The Interface

[Roja]

Hey,

 

We're going to be tweaking the interface a bit to make it more intuitive, easy to use.

No graphics will change, what will change ar things like "left click for this, right click for that" or what mouse cursor is under your mouse at a particular time and such.

 

So far, for the new update there will be mouse overs on all the icons at the bottom of thr screen and also the bars right above them. So that's a good step.

 

What I'd like to know is if any of you have any other ideas?

And, if you are a newbie, what things did you find particulary difficult and how do you think we can make it easier for you?

 

 

Please give us any input you may have, and write things intelligently!!!!

[Ice]

Well I don't know if this is a good place for this, but need to make spells easier, such as have 3 caster set quick spells, that can be changed between with out have to reselect signals. all use of harm spell and restore spell. just a thought that might make spells better.

[Aislinn]

I would really like to see the compass changed *hides*

I don't always face north, nor do I want to always face north, it just isn't practical. Nor do I always want my camera facing the way my char is facing, that just isn't practical either. And that is the only way to make the compass work the way it is now. I used that patch to change the way it turns by 180 degrees but that just marginally makes it better.

I would like to see it go back to how it used to be and work like a real compass would.

[freeone3000]

The manufacture quick patch. I like that one. Or was it refused?

[Starman_Omega]

Maybe you could roll over the clock and it gives the time

[goatsgomoo]

Maybe you could have 4 preset spells and use ctrl-# to use them, where # is a number from 7-0? And have it so that all you need to do to manufacture/summon something is select the item from a list that pops up when you open your manufacture window.

I would really like to see the compass changed *hides*

I don't always face north, nor do I want to always face north, it just isn't practical. Nor do I always want my camera facing the way my char is facing, that just isn't practical either. And that is the only way to make the compass work the way it is now. I used that patch to change the way it turns by 180 degrees but that just marginally makes it better.

I would like to see it go back to how it used to be and work like a real compass would.

That would make things quite a bit harder...

[freeone3000]

Maybe you could roll over the clock and it gives the time

Or how about just have the time displayed in a digital format in the HUD, which, conviently enough, has already been done?

[Ravenod]

I would like to see the storage interface get improved. Where something like...

 

You click the NPC and a window opens where you can click Withdrawl or Deposit.

You click one of those and the window displays 'button pictures'. I see it as square buttons that have the picture of each category on it.

 

You click the button, and the window displays all items in an inventory style. (the item picture and quantity). Then you click the quanity (have little blue boxes with numbers just like in inventory) then click the item you want and the window changes goes back to the original Withdrawl or Deposit.

...........

 

Also I think it would be a good idea to put a "Quit" button at the top right corner. Above or below...maybe even the EL logo itself.

...........

 

I also like the above idea of quick spells. Perhaps the magic window can be added on to the bottom. And have 3 spaces for spells that you can drag sigils down in to.

...........

 

A game command channel would be cool. Have a bot in that channel constantly telling about the #commands and how to use them. It can talk about how to chat in channels....just a bunch of factoids. The hints in the beginning apparently don't last long enough. Perhaps a new person would go to this channel at first, instead of channel 1. (of course the bot would tell frequently about #jc 1)

...........

The quest log needs to be fixed so it doesnt spill everything ever spoken into one long paragraph. Perhaps when you click the log button, you get a list of Quest titles that you can then click on to hear the NPC logs of that quest.

 

I'm done now

[scarr]

ok about the icon bar..make it like you wait 2 seconds and it says like [inventory]

and [menu] [ encylopiblablabladi]

[Aki]

You mean quick info for icons and bars? I was going to suggest it too, i have it in my client, not sure if it's in the official.

[Roja]

Actually I wasn't talking about those additions taht are planned (spell quickbar, storage, etc)... i meant for the way we actually do things now with the clicking to do stuff and oh well nevermind...i'll just think of something myself, too hard to explain

[SirKillAlot]

What Scarr is trying to say is make it easier to tell the 3 or 4 icons that are the same apart, I have to click a lot of those icons that have the almost same picture before I get the right one. Ency, Research, and those ones look almost exactly the same.

[Wytter]

What Scarr is trying to say is make it easier to tell the 3 or 4 icons that are the same apart, I have to click a lot of those icons that have the almost same picture before I get the right one. Ency, Research, and those ones look almost exactly the same.

Use the hotkeys

 

And well, in the next release you'll have on-mouse-over help text for the icons (of course you can disable the help text if that's what you want).

[freeone3000]

How? I have that patch, but have never figured out how to turn it off.

[Aepox]

Maybe you could roll over the clock and it gives the time

Or how about just have the time displayed in a digital format in the HUD, which, conviently enough, has already been done?

Yeah...digital makes the spirit of MMORPG so much more roleplayish?

Digital clock is just gay....

[xavier1]

Roja I’m not sure it this is what you meant either but maybe a #<command> such as #one_click that you only need to right click on something once to use it.

 

Also something that I was throwing around in my head was something like a auto walk, but that would be controlled with your mouse. For example you have a hot key that turns a auto walk on, and then you would follow the direction that you point the mouse and would be disengaged by left clicking. I'm just thinking for when P2P comes out and I want to walk around and explore the new maps.

 

Is this the kinda stuff that you were looking for?

[Aislinn]

I would really like to see the compass changed *hides*

I don't always face north, nor do I want to always face north, it just isn't practical. Nor do I always want my camera facing the way my char is facing, that just isn't practical either. And that is the only way to make the compass work the way it is now. I used that patch to change the way it turns by 180 degrees but that just marginally makes it better.

I would like to see it go back to how it used to be and work like a real compass would.

That would make things quite a bit harder...

No, not at all, I liked the old compass, this one is pretty but rather useless...

[Roja]

Roja I’m not sure it this is what you meant either but maybe a #<command> such as #one_click that you only need to right click on something once to use it.

 

Also something that I was throwing around in my head was something like a auto walk, but that would be controlled with your mouse. For example you have a hot key that turns a auto walk on, and then you would follow the direction that you point the mouse and would be disengaged by left clicking. I'm just thinking for when P2P comes out and I want to walk around and explore the new maps.

 

Is this the kinda stuff that you were looking for?

yes, that's the kinda stuff

[Drobus]

Perhaps a larger, more easily visible clickable area to travel between maps. Boats are fine, I'm talking about those tiny signs you have to click on when going 'by land'. Those signs are almost impossible to see on some maps at night in the game. Either make the signs glow or something so we can see them, or make a larger signs to click on on to change area.

[SirKillAlot]

turn the brightness on your monitor up, turn off clouds those signs are hard for me atm because i can't figure out how to turn the brightness on my monitor up <_<

[Earl]

What is good about the interface is the way you click the icon once to bring up the box you want, and click the symbol again to make it dissapear. The two exceptions to this is the Pk fist icon which I'm always clicking by accident and the finger use icon.

 

The pk button is not too important but when I get that error message when I use it on someone without realising it it feels like some kind of etiquette breach.

 

The finger icon I find a nuisance, maybe it should stick around when I'm clicking on barrels and such in case I find a really secret area. It does stay as my cursor when I use something, usually I double right click but if I forget, I drink the potion I'm trying to move. The finger icon is also used in remote magic, it would be handy to have the finger icon auto selected on successful casting of a remote spell. Currently you must reselect the icon when you miss the target. As this point interacts with the first finger icon point perhaps an unsuccessful use of the finger should give a move command but not replace the use cursor with the walk one.

 

I'm using the client from the main site and am going by the interface I know.

[Brian_Huting]

how about bigger view then now? it's hard to see some things than normal.

[Aerowind]

I like the glowing signs type of thing... It makes it a little less realistic like it should be because it's a game.

[Brian_Huting]

I like the glowing signs type of thing... It makes it a little less realistic like it should be because it's a game.

well it needs to be also a bit realistic

 

It maybe a game but it doesn't have to be a really fantasy game.

[Roja]

Thankyou Earl, that use icon is what I was finding to be an annoyance as well. I think you brought up the major points with it there.

 

There will be an addition function coming up soon: Use item on an item on a map. So, for instance, you will be able to take some key from your inventory and use that specific key on a door. So I was thinking of a way to make this work the best with the inventory and all the other commands there. I got this idea from an old game I used to play:

 

At the bottom of the inventory window have these small icons:

eye, drop, use, hold

 

You click one of those icons, it gets highlighted, then you left click on the object to do that action.

If you right click at anytime the mouse cursor will scroll through these 4 icons/actions.

Perhaps these actions will only be effective on the inventory window(meaning that if the inv. window is open, and you click outside the window, the global action will happen and not the inventory action((like if you're in walk mode you'd walk, even though you have the eye cursor active in the inv. window))

 

 

Please tell me what you think of this idea guys!