Ui

[T.L.D.]

Overall the UI is very hard to work with, it is barely customizable and overly crowded. Some parts are too big and others are too small. After researching how to customize this UI, I have come to the conclusion that DDO needs to covert the UI to client side and make it fully XML. I understand there is a lot of action bar usage and this is a major area that needs changing to something more useful and workable.
Currently the majority of UI control is serverside and the user only has a INI to store settings. Does this make for a smaller data packet when playing? Would it make a difference?

[vectner]

That would probably require a complete re-write of the code and I doubt they have the resources for such a thing. I do agree that the UI is weak, but I think with a few tweeks it could be more user friendly. Larger inventory icons for a start, **** those things are small.

[Valezra]

I have not felt limited in any way with this UI. I run an average of 8 quickbars and have about 12 hotkeys per character. Please explain what you are having problems with and we would be glad to help.

[Almerel]

I not only have no problem with the UI, I think it's one of the easiest to use. I have a char that has 9 action bars and I am able to put them where ever I need them so I would hate for them to do it like WoW's where your bars are static (Kind of a WoW noob so this maybe that).

[rimble]

I understand how some people could feel this is restrictive, especially compared to something like WoW (not saying you are making that comparison). However, the flip-side of that is you can get enough Add-Ons for WoW that it pretty much plays itself. It is definitely possible to make a UI TOO customizable, which in my opinion, games like WoW have done.

It's not perfect, but I don't want to see the game reduced to macros and Add-Ons.

[Aspenor]

I play with up to 12 hotbars, and it doesn't seem crowded to me. Maybe you ought to get a bigger monitor with better resolution....

[T.L.D.]

I play with up to 12 hotbars, and it doesn't seem crowded to me. Maybe you ought to get a bigger monitor with better resolution....

Agreed, I am partially sight disabled my 20" just wont cut it for this game, hence the UI comments. If I could reconfigure my own UI it would be a tad easier to play for more then an hour. Or you could send me a widescreen..

[Jay203]

...Or you could send me a widescreen..

don't we all wish

[Aspenor]

Agreed, I am partially sight disabled my 20" just wont cut it for this game, hence the UI comments. If I could reconfigure my own UI it would be a tad easier to play for more then an hour. Or you could send me a widescreen..

If you really insist on ranting about something that's probably your own inability to organize your screen, I suggest you do a forums search for the UI skin DDOLite. That might be more to your liking.

However, your attitude leaves much to be desired. No developer is going to give your post any serious thought.

[moops]

I play with 10 hotbars, and can flip to several more. I have several things hot keyed. I love this interface much better than any of the previous MMORPGS or RPGS that I have played.

[Bloodhaven]

OP i know where you are coming from. I played Asheron's Call and that turbine game allowed you to really modify your UI. The people in this thread for the most part have no idea what you mean by UI modification. DDO has little to no real UI modification possible.

[MissErres]

OP i know where you are coming from. I played Asheron's Call and that turbine game allowed you to really modify your UI. The people in this thread for the most part have no idea what you mean by UI modification. DDO has little to no real UI modification possible.

This^^... DDO is the only MMO I've ever played so I have no frame of reference to compare it to. However, I find the "hotbar" system quite functional. I also am slightly sight impared (ok, I'm blind as a bat w/o my glasses or contacts) but I've found that my 22" widescreen and adjusting my resolution has helped immensely. I've also changed the font size in my chat boxes to help.

My only problem is I rarely use my mouse, mostly play with keyboard only, and I have difficulty hitting hotbars 4+ in the heat of battle. But that is not a game issue, it's mine. I know how to do keymapping to facilitate this a little easier, I've just been too lazy to do it and then take the time to get used to it.

[deadmanet]

While I don't have an issue with th UI, I know there are some that do. Granted the OP could have used a slightly less negative title(thread itself seemed ok) and some of the responses could have been done without. But, there is nothing wrong with making a suggestion. LOTRO is another Turbine game, yet it has customizable UI. You can resize/place where you want, just about everything.

Yes, DDO and LOTRO are two different games, and LOTRO is a newer game, but to anyone but the developers of DDO, we have no clue what they are capable of doing, and/or how hard something like this would be to fix. And it doesn't matter if you create your own games/software, unless you have access to all the data/software used in DDO, you can not say that it's too hard/easy.

Just my 2cp

[T.L.D.]

This^^... DDO is the only MMO I've ever played so I have no frame of reference to compare it to. However, I find the "hotbar" system quite functional. I also am slightly sight impared (ok, I'm blind as a bat w/o my glasses or contacts) but I've found that my 22" widescreen and adjusting my resolution has helped immensely. I've also changed the font size in my chat boxes to help.

My only problem is I rarely use my mouse, mostly play with keyboard only, and I have difficulty hitting hotbars 4+ in the heat of battle. But that is not a game issue, it's mine. I know how to do keymapping to facilitate this a little easier, I've just been too lazy to do it and then take the time to get used to it.

Most MMO's have Hotbars that are similar, so giving certain parts of the UI scalability outside of screen resolution adjustment is absolutely necessary, notably the hotbars. Maybe if they add more control in the UI INI file, which is, IMHO, a ******** way to control the UI. What that does is give no individuality between characters, meaning, its all stored serverside.


@Aspenor Thats ok, most devs are IDIOTS and only give a **** about a paycheck, while sitting on their behind play any other game but the one they are getting payed for....my attitude is..well .. mine!

[Jypsen]

I just wanted to chime in my 2 cents worth of opinion.

One thing that disappointed me was that the UI positioning data appears to be held entirely server side. I have 2 gaming systems in my home, the better equipped one on the desk and the pretty decent one connected to the 720P HDTV. With other MMOs, I can configure the UI for each machine suited to each resolution, and swap back and forth with a minimum of fuss. DDOs server side UI settings means that I have to setup my UI for one machine, and try to make due on the other one. Which means either a nice and efficient UI on the better machine which leads to overlap on the HDTV machine, or a UI that plays nice with the HDTV lower resolution, but results in a lot of odd spacing on the better machine due to scaling.

I'm definitely for more user side UI settings, although a full XML implementation seems a bit overboard to me. If only so that I can switch between my machines at my convenience with the minimum of fuss.

[T.L.D.]

SIDL(XML), like what Sony uses for EQ, is quite easy to use. The switch to xml may be a pain for some devs but hey what do you expect from laziness, the majority of the game is free so this adds to the crappyness factor. On the other hand, the switch would lessen the load on the server keeping track of all the UI configurations and placement, Current Custom UI make it worse and thats why there is so little control in them. I want bigger hotbars and chat text, they already have the custom UI made - see LOTRO? Its not its brain surgery....

[BLAKROC]

SIDL(XML), like what Sony uses for EQ, is quite easy to use. The switch to xml may be a pain for some devs but hey what do you expect from laziness, the majority of the game is free so this adds to the crappyness factor. On the other hand, the switch would lessen the load on the server keeping track of all the UI configurations and placement, Current Custom UI make it worse and thats why there is so little control in them. I want bigger hotbars and chat text, they already have the custom UI made - see LOTRO? Its not its brain surgery....

i guess from lazyness we expect peeps not to be able to use the current ai and demand changes oh and they have to act like jerks about it as well..

[KillEveryone]

Since moderators are moderating and editing these posts...feel free to edit this post if you can come up with something funny and cheeky.

Otherwise keep the next 2 statements in please.

There seems to be mud flung towards the devs and moderators and this thread has potential to be locked so...

In before the lock.

[Exomin]

If you really insist on ranting about something that's probably your own inability to organize your screen, I suggest you do a forums search for the UI skin DDOLite. That might be more to your liking.

However, your attitude leaves much to be desired. No developer is going to give your post any serious thought.

I love forums. Everyone wants to shove their head up someone else's ass.

[Memnir]

Note to mods who did the editing, thanks this is news now !

Only news to you, my clueless friend. Only to you...