Forums » Suggestions
Small, but powerful UI changes.
The following are my thoughts/ideas on a few small, yet powerful changes for the current HUD/UI.
1. Allow mouse control while in flight, to pick-n-choose various things on the hud, obviously, this will interfere with flight for those of us who use the mouse to control our ships. Solution for this? Configurable key, when it's pressed, the mouse cursor appears and can be used as a "mouse" while the ship continues the current course, when the key is released, the mouse returns to it's 'normal' function.
2. Custom Info frames, such as multiple chat windows, Mission objective listings, buddy list frames, etc. This would tie into suggestion #1, as you'd be able to control these with the mouse without having to take your eyes off your hud, as you must do to look at your PDA, currently.
3. Ties into both 1 and 2: more "click" options on the HUD, access PDA with a mouseclick.. these ideas could be further extended into other areas of the HUD and game interface.
These three ideas will help new players 'adjust' from the point and click style play of most other MMO's, and also allow for much more flexibility in choosing how we want our ship HUD to look, without having to code it from scratch.
I'm not advocating super-customizability for the default UI, but just a little bit, enough to give the "average" player the ability to change a few things without having to find the 'perfect' plugin.
break19/EZR
1. Allow mouse control while in flight, to pick-n-choose various things on the hud, obviously, this will interfere with flight for those of us who use the mouse to control our ships. Solution for this? Configurable key, when it's pressed, the mouse cursor appears and can be used as a "mouse" while the ship continues the current course, when the key is released, the mouse returns to it's 'normal' function.
2. Custom Info frames, such as multiple chat windows, Mission objective listings, buddy list frames, etc. This would tie into suggestion #1, as you'd be able to control these with the mouse without having to take your eyes off your hud, as you must do to look at your PDA, currently.
3. Ties into both 1 and 2: more "click" options on the HUD, access PDA with a mouseclick.. these ideas could be further extended into other areas of the HUD and game interface.
These three ideas will help new players 'adjust' from the point and click style play of most other MMO's, and also allow for much more flexibility in choosing how we want our ship HUD to look, without having to code it from scratch.
I'm not advocating super-customizability for the default UI, but just a little bit, enough to give the "average" player the ability to change a few things without having to find the 'perfect' plugin.
break19/EZR
This sounds really cool
maybe not to a developer who has to code it tho. XD
maybe not to a developer who has to code it tho. XD
I dunno. By and large mice are annoying -- that's why we've invented this big board with 104 hotkeys on it...
I like the idea, but at the same time, there's times when I'm more free to press "U" to get a sensor log, then I am to press one button, pull around my mouse (taking my hand off the joystick) and all that.
I'd think it has merit, and I'd like it in peacetime scenarios, but I think that both the current, and this proposed system should co-exist.
I'd think it has merit, and I'd like it in peacetime scenarios, but I think that both the current, and this proposed system should co-exist.
2. - This was how it was before the UI was recently redone. You had general chat, that you got to by pressing "!", mission chat with "@", and some other ones I never payed attention to.
What I would like is to be able to view the mission log via the chat box, so I don't have to disengage from my flying to see what's going on. At the same time, it's nice to be able to disengage from my flying, and have a large window to look at/scroll through.
What I would like is to be able to view the mission log via the chat box, so I don't have to disengage from my flying to see what's going on. At the same time, it's nice to be able to disengage from my flying, and have a large window to look at/scroll through.
rogue, i'm pretty sure it was the other way around...
regardless, i'd very much like to see multiple chat windows.
Also ability to control HUD with mouse would be good, but indeed it should not replace current system.
regardless, i'd very much like to see multiple chat windows.
Also ability to control HUD with mouse would be good, but indeed it should not replace current system.
I was thinking more of a personal message window that traps all incoming messages and messages on all channels to the person, buddy notes and the like. The bulk of channel stuff would not make it into this window.
Here's one of my main reason for wanting more "mouse" stuff.. you get a message, fairly long, but it scrolls off your small message window too quickly. My laptop doesnt really have a "page up/down" set of keys, unless I press and hold Fn, and then Up or Down respectively.. So, it'd be much faster for me to, say, hold ctrl with my left pinky, while still strafing about using my other 3 fingers, quickly move the mouse to the window and scroll up with my scroll wheel.. release the button, go back to aiming with the mouse and read the message.. :)
Otherwise, I have to completely take my hand off the mouse, hit Fn+Up.. which takes more time since I have to physically move my right hand off my mouse.
Also, when I fly, I prefer to have a hand on the mouse at -all- times, in case I need to spin around quickly, etc.. So you could see, that for me, being able to click an item real quickly, without having to remove my hand from my mouse, would make doing that a bit faster.
Otherwise, I have to completely take my hand off the mouse, hit Fn+Up.. which takes more time since I have to physically move my right hand off my mouse.
Also, when I fly, I prefer to have a hand on the mouse at -all- times, in case I need to spin around quickly, etc.. So you could see, that for me, being able to click an item real quickly, without having to remove my hand from my mouse, would make doing that a bit faster.