,376
    subtledoctor said:

    Have you ever played a cleric/thief? It's CRAZY annoying, not to mention RSI-inducing.

    Plus, @Nifft's eloquent verbiage in this thread has left me both hungry and hysterical. I salute you, sir.

    I can't agree with this enough. I won't play a PC C/T for this reason but I would if I could change the modal button to thief action.
  • Magnus_GrelichMagnus_Grelich Member Posts: 361
    @subtledoctor: Apparently not so subtle, since I saw your slight for what it was. There was no need to be snide.
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