Forums » Suggestions
Basic Manufacturing Interface
Long term I'd like some more radical changes to how manufacturing works, but for now, what we really need is just a basic interface the devs can slap together quickly and drop in to replace the mission based approach used now, without worrying about changes to the actual functionality and balance of manufacturing.
IMO, the easiest way to do this is to base it off the existing commodities interface.
So, add a Manufacturing button in between the Commodities and Bar buttons in the station interface. Clicking it should open a page that parallels the commodities page, listing any items that can be built at the current station in the left panel, and the description and recipe for a selected item in the right panel.
Include the player's current totals in the ingredients lists and make the ones they don't have enough of red. Similarly, the main listing for an item in the left panel should be red when the player lacks enough ingredients to build it.
Items that the player is not allowed to craft (whether because they haven't unlocked it, lack standing, lack licenses, are suffering a cooldown, or whatever) should be grayed out or otherwise distinct from items that they simply lack the resources for. The right panel should include an explanation for why it is disabled or at least a hint about how to unlock it,
Underneath the two panels, where the "Purchase Selected" button and its friends live on the Commodities page, there should instead be a "Manufacture Selected" button, followed by a quantity input field and max button. If the player orders more built than the item permits, either fail or only produce the amount allowed, then print a message in chat to explain what happened. Bonus points if the interface itself shows the limit, the max button respects the limit, and the quantity field dynamically validates the input and turns red when it is in excess.
Please note that this is not the "Totally overhaul how manufacturing works so that it's realistic and awesome and doen't have lame cooldowns!" thread, nor is it the "VO's UX suxors in all ways possible; fix it!" thread. This is the "Let's just design a very basic non-mission interface that doesn't change functionality for now and we can worry about the other stuff later" thread.
IMO, the easiest way to do this is to base it off the existing commodities interface.
So, add a Manufacturing button in between the Commodities and Bar buttons in the station interface. Clicking it should open a page that parallels the commodities page, listing any items that can be built at the current station in the left panel, and the description and recipe for a selected item in the right panel.
Include the player's current totals in the ingredients lists and make the ones they don't have enough of red. Similarly, the main listing for an item in the left panel should be red when the player lacks enough ingredients to build it.
Items that the player is not allowed to craft (whether because they haven't unlocked it, lack standing, lack licenses, are suffering a cooldown, or whatever) should be grayed out or otherwise distinct from items that they simply lack the resources for. The right panel should include an explanation for why it is disabled or at least a hint about how to unlock it,
Underneath the two panels, where the "Purchase Selected" button and its friends live on the Commodities page, there should instead be a "Manufacture Selected" button, followed by a quantity input field and max button. If the player orders more built than the item permits, either fail or only produce the amount allowed, then print a message in chat to explain what happened. Bonus points if the interface itself shows the limit, the max button respects the limit, and the quantity field dynamically validates the input and turns red when it is in excess.
Please note that this is not the "Totally overhaul how manufacturing works so that it's realistic and awesome and doen't have lame cooldowns!" thread, nor is it the "VO's UX suxors in all ways possible; fix it!" thread. This is the "Let's just design a very basic non-mission interface that doesn't change functionality for now and we can worry about the other stuff later" thread.
reserved
+1
Much of my lack of enthusiasm to manufacture more is the requirement to spend the time to work out what I actually have (and where), and what I still need.
While the manu plugin helps, a proper UI would help so much more.
Mi5: Reserved for what???
Much of my lack of enthusiasm to manufacture more is the requirement to spend the time to work out what I actually have (and where), and what I still need.
While the manu plugin helps, a proper UI would help so much more.
Mi5: Reserved for what???
+1
Manufacturing is currently stupid
Manufacturing is currently stupid
+1.
+1
+3
+1
Even the addition of the "manu" and "mfgaide" plugins to the main game would be a welcomed improvement.
Even the addition of the "manu" and "mfgaide" plugins to the main game would be a welcomed improvement.
+1
Incarnate, this is 0 opposition to this, your thoughts?