Forums » Suggestions
I'm hoping this post won't make the collective hive of VO and its founders have an aneurism but that it will promote some dialog around the interface. I don't think you can make a new UX without deconstructing the one you currently have and determine:
• What is needed
• What isn't needed
• What is redundant
• What is of importance
• What can be consolidated
• Reorganize tab/button interface
Buttons, Tabs, Text Boxes
Vendetta is too boxed in for a space game. Everything is jammed into these boxes with bevels and strokes from the 90s. Many of these boxes are unnecessary or of too little importance for the screen space allotted.
Solution:
Make buttons look like buttons and tabs look like tabs. Everything doesn't need to be in a box. Lose the heavy bevels and strokes.
Welcome screen
What you see when you enter a station is 8-10 boxes depending on how you look at it.
The majority of screen real estate on the welcome window is utilized by two panes on the left with a paragraph about the station you're in and what commodities you should bring here. The most important information on the "Welcome" submenu is the information on the right side and it is jammed into two or three small boxes where the text gets cut off in some cases. There is also a station inventory pane that you can't really interact with. More on Inventory later.
Solution:
This station information is perhaps* of less importance and should be relegated to a "Station" menu that also contains other station related sub menus. More white space is needed. The white space in the screenshot above is unfortunately boxed in.
Once you have moved these left windows to a "Station" menu, the most useful information can take front and centre.
What is the most useful information!?
The "Commerce" and "Welcome" menus are a shitmix of seemingly disconnected windows. You end up having to drill down from these windows to other menus to get anything done. I don't think "Welcome" and "Commerce" are very well thought out.
Solution:
You should be able to choose your default "Welcome" top menu item when you land at a station. For example, "Ship" at say Sedina D14 versus say "Inventory" at Dau G2. *OR the previously used top menu item is a saved state.
What should the top menu items include:
Station
Inventory
Ship
PDA
more...
Right panel sub menu
The other major issue in this interface is the submenu tabs for "Commerce", "Ship" and "Your PDA" are off to the right. This does not make sense and is disconnected from the menu systems they are a part of.
Solution:
The menu to the right of the screen needs to be a level 2 tab within and under the hierarchy. Inc, Do not try to reinvent the tab.
Inventory
Inventory windows are littered throughout the interface. The station inventory window on the "Welcome" menu is pretty worthless. Cargo, Load/Unload, Station inventory should all be consolidated into one unified top menu. If there is need for a Station inventory button within the "Station" menu, then it should be an alias that jumps you to Inventory > Station–not a separate window.
Solution:
One Inventory tab interface is required as a top menu item with common sorting actions like:
Type
Location
Name
Amount
Value
Favourites
An overhaul of the interface is what is needed to retain players. It needs to be fresh. The current one looks like Windows 95. The interface should be of high importance prior a Steam launch.
• What is needed
• What isn't needed
• What is redundant
• What is of importance
• What can be consolidated
• Reorganize tab/button interface
Buttons, Tabs, Text Boxes
Vendetta is too boxed in for a space game. Everything is jammed into these boxes with bevels and strokes from the 90s. Many of these boxes are unnecessary or of too little importance for the screen space allotted.
Solution:
Make buttons look like buttons and tabs look like tabs. Everything doesn't need to be in a box. Lose the heavy bevels and strokes.
Welcome screen
What you see when you enter a station is 8-10 boxes depending on how you look at it.
The majority of screen real estate on the welcome window is utilized by two panes on the left with a paragraph about the station you're in and what commodities you should bring here. The most important information on the "Welcome" submenu is the information on the right side and it is jammed into two or three small boxes where the text gets cut off in some cases. There is also a station inventory pane that you can't really interact with. More on Inventory later.
Solution:
This station information is perhaps* of less importance and should be relegated to a "Station" menu that also contains other station related sub menus. More white space is needed. The white space in the screenshot above is unfortunately boxed in.
Once you have moved these left windows to a "Station" menu, the most useful information can take front and centre.
What is the most useful information!?
The "Commerce" and "Welcome" menus are a shitmix of seemingly disconnected windows. You end up having to drill down from these windows to other menus to get anything done. I don't think "Welcome" and "Commerce" are very well thought out.
Solution:
You should be able to choose your default "Welcome" top menu item when you land at a station. For example, "Ship" at say Sedina D14 versus say "Inventory" at Dau G2. *OR the previously used top menu item is a saved state.
What should the top menu items include:
Station
Inventory
Ship
PDA
more...
Right panel sub menu
The other major issue in this interface is the submenu tabs for "Commerce", "Ship" and "Your PDA" are off to the right. This does not make sense and is disconnected from the menu systems they are a part of.
Solution:
The menu to the right of the screen needs to be a level 2 tab within and under the hierarchy. Inc, Do not try to reinvent the tab.
Inventory
Inventory windows are littered throughout the interface. The station inventory window on the "Welcome" menu is pretty worthless. Cargo, Load/Unload, Station inventory should all be consolidated into one unified top menu. If there is need for a Station inventory button within the "Station" menu, then it should be an alias that jumps you to Inventory > Station–not a separate window.
Solution:
One Inventory tab interface is required as a top menu item with common sorting actions like:
Type
Location
Name
Amount
Value
Favourites
An overhaul of the interface is what is needed to retain players. It needs to be fresh. The current one looks like Windows 95. The interface should be of high importance prior a Steam launch.
Actually the interface reminds me of Windows 3.1 more than 95.
jesus christ, lol
+1,111
I fear this is "not insignificant" but the UI is frustrating in that it sends you in a bunch of different directions for subsequent selections.
I fear this is "not insignificant" but the UI is frustrating in that it sends you in a bunch of different directions for subsequent selections.
+1 (also +∞ ) . This needs to get done.
+1 The UX seems to be one of the most griped about aspects of VO, from newbs to vets.
+π
I'd say something like this needs to happen with the UI prior to either Steam or 2.0, whichever comes first.
+√24 ÷ π x 236^6
+2
That the UI needs an overhaul is something that I think is pretty much universally agreed upon, but this is perhaps the first time I've seen all of our nebulous grievances boiled down and explained in a clear and concise manner. Now, if only we had some mock-ups of the proposed changes; anyone want to spend an afternoon working in Photoshop?
That the UI needs an overhaul is something that I think is pretty much universally agreed upon, but this is perhaps the first time I've seen all of our nebulous grievances boiled down and explained in a clear and concise manner. Now, if only we had some mock-ups of the proposed changes; anyone want to spend an afternoon working in Photoshop?
All?
There's a lot more than what Ore pointed out.
Really, I think the devs should instrument the game UI then adapt one of the myriad of UX analysis tools out there to see what players actually click on and what paths they take in order to do what they're trying to do.
vIsitor, i don't know how much experience you have in this sort of thing, but over the years I've found starting from a Photoshop mock-up is a great way to get something that doesn't actually work in the end.
There's a lot more than what Ore pointed out.
Really, I think the devs should instrument the game UI then adapt one of the myriad of UX analysis tools out there to see what players actually click on and what paths they take in order to do what they're trying to do.
vIsitor, i don't know how much experience you have in this sort of thing, but over the years I've found starting from a Photoshop mock-up is a great way to get something that doesn't actually work in the end.
This is just the welcome page. You can use those hotspot indicators all you like, or you can listen to your users.
Funny ARF, I seem to recall you telling me to mock one up in Photoshop in the past. I'm not about to do that though, because as I said above, the first step in rebuilding is de-constructing, which is what I've tried to do in the OP.
Figure out what the top level menu items should be and their sub menus, then wireframe it. The menus are different in space of course.
PS. Incarnate, a new antialiased font would go a long way in gussying up the interface.
Funny ARF, I seem to recall you telling me to mock one up in Photoshop in the past. I'm not about to do that though, because as I said above, the first step in rebuilding is de-constructing, which is what I've tried to do in the OP.
Figure out what the top level menu items should be and their sub menus, then wireframe it. The menus are different in space of course.
PS. Incarnate, a new antialiased font would go a long way in gussying up the interface.
I actually made some initial progress towards a brand new UI. It is a very big project to undertake, even if you have documentation regarding all of the ins-and-outs. I'm not saying this to excuse any perceived lack of support from the devs, just to try and bring it into perspective. This is something that could take a few months of developer time to do properly.
Also, Incarnate and raybondo have talked on the font issue in the past. It's not just a matter of dropping in a new font. This would fall into the category of cleaning up old systems, that they've been working on for various other things, since it's pretty much a hard-coded font.
*mumbles something about hindsight and 20/20 vision*
Also, Incarnate and raybondo have talked on the font issue in the past. It's not just a matter of dropping in a new font. This would fall into the category of cleaning up old systems, that they've been working on for various other things, since it's pretty much a hard-coded font.
*mumbles something about hindsight and 20/20 vision*
Promote, provoke, invoke. Fuck tact. Let's incite a riot. Let's talk about this dog's breakfast.
When I post in the suggestions forum, it is for Guild Software, not for forum moderators, not even for the end users. But since Inc is unavailable for comment, dear space friends, what would you like to see for top menus both in space and in stations?
Currently in ship/space we have one top menu:
Your PDA
(Tactical) dependent on whether you are in a turreted ship or not.
I'd like to see the following moved up to top level in space:
Navigation—there appears to be two navigation buttontabthingys
Sensor log
Inventory—there appears to be two Inventory buttontabthingys. Also there is a massive empty window pane here. I'm sure this space could be better utilized by some sorting functions for Inventory as per my OP.
When I post in the suggestions forum, it is for Guild Software, not for forum moderators, not even for the end users. But since Inc is unavailable for comment, dear space friends, what would you like to see for top menus both in space and in stations?
Currently in ship/space we have one top menu:
Your PDA
(Tactical) dependent on whether you are in a turreted ship or not.
I'd like to see the following moved up to top level in space:
Navigation—there appears to be two navigation buttontabthingys
Sensor log
Inventory—there appears to be two Inventory buttontabthingys. Also there is a massive empty window pane here. I'm sure this space could be better utilized by some sorting functions for Inventory as per my OP.
Could we please have all of the unnecessary and unrelated-to-the-topic conversation split off or deleted?
The suggestion bears merit and even though there have been many similar posts in the past, I feel this one brings a little more to the table.
The suggestion bears merit and even though there have been many similar posts in the past, I feel this one brings a little more to the table.
Further to my previous post about the gigantic waste of space here in the inventory menu, I've created a visual to describe said shitshow.
I had no idea what this window on the right was used for until i clicked on a station sector.
And then it became clear. Its purpose is to repeat the same information that i was getting from the left pane, where all the relevant shit is at a glance.
Solution: Get rid of the right pane and open the left one right up. Add common sorting functions as suggested in the OP and shown in green here.
I've decided i don't give a shit whether Incarnate responds or not. He's probably reading this thread and not very happy, but I'm not going to dance around anyone's feelings on this abysmal interface, thats not what criticism is about. Again, I'm trying to f#$%ing help here.
I had no idea what this window on the right was used for until i clicked on a station sector.
And then it became clear. Its purpose is to repeat the same information that i was getting from the left pane, where all the relevant shit is at a glance.
Solution: Get rid of the right pane and open the left one right up. Add common sorting functions as suggested in the OP and shown in green here.
I've decided i don't give a shit whether Incarnate responds or not. He's probably reading this thread and not very happy, but I'm not going to dance around anyone's feelings on this abysmal interface, thats not what criticism is about. Again, I'm trying to f#$%ing help here.
+1 OP. The UI constantly dates this property, especially since they released on mobile.
"Could we please have all of the unnecessary and unrelated-to-the-topic conversation split off or deleted?" -Draugath
Seriously. This is a good thread with concrete suggestions that continue even in the face of both players and moderators having a kindergarten slap-fight. Cut it out, and that includes responding to me.
"Could we please have all of the unnecessary and unrelated-to-the-topic conversation split off or deleted?" -Draugath
Seriously. This is a good thread with concrete suggestions that continue even in the face of both players and moderators having a kindergarten slap-fight. Cut it out, and that includes responding to me.
'Kay, I deleted the off-topic content. Let's keep it on-topic, now. And try to Be Nice, everyone.
That right-pane on the inventory tab shows the item description when you have something other than a container selected. It's not totally useless, since that's one of the only places you can actually see the description of items. Not that a lot of items have important descriptions or anything...
Funny ARF, I seem to recall you telling me to mock one up in Photoshop in the past.
That's funny, I recall asking you to mark up specific changes to the UI in Photoshop, which is exactly what you've done here. Good job. :)
Funny ARF, I seem to recall you telling me to mock one up in Photoshop in the past.
That's funny, I recall asking you to mark up specific changes to the UI in Photoshop, which is exactly what you've done here. Good job. :)
Thank you for your value-added contributions ARF. Now go play with your scripts trollboy.
On to another menu, Character.
I have never read any of these right panel paragraphs until now. I'm not saying they're irrelevant, just that its way too long and yet I get on just fine in the game without having read them.
Solution:
These right panel text boxes belong in the Help menu. A common info "I" icon could be used to jump you to that page of content in the Help menu. You only need to read this stuff once. It takes up way too much real estate for something you only need to read once. *This isn't the only instance of long-windedness.
These three windows are just begging to be consolidated into one Character window. Some of the faction specific content might be better served in the "Station" menu suggested in the OP, where you'll be able to quickly check your standing to see if you can enter that faction's space or not. OR an alias in the station menu could be used to jump you to the Character's faction info. There is also some faction specific descriptions that could also be relegated to the Station menu.
*Vendetta's UX comes from an internet era where websites and games spoon fed their users while talking down to the LCD. This seems condescending in retrospect. It's evident here in the Character menu. I don't need to be welcomed to the Accomplishments display. I navigated here on my own and here are my badges. Self-explanatory stuff.
Consolidating menus simplifies the interface. Thats what the mobile/ten-foot crowd needs.
On to another menu, Character.
I have never read any of these right panel paragraphs until now. I'm not saying they're irrelevant, just that its way too long and yet I get on just fine in the game without having read them.
Solution:
These right panel text boxes belong in the Help menu. A common info "I" icon could be used to jump you to that page of content in the Help menu. You only need to read this stuff once. It takes up way too much real estate for something you only need to read once. *This isn't the only instance of long-windedness.
These three windows are just begging to be consolidated into one Character window. Some of the faction specific content might be better served in the "Station" menu suggested in the OP, where you'll be able to quickly check your standing to see if you can enter that faction's space or not. OR an alias in the station menu could be used to jump you to the Character's faction info. There is also some faction specific descriptions that could also be relegated to the Station menu.
*Vendetta's UX comes from an internet era where websites and games spoon fed their users while talking down to the LCD. This seems condescending in retrospect. It's evident here in the Character menu. I don't need to be welcomed to the Accomplishments display. I navigated here on my own and here are my badges. Self-explanatory stuff.
Consolidating menus simplifies the interface. Thats what the mobile/ten-foot crowd needs.