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If it Aint Broke Don't Fix it. (2.0 Char Sheets)

Baldurs_Gate_ForeverBaldurs_Gate_Forever Member Posts: 5
in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
Title says it all. The new character sheets are a disjointed mess. It's no longer possible to get an at a glance look at your characters. This boggles the mind, as in the last build the character sheets were just about perfect. I honestly find it easier now to go to the inventory screen to get the info I'm usually looking for. I wont even start on that tiny little box you put in for active character effects other than to say it's horrendously designed.

Not only that, but now one must dig through more screens with more clicks and more tedium to get LESS information. Yep, that's right, less info. Weapon style bonuses (at least for 2 handed) are no longer displayed any ware. I may have missed it, but believe me when I say I looked real hard before coming here to post. The only useful info I have found to be added is now your mages can see what the max spell level they can comprehend is and the max number of spells per spell level they may have in their spell books. I still have the original manuals that came with the original games, but I can see some people getting at least some use out of this info.

If you were going to spend time and resources overhauling the character sheets instead of using that time and those resources adding something that actually enhances the experience then why not add information that actually matters? Best idea I have is effects of reputation on your party. As I already stated, I have the original manuals and this is by far the info I go to the books for most often. It's very useful information and totally worth adding to the character sheet, at least for the protagonist.

I know somebody put time and effort into this and the nice guy in me feels bad tearing it down, but I want this game to be the best it can possibly be. I sure wouldn't spend my valuable free time giving this type of feedback if I didn't.

Thanks for listening, and keep up the (for the most part) good work.

Comments

  • Baldurs_Gate_ForeverBaldurs_Gate_Forever Member Posts: 5
    I posted this in the wrong forum. My apologies.
  • AmmarAmmar Member Posts: 1,297
    I agree that the new UI is not really a step forward, at best it is a step sidewise. The big exception to that is the ability to switch from 1h+shield/offhand to bow quickly.

    However, I think most of the work and time spent was not on the new UI but on making the UI moddable in the first place. I expect that there will be quite exciting things to come from modders in the future. Thus, the effort spent will not be wasted in the long run.
  • GreenWarlockGreenWarlock Member Posts: 1,354
    Also, one of the neat things about making the UI simpler for modding, means that those same tools are available to BeamDog themselves. We know that this is not the intended final form of the UI, but a work-in-progress that is responding, among other inputs, to user feedback.

    Modders are not the answer to a game that does not satisfy, but making things moddable is generally a good thing for all concerned, as long as the updates continue to flow ;)
  • fkirenicusfkirenicus Member Posts: 331
    edited April 2016
    Baldurs_Gate_Forever said:



    I know somebody put time and effort into this and the nice guy in me feels bad tearing it down, but I want this game to be the best it can possibly be. I sure wouldn't spend my valuable free time giving this type of feedback if I didn't.

    Haven't you heard? Criticism is NOT allowed according to some prominent members of the forums. You're simply an angry white-supremacist-misogynist-hater who just whines and should keep your mouth shut.

    (Sorry, I just had to... One day sarcasm will kill me, I know...)
    Post edited by fkirenicus on
  • fkirenicusfkirenicus Member Posts: 331
    edited April 2016
    Ammar said:



    If it will be, it will be because of it's quality. Good sarcasm is hard to come by, and I value people for it. You just whine and claim it's sarcasm, in the hope that it will made you sound smart. Hint: it does not.

    Thanks for proving my point. Though I was referring to more prominent members of the "Society for Correct Opinions" than you. Perhaps one in particular, who actually refuses to believe that people have problems, implicitly calls them liars and claims that they are simply trying to "sink Beamdog"(!).
    Post edited by fkirenicus on
  • ArchaosArchaos Member Posts: 1,421
    The UI needs some prioritization and adjustments like I said in a previous thread but other than that, it's fine.

    @mf2112

    The first picture of a custom UI is very good. The most important information is clearly visible with spaces between them to make it easier to focus, instead of being a wall of text.

    Other than that, I have no issue with the general update of the UI (journal, map, etc).
  • AmmarAmmar Member Posts: 1,297
    fkirenicus said:

    Ammar said:



    If it will be, it will be because of it's quality. Good sarcasm is hard to come by, and I value people for it. You just whine and claim it's sarcasm, in the hope that it will made you sound smart. Hint: it does not.

    Thanks for proving my point.
    Since I agree with the criticism in this topic and at other places, it just shows that at this point you have trouble perceiving reality. Try to take a break and come back in two weeks or so.
  • Baldurs_Gate_ForeverBaldurs_Gate_Forever Member Posts: 5
    I hadn't considered the new character sheets were done as a part of the effort to make the game more mod friendly, and that makes perfect sense. If that is indeed the case (not saying it isn't), then I retract my OP. But to say the character sheets in the previous build were broken is nonsense. I liked them a lot, and thought they were a huge upgrade from the original game.
  • AmmarAmmar Member Posts: 1,297
    Baldurs_Gate_Forever said:

    I hadn't considered the new character sheets were done as a part of the effort to make the game more mod friendly, and that makes perfect sense. If that is indeed the case (not saying it isn't), then I retract my OP. But to say the character sheets in the previous build were broken is nonsense. I liked them a lot, and thought they were a huge upgrade from the original game.

    I mostly think the original games, the 1.3 version, the paper version in 2.0 beta and the current 2.0 beta were all about equally usable. The only thing that has really become worse in my opinion is the new spellbook.
  • mf2112mf2112 Member, Moderator Posts: 1,919
    Baldurs_Gate_Forever said:

    I hadn't considered the new character sheets were done as a part of the effort to make the game more mod friendly, and that makes perfect sense. If that is indeed the case (not saying it isn't), then I retract my OP. But to say the character sheets in the previous build were broken is nonsense. I liked them a lot, and thought they were a huge upgrade from the original game.

    It definitely is the case that BeamDog's intent was to dramatically increase the moddability of the user interface. And not just by devs or mod specialists. They are still working through it, but for now if you have BG2 with 2.0 then try hitting the F11 key on basically any screen on the game and see the yellow outlines around objects you can modify. Dee's post in the UI forum goes through the basics.
  • prem0nitionprem0nition Member Posts: 65
    subtledoctor said:

    Dude the old record screen WAS broken. A million miles scrolling down through a narrow window full of confusing information...

    SO much "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" attitude on these boards lately...

    Actually, I think the metaphor you're looking for is "rose tinted glasses" :tongue: or if you want to go with your one "The grass was greener in my old field!"

    Personally, I'm glad of the work Beamdog have done on the UI. It's not perfect, but they've already said that its WIP. I can't wait to see what the polished version looks like, and what modders can come up with.
  • RodyRody Member Posts: 22
    mf2112 said:

    Maybe you aren't aware, but nearly everything in the UI is now customizable. Dee even made a new UI Modding subforum.

    I am loving Pecca's widescreen mod, if your screen width is more than 1500 pixels then you can get a LOT more information there than the old character sheets.




    This UI looks really nice.

    Kudos for the work done (Beamdog and the modder).
  • mf2112mf2112 Member, Moderator Posts: 1,919
    Ammar said:

    Baldurs_Gate_Forever said:

    I hadn't considered the new character sheets were done as a part of the effort to make the game more mod friendly, and that makes perfect sense. If that is indeed the case (not saying it isn't), then I retract my OP. But to say the character sheets in the previous build were broken is nonsense. I liked them a lot, and thought they were a huge upgrade from the original game.

    I mostly think the original games, the 1.3 version, the paper version in 2.0 beta and the current 2.0 beta were all about equally usable. The only thing that has really become worse in my opinion is the new spellbook.
    You might also like Pecca's widescreen mod as it does something very nice to the spellbook. :)


  • AmmarAmmar Member Posts: 1,297
    mf2112 said:


    You might also like Pecca's widescreen mod as it does something very nice to the spellbook. :)



    I was planning on using that for my second playthrough, but I am waiting for the next patch, so that I can mod the game without Steam killing my mods halfway through.

    Do I still need to doubleclick to memorize spells?


  • Baldurs_Gate_ForeverBaldurs_Gate_Forever Member Posts: 5
    Appreciate the info guys, learned a lot here. Nice to know the game will ultimately be modable for techtards like myself.

    I agree that first screen shot mf2112 posted is awesome; exactly the type of character sheet I'm looking for in my game. Kudos to Pecca for some great work.
  • mf2112mf2112 Member, Moderator Posts: 1,919
    Ammar said:

    mf2112 said:


    You might also like Pecca's widescreen mod as it does something very nice to the spellbook. :)



    I was planning on using that for my second playthrough, but I am waiting for the next patch, so that I can mod the game without Steam killing my mods halfway through.

    Do I still need to doubleclick to memorize spells?


    Single clicking the spells is working for me. :)
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