Teleport Icon Upgrade

I am overjoyed that Teleport has received new locations... but I have found the recycling of icons to be really annoying. When it was just Meridia, that was one thing. But now we have a whole group of locations that have no distinctive icon to separate it's area from the others.

I personally think it's silly that the Tower of the Twelve shares the Portable Hole icon, for example. Or Meridia the same as House P... I hate to sound so negative about this - but the recycling of icons looks amateurish. As if these were just shoved in the game without care. This is meant as constructive criticism, Devs - I hope it does not seem like anything but that.


After a few minutes in Photoshop, and using icons for these zones that are already a part of the game's graphical library* - I came up with this...
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http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/...leportidea.jpg
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Could use a bit of spit and polish, sure - but I think this gives the locations-list a much improved look overall.

Perhaps in a future Update (I know it's too late for U10, and maybe U11 too) could there possibly be an update like this to the Teleport icons? Yeah, it's not a huge game-breaking issue... but it'd make a frequently used aspect of the game seem much more complete.


*the exception being the Crafting Hall - so I took and adjusted an icon from inside the Hall instead. I also recolored the House P tree to look more like the big floating tree in the middle of Meridia for Meridia's icon.

Mem, you're a genius. I love the icons you've put together for the new teleport locations. If you promise not to change, Turbine should totally hire you!

brilliant, I had something exactly like this in my mind. although since Meridia has had the house p icon forever who knows if they'll ever get around to this. One would think with the addition of the new locations they would have updated the icons.
I would also like to see the crafting hall location removed. We already have a teleport to house K, if somone cant run 20 ft they shouldnt be playing.

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Originally Posted by rest

Mem, you're a genius. I love the icons you've put together for the new teleport locations. If you promise not to change, Turbine should totally hire you!

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You know what happens when Turbine hires you... Three weeks in they put you in "the machine" and you are never the same again.

/signed

It would also be nice if they used the same icon, with a small edit to denote more than one person, for the greater teleport. Right now, using the same icon for every spot is kind of annoying.

/signed

re used icons just seems lazy. very nice work on your alterations.

/signed

It occurs to me that if players are willing to design icons, as you and I have done (although I mainly just reused an icon, too: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=313777), then maybe it would be in Turbine's interest to have some kind of Player Contribution Icon Contest. All they'd have to do is give away a forum title or maybe even a few TP, and they get scads of free work done for them, a playerbase who feels even more a part of the game, and whole set of new icons for their library - all without taxing their Art Department too much (aside from them having to download the pictures off the forums and importing them).

They'd simply need to specify margin size and/or shape (hex or square), graphics format, and maximum file size. I think we'd get a lot of really neat icons this way. I'd certainly make a few entries for such a contest. Anyone else?

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Originally Posted by rest

Mem, you're a genius. I love the icons you've put together for the new teleport locations. If you promise not to change, Turbine should totally hire you!

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Thank you. :)

If Turbine would hire me, I can promise the only thing that would change would be my financial situation. But, methinks it's a mighty big "if".

I guess a "Read by a Dev" post would be too much to ask. :D

/signed

would like to see greater teleport there as well

Hmm, I like what you've done there.

/*Stealth Bump*

These are very nice. Since they use icons related to the areas, it just makes sense. Then you know where you are going to teleport without having to read the description at all. I even like the ones that you had to "wing it" on (meridia and the crafting hall) they both look great as well and perfectly symbolize the locations they link to.

I never understood why they re-used old icons for the new locations when it would take so little time to have one of their designers to craft a few new icons. I'm a graphic designer, and I know this really would not take much time to create them. Then all they have to do is have the code link to these new icons. Oh well...I REALLY hope a dev reads this thread and passes it on to the people who would actually make the change. Sure it is mostly cosmetic, but still very nice to have.

Good one! When changing these, don't forget greater teleport either! That one is 1 icon for ALL of the locations! :)

/approve of using a little bit of Photoshop to make your point. The devs can scan and skim stuff here. But you can't "unsee" something. :D

/signed.

Read by Dev. Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Jefro5

Read by Dev. Thanks!

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http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...ngingMario.gif
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Pleasure's all mine. :)

And it is a Dev with the title "Art Director" to make it that much better!:eek:

Cheer's and Kudo's to the OP.

It shouldnt take much for them to do this and I bet could make the next Update.

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Originally Posted by Memnir

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http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...ngingMario.gif
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Pleasure's all mine. :)

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best celebratory gif ever!

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Originally Posted by Memnir

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http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...ngingMario.gif
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Pleasure's all mine. :)

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You finally got to use it huh?

Three things:

1. Mem - great job getting the devs to look at this!
2. I agree it should be also the GT icons that get a reworking.
3. And this is the real question: with the UI Skins that can be made, can these be put into those? Just asking as I'm totally ignorant of this.

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Originally Posted by Jefro5

Read by Dev. Thanks!

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Woo! Art guy!

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Originally Posted by Meretrix

brilliant, I had something exactly like this in my mind. although since Meridia has had the house p icon forever who knows if they'll ever get around to this. One would think with the addition of the new locations they would have updated the icons.
I would also like to see the crafting hall location removed. We already have a teleport to house K, if somone cant run 20 ft they shouldnt be playing.

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I loved the New Icon's proposition. However, if it's to remove the Crafting Hall Location I would like the Lordsmarch Plaza Location to be added in it's place, please!!!!

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Originally Posted by marcosoneghett

I loved the New Icon's proposition. However, if it's to remove the Crafting Hall Location I would like the Lordsmarch Plaza Location to be added in it's place, please!!!!

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Um, I just want to be able to port to my airship. Wishful thinking.

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Originally Posted by Rinnaldo

/signed

It occurs to me that if players are willing to design icons, as you and I have done (although I mainly just reused an icon, too: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=313777), then maybe it would be in Turbine's interest to have some kind of Player Contribution Icon Contest. All they'd have to do is give away a forum title or maybe even a few TP, and they get scads of free work done for them, a playerbase who feels even more a part of the game, and whole set of new icons for their library - all without taxing their Art Department too much (aside from them having to download the pictures off the forums and importing them).

They'd simply need to specify margin size and/or shape (hex or square), graphics format, and maximum file size. I think we'd get a lot of really neat icons this way. I'd certainly make a few entries for such a contest. Anyone else?

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+1 to the OP, and +1 to you.
Agreed, Signed, and Notarized.
NWN was a shining example of what the player base can create. I can see Turbine using our input, so kudos to them too. But why not allow the players to help out in the "We don't have enough time to do this, we're working on more important stuff" category.

From what I've seen, there are a LOT of very talented, very dedicated, and very bored individuals just aching to be able to contribute. Ok, maybe they won't be able to write the code and all, but they sure can help out on storylines, artwork, etc!

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Originally Posted by Memnir

I am overjoyed that Teleport has received new locations... but I have found the recycling of icons to be really annoying. When it was just Meridia, that was one thing. But now we have a whole group of locations that have no distinctive icon to separate it's area from the others.

I personally think it's silly that the Tower of the Twelve shares the Portable Hole icon, for example. Or Meridia the same as House P... I hate to sound so negative about this - but the recycling of icons looks amateurish. As if these were just shoved in the game without care. This is meant as constructive criticism, Devs - I hope it does not seem like anything but that.


After a few minutes in Photoshop, and using icons for these zones that are already a part of the game's graphical library* - I came up with this...
.
.
.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...leportidea.jpg
.
.
.
Could use a bit of spit and polish, sure - but I think this gives the locations-list a much improved look overall.

Perhaps in a future Update (I know it's too late for U10, and maybe U11 too) could there possibly be an update like this to the Teleport icons? Yeah, it's not a huge game-breaking issue... but it'd make a frequently used aspect of the game seem much more complete.


*the exception being the Crafting Hall - so I took and adjusted an icon from inside the Hall instead. I also recolored the House P tree to look more like the big floating tree in the middle of Meridia for Meridia's icon.

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VERY nice. Good job on those.


TURBINE! get on this. mem did the work for you guys already even!

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Originally Posted by Fetchi

Um, I just want to be able to port to my airship. Wishful thinking.

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That would also be a suitable location!! Why don't the Devs implement both for once and for all?

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Originally Posted by marcosoneghett

That would also be a suitable location!! Why don't the Devs implement both for once and for all?

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A programming update and a cosmetic art update are two different crews. By asking for both at once you are asking for a slower response - or for them never to get around to it.

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Originally Posted by rest

Woo! Art guy!

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Well perhaps, if my title said God would you believe it and bow down before me?

Whaddya mean "No!"?

PPffff.....

Mem's acquisition by Turbine would be bad for 3 reasons:

1) He'd be much less funny on the forums as he'd be contractually obligated to not tell them off.

2) He'd probably run the place in a month

3) Pretty sure no Turbine employee can have the epic title as it'd be seen as winning something as an employee.

Nah keep him as he is. ;)

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Originally Posted by Gkar

A programming update and a cosmetic art update are two different crews. By asking for both at once you are asking for a slower response - or for them never to get around to it.

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I don't see why a cosmetic art update cant be made first and locations change scheduled for a later update, even tough that means programming update, when it's worthwhile.
Crafting Hall is, nevertheless, a redudant location as it is on House K, which is already a destination of the teleporter.
By implementing teleport locations to Guild Airship and/or Lordsmarch Plaza the teleport spell would be even more useful.

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Originally Posted by Asketes

You finally got to use it huh?

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Wasn't the reason I was holding on to it, true, but I think this fits the occasion just as nicely. :)

...now I just need to hunt up another gif for that other reason. hehehe

More ideal solution:

Add spell and buff icons to the user skin package.

So people like memnir and others in the community can update these to be better without needing the devs to interveen.

I'd personally redo all the rage buffs/bard buff so they dont all use the same barbarian rage icon.

Just to point out that the Greater mark of passage (dragonmark) is not up-to-date and do not have the new locations. Is there any plan on fixing this?

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Originally Posted by Shade

More ideal solution:

Add spell and buff icons to the user skin package.

So people like memnir and others in the community can update these to be better without needing the devs to interveen.

I'd personally redo all the rage buffs/bard buff so they dont all use the same barbarian rage icon.

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/signed

Agreed, buuuuuuuut......

Can you guys also have some new art for the crafting essences? It's a PITA when Shroud Foci of Water look like Greater Water Essences, etc. etc. etc.

While you are at it, lets move the marketplace teleport spot to the top of the marketplace airship tower. This would allow quick access to both the refuge and your guild airship without the need to add more locations (though that would be ideal). Since there is already a port to a bank (house K, craft hall), as well as to vendors (Portable hole), there really isn't any reason we need to have the market teleporter in the middle of the marketplace.

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Originally Posted by Shade

Add spell and buff icons to the user skin package.

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Given how annoying and unintuitive it is to skin the UI, and I've tried, this would be only a fair solution. I've skinned HUDs for just about every PC FPS I've played, but I quickly gave up on DDO's UI kit - it's just a mess. My hat is off to those who can make heads or tails of it and do something with it.

That said, if we could get in there and retinker the icons for things... I'd give another earnest go at . :)

Very good idea Mem, and im sure it would be very easy to implement.

I really like your meridia icon :).

+1

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Originally Posted by Memnir

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http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...leportidea.jpg
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Very clean and usable edits, great! :)
If you add this:
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=314858
and this:
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=199940

we will meet options and user friendly interface all in one :)

Also.. maybe review the Reavers Refuse teleport location from the guild air ship. It is very useless if it does not send you to the refuge...

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Originally Posted by Memnir

Wasn't the reason I was holding on to it, true, but I think this fits the occasion just as nicely. :)

...now I just need to hunt up another gif for that other reason. hehehe

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I figured something as much.

I'll keep an eye out for something just as spectacular

Now if only we can get NEW icons for various character Prestiges!
Wouldn't it ROCK to see various icons that bestow more information about a character in party than the same ole generic Rogue icon?

Ninja
Shinto
Kensii
Defender
Assassin
Acrobat
Mechanic
etc...

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Originally Posted by Meretrix

We already have a teleport to house K, if somone cant run 20 ft they shouldnt be playing.

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Hmmm, your measurement is a bit off. The teleport to House K is the bank, and that's well on the other side of House K.

Like your icons Mem.

/signed

I tried to +1 rep you, but apparently I need to rep other folks first. =(

This would be NICE!

+1

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Originally Posted by BangsLiekWhoa

Sure it is mostly cosmetic, but still very nice to have.

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If the success of the armor kits in the store tells us anything, it's that "mostly cosmetic" has a huge appeal to a large portion of the player base.

While there at the work of spending all of an hour on changing some icons- can they finally get to making it so not half the dang buffs in the game have the same or nearly same icon as Rage ?

/signed for the OP.

While we are at it, I also support the reconsideration of the differing rage icons. One cannot tell their frenzy from their death frenzy indeed.

Other than that, can't think of much other icon changes to the gui. Perhaps certain items can be considered (just as they did with The Blood Stone recently), but nothing essential that I can warrant (perhaps someone else can interject). Overall, I'm simply thankful that this thread has been read by a dev.

~TheHolyDarkness Out~

Liking it! God is in the details :)

Nice work, even better that a Dev read it.

Dear Art Team,



I have faith that you guys can still sneak these changes into the U11 roll-out. I know I for one was a bit bummed when I cracked open my teleport list on Llama, and found that the icons were still being recycled.


It's a small change yes - but one the players would love to see. C'mon guys! I believe that the finest asset Turbine has, the storied Art Team, can get make this happen!


Thanks in advance,
Mem.

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Originally Posted by Memnir

Dear Art Team,



I have faith that you guys can still sneak these changes into the U11 roll-out. I know I for one was a bit bummed when I cracked open my teleport list on Llama, and found that the icons were still being recycled.


It's a small change yes - but one the players would love to see. C'mon guys! I believe that the finest asset Turbine has, the storied Art Team, can get make this happen!


Thanks in advance,
Mem.

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From the Release Notes:

NEW All teleport location icons now changed to Memnir's forum avatar.
NEWTeleport failure location changed to be a pit of a thousand ice flensors. If the ice doesn't get you, the lag will.

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Originally Posted by Lithic

From the Release Notes:

NEW All teleport location icons now changed to Memnir's forum avatar.
NEWTeleport failure location changed to be a pit of a thousand ice flensors. If the ice doesn't get you, the lag will.

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This would be a good change. :)

The Pit of a Thousand Eddies.
Legends tell of this place.

Little things but good change.

/signed

Hmmm I wouldn't be surprised if I were to see this in the next Update ;)

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Originally Posted by Jefro5

Hmmm I wouldn't be surprised if I were to see this in the next Update ;)

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W00t!!! :D

Considerations and fixin's for Greater Teleport, too? :D

And don't forget to add House C to the Teleport list

Nice work Memnir +1

I was just complaining about this the other day.

I teleported to the wrong location (portable hole)...Grrr.

/signed

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Originally Posted by Jefro5

Hmmm I wouldn't be surprised if I were to see this in the next Update ;)

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would this encompass the 10 similar rage icons we have (spell, barb rage, frenzy, death frenzy, ironskin chant, mad stone ect...)

Please make Panacea it's own icon too, while you're at it.

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Originally Posted by Jefro5

Hmmm I wouldn't be surprised if I were to see this in the next Update ;)

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Which is why we will be surprised to not see it. ;)


(I kid, I kid)

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Originally Posted by Jefro5

Hmmm I wouldn't be surprised if I were to see this in the next Update ;)

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http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/.../happy_dog.gif
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Unexpectedly awesome! :D
TY, Jefro.

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Originally Posted by Jefro5

Hmmm I wouldn't be surprised if I were to see this in the next Update ;)

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Next as in U11 or next as in U12?

Don't forget about the cosmetic issue with the greater mark of passage, there's a big empty in there that you can decorate with more teleport locations. Definitely sounds like a cosmetic issue, since there's work on that being done for next update.

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Originally Posted by Jefro5

Hmmm I wouldn't be surprised if I were to see this in the next Update ;)

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Please, for the sake of all that's good and just, keep his icons as proposed. The coloring is beautiful. You can skim off some of my TP to compensate the guy for great work.

/back flips of joy :)

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Originally Posted by Extispex

Please make Panacea it's own icon too, while you're at it.

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Or at least change the VI to a IV where it won't be exactly the same as the Heal icon.

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Originally Posted by Extispex

Please make Panacea it's own icon too, while you're at it.

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^^ hey, done in less than a year! ^^ :D