Is the black space that you can see an intended look of the end of the map?

JuliusBorisov

This is how the end of a map looks in the BGEE beta (the black space):





It wasn't like that pre-beta, but maybe it's a part of the new UI?

Dee

It is indeed. It allows for a number of things to work more intuitively, and also allows some edge-of-the-map signs to display fully without being cut off at the side of the screen.

Durenas

Yes and I really appreciate that addition!

Ithual

I'm sorry but I hate, hate, hate it so much. I thought it was a bug!! It detracts from the game. The areas become less real and feel like a tile-set.

You can't believe that this is ok?

Ithual

Entering a new area and seeing only half a screen destroys the beauty of the created world!!

Thels

We all know the world is cut up in maps, and each map has an edge. Making the edge of the map so clearly defined, however, looks really artificial and really breaks the immersion. Please make this optional!

Ithual

I'm sorry. I am really upset to find out that this is not a bug. As @Thels points out, this seriously detracts from the immersion of the game and simply should not make it into the final release.

Please change this back. I have always been happy with Beamdog's additions up till v2.0

@Dee Maybe you could move those edge-of-the-map signs so that they are not obstructed, or reduce the border in size (possibly to just an inch, no more) instead of half screen!!

Dee

Make a Feature ticket in Redmine and I'll make sure it gets a look.

Ithual

Thanks @Dee, I'll do that now

Thels

It's odd that 2.0 is pushing more and more aesthetic changes to the game that make the game look actually different than before, and then label it a "feature" to have the old ways.

I can understand some parts, such as the UI elements, which were really outdated, originally designed for a fixed resolution, though the red selections really irk me, and would look a lot better as buttons, or at least have something matching the theme more closer.

But other parts like these and the "default on" black outlines start to make me wonder.

Honestly, the blue highlight outlines seem useful, but from what I understood, you can only have that functionality if the black outlines are on, so it doesn't seem like I'll get to enjoy them.

Dee

The Feature designation just means you want to see something changed that isn't a bug.

Madrict

Yeah I must admit I really don't like the look of it. It ruins the beautiful maps having a gaping black edge....

SirBatince

I find it pointless and sort of anti-immersive, not to mention not-quite-beautiful. I was certain it was a bug.

Natreg

I complained on the first survey about this. It makes the game look really bad, specially on the top of the maps where you can see buildings being cut off. I also thought this was an unintended bug.

If this is needed for the markers to show up well, why not only add this when zooming out instead of also during gameplay.

Abel

There's a problem in the current version where you're not able to travel between areas if the quick loot bar is active. Apparently, this feature solves that problem so I welcome it.

Thels

@Abel: I thought it was something like that, and I guess that problem only applies if the Quick Loot bar is wide enough to fill the screen from left to right, which most certainly doesn't apply to everyone.

This feels like a really cheap fix for that, though. Making it optional so those that have problems with the Quick Loot bar would help out a lot, though even in those situations, they should be able to do it so that it only works on the bottom of the map, and only up to the quickbar, similar to how it only works up to the bottom UI bar as well.

Ithual

Abel said:

There's a problem in the current version where you're not able to travel between areas if the quick loot bar is active. Apparently, this feature solves that problem so I welcome it.

Personally, I would prefer just to minimize the quick loot bar, transition area and then open the quickloot bar again. Infact, I have been doing this since quickloot bar implementation and have not had any concerns. It's easy and in my mind was never a problem or bug. I usually just open the bar when I want to pick stuff up anyhow, I don't usually have it open permanently.

I think it is the lesser of two evils.

Big black borders, or having to close the quickloot bar on area transition. I know what I'd pick

Ithual

Alternately, if the quickloot bar is the problem. Just add an inch thick black border to the base of each screen and only if needed the extreme left and right so portraits and such don't get in the way. We need no border at top of screen and certainly the ones that are warrented only need to be minimal (a couple centremeters)

swit

Ithual said:

@Dee Maybe you could move those edge-of-the-map signs so that they are not obstructed, or reduce the border in size (possibly to just an inch, no more) instead of half screen!!

This way the game will still looks like maps are floating in a void, which looks awful. Similarly as others I was sure this was a bug when I've first seen it.

Abel said:

There's a problem in the current version where you're not able to travel between areas if the quick loot bar is active. Apparently, this feature solves that problem so I welcome it.

To be honest if I had to choose I would prefer quick loot bar removal (even though I'm using it a lot and think it's a great feature) rather than having to experience boarders around the maps. Thats how distracting and immersion breaking the new implementation is to me.

Arunsun

Most certainly a good idea to add enough space to display icons , but it surely takes more room than necessary at the moment. Is that what's to be the released? Or will it be tweaked again?

Franpa

Edit: I made a cleaner easier to understand version of this post here: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/735093/#Comment_735093

They already have dynamic adjustment of how far you can scroll in to the void, they just need to implement finer grained control over it (1 pixel increment/decrements when adjusting dialog box height, with additional fixed amount of distance if Quick Loot Bar is enabled/disabled). Oh and adjust how far out of bounds you can scroll sidewards if the sidebars are collapsed or expanded and don't allow scrolling upwards out of bounds.

Basically they've already accomplished all of this in Ice Wind Dale, the dialog window height controls how far you can scroll in to the void at the bottom of the screen and the state of the side bars (collapsed or expanded) determines how far you can scroll sidewards. Just add support for the Quick Loot Bar to affect how far downwards you can scroll in to the void and bam, no more issue of it blocking you from progressing south!

Example of their current Ice Wind Dale v1.4.0 implementation: https://youtu.be/ixNtfAC197w

Basically just implement Ice Wind Dale's system with the height flexibility of the Baldur's Gate system and take the Quick Loot Bar height in to account while you're at it.

Ithual

Thanks @Franpa this seems like the way forward. I remain hopeful that Beamdog will implement this by the next update.

Adul

I actually prefer the new behavior, I like the free camera movement around the edges of areas. That said, I'm also all for providing options to players. A graphics option named "confine viewport within area bounds" or something along those lines is the way to go.

Garm

I noticed this during the Gamespot gameplay video and I thought it was some graphical glitch/bug that unfortunately was captured during the demo with them.

When I clicked this thread I was expecting this to be a discussion on said glitch. I'm very surprised to see this is an intended feature...

Ithual

Just booted up Icewind and noticed the black borders there. As @Franpa mentions in his/her earlier post, this works really well. I had been playing Icewind multiple times and hadn't even noticed them!!

Hopefully Beamdog can implement this in the BG series.

swit

Ithual said:

Just booted up Icewind and noticed the black borders there. As @Franpa mentions in his/her earlier post, this works really well. I had been playing Icewind multiple times and hadn't even noticed them!!

Hopefully Beamdog can implement this in the BG series.

agreed, never noticed them in IWD:EE, so it's a brilliant implementation to me.

killerrabbit

I hope this becomes an option that can be toggled on or off.

It breaks immersion for me.  Especially when the eagle gets stuck in that black space.

There are some good things about this patch but I would traded all of them for more content or an earlier release date.

luskan

I would love to see the backgrounds continue (perhaps even to what the adjacent map looks like) but make it opaque so you can still tell it's the end of this map.

Franpa

Ithual said:

Just booted up Icewind and noticed the black borders there. As @Franpa mentions in his/her earlier post, this works really well. I had been playing Icewind multiple times and hadn't even noticed them!!

Hopefully Beamdog can implement this in the BG series.

In IWD:EE only the bottom edge shows a black outline (Unless the area you're in is super small) so that the bottom HUD elements can't obscure your view/prevent you from clicking the bottom edge of the area. If they extended the bottom command bar all the way across it would mask the black space and you'd have none visible on any edge of the area but this would probably make the gameplay field feel cramped.

cmk24

Franpa said:

If they extended the bottom command bar all the way across it would mask the black space and you'd have none visible on any edge of the area but this would probably make the gameplay field feel cramped.

You just described the original EE v1.0 UI, the bottom bar used to extend across the entire screen.