Log in

View Full Version : UI usability improvements



Fusionstrike
11-11-2011, 06:33 PM
I thought of a few things that would be minor changes but I think improve the usability of PL. Some of these may have been mentioned before, so I apologize in advance for any repetition.

1. Move the ping text somewhere other than right under the joystick. (This is probably not relevant for ipad). The most likely time I want to check on my ping is when I'm running along but the map seems strangely empty, i.e. the lag is preventing updates to see the mobs. But I can't see my ping because it's covered up by my thumb on the joystick. Maybe it could move to a different corner of the screen?

2. Add another color to the mini map for guild members. Right now, pink is friends and blue is others. Another color for guild members would be helpful.

3. Add more grouping of text in the chat box. Right now, everything piles into the one window: chat, guild chat, combat events, etc. It can cause too much scrolling to see everything, especially when there are lots of item drops being reported. It would be useful to have "tabs" in the window to filter/group events. I envision a "combat" tab, a "chat" tab and a "guild" tab. And maybe one more tab for "everything" for those who like to look at things the way they are today. Actually, I'd probably stay on the "everything" tab usually but jump to the chat/guild chat when I miss something in heavy combat.

4. Add more slots for status indicators for combat. Right now, there seems to be only room for 5 "status" items (the little icons under the xp bar in the top left). Not only can players only see 5 of the status items on them, it seems that elixir buffs are the highest precedence. So if someone uses the combo elixir (the one with 5 effects in it) then all they ever see is those 5 effects and never anything else. I think there should be at least one more row to show 10 effects, which would cover most cases (but still not everything for elixir users). In addition, I think the precedence of what is shown to user when there's not enough space should be: enemy-applied debuffs, player-applied buffs, elixir buffs. My reasoning is that it's most important in combat to know what's "wrong" (e.g. I'm poisoned!) and least important to know about the longest-lasting effects. I'm not very likely to forget that I have an hour-long elixir effect on, but I can easily lose track of of the other buffs/debuffs that come and go on a second-by-second basis.

Battlelock
11-11-2011, 07:37 PM
I do believe that guild members and regular players are 2 different blues. One is light, the other dark. Think I noticed that sometime back. Or it was a glitch.