I think the green shade was alright, even if the shade could be altered to something a little less... "toxic" as people are calling it.
I'm not in favor of small icons, as pretty as they look, simply because it's not consistent with the other methods of flagging, which are perfectly okay. Grayscale for items you can't afford, red for items you can't use, blue for items that are unidentified.
A lack of consistency makes for an overall uglier game. Putting together all of your favorite clothes at once will probably not make a good outfit, if you get my meaning.
I was actually a little disappointed that the feature's been removed for now. With all due respect to anyone who didn't want this in the game, this is one of the few occasions when I wish the devs would just trust their initial instincts and focus on other issues. IMHO this was a really cool improvement, and all that needed to be worked out is the greyed-out Write Spell button bug.
I was actually a little disappointed that the feature's been removed for now. With all due respect to anyone who didn't want this in the game, this is one of the few occasions when I wish the devs would just trust their initial instincts and focus on other issues. IMHO this was a really cool improvement, and all that needed to be worked out is the greyed-out Write Spell button bug.
And I'm all for that too! (And for the grey-out, I used the ini tweak!)
I agree that it would look better if the background was colored instead of looking like you put a piece of colored cellophane over it. The example @Infiltrator gave might work for people with red-green color blindness even though it is green due to the different way it highlights, which is one of the big issues I've had with this given how prevalent a condition it is.
I think the green shade was alright, even if the shade could be altered to something a little less... "toxic" as people are calling it.
I'm not in favor of small icons, as pretty as they look, simply because it's not consistent with the other methods of flagging, which are perfectly okay. Grayscale for items you can't afford, red for items you can't use, blue for items that are unidentified.
A lack of consistency makes for an overall uglier game. Putting together all of your favorite clothes at once will probably not make a good outfit, if you get my meaning.
I was actually a little disappointed that the feature's been removed for now. With all due respect to anyone who didn't want this in the game, this is one of the few occasions when I wish the devs would just trust their initial instincts and focus on other issues. IMHO this was a really cool improvement, and all that needed to be worked out is the greyed-out Write Spell button bug.
A little golden checkmark would fit well with the small golden quantity index. Theres consitency for ye
The golden checkmark looks ten times better than any of the poll options. I wish there was an option to vote 'none', but there wasn't.
Not only does it look better - it reads more easily too.
An overlay is easy to spot but it requires thinking "Okay its green, but does this mean I know it or was it the other way around? Lets see, Fireball... Yeah I know I already scribed that one, which means that the overlay means it is already known" This reflection turns the overlay pretty useless.
A checkmark on the other hand is easy to understand: "Its been checked, this means Im done with it"
An overlay is easy to spot but it requires thinking "Okay its green, but does this mean I know it or was it the other way around? Lets see, Fireball... Yeah I know I already scribed that one, which means that the overlay means it is already known" This reflection turns the overlay pretty useless.
I would only agree with you if the devs decide that the overlay means you currently know it. If they don't, I don't see how this is different from any other overlay. You certainly don't pick up an item and say, "Okay, it's blue, but does this mean I know what it is already or was it the other way around? Let's see... yep, I can still identify it, which means I don't already know what this is."
As long as the overlay means you do NOT know it, it is the same as all of the others. Blue means you do NOT know what is, red means you are NOT able to use it, so why wouldn't green mean you do NOT have it memorized?
I still go with my original thought. Overlay for mages so you can see you do NOT have it memorized, small golden checkmark for sorcerers since you can't memorize anything anyway.
I like the idea of not layer, just background/border color change. So unusable items would have a red background, not a red layer (I believe IWD works that way, if i'm not mistaken).
About learning spells from scrolls:
Color: YELLOW. This often means "attention". Meaning: spells ALREADY learned are marked as yellow. That way, I'll think twice before buying a yellow'd scroll, which works intuitively for both sorcerer and mages at shopping. Mages also doesn't have to try learning if they are marked that way.
I can even see that yellow mark around defensive magical items, indicating they cannot be currently equipped because another magical item forbids it. (But I ain't sure if that is feasible)
Color: YELLOW. This often means "attention". Meaning: spells ALREADY learned are marked as yellow. That way, I'll think twice before buying a yellow'd scroll, which works intuitively for both sorcerer and mages at shopping. Mages also doesn't have to try learning if they are marked that way.
I can even see that yellow mark around defensive magical items, indicating they cannot be currently equipped because another magical item forbids it. (But I ain't sure if that is feasible)
A very good point *and* a great suggestion to follow.
Readings indicate 9.637% on the RageGauge™, sir! All systems remain nominal, though there may be elevated activity amongst vocal minorities.
But seriously, even though the icon backgrounds have been the same for the past 14 or 15 years, it's probably a change we'll have to get used to if we want the convenience of having unscribed spells highlighted.
Those look pretty good. I still have concerns for those with red-green color blindness, but until we can get input from someone with that issue I'm sure it will work. Certainly better than not having the filter at all.
We have consensus here! (I hope so anyway!) So, usual grey when cannot buy/sell, usual red when you can't use it, usual blue when not identified, *xcolor* when it CAN be written (but not written yet), and without a color background if it's anything else... So, wizard have *xcolor* spells for unread, sorcerer's (and all other spell casters without the need to write their spells in books/already in books), have all their spells without a background color already! And all the spells they can use are the same as they were before!
I love it, I want it, gimme, gimme, gimme! And, if not too much trouble/possible, make it as an optional component for those without such needs!
Alright, I have something working with the INI for making it optional. Unfortunately we're running out of room in in-game menus, so will that be sufficient for most?
Yes YeS and YES!!! And don't forget little yes too! For the good of all, you guys should create a text file or pdf file exactly for that purpose: tweaks and tricks that can be done (with the ini for example). There's a place for it in the forum, yes, but not everyone visits those forums so to make it more accessible, just document it a little! (And you could put a link to the forums too!)
As a graphic designer, I think one of the main drawbacks of these mock-ups is that they paint the entire thing with with a stale, washed out look.
It's my opinion that the "known" spell effect should not interfere with the original icon of the spell, but rather very lightly alter the border around it.
Here's my 2 minute mock-up, with the changes I like made on the right.
Very good idea. It would be nice to see some variations so that they could be checked by people with different vision problems. My main worry was that some spells with fine white icons, for example glitterdust, would be very difficult to identify under the original schemes.
AHHHHHH!!! Finally!!! The file I was looking for! Thank you! (P.S. Huh... the only problem is... I cannot edit the file with either NearInfinity or DTLCEP)
@Vortaka - I've heard about a program called BamWorkshop or something similar. I used our actual build process to make the image so I can't say whether that's the best program or even if it works for this.
Also, STORTIN3.BAM won't exist just yet but STORTINT.BAM is the red and STORTIN2.BAM is the blue overlays.
@SethDavis: Well, I tried them all! NearInfinity, DTLCEP and bamworkshop and none seems to work... NearInfinity gives me a read error (STORTINT and STORTIN2) and bam workshop (after loading the bam) doesn't show me a thing...
I'd prefer it to be an in-game option as well as an .ini tweak, like you did with the UI scaling. I foresee a great many people asking how to get rid of it when the question's already been answered hundreds of times.
@Thunder - If I don't get shot for it there should be something in the pipe to allow them to go up to at least 512x512. 1024x1024 didn't show up but that'd be silly anyway
@Aranthys: As Dee pointed out, it's not in this 1.2 release... It was in one of the beta's and I dearly miss it (even though we can play without it, of course, but I still want it!
Comments
I'm not in favor of small icons, as pretty as they look, simply because it's not consistent with the other methods of flagging, which are perfectly okay. Grayscale for items you can't afford, red for items you can't use, blue for items that are unidentified.
A lack of consistency makes for an overall uglier game. Putting together all of your favorite clothes at once will probably not make a good outfit, if you get my meaning.
I was actually a little disappointed that the feature's been removed for now. With all due respect to anyone who didn't want this in the game, this is one of the few occasions when I wish the devs would just trust their initial instincts and focus on other issues. IMHO this was a really cool improvement, and all that needed to be worked out is the greyed-out Write Spell button bug.
A little golden checkmark would fit well with the small golden quantity index. Theres consitency for ye
An overlay is easy to spot but it requires thinking "Okay its green, but does this mean I know it or was it the other way around? Lets see, Fireball... Yeah I know I already scribed that one, which means that the overlay means it is already known"
This reflection turns the overlay pretty useless.
A checkmark on the other hand is easy to understand: "Its been checked, this means Im done with it"
As long as the overlay means you do NOT know it, it is the same as all of the others. Blue means you do NOT know what is, red means you are NOT able to use it, so why wouldn't green mean you do NOT have it memorized?
I still go with my original thought. Overlay for mages so you can see you do NOT have it memorized, small golden checkmark for sorcerers since you can't memorize anything anyway.
I like the idea of not layer, just background/border color change. So unusable items would have a red background, not a red layer (I believe IWD works that way, if i'm not mistaken).
About learning spells from scrolls:
Color: YELLOW. This often means "attention".
Meaning: spells ALREADY learned are marked as yellow. That way, I'll think twice before buying a yellow'd scroll, which works intuitively for both sorcerer and mages at shopping. Mages also doesn't have to try learning if they are marked that way.
I can even see that yellow mark around defensive magical items, indicating they cannot be currently equipped because another magical item forbids it. (But I ain't sure if that is feasible)
Howdy all. How much rage does this induce in you?
But seriously, even though the icon backgrounds have been the same for the past 14 or 15 years, it's probably a change we'll have to get used to if we want the convenience of having unscribed spells highlighted.
So, usual grey when cannot buy/sell, usual red when you can't use it, usual blue when not identified, *xcolor* when it CAN be written (but not written yet), and without a color background if it's anything else...
So, wizard have *xcolor* spells for unread, sorcerer's (and all other spell casters without the need to write their spells in books/already in books), have all their spells without a background color already! And all the spells they can use are the same as they were before!
I love it, I want it, gimme, gimme, gimme!
And, if not too much trouble/possible, make it as an optional component for those without such needs!
And YES again!
P.S. Oh, hey, a big THANKS!
the file is a bit low res though so getting a good looking checkmark might not be easy
(P.S. Huh... the only problem is... I cannot edit the file with either NearInfinity or DTLCEP)
Also, STORTIN3.BAM won't exist just yet but STORTINT.BAM is the red and STORTIN2.BAM is the blue overlays.
Anyway, just release it and I'll be happy!
I would put it under Options -> Graphics.