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Suggestions for the new UI

TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
edited June 2012 in Archive (Feature Requests)
I know that the UI is being improved upon so its possible that this topic will end up being pointless. But I'll leave some suggestions here for the new UI system.

Some of this stuff was originally posted by other users on reddit.

1. Allow us to customize our quickbar.

Currently, the only quickbar customization that we're allowed is for weapons (2 to 4 depending on class), 3 item slots and 2-3 spell slots (depending on class, for example a Thief/Mage doesn't have any slot available for spells). Considering that monitors are a lot wider these days there's a lot of unused real estate on the quickbar.

A great improvement to the UI would be to allow us to freely customize the quickbar with whatever we want (similar to Icewind Dale 2). In addition, it would be great if you could allow us to have more quickslots.
Post edited by Tanthalas on
KerozevokConphantusBhryaenlansounetAndreaColombocarugalooterEvinfuiltmeagloth

Comments

  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    5. Improve the level up information.

    This suggestion might not fit very well with the rest of the UI suggestions, but I think it would be useful if when a character levels up, the level up information screen also include any new special abilities gained. For instance, when a Ranger would level up, the level up info would also include "Additional Animal Friendship use gained" or some such.
    CorianderAndreaColombotenameagloth
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    I'm sure there are other UI improvements that people would suggest. I know there was some problem with moving stuff/selling things from bags of holding/gem bags/ammo bags/potions bags that I can't recall. Using stores needs to be improved too. Do you guys prefer if we make new topics for suggestions or try to keep them in general topics like this one?

    And is there some kind of character limit for posts? This was originally one single big post but I was only able to post it after breaking it down to smaller pieces.
    meagloth
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    6. Improve information about status effects.

    Currently when your character is afflicted with a status ailment you only get an icon over the character's portrait and if you go to the Record menu you get a name for the status ailment.

    I know this is something that comes up in the manual, but it would be helpful if you could find out what a status effect is actually doing to your character in the game.

    I don't know if there's a simple solution to this. You could perhaps add more info about the status effect on the Record menu in addition to its name, but I'm not sure if this wouldn't be too cumbersome. Perhaps hovering over the status effect icon with the cursor in this menu could show a little box with info (the iPad version would require a different solution of course)? Another alternative would be having a Help menu in the game with this kind of info, though this might require a lot of work.

    This isn't something major, just a little suggestion.
    AndreaColombokurajbermeagloth
  • lansounetlansounet Member Posts: 1,182
    edited June 2012
    Just a comment about suggestion 3. : This is already half implemented in ToB engine, when you click cast spell icon you have the list of all your spells and on the left a button allows to switch between priest and mage spells.

    1. and 2. are much needed.
    AndreaColombo
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,524
    1. and 2. are much needed.
    Absolutely.

    I wouldn't mind #3 and #4, either.
    looter
  • carugacaruga Member Posts: 375
    edited July 2012
    I support these, generally (I skimmed some of them).

    I'd also like to add: tear-offs for the UI, so you can have sidebars like the original, or tear them off to make them 'hover' as windows like in Elder Scrolls games (and have (customizable) transparency on these windows). And it goes without saying you can put them in any side, just like you can with the windows taskbar.

    Also, where you get a 'string' of icons (grouped per character, let's say), you can dock it in different places: e.g. alongside the quickbar (shows only when the relevent character is selected) or around the portrait where it surrounds all four sides as per the amount of icons.

    Heck let me start again:
    1. Dockable windows that turn into sidebars or lock onto other windows.
    2. Resizable windows.
    3. Alpha transparency.
    4. Skinnability, with multiple skins (BG1, BG2) shipped.
    5. Dynamic updating of values using (internally) hooks, showing pre-change values (e.g. hovering eq over a slot and showing the difference hilighted in a separate stats window) and post-change. Have the font used for the hilighting be configurable.
    6. Configurable fonts (see above).
    7. (option) Automatically zoom in when dialog initiates.
    8. Some camera ideas
    9. Dockable 'icon strings' that can also wrap around associated windows (i.e. character portrait).
    10. To be continued...
    Post edited by caruga on
    Flauschiglooter
  • FlauschigFlauschig Member Posts: 84
    edited July 2012
    On the reddit discussion several suggestions were made to improve this:

    - Instead of just having one spell icon on the quickbar for all spells, create different quickbar spell icons for Arcane and Divine spells.

    - When the player clicks the spell icon (be it the Arcane or Divine icon) instead of going directly to your list of currently memorized spells, first bring up a menu where you select the spell level and then you get to your spells.

    - This suggestion is a slight improvement over the previous one. I think it would be even better if when you press the spell icon (Arcane or Divine) you go directly to your list of memorized spells, BUT, there is another line of icons above those where you choose the spell level (similar to how when you're looking at the Arcane and Divine spell menus you have the spell level short cuts there) and selecting the spell level would automatically scroll you to the first spell of that level. This would work well if the game also memorized the last spell you chose and automatically scrolled you to that spells position on the list.
    @Tanthalas how about sorting the high level spells first (nerds call: LIFO instead of current FIFO), as in advancing game you would want to choose more powerful spells.
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    @Flauschig

    I don't know, its true that at higher levels you have the tendency of using bigger spells, but stuff like Fireball is great at all levels and my preferred method to get rid of mirror image has always been Magic Missile.
  • FlauschigFlauschig Member Posts: 84
    @Tanthalas

    So go more in direction of showing first "x most used spells"? (x=>5)
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,524
    Speaking of spells and the new interface, I would like the option to display my memorized spells in ascending and/or descending order of duration, I think I mentioned this in another thread already (though I can't remember which one; caruga started it, if memory serves). It would be quite handy for pre-buffing purposes (no more jotting them down on paper before the battle).
    ElectricMonktena
  • Space_hamsterSpace_hamster Member Posts: 950
    Dude, it's the beauty of the ad &d system, you're supposed to read the hundred and fifty page manual and have the spells and effects memorized, indexed by spell school, categorized by race of caster. Getting the game to do everything would just take the fun out of it.
    looterMedillen
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,524
    @Space_hamster - do I spot a zinger in there? =P
    looter
  • LuneverLunever Member Posts: 307
    Sorting by duration would be great!
  • lansounetlansounet Member Posts: 1,182
    What's more fun is planning your memorized spell selection for your simulacrums to have the most useful spells :D
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