The future of the User interface which is currently awfull.

Murmeltier

It is a difficult Point. For me i doesnt like Addons because they offers too much Advantages you cant controll. Sure every Addonuser says, no way i only use some Addons that helps a little bit against this horrible UI, that Game Devs have created. But how much *Help* is ok?

There are Addons outthere that helps to manage the UI and Inventory, shows Numbers of Spells and Buffs, Duration and so on. But there are Addons outthere which offers you more Advantages, like Equip Swap (I see a Player running and swappin his Equip in a Second, this is a damn Advantage ) or other Things like Cheats/Exploits/Buffs, whatever it lives outthere.

Most of the Players say, this is ok because you dont have any Ingame Advantages. But this isnt right. For an Example, a Healer who cant see the Numbers from his Heals or the Duration from his Buffs, cant manage his Resources like a Healer who use an Addon that shows him several Numbers of them.

This is an Advantage, sure in a little Dungeon it isnt really important, more a Luxus but at higher Content and with higher Addons. you reach a Point of Quality a Player without Addons cant reach.

So a Player without Addons cant reach the same Quality of playing that a Player can reach with Addons, forces the Rest to use Addons too. If not, you can be sure that some Guilds/Groups or Content, will decline you.

It is nice to say i am a good Player if i use 10+ Addons but is hard to reach this without them. Now in Teso it is a little bit difficult. The UI is very very simple, yeah it is not a Bug it is a Feature, i know . But it is very hard that you cant see your Buffdurations or Numbers that you make, as Damage/Heal without Addons.

Hell you cant see it over the Grafix too. For an Example, my Templer cast a Stamina Aura and it last for 10.8s but i cant see the Effect fades because they are no Effects to see. So i cast this over and over and in a hectic Fight it is very negative.

So it is a Problem, i dont want to use third Person Addons but i want to see more in my UI. The only Solution that i would like to see is, that Zenimax offers the Players their own Addons. So that every Player have the same Advantages and no one have an Advantage over other Players, that are not use the same Addons.

Not every Player like the Option to download strange Software from strange Sites and update from them. The PC Resources can suffer from these Addons too, not every PC can manage them without Errors

So Zenimax, please offer the Player some Addons, so that all can use them and update them over the Game, it is more save. Or rebuild the UI so it does showing more Information, however please do something about this.

MFG Murmeltier .

zhevon

The thing that I find most annoying is that I get incomplete info of my current status with the UI/API as it is. WTF buff/non-buff is getting cast on me. Drive by buffs in the bank annoy me - I am trying to figure what armor to use and some ass-wackit is overcharging my health. Oh why I moving in slow motion, it might have been nice to know that ordinary mobs apparently throw snares (yet another lazy ESO mechanic, but thats another thread) and what degradation its causing. I should know the detailed status of my character.

Wolfshade

Updating the addons from the game himself would be really nice. Like the idea.
But i didn`t use the addons because i found the whole ui horrible.

Murmeltier wrote: »

For an Example, a Healer who cant see the Numbers from his Heals or the Duration from his Buffs, cant manage his Resources like a Healer who use an Addon that shows him several Numbers of them.

Same with dps/dd and the dot`s. So the most things you write about are simple to handle with just one option: Let us see the buffs/debuffs. For me its more important than i got to see "block now". This information i can see pretty good on screen. But if i`am bleeding, with an animation in front of the charakter, thats not really good to see.

This add-on which allows you to swap your hole equip with just one click/key i look really critical at. Not just because the quick swapping. More about that players wich plays really often had many more options if they got an second complete epuip. Many players will not have the chance to reach that point, just because of investet time. And the switch of the whole equip had to become, in some guilds, a must have, because its could be used really mighty. So, i even wrote, if you go the way and put this in the hands of the community, then zos had to decide, this add-on we allow and some kind we didn`t. This sort i personaly wouldn`t allow.

But it`s a really difficult, in fact it isn`t an offlinegame.

Rune_Relic

Agree on the Q button. As a stamina build I focus on pots....so would be nice to have 1click health/stamina/magicka rather than keyboard gynmastics.

The minimap ? I always hit the map key when running and watch my blue arrow run across the map. So I guess I always work around the missing minmap.

TehMagnus

Rune_Relic wrote: »

Agree on the Q button. As a stamina build I focus on pots....so would be nice to have 1click health/stamina/magicka rather than keyboard gynmastics.

The minimap ? I always hit the map key when running and watch my blue arrow run across the map. So I guess I always work around the missing minmap.

Yeah I agree minimap is perhaps not the most important thing and that it's probably not one of the most requested features (download numbers in ESOUI aren't as high as FTC or Wykkyd's even if you add all the minimaps downloads together), that's my personal preference since I'm used to having the minimap or some sort of radar in almost all the games I play. Still, the code was there at some point, UI has changed but I don't think it's changed to the point the old code is completely worthless so it might not be as hard to develop as some other stuff...

Wykkyd

magnusnet wrote: »

Yeah I agree minimap is perhaps not the most important thing and that it's probably not one of the most requested features (download numbers in ESOUI aren't as high as FTC or Wykkyd's even if you add all the minimaps downloads together), that's my personal preference since I'm used to having the minimap or some sort of radar in almost all the games I play. Still, the code was there at some point, UI has changed but I don't think it's changed to the point the old code is completely worthless so it might not be as hard to develop as some other stuff...

Garkin: 18 files // 1,437,964 downloads // 3,018 favorites
Wykkyd: 17 files // 1,024,843 downloads // 3,233 favorites
Shinni: 10 files // 726,020 downloads // 2,347 favorites
Atropos: 1 file // 552,003 downloads // 1,218 favorites

The most downloaded minimap is the original ZrMiniMap by Zerorez at 206,502. He no longer plays.

Shinni also has LightWeightMiniMap with 16,294 downloads, but he also no longer plays.

The most up to date minimaps are EMM and ZrMiniMap Updated, with 8,009 and 80,390 downloads respectively.

Mini Maps simply aren't a high priority to most players. They're also very "hack" and involve simply squishing the world map to a smaller size to fake an actual minimap. The constant updates tend to cause performance issues, especially the more map pin addons you run (HavestMap, Lorebooks, Skyshards, TreasureMaps, Undiscovered, etc...)

I do have plans to ressurect RMM in my own way but it won't be for a little while.

The most downloaded addons are ones that give you information. Be it pins on your map, so you can spend less time wandering around aimlessly. Or a handy Toolbar so you don't have to swim through a sea of pop-up windows to gather information. Some people just like information. The addons that do best spend their time providing that information, or making the game less tedious to play (such as Wykkyd's Outfitter, or Wykkyd's Mailbox).

I loaded up a minimap for a while. I used EMM for about 3 weeks. I found that I was spending just as much time inside my World Map as I had been prior, so I uninstalled it again and haven't missed it since. I generall know where I'm headed and don't need a map, or I'm dealing with something that is nearby on the compass. Either way I really only care about a map when I need to check out something far away, and in those cases a minimap is useless.

Swampster

Wykkyd wrote: »

I do have plans to ressurect RMM in my own way but it won't be for a little while.

Oh please please please please

Still using RMM.. and so far no problems, but as it's no longer supported I can't see it lasting forever as the API evolves It's far and away the nicest MM in my opinion.. and has caused the least issues in terms of performance or problems. (and I've used them all) Love the skinnable design too...

TehMagnus

Wykkyd wrote: »

magnusnet wrote: »

Yeah I agree minimap is perhaps not the most important thing and that it's probably not one of the most requested features (download numbers in ESOUI aren't as high as FTC or Wykkyd's even if you add all the minimaps downloads together), that's my personal preference since I'm used to having the minimap or some sort of radar in almost all the games I play. Still, the code was there at some point, UI has changed but I don't think it's changed to the point the old code is completely worthless so it might not be as hard to develop as some other stuff...

Garkin: 18 files // 1,437,964 downloads // 3,018 favorites
Wykkyd: 17 files // 1,024,843 downloads // 3,233 favorites
Shinni: 10 files // 726,020 downloads // 2,347 favorites
Atropos: 1 file // 552,003 downloads // 1,218 favorites

The most downloaded minimap is the original ZrMiniMap by Zerorez at 206,502. He no longer plays.

Shinni also has LightWeightMiniMap with 16,294 downloads, but he also no longer plays.

The most up to date minimaps are EMM and ZrMiniMap Updated, with 8,009 and 80,390 downloads respectively.

Mini Maps simply aren't a high priority to most players. They're also very "hack" and involve simply squishing the world map to a smaller size to fake an actual minimap. The constant updates tend to cause performance issues, especially the more map pin addons you run (HavestMap, Lorebooks, Skyshards, TreasureMaps, Undiscovered, etc...)

I do have plans to ressurect RMM in my own way but it won't be for a little while.

The most downloaded addons are ones that give you information. Be it pins on your map, so you can spend less time wandering around aimlessly. Or a handy Toolbar so you don't have to swim through a sea of pop-up windows to gather information. Some people just like information. The addons that do best spend their time providing that information, or making the game less tedious to play (such as Wykkyd's Outfitter, or Wykkyd's Mailbox).

I loaded up a minimap for a while. I used EMM for about 3 weeks. I found that I was spending just as much time inside my World Map as I had been prior, so I uninstalled it again and haven't missed it since. I generall know where I'm headed and don't need a map, or I'm dealing with something that is nearby on the compass. Either way I really only care about a map when I need to check out something far away, and in those cases a minimap is useless.

Minimap is useless because the drawings aren't very eye-candy. (I admit I just feel better when having a Minimap but it's not that usefull since, as you say, it's a "hack", still since I zoom it out a lot, it allows me to navigate through terrain like mountains etc with ease which I find is a plus). The minimap shown in alpha video had additional information like red dots to mark mobs location and a triangle representing the area of view, the map itself was more eye-candy and gave you a better idea of your surroundings.

I used ZrMinimap for a while but it always has had bugs & errors so I just use RMM (which is working perfectly in 1.3 and PTS at the moment but as previous poster said we love you big time if you maintain it).

What would be nice for someone to take on is Srendarr's buff/debuff Aura tracker. It's currently not working in PTS (so guess it won't work in 1.4) the cooldown counter with the time bar is so amazing ^^. I think there are other addons giving buff information, dunno if it's FTC or one of yours, but it's not as customizable as Srendarr's.

Obscure

ZOS doesn't know the difference between minimalist and incomplete.

If minimalist was the goal, they did a poor job of it. My list of addons is massive and my UI is vastly more minimalist. I'm not opening menus to check weapon charges, or check for the glowing red "in combat" border, or swap out weapon sets, or swap out skill sets, or open a loot window every time I loot something, or deal with a giant clunky quick slot rotary menu, hell I even removed the weapon swap icon from the screen (literally serves no purpose).

In order to be a good UI for a minimalist it needs to be heavily modified...such a pile of dog ***. I literally could not go back to manually sorting the guild banks after getting the Roomba addon...hours of staring effin menus have been removed from my game play. Anyone who actually enjoys the base UI should be commended for their capacity to tolerate absolutely atrocious design.

Vizier

With addon being so easy to find and manage I'm not too concerned about the AI other than some of the functionality issues it has for existing elements such as lack of stacking button for bank and personal inventory, slider bar for purhase of multiple items, tabbed inventories etc. Other than that I'm pretty OK with the rest being taken care of by addons.

heavy_artillery

I'm using the Tactical addon and so far I have no issues with the UI. I'd have to really spend some time analyzing it to find something I truly disliked, but I'm usually too busy enjoying the game to to so

TehMagnus

heavy_artillery wrote: »

I'm using the Tactical addon and so far I have no issues with the UI. I'd have to really spend some time analyzing it to find something I truly disliked, but I'm usually too busy enjoying the game to to so

An what happens when Tactical addon is no longer supported or no longer functional because of API changes? (I hear this is what's happening to Srendarr's add on with update 4, the information about buff duration & nature is no longer being sent by the API).

Tankqull

magnusnet wrote: »

heavy_artillery wrote: »

I'm using the Tactical addon and so far I have no issues with the UI. I'd have to really spend some time analyzing it to find something I truly disliked, but I'm usually too busy enjoying the game to to so

An what happens when Tactical addon is no longer supported or no longer functional because of API changes? (I hear this is what's happening to Srendarr's add on with update 4, the information about buff duration & nature is no longer being sent by the API).

that info was no more delivered since game release anyway. both srendarr and ftc circumvented that by tracking your skill use to display potential buffs/debuffs - thats the reason you have absolutly no clue what your char is affected by if the client is to busy displaying sth else than spell cues.

TehMagnus

Tankqull wrote: »

magnusnet wrote: »

heavy_artillery wrote: »

I'm using the Tactical addon and so far I have no issues with the UI. I'd have to really spend some time analyzing it to find something I truly disliked, but I'm usually too busy enjoying the game to to so

An what happens when Tactical addon is no longer supported or no longer functional because of API changes? (I hear this is what's happening to Srendarr's add on with update 4, the information about buff duration & nature is no longer being sent by the API).

that info was no more delivered since game release anyway. both srendarr and ftc circumvented that by tracking your skill use to display potential buffs/debuffs - thats the reason you have absolutly no clue what your char is affected by if the client is to busy displaying sth else than spell cues.

I see, that's must be why the timer of stuff like engulfing flames is activated even if you don't place the DOT on an enemy. I was talking to a player who sent me an addon that I can configure to keep track of a couple of buffs by editing the file & changing the name of the buff, the timer and the key the skill is binded to since srendarr aint working anymore >_<.

kelly.medleyb14_ESO

stewie_801 wrote: »

So since you can't answer why any of the limitations are the consoles fault on any other thread, I'll post here too. You should really try some of the MMOs on console before saying that they are limited in terms of UI. Pretty sure the ones I have played had a search function in the stores. PS4 comes with a virtual keyboard for players to type. So they and the pc counterparts could use this easily. Personally, I just plugged my keyboard in for this rather than use the virtual keyboard, but it is still there.

In no way is it not being on ESO a limitation because of console. It can be put into the PC version and console version. And again FFXIV, uses 16 abilities, on the ps4/ps3. PS4/ps3 hey what do you know, they use a controller. So they could make it work just fine on both platforms with what you are asking. Yes I agree these should get implemented. But a console is not limiting them being put in.

You're kidding right? Console "friendly" games are notorious for dumbing down PC games... this is well established fact.

Gillysan

kelly.medleyb14_ESO wrote: »

stewie_801 wrote: »

So since you can't answer why any of the limitations are the consoles fault on any other thread, I'll post here too. You should really try some of the MMOs on console before saying that they are limited in terms of UI. Pretty sure the ones I have played had a search function in the stores. PS4 comes with a virtual keyboard for players to type. So they and the pc counterparts could use this easily. Personally, I just plugged my keyboard in for this rather than use the virtual keyboard, but it is still there.

In no way is it not being on ESO a limitation because of console. It can be put into the PC version and console version. And again FFXIV, uses 16 abilities, on the ps4/ps3. PS4/ps3 hey what do you know, they use a controller. So they could make it work just fine on both platforms with what you are asking. Yes I agree these should get implemented. But a console is not limiting them being put in.

You're kidding right? Console "friendly" games are notorious for dumbing down PC games... this is well established fact.

Bah! another person who reads a few posts, puts in a reply without bothering to read the whole thread and thus is commenting out of context.

Khami

Meggedo wrote: »

Oh and pick up an Xbox controller and see how many buttons you can actually use, or maybe even a PS controller. If you like I can count those out for you too.

My Xbox controller is next to me, it has 10 buttons, 2 thumb sticks and a d-pad.

TehMagnus

Attack block: 2 buttons.
Skills+ulti: 6 buttons
Interact (E) (F): 2 buttons. (Total 10)
2thumb sticks: movement (jumping when pressing thumb stick) & camera.
D-pad potions.

Yup, clearly this game's UI wasn't dumbed down for consoles.

zhevon

Quick observation - in preparation for today's patch; I disabled all of my addons and played it for a very short time. It sucked; it really sucked.

Wykkyd

My wife started playing last night, after not playing any video games for over a year. She saw the default UI and cringed. I hooked up my Wykkyd's Gaming Suite for her, Skyshards & Lorebooks from Garkin. Now she's happy.

Gillysan

zhevon wrote: »

Quick observation - in preparation for today's patch; I disabled all of my addons and played it for a very short time. It sucked; it really sucked.

Did you go to the bank and try to deal with the loot, craft materials, etc? Parsing things out to multiple characters? The stuff of nightmares I daresay.

Vuron

Obscure wrote: »

ZOS doesn't know the difference between minimalist and incomplete.

If minimalist was the goal, they did a poor job of it. My list of addons is massive and my UI is vastly more minimalist. I'm not opening menus to check weapon charges, or check for the glowing red "in combat" border, or swap out weapon sets, or swap out skill sets, or open a loot window every time I loot something, or deal with a giant clunky quick slot rotary menu, hell I even removed the weapon swap icon from the screen (literally serves no purpose).

In order to be a good UI for a minimalist it needs to be heavily modified...such a pile of dog ***. I literally could not go back to manually sorting the guild banks after getting the Roomba addon...hours of staring effin menus have been removed from my game play. Anyone who actually enjoys the base UI should be commended for their capacity to tolerate absolutely atrocious design.

It's too bad we can't sticky your post.

Most of the people against changing the UI keep using the same argument that they don't want crap all over their screen. What they don't seem to realize is that an actual working UI can make their experience better. Having a bare bones base UI but needing to constantly open windows does not make for a better experience.

We're not talking about filling the play screen with tons of information... we're talking about adding a button here and there to make things functional. A simple search button the store screen is a perfect example of this.

TehMagnus

Wykkyd wrote: »

My wife started playing last night, after not playing any video games for over a year. She saw the default UI and cringed. I hooked up my Wykkyd's Gaming Suite for her, Skyshards & Lorebooks from Garkin. Now she's happy.

I really can't play without addons anymore. UI is lacking so much stuff... Would be nice to have the basics integrated & maintained and leave the addons for more precise stuff like your addon for full immersion or outfitting addons etc etc.

Jaxsun

The default UI sucks the knob, they should build in an interface editor like SWTOR so we can move any item to any place on the screen. It makes no sense not to do this. I shouldn't have to rely on an add-on that may be useless tomorrow because of api updates and never fixed because the creator quit playing.
It's one thing to allow add-ons for quality of life functionality. It's a slap in the face to purposely under-develop a game and have the community finish your game for free.....especially when you can't do something simple like tell us how many skill points you've spent or what the soft cap for stats is or even a buff bar.... come on be a winner zenimax

Meggedo

poodlemasterb16_ESO wrote: »

poodlemasterb16_ESO wrote: »

Meggedo wrote: »

poodlemasterb16_ESO wrote: »

Shaun98ca2 wrote: »

Currently I like it as I simply DONT have to rely on it. Having all your quick slot items become press able keys just makes that much more keys I have to press when I simply cant while keeping my hand on the WASD keys.

LOL. I come from shooters and I use ASDLeftAlt myself. You can use a boatload of keys while while using your movement keys.

I use Z and C for a weapon and the ultimate. I use Shift for a weapon I use a lot. I use 3 buttons on my trackball for the rest of the weapons. I use W for use, 1 for weapon swap. I can use all this on the fly and in combat.

Anything you can reach while keeping your finger on the movement key you are using is always there. It takes practice it's true.

Keep up the one hit wonder spamming, less thought it takes on the actual battle. It does keep it balanced when you have the vamps that spam swarm, because they lack the skill to do anything else. Lets not forget the fire ring spam. I got two moves very versatile. Most are better at checkers than chess anyway.

English is perhaps not your first language. I must admit I do not understand what you said.

EDIT: Well it may be, it's just you don't know how to use it.

I am perhaps the last person you could accuse of spamming keys. I use both bars all the time, as I have them set up for best effect, so magelight on the spell bar, crit surge on the weapon bar etc. That means I have to switch back and forth a lot for anything outside of normal PvE trash.

At VR5 I have just lost my clanfear and I am experimenting a lot with combinations. Some are pretty good.

Yes English is my first language, but I can see that ignorance dominates yours. Let me define spamming a move for you. It is when you really lack the skill to think beyond say one to two moves, and you constantly rely on very little to do anything. IF only having 10+2 for the bar is the design, than limit the skills to such, because there is no need for anything more. In WOW you wasted time running everywhere like it was TLOR movies, and in ESO you waste a ton of time changing skill bars around constantly. I do think that is awesome you just use a destroy staff, and a bow, to play. You should stick to the console games and possibly get off the PC for anything other than Facebook, and *** trolling.

Meggedo

k9mouse wrote: »

I like the min UI idea -- less stuff on the screen the better. I also like ZOS took away the mini map based ON PLAYER FEEDBACK during alpha stage.

We do not need more quick or hot bars either.

The choice to play how ever you want is what made SWTOR UI nice. You just want two buttons to smash for two moves great, you want your entire skill set available, great. All the combinations were possible from the simple minded to the elitist who had to know every statistic.

tordr86b16_ESO

If they keep cutting down on the API then there probably won't be many people left wanting to stick around making addons...

Meggedo

Wolfshade wrote: »

@meggedo I totaly agree with you that swtor had a really great ui, just because it is so configureable. And i `ve seen it and played with it several weeks (think i had more fun with it than with the game). Biggest point there, you can mirror many elements. And i even agree with you in that point, that it felt like: Yeah i got that skill, oh wait i cant use it yet. This is exacly what i wrote at beta. But i never played an mmo where ihave to use 20 skills in every situation, instantly. It`s really nice to have, but not really needed to win an pvp fight or to put that boss into the dust.

I like and respekt the decission of zos to give parts of the game in hands of a really great modding community (swtor/even ea never had), that keep loyalty over a couple of years and several tes-games. Anyone knows a game/publisher with such an huge background wich did it this way?

Ea bought theire ui and zos gave it to the community. I see there a huge difference and i like the way. Thats an really great dicission. I play a game because of the game and not because of the ui. It`s important, no matter but what i needed the best ui if the game is crapped?

Everything you can find in swtor or ff you can find as add-on. So, this decission is yours. Everything could. And look how fast and easy you could able/disable them. During leveling i turned the minimap on, in dungeons or Cyrodiil it`s off. Same with ftc or others. It takes me about 5 seconds. And i could bet yet, that the problems with the api and the updates will in some moths are blown away.

The real "elite" for me is this sort of player wich plays completly without ui

I play the game because I like it, but the UI is weak, and again I really don't care for the use of add-ons. I use them because there are no other options for the game. It also appears that there never will be, I would recommend that ZOS actually hire the developers of the add ons to redo their UI instead of just relying on someone else to do their job. The sad thing is SWTOR is F2P, and ESO cost me $80 plus my monthly subscription, so I can go get someone else's work to make the game functional the way I would like to see it. Plus the idea of having to go download every add-on after a patch because of functionality issues wastes more of my time. I suppose if you have someone else doing all your work for you for free, then why develop it yourself. What's better than free labor, because I hear programmers really don't get paid much at all.

RenhardtESO

I think the whole game is just peachy. It's an Elder Scrolls game and it's fun as hell.

zhevon

tordr86b16_ESO wrote: »

If they keep cutting down on the API then there probably won't be many people left wanting to stick around making addons...

Did they reduce the API this time?