#1 Too many menus to do simple build tasks.
UI 2.0 (3 steps)
To add a PPC to my BNC-3E, I have to remember that my Right Torso has Energy Weapons
-I have to select Right Torso
-I have to select Energy Weapons
-I have to look at a list that is NOT alphabetically sorted for weapon names and try to find a Large Laser in giant icons instead of a simple to use LIST.
Smurfy (2 steps)
To add a PPC to my BNC-3E, I see all of my energy slots in one view
-I can select to see only energy weapons
-I then see an alphabetically ordered list of weapons and I can easilly find my PPC that I drag to my mech
#2 New mechs require looking all over for the hard points
UI 2.0
For new mech if I don't know all of the weapon slots, I would have to go through 6 potential weapon slots OR click the Mech Details button to see the overall mech view and remember again to select the right area for that weapon.
I also have to know the hieroglyphic that your UI designer chose for what hard point. Is the red target an ecm module, ams or laser? Does the red lightning bolt mean ecm or BAP? What in the heck does all of their hieroglphyics mean, why could you guys not at least put the first letter E= energy, M=missile, and B= ballistic to at least help a player out?
Smurfy
I look at Smurfy and I see all of my weapon slots immediately
#3 Useful mech weapon information
UI 2.0
If I select my mech and hover the mouse over it in mech lab, I get a pop up of poorly designed graphs and charts with images of information on torso turn and arm radius. If I then select the mech, on the lower right I get some information that is moderately useful for armor, heat management and if I used my tonnage
Smurfy
I immediately see relevant information to my build on the left in their creator. They even go so far to have a weapons lab that lets me adjust how often I fire to see my DPS and a useful chart for damage decrease due to range.
Conclusion:
How much money would your player base have to Bribe Piranha to provide this basic user interface package? Would you guys take a Kickstarter to fix UI 2.0 so that it offers at least 80% of the functionality that a fan based site (Smurfy) was able to put together?
If Piranha lacks the coding ability to create basic Smurfy functionality, does Piranha have the ability to take in a link from Smurfy for mech build out and then immediately build your mech based on that link? Again, how much money would it cost? Note, I would be quite happy if this was only available through Priority Time or whatever method your CFO decides we should pay to get a BASIC MECH BUILDER that we had at one time.
If the problem isn't money but certain members of Piranha team that doesn't want to admit they released a poor product, would they be willing to code in a Questionaire on log in to get feed back from the community. After all, their jobs rely in part on the financial success of MWO and a poor mech builder will kill new player retention.
I believe your community is so disgusted at this point with UI 2.0 for mech building that they honestly would pay for a kickstarter or just leave. Star Citizen falls into the same user demographic (old franchise vehicle based combat) and frankly I have a feeling they have the ability to give their player base what they want based on numbers and not their own team members egos and it shows.
Smurfy

MWO

Edited by Rhent, 20 May 2014 - 08:55 AM.