Whats so bad about the UI????

Atrocities · #1 November 30th, 2006, 05:55 PM

I dislike the lack of immediate information. The UI in SE IV provided a lot of valuable info at a glance. The use of tabs in SE IV would have been a very welcome addition to the UI in SE V. I find using the SE V UI comberson, frustrating, and uninspiring. It sucks all of the enjoyment out of the game for me.

I have made dozens of suggestions to improve the UI but as of yet only a few have been used. The mouse, you should have seen the old mouse pointer they had. Getting that replaced was a victory for all players of SE V.

Wenin · #2 November 30th, 2006, 06:07 PM

I'm in complete agreement with Atrocities.

I'd like to add that the main reason people are becoming use to the new UI is because of Shortcut Keys.

SE:V is completely dependent on shortcut keys.

In SEIV I never used shortcut keys, cause everything I needed was a mouse click or two away. I don't want to have to hover over my keyboard.

Slick · #3 November 30th, 2006, 06:10 PM

I have a list at home I'm creating, but in a nutshell:

- way too many clicks and operations to get routine things done.
- not being able to see the info you want on the screen where you can change what you want.
- cumbersome layers/levels of screens.
- cumbersome methods to determine important info.
- inconsistencies between screens.

Ragnarok-X · #4 November 30th, 2006, 06:27 PM

cumbersome is probably the most important word here.

-> agreed

Possum · #5 November 30th, 2006, 06:31 PM

One more vote for "overly cumbersome".

Plus it takes too many clicks.

My question is, what the **** was wrong with the SE4 interface, that it had to be changed? Why did all the KB shortcuts need to be changed?

It's the same ****ing game, people. It's just an updated version. There are no major changes which required a total rework of the UI.

And don't take the rampant asterisks to mean that I'm all upset. I'm not. I'm just profane by nature

Raapys · #6 November 30th, 2006, 06:41 PM

Considering the entire game is basically remade, I guess it's natural with a change in UI as well. Unfortunately, reinventing the wheel didn't lead to an improvement in this case.

As I see it though, the shortcomings of the UI unfortunately pales when compared to the other issues the game has right now.

RCCCL · #7 November 30th, 2006, 07:40 PM

I agree with Raapys.

The UI is definately cumbersome, but it seems a minor issue compared to the other problems.

Hugh Manatee · #8 December 1st, 2006, 12:51 AM

Meh, people need to get their left thumbs out of whatever - Removed by Moderator - and start using it. Seriously, unless you are gimped from the neck down somehow there's no good reason not to use a PC with both hands unless you're - Removed by Moderator - busy cramming cheese powder coated salty fried nummies into your gullet. I've noticed this too among people who dislike RTS type games, calling them confusing clickfests, when in most RTS games there are hotkeys that can greatly ease the load off the mouse.

Most routine ship operations only take eihter 2 clicks, a hotkey and a click, or for cargo a short series of double clicks. Only the research and build lists need a whole lot of clicks, and the design screen needs upper, mid and lower hotkeys with an add item button.

Moderator Note: - Removed offensive material. Please keep your posts in agreement to the TOS of this forum. Thank you.

Atrocities · #9 December 1st, 2006, 06:48 AM

Quote:

RCCCL said:
I agree with Raapys.

The UI is definately cumbersome, but it seems a minor issue compared to the other problems.

Right now the main issue with the game are the game bugs and thankfully Aaron is hard at work resolving them. Hopefully after the new year, and many if not all of the bugs have been addressed by updates, perhaps then Aaron can begin to address the UI and upgrade/enhance it.

The ship design system is indeed extremely time consuming and impraticle. A much more simplified system must be adopted and implamented.

I suggested a while back that a pre-designated slot system be implamented. This way a player need only click on a component to add it to the design. The game would automatically add that component to a pre-designated slot in the hull. The drag and drop system would still be present and usable, especially if you wanted to move something. But having pre-designated spots for everything would be far more efficient. Armor to the outside, weapons to the out side forward, other components like cargo, supply, and such fill up the center section, with spots in the center for the bridge, crew quarters, and such. Of course make this system completely moddable so players can adapt its use for mods and such.

Theonlystd · #10 December 5th, 2006, 06:49 PM

The example that leaps off my head. Moving Population to a freighter.

I gotta find the tiny little button in the right hand corner for moving. That screen comes up. Wheres the handy move 1,10,100 from Se4?!??!?! Not there. I have to go down to the bottom and increase the unit count thingy or click 20bajillion times to add 10mil people to the ship. Maybe theres some key i can hold to make me add 10 in a click or something. But thats a step back. In se4 i click on 100 click on the population a couple times and the ships full and rdy to move.

And well things that are just lacking from the whole series. This is the 5th installment y cant i double click on a planet to bring up the que or something? Y do i still have to click on the plant then click on the que button