User interface and quality of life problems! ESO 2.0 is good... let's make it better.

wrlifeboil

spoqster wrote: »

I did a poll recently to get a hint at how many people use addons. The results strongly suggest that ESO needs a UI upgrade, imho.

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/157506/is-eso-console-ready-without-addons/p1

It would have been fun to get console players mixed in with PC players in Cyrodiil and watch the cocky fast twitch fps console players get slaughtered in pvp. Addons make a difference.

Valymer

An awesome thread but falling on deaf ears I'm afraid.

Attorneyatlawl

Valymer wrote: »

An awesome thread but falling on deaf ears I'm afraid.

Thanks... And as with many things, it's (hopefully) not something that can be left unaddressed forever. Keeping the ideas relevant and active in threads like these helps a lot . While it's been awhile since this was made, it also may not be an immediate response once (if) a reply is coming if they're deciding what and how to handle it before a writeup. We'll see I guess .

wraith808

Valymer wrote: »

An awesome thread but falling on deaf ears I'm afraid.

You say that just because there's been no response? With the number of @ZOS pings, the responses are diluted, so you won't necessarily get a response... but I'd say that they read them.

Valymer

wraith808 wrote: »

Valymer wrote: »

An awesome thread but falling on deaf ears I'm afraid.

You say that just because there's been no response? With the number of @ZOS pings, the responses are diluted, so you won't necessarily get a response... but I'd say that they read them.

No, I don't expect them to reply to this thread, but I don't believe that they have the resources to do major overhauls to the UI. The best we might be able to hope for is that they re-unlock some of the API so that we could eventually get more robust third-party addons, but I wouldn't expect any major UI changes.

The bottom line is that this topic is very controversial, with many people wanting zero new UI features, and many people wanting upgrades. Zenimax is not going to devote a lot of time to something that a sizable portion of the playerbase would be upset about, when there are so many bug fixes, lag issues, and other problems plaguing the game.

Daenerys

@Attorneyatlawl I couldn't possibly agree with you more unless I was you. Keep on keepin on, you articulate [snip] you.

[Moderator Note: Edited per our rules on Cursing & Profanity]

Attorneyatlawl

Daenerys wrote: »

@Attorneyatlawl I couldn't possibly agree with you more unless I was you. Keep on keepin on, you articulate [snip] you.

ROFL, I love that gif video. Thank you for the comments!

[Moderator Note: Edited quote to match moderated version]

Smiteye

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/164507/lets-be-really-clear-with-zo-right-now/p1 I thought we couldn't have a real UI and in-game holidays because it would ruin our immersion???? Why do we have on-screen ads for the ridiculous cash shop then? How is that helping gameplay??

Attorneyatlawl

Smiteye wrote: »

http://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/164507/lets-be-really-clear-with-zo-right-now/p1 I thought we couldn't have a real UI and in-game holidays because it would ruin our immersion???? Why do we have on-screen ads for the ridiculous cash shop then? How is that helping gameplay??

It's an interesting thing, isn't it?

Attorneyatlawl

The console beta's arrived... I'm curious from console players that have tried ESO on the Xbox 1 or PlayStation 4, have there been improvements on the issues currently being discussed here about the PC platform's UI (User Interface)?

LtCrunch

After seeing the console UI in action it just highlights how lacking in polish and style the PC UI is. I don't like the Skyrim-like inventory management but the console UI looks crisp, clean and modern. It makes the PC UI look terribly dated, IMO.

Duck

Brandalf wrote: »

After seeing the console UI in action it just highlights how lacking in polish and style the PC UI is. I don't like the Skyrim-like inventory management but the console UI looks crisp, clean and modern. It makes the PC UI look terribly dated, IMO.

it IS dated.

but for Inventory Management just get the Advanced Filters add-on

LtCrunch

Duck wrote: »

Brandalf wrote: »

After seeing the console UI in action it just highlights how lacking in polish and style the PC UI is. I don't like the Skyrim-like inventory management but the console UI looks crisp, clean and modern. It makes the PC UI look terribly dated, IMO.

it IS dated.

but for Inventory Management just get the Advanced Filters add-on

I do use advanced filters, ty though . I'm specifically talking about the inventory management with the console UI.

SorataArisugawa

Attorneyatlawl wrote: »

I've had the exact same experience. I barely ever used interface addons in over 15 years of playing mmo's, until ESO where the default user interface is so lacking in basic and industry standard options and functionality that it would be quite literally unplayable and unenjoyable without them as a result for what I'd wager is the vast majority of current players. The default UI isn't minimalistic even, as it was marketed to be. It's just barren, unintuitive, and has a very large amount of extraneous decorative elements that crowd the screen in presentation while not adding anything of use in information, function, or intuitiveness.

That is just your opinion. The game is not "quite literally unplayable". I could, can and would allways play the game like it is now. I am with you, that ther should be more options, for the people who wants them. But if you go over the top with your accusations, you will achieve nothing.

One of the thinks that made me fall in love with the game is the fact you called "the interface is so lacking in basic and industry standard options and functionality". That should be allways the default position for this game. You start with so much vague in this game. And the informations you get are very small. You don't even now much about your self. The interface of the game offered me that. And I am thankful for that.

Valymer

SorataArisugawa wrote: »

Attorneyatlawl wrote: »

I've had the exact same experience. I barely ever used interface addons in over 15 years of playing mmo's, until ESO where the default user interface is so lacking in basic and industry standard options and functionality that it would be quite literally unplayable and unenjoyable without them as a result for what I'd wager is the vast majority of current players. The default UI isn't minimalistic even, as it was marketed to be. It's just barren, unintuitive, and has a very large amount of extraneous decorative elements that crowd the screen in presentation while not adding anything of use in information, function, or intuitiveness.

That is just your opinion. The game is not "quite literally unplayable". I could, can and would allways play the game like it is now. I am with you, that ther should be more options, for the people who wants them. But if you go over the top with your accusations, you will achieve nothing.

One of the thinks that made me fall in love with the game is the fact you called "the interface is so lacking in basic and industry standard options and functionality". That should be allways the default position for this game. You start with so much vague in this game. And the informations you get are very small. You don't even now much about your self. The interface of the game offered me that. And I am thankful for that.

That's great for when you first start out; everything is new to you, and you don't really care about the nuts and bolts of game mechanics--you simply want to immerse yourself in this beautiful world that ZOS has created.

Then you eventually reach max level and start doing endgame content when you suddenly realize that ZOS has installed many dps checks, healing checks, health/magicka checks, and other such "tests" in the various vet dungeons and trials.

At that point you need to know more detailed information about your character, what exactly it is doing and what is being done to it in order to reach your full potential and beat this challenging content.

But you realize that there is no way to do this with the default UI, because it doesn't tell you anything. You notice that there are no test dummies to practice rotations and work out optimized builds. There is no dueling other players to learn new strategies and make yourself a better PvPer. There is nowhere to check detailed information about your character, such as spell penetration stats or individual resistances.

ZOS designed Elder Scrolls Online with an extremely minimal UI, but then added endgame content that would be almost impossible to beat (well, at least the hard modes) without the incredibly useful knowledge that can only be acquired from addons.

I guess most casuals won't care about this content, but I can assure you that many, many other players do. And not just the super-hardcore ones.

krim

Good thread but it seems like most people dont know what a good game is, or just stuck in a ignorant mindset. ZOS said from the beginning if enough people want it we will implement it. Well look where we are now.
An endgame players disappointed/frustrated thoughts.

Wily_Wizard

Valymer wrote: »

An awesome thread but falling on deaf ears I'm afraid.

So true, and I doubt they even have the manpower to add new features to the game since the layoff last year.

When they say "new content", they are probably talking about future DLC's, not new GUI's or polish. One can only hope they still have the resources to fix the numerous bugs that still plague the game.

LtCrunch

Wily_Wizard wrote: »

Valymer wrote: »

An awesome thread but falling on deaf ears I'm afraid.

So true, and I doubt they even have the manpower to add new features to the game since the layoff last year.

When they say "new content", they are probably talking about future DLC's, not new GUI's or polish. One can only hope they still have the resources to fix the numerous bugs that still plague the game.

The layoff was mostly CS reps. I don't think there were actually any devs layed off. Except maybe some artists.

Valymer

Brandalf wrote: »

Wily_Wizard wrote: »

Valymer wrote: »

An awesome thread but falling on deaf ears I'm afraid.

So true, and I doubt they even have the manpower to add new features to the game since the layoff last year.

When they say "new content", they are probably talking about future DLC's, not new GUI's or polish. One can only hope they still have the resources to fix the numerous bugs that still plague the game.

The layoff was mostly CS reps. I don't think there were actually any devs layed off. Except maybe some artists.

They are hiring, although no way to tell if it's for ESO or other projects:



http://www.zenimaxonline.com/

renton1x1x1

Good work

Attorneyatlawl

renton1x1x1 wrote: »

Good work

spoqster

Let's just hope they will at least switch the pc UI to the console design in June.

Attorneyatlawl

spoqster wrote: »

Let's just hope they will at least switch the pc UI to the console design in June.

That would be nice... .

MorHawk

So I stumbled across a beta video for PS4 here.
Anyone else thinking that they've tweaked it to look far more Skyrimish than PC?

Attorneyatlawl

MorHawk wrote: »

So I stumbled across a beta video for PS4 here.
Anyone else thinking that they've tweaked it to look far more Skyrimish than PC?

Didn't play Skyrim, myself (made it through the intro sequence before giving up), but it does look much cleaner.

Attorneyatlawl

Seeing a lot of bugs being discovered lately that would have been immediately obvious if we had basic buff and debuff icons, such as crowd control immunity being broken against some skills such as a nightblade's fear when breaking free. It not only is a gameplay issue, but when a new player comes online and their first questions in zone chat are how to see what they're hitting for or why they can't have more than one quest on their screen, only to find out they need to go spend an hour finding out what addons they need to track down and install to make the game have a baseline quality on the UI, it doesn't give a great first impression. They should be able to hop right in and play the game, not play Google in their web browser to find out what's missing from the game that is typically wanted like a minimap or seeing what you looted in the chat box.

arena25

Takhistis wrote: »

What's with all the lag talk? I play GMT+1 on EU and NA from 6pm till 1AM without any lag o.o

No one's awake at that time, that's why, Takhistis.

Attorneyatlawl

Yeah, that's very much off peak @arena25.

danno8

Without addons providing the information they do, we would all still be using completely broken skills not doing what they say they do (more-so), investing in traits that do not work, using mundus stones that do nothing, and piling points in to CP stars that do nothing.

They say ignorance is bliss (and they are right in some cases) but not here, not in this game. In this game ignorance just makes you terrible, while knowledge makes others stronger. Why some would choose to not have knowledge in this case is something I do not understand. The whole game is based on growing your character.

Attorneyatlawl

danno816_ESO wrote: »

Without addons providing the information they do, we would all still be using completely broken skills not doing what they say they do (more-so), investing in traits that do not work, using mundus stones that do nothing, and piling points in to CP stars that do nothing.

They say ignorance is bliss (and they are right in some cases) but not here, not in this game. In this game ignorance just makes you terrible, while knowledge makes others stronger. Why some would choose to not have knowledge in this case is something I do not understand. The whole game is based on growing your character.

That, good sir, is spot on the mark. The entire game genre of "RPG", from back in pen and paper dungeons and dragons games through modern massively multiplayer ones, is always focused on character development, fueled by story, combat, learning, and skill. In an online version where you are competing with others constantly from the beginning of the game either economically, monster areas, arms race of gear and levels, or literal player vs player warfare in Cyrodiil, ignorance isn't bliss. It's just ignorance, and makes no real sense as to why one would want to be purposefully so, let alone force that upon other players by demanding basic gameplay information is outright hidden, or made very difficult to even find out about in the first place. Instead of just game balance problems, we now have the knowledge gap on top of that which can quite literally allow characters of similar power to simply be decimated by one another if one player knows the rules of the game and the others don't.