Heavenfall Heavenfall

[0.952] UI issues, moving towards Beta 5

▼

[0.952] UI issues, moving towards Beta 5

from Elemental Forums

The following are UI issues that I personally consider critical to makin FE a great game. All can be improved. None change gameplay mechanics.

 

 

Tactical combat

- When we hovered over units in tactical battle in Beta 3, we got a small tooltip with the enemy's hitpoints, enchantments and combat-relevant traits. In beta 4 you basically deleted that tooltip but it was far superior to what we have now!!! Now all we get is tiny icons that cover each other in the bottom right corner. Instead, we should be getting a detailed list of combat-relevant traits and enchantments like we used to in Beta 3! Hover over units in the left action-sequence list and you see what I mean. This http://i.snag.gy/DQJyi.jpg  is better than this http://i.snag.gy/4sUfI.jpg 

 

Strategic map

- When we loot items, the popup shows us what the new item is. It gives us the option of equipping, trading it or doing nothing ("ok"). When we hover over the item to see what it is, show us what we have equipped next to it! That's basic RPG ui.

- Quests show item Rewards, but we should be able to hover over them to show what they do - like when we find items in goodiehuts. If it's a spell - show us the spell description! Help us make an informed decision about doing the quest.

- Better hero levelup screen when you hover over spelltraits, specifically for spells with multiple prerequisites https://forums.elementalgame.com/430464 

- Cities should show if they have had trophies assigned to them. See https://forums.elementalgame.com/430170 


- When hovering over Encumbrance in the Unit Design window, show us the same tooltip that you do when we hover over Encumbrance in the hero Equipment screen. In fact you may want to take the whole bar and copy it to the Unit Design window.

- SORT THE DAMN TRAITS FOR HEROES. Bloodline goes first, then spelltraits, then paths, then other earned traits, and lastly injuries. DO NOT MIX THEM UP like you do now. It is annoying as fuck to go through. This should apply to Unit Details AS WELL as the hero level-up screen AS WELL as the mini-bar showing traits in lower left corner when selecting a unit on strategic map.

- Change this http://i.snag.gy/xOR6E.jpg to this http://i.snag.gy/nySnq.jpg . I love that you show the City Enchantment icons in that little overlay thingy, but the icons are way too hard to look at right now. Circle them in so we know what is what.

 

Edited in

Another thing, the hiergamenon should probably be updated to follow the new improvement changes. For example the Grocer doesn't really show what comes before and after that particular building, nor does it show it needs a town. That makes using the Improvements section in the Hiergamenon pretty much useless.

 

 

 

 

Implemented

- When casting a spell in tactical combat, there is spell mastery and spell resist just as there is accuracy and dodge for physical attacks. When we attack with ranged/melee attacks, you show us the chance of those attacks hitting. When we select a spell and hover over an enemy, show us the odds of a certain spell hitting that target please. (0.982)

- Essence is meant to be a flexible resource. Let us cancel city enchantments from the City UI! A button with a red X in front of every enchantment please. I don't want to go all the way to the mana upkeep window just to cancel when I am looking right at it in the City Details UI. (0.981)

- Fix the ledger of cities! It could be such a great tool. Skip the useless information (construction bonus and defender defense bonus) and give us what we want to know instead - Unrest and Production! (0.981)

- Keeping track of world resources to upgrade is frankly a pain in the ass. Needs something to help us! The "build" menu in cities has so much room left on the screen outside the small left menu, do something there. Show us connected world resources that have possible upgrades. (0.982)


- Cities that level up should show information about the city in that screen. This really has been beaten to death so I won't go into more detail.  (0.980, essence coming)

 

 

One more thing, unit design traits don't show up in the tech tree. Could do with something like this https://dl.dropbox.com/u/32649007/FallenEnchantress_1347189456.jpg and hovering over it would give description and production cost.(0.99)

 

 

Said to be coming:

- When designing custom sovereigns, we should see the traits for the faction we are building the sovereign for. (upcoming apparently)

23,742 views 49 replies
Reply #26 from Elemental Forums Top

Excellent points Heavenfall. I strongly support these requests.

Reply #27 from Elemental Forums Top

I support 100% of these changes, and have experienced 100% of them in-game.

 

Frogboy/Derek, what are the chances of all of these being done Beta 5?

The Political Machine 2024
Reply #28 from Elemental Forums Top


- When we loot items, the popup shows us what the new item is. It gives us the option of equipping, trading it or doing nothing ("ok"). When we hover over the item to see what it is, show us what we have equipped next to it! That's basic RPG ui.

 

This.  Basically this equip button was added so that we don't have to go to the equipment screen, yet we still do so we can find out what the f**k item it will be replacing.

 

I also mentioned that the cities/units/quests bar on the left needs to have a scrollbar when hovered over by the mouse in another thread.

 

Also, recently I got the "Heart of Moran" which allows me to add growth to a city.  It presented me with a list of my cities with a prestige level next to them to place it in?  How was that helpful.  I want to know their current growth values and their maximum growth level before I decide which city!

Reply #29 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Beric01, reply 27
I support 100% of these changes, and have experienced 100% of them in-game.

 

Frogboy/Derek, what are the chances of all of these being done Beta 5?

Now now, let's not get greedy!

Reply #30 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Heavenfall, reply 30

Quoting Beric01, reply 27I support 100% of these changes, and have experienced 100% of them in-game.

 

Frogboy/Derek, what are the chances of all of these being done Beta 5?

Now now, let's not get greedy!

It's called bartering. You start high, and work your way down. ;)

Reply #31 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Heavenfall, reply 30

Quoting Beric01, reply 27I support 100% of these changes, and have experienced 100% of them in-game.

 

Frogboy/Derek, what are the chances of all of these being done Beta 5?

Now now, let's not get greedy!

Why not?

(Imagine this said as a funny gest ;))

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Reply #32 from Elemental Forums Top

Well, because I don't believe shouting the loudest makes the best point. I know others do, but I prefer to stay reasonable. Don't get me wrong, I'll bombard them with ideas all day long if that leads to anything. But instead of posting 100 ludicrous ideas, I prefer to post 10 doable ideas and hope that 5 make it instead of those 100 ideas all discarded.

Reply #33 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Heavenfall, reply 33
Well, because I don't believe shouting the loudest makes the best point. I know others do, but I prefer to stay reasonable. Don't get me wrong, I'll bombard them with ideas all day long if that leads to anything. But instead of posting 100 ludicrous ideas, I prefer to post 10 doable ideas and hope that 5 make it instead of those 100 ideas all discarded.

I like the 'banter of ideas' idea myself. It's not about 'shouting', but if only 10 good ideas are said and 5 make it on, then 5 good ideas miss out. If 100 (I wouldnt' go so far as to call them ludicrous) ideas are said, not all 100 are going to be bad (many on this site are genuinely trying to give good ideas to better the production of this game)...let's say 10% end up being good, then you have the same scenario where they are able to implement 5 ideas and 5 missed out. BUT, what if more than 10% end up being good? You leave the 'idea' constrant and enter the 'timing' constraint. Let's say 50 ideas were good, but stardock can still only have time to do 5 of them. Granted, 45 are going to miss out, but Stardock will make sure that out of those 50, the best 5 make it on. And odds are in favor of 50 good ideas will result in a better game than only 10.

Just my thoughts...I mean...my idea. XD

 

Reply #34 from Elemental Forums Top

-

- Cities that level up should show information about the city in that screen. This really has been beaten to death so I won't go into more detail.

- When designing custom sovereigns, we should see the traits for the faction we are building the sovereign for.

- Cities should show if they have had trophies assigned to them. See https://forums.elementalgame.com/430170 

- Essence is meant to be a flexible resource. Let us cancel city enchantments from the City UI! A button with a red X in front of every enchantment please. I don't want to go all the way to the mana upkeep window just to cancel when I am looking right at it in the City Details UI.

- SORT THE DAMN TRAITS FOR HEROES. Bloodline goes first, then spelltraits, then paths, then other earned traits, and lastly injuries. DO NOT MIX THEM UP like you do now. It is annoying as fuck to go through. This should apply to Unit Details AS WELL as the hero level-up screen AS WELL as the mini-bar showing traits in lower left corner when selecting a unit on strategic map.

.

 

I agree the strongest with these point, especially the organizing of traits.  I think the other really, really big thing that would help with this (if possible)  would be "stacking" the traits that build on one another.  I don't need to see Potential 1, Potential 2, and Potential 3.  If I really need to look into it, I could hover over Potential 3 to see the details of the whole chain, ideally. 

Reply #35 from Elemental Forums Top

One more thing, unit design traits don't show up in the tech tree. Could do with something like this https://dl.dropbox.com/u/32649007/FallenEnchantress_1347189456.jpg and hovering over it would give description and production cost.

Reply #36 from Elemental Forums Top

Is that a skeleton riding a triceratops in that picture?

Reply #37 from Elemental Forums Top

A bit.

Reply #38 from Elemental Forums Top

I edited the original post so things that are said to be coming are with strike-through text. Hopefully the other things can get some attention as well.

Reply #39 from Elemental Forums Top


- SORT THE DAMN TRAITS FOR HEROES. Bloodline goes first, then spelltraits, then paths, then other earned traits, and lastly injuries. DO NOT MIX THEM UP like you do now. It is annoying as fuck to go through. This should apply to Unit Details AS WELL as the hero level-up screen AS WELL as the mini-bar showing traits in lower left corner when selecting a unit on strategic map.

I really hope the trait UI gets some love, still a good post HF.

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Reply #40 from Elemental Forums Top

another suggestion that might help the player would be' to sort the weapons by their attack value' so that the players do not have to hover over each of the weapons in turn to find the best weapon to equip their hero's & sov with (it might even help the AI to improve it's attack and reduce the defeats it suffers)

harpo

 

Reply #41 from Elemental Forums Top


BUMP

Reply #42 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Kongdej, reply 40



I really hope the trait UI gets some love, still a good post HF.

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Damn right!

Reply #43 from Elemental Forums Top

To be honest, no matter how many times Frogboy repeats that this game has a flexible release window and they will not release it until it is good and ready, I have a hunch that there's immense pressure to get the game out and that it probably will be released at a state that I wouldn't call 1.0

This UI thread is a good example of how much polishing there still needs to be done, not to mention balancing and bug squashing. I just have a hard time believing that this stuff will really get the attention it deserves before release.

I hope I'm wrong, and the release is still some months off.

Reply #44 from Elemental Forums Top

Well, looking at the original post I edited the ones that are implemented or are confirmed as coming. Most weren't in first beta 5. So I think it's moving forward at a good pace. I really hope they continue to iron out the kinks, because it is doable.

I'm also sure there are all sorts of reasons why they want to release the game on time. When you're working with 5 people or more on a team, schedules are never moved with little consideration.

Updated the OP to linethroughtwo pieces as they appeared in 0.982 changelog:

- When casting a spell in tactical combat, there is spell mastery and spell resist just as there is accuracy and dodge for physical attacks. When we attack with ranged/melee attacks, you show us the chance of those attacks hitting. When we select a spell and hover over an enemy, show us the odds of a certain spell hitting that target please. (0.982)

- Keeping track of world resources to upgrade is frankly a pain in the ass. Needs something to help us! The "build" menu in cities has so much room left on the screen outside the small left menu, do something there. Show us connected world resources that have possible upgrades. (0.982)

You can now see spell resistance chances when you are about to cast a spell on an enemy in tactical

Any upgradable resource improvements show up in the cities build list (just like connected ones)

 

Reply #45 from Elemental Forums Top

Note: You could sort the lined-through finished implementations to a list of theyre own at the bottom of the thread so its easier to distinguish between results and suggestions still to be... looked at :)

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Reply #46 from Elemental Forums Top

Good idea, updated the post.

Reply #47 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Heavenfall, reply 47
Good idea, updated the post.

oh wow, its really easy to read now :) GJ

Sincerely
~ Kongdej

Reply #48 from Elemental Forums Top

Sure hope someone keeps bumping this...  ;)

Reply #49 from Elemental Forums Top

- When we loot items, the popup shows us what the new item is. It gives us the option of equipping, trading it or doing nothing ("ok"). When we hover over the item to see what it is, show us what we have equipped next to it! That's basic RPG ui.

I'd also like to add to this (as others may have already in this post, don't know):

1. When hovering over the item pic to see what it is/does, I would like to also see my item(s) equipped (in the appropriate equipment slot) next to it.  It's hard to maintain a photographic memory from minute to minute, much less day to day.

2. If it's a useable item (like a tome or scroll) there should be a Use button on the pop up so it can be consumed immediately.

3. There should be some way to select which hero is actively looting the item, like a selectable row of portraits at the top of the pop up.  This is a little more advanced I suppose, but would keep us from going trade screen with multiple heroes all the time.