Curse

ecirbaf · May 20, 2008, 08:24 PM // 20:24

Here are a few suggestions of mine, those are all related to the game interface so I'm posting them together. I also checked the "Index of ideas" and there doesn't seem to be similar suggestions in the list (perhaps because this is really about the UI and not gameplay) :

Suggestions for the Guild Wars Development Team

A SETTING FOR FONT-SIZE IN THE CHAT WINDOW

Sometimes the chat window text can be tiring to read when your eyesight is not so good.
In the options there is the Graphics > Interface Size setting.
On a 1680x1050 monitor however I find that "Normal" is nice, and "Large" doesn't look good.

What would be great is a setting for the text size that works separately from the "Interface size" setting. When using a larger text size, the user could
use Options > Interface and enlarge the chat window accordingly if required.

I think this setting would best affect only the chat window text and perhaps the input box of the chat window. Not the tabs, window titles, or anything else (the rest would be as per default font size of the current Interface size). That's because nearly everything else has enough context with colors and images and the user spends very little time actually reading those. Another reason is if the text size of the window titles, etc is affected, it will increase the size of the UI elements, but that's really the point of this suggestion: to keep the same UI size, but have the chat window text more comfortable to read.

The option could be added to the Options window, or it could be added as a small icon to the chat window itself, similarly to the "+ -" icons you see sometimes on websites.

This may be also useful for Asian players where the kanji/hanzi in particular can be difficult to read at small sizes.

IMPROVE THE TEMPLATE MANAGEMENT UI

Nearly everytime I click "Load from template" or "Save to template" I see something I want to change and then I have to go back and pick "Manage Templates" and then again go back and pick load or save template. I think this part of the UI could really use some "streamlining".

It would be great to click the little disk icon and see just "Manage templates" and "Template code". In "manage template" the user should be able
to save, load, rename, and delete templates (and anything else I may have forgotten).

Related notes :

- is it really necessary for example to see a duplicate of your skill bar when you're about to save ? After all the skill bar is just there in the "Skills" window from which you clicked the disk icon so you can see it right there behind the Manage template window.

- the file icon in the templates list isn't adding much, since they're all the same icon.
A useful icon would be an icon for the main character class for example. Perhaps this would allow for my suggestion above so instead of graying out some items when you use "Load template" they can all be displayed equally, but you can find easily the relevant ones with a character class icon.

Another way to do the latter would be to use tabs in the template window "Save" "Load" "Manage" (that's probably the easiest move from the current state and would still be very handy, I think).

PARTY WINDOW (AND OTHER UI WINDOWS) WHEN IN TOWN

It's great to chill in the outposts and just chat sometimes, or just shop around, and work on your character and Stash. In those cases I often find myself closing all the hero bars and Very often, I find myself wanting to remove all those extra windows I don't need so I can really enjoy the background. Perhaps because the party window is so big, and generally the windows have those really bright read/blue bars plus icons that make the background less visible.

Perhaps some ways to allow the user to close that pesky party window:

- show a small popup that require manual closing when somebody throws
a party invite, where the party window would have been located. That way
the user won't miss party invites, if that popup is small enough, you
don't need to bother closing it either.

- you know how you can drag those icons out of the "windows XP"-like menu? If you dont want the user to become frustrated because they dont find the party window... you could allow the user to minimize a window to an icon similar to the icons you can drag outside of the "xp"-like menu.

- other ideas are animated icons as on the Mac, pulsating slightly in size
or bouncing to tell you something's going on in a minimzed window.

Thanks for making Guild Wars!

Gregslot · May 20, 2008, 08:44 PM // 20:44

That is the kind of idea that used to run around Sardelac about 2 years ago, but now no one cares about interface or etc.
Its a good idea but dont expect it to become popular because people like to post a idiotic or broken ideas (like "give more pve skillz lulz").

And maybe well see this at GW2, the "BIG" plans are beeing saved for that.

ecirbaf · May 20, 2008, 08:47 PM // 20:47

Well yeah, it's been a while since the Guild Wars beta

I agree, I hope the text size in particular will make it into GW2.

MithranArkanere · May 21, 2008, 05:28 PM // 17:28

I think that the GW font is a bitmap-type font.
It's based in the Frits-Quadrata, but using bitmaps made out of it, instead of the font itself.
If that is not the case, and it uses a vectorial-type font, like the FritzQuadrata TTF itself, that it would be absolutely great to be able to choose size. Both bigger and smaller.

I absolutely agree with the Templates.
The manage template should allow also to manually create, delete and move folders from there.

And for the 'clutter removal' I also agree:
- Collapse radar like the chat panel.
- Collapse party panel (leaving a single horizontal line or a vertical line of profession)