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since i can't log in currently due to patch work, i can as well post about some quirks i have with UI 2.0:
- Web graph needs work: the web graph thingy displays useless information, i can't remember all axis, but one is definately weight (who in his right mind has mechs lower than max weight?), this should be switched to engine rating. Also there's firepower, which is a dumb value anyways, because it only displays alpha strike capability and is close to the center for most mechs. Perhaps use DPS instead and use chassis max from your database instead (not fully thought through, this one).
- Clicks, clicks, clicks - and waiting: There definitely needs to be a more streamlined way to get to the info you need. Implementing a kind of Smurfy Mechlab is a step in the right direction, but it does not only show there. I (and nobody) wants to hover for a second or two to get essential info, and you need 2+ clicks now where there used to be 1 in the old UI. Recommendation here (without getting specific) would be: eliminate tooltip delay, rethink navigation with removable steps in mind, show all relevant data DIRECTLY and CLOSE to each other.
- I want to emphasize CLOSE, because i'd like to get paid a dollar for every meter of screen space my eyes have to move to get the different important datapoints connected. E.g. modules: GXP down left, Upgrade up left or middle, details . . . waiting . . . right center. I hope you get the point.
- I also want to emphasize DIRECTLY, because you either have to wait or click to get to what you need in many cases. E.g. loadout - why do i have to choose the right category first? There could be an 'All' category as default, since there are rarely that many possible hardpoints to make choosing the right category a necessity. And why don't you display the items in a sorted list (ok, there's something to come obviously judging from the icons), so you can scroll throught them fast and find what you need. And we don't need crappy B/W icons that don't transport any relevant information, we need weight/damage/heat and other info to choose what to apply to a section.
- Where's my hardpoint overview to a chassis? Is it really true i have to go into the loadoud and have to click every single section while remembering the sections i clicked through to get the picture - or did i miss something?
- Why are the owned chassis so waaaaaaaaay afar from the chassis-specific XP upgrades? You should see how many XP there are unspent in your inventory right away - i still have to click through various tabs, filters and mechs to get to the point. When looking at you mech's details, there should be a quick link to jump to the relevant XP purchases - and back.
- General comment and rule for further optimisations: UI 2.0 is more sexy and i hope more maintainable and stable from a developer's perspective. But form has to follow function! There's no need to have fancy buttons if you have click more of them or even don't know which to click (or hover? different tab perhaps? or what?). You need to think of what the user/gamer wants to do, which info he needs to do it and where the best place would be to find resp. show it - not what kind of groupings might make sense, are historical conventions, or what (in)consistency in the UI might seem implement-worthy just for the sake of it. I might get more specific when i can log in again, but don't trust on it.
