RolfS, on 10 March 2014 - 01:43 PM, said:
My feedback: use the original BattleTech formatting...
1. The overview of mechs should be identical to the technical readout format from 3025 technical readout.
^ Now, there's an idea. I could live with that.
If PGI doesn't want to do that, then my happy place is in the UI for MechWarrior 2. Use that as the starting point, and get the computer voice right, and it will give me a warm, fuzzy feeling and take the edge off everything else that's wrong with the game.
RolfS, on 10 March 2014 - 01:43 PM, said:
5. When listing mech parts display a single part as text only and with some useful abbreviated stats to go with the part.
If you're saying that the UI devotes entirely too much space to pictures of weapons, and not enough space to legible text, I agree. A lot. We got by without the pictures just fine for the previous year that I played. The pictures apparently took precedence over practical considerations like
being able to read.
RolfS, on 10 March 2014 - 01:43 PM, said:
6. include some of the text from the technical readouts somewhere in the UI.
RolfS, do you mean the "fluff"? The background info like where the mech was made, and it's combat history? It would be nifty if we could find that in the UI and not have to go to sarna.net or the MWO wiki. Game knowledge depends too much on outside sources, and then one might get the idea that PGI took liberties and did some sketchy sh!t.
Heaven knows plenty of people already think that, and PGI doesn't need to convince any more of us.
RolfS, on 10 March 2014 - 01:43 PM, said:
7. mech view should not show mech variants. The view should be split in "mech" and then "variant" not all mechs at the same time.
However the mechs are listed, the
order needs to make more sense. They aren't in alphabetical order, or in order by weight, and I can't put them in any such order. Dafuq?!?
OK, I
have figured out the order.
The mechs are in order by weight class (Light, Medium, Heavy, Assault), then in alphabetical order by name.
Well, that isn't much of an order.
If they
must be in a fixed order, and the user can't select "Alphabetical" or "Weight", then at least put them in the order they appear in the TROs: By weight, then alphabetical.
Then again, the user should really be able to select what order to list the mechs. The order in the TROs would be a hassle without a Table of Contents or an index. I mean, imagine someone is looking for their Jagermech, and doesn't remember off the top of his head that it's a 65-ton mech.
RolfS, on 10 March 2014 - 01:43 PM, said:
8. less clicking. a lot less clicking.
THIS. PGI, there are a few places where I'm willing to do one more click to bring up information. I've listed them in this post, and my previous one in the thread. Everywhere else needs LESS clicking. The old UI had took less clicking, and I'm pretty sure it was partly because of the ability to click on a part of the mech and have all the available components show up. The current business of having to select Configure > Loadout > Body Part > Weapon/Equipment/Ammo is entirely too tedious.
RolfS, on 10 March 2014 - 01:43 PM, said:
9. get rid of all the fancy useless stats in the GUI
I think we need to see some of those stats, like the range of motion for torso twist. I know that information from the MWO wiki, but a lot of people don't know about that wiki or look at it. It makes sense for the information to be available while I'm looking at a mech.
But, the text is awfully small, and the graphics are awfully small, because you (PGI) tried to fit so much stuff into about 1/4 of the screen.
And, I haven't figured out any reason to when it pops up. It's not just because the cursor hovers over a mech. No, if I've selected a mech, and mouse over the icon for that mech, those specifications don't appear. First, I have to mouse over a mech that isn't selected,
then mouse over the one that I've selected. It should go without saying, but that's tedious. PGI, did you do that on purpose? I want more control over when this information appears.
I think those Range of Motion and Movement Speed specs should appear when I click on something. Then there's more room for the basic stuff like the weapons, hardpoints, and
What size engine does this mech have??? PGI, do you not realize that's important? Should I really have to look at my mechs' loadouts, one by one, to find out which mech has which engine?
I didn't have to in, the previous UI. I'd look through the list, click on a mech, and RIGHT AWAY the stats would pop up showing what weapons and equipment the mech had, what hardpoints, how much armor, and
what size engine. And, it was all in a text big enough that I didn't have to squint to read it.
RolfS, on 10 March 2014 - 01:43 PM, said:
10. fix the physics to make it human possibly to build a good mech without smurfy's mech builder (like double heat sink to cool double heat and not cool square heat). i.e simplify and get rid of all arbitrary rules not visible in the UI design window.
At least make the rules readily available in the UI. Double heat sinks cool at 1.4 times the rate of standard heat sinks? It's all well and good to tell us in the tips at the start of a match - I'm sure some people read that - But it would be better still to tell us when we're looking at the Double Heat Sink upgrade, or when the cursor hovers over the mech's Heat Efficiency.
"Hmmm... My mech's heat efficiency is 1.04. Is that good? Oh, look! A hint popped up for how to make it better. Maybe I'll look into those 'Double Heat Sinks'."