Spiral Knights - Zopy's UI Redesign:

Zopy's UI Redesign:

147 replies [Last post]

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 16:54

Zopyros-Il

The entire new UI is just an ugly flashy mess in my opinion. It accomplishes NOTHING that the old one wasn't doing. In fact, the old one was giving the same information but in a much more useful and subtle format.
Now we get cheesy windows flying in our faces just to go down an elevator. Before, we got unobtrusive buttons that were extremely simple to understand without getting in our faces.
Now we get unnecessary bright lights and screen shakes that show damage. Before, we could tell we took damage via sounds and SUBTLE visuals and we understood it perfectly.
Now we have to click through one or two menus just to see our Energy, a VITAL piece of info that lets us know if we can move on BEFORE we step on the elevator. Before, all we had to do was glance at the corner of our screens.
Now we have an entire player base full of vets and old players who loved the game and the simple UI, who are angry that you're wasted your time and ours on this stupid ugly thing. Before, we were just angry over lack of balance and new content on our pretty game.

I really don't know what you guys are doing anymore or where you want to lead the game, but I don't like it. There's a ton of problems that you guys could have fixed in the time it took you to make this crappy new UI. Where's the balances for all our messed up gear? Where's some new textures and models for our gear? Where's the bug fixes for some of our buggy weapons?

While I'm disappointed in all of OOO at the moment, I'm kind of most disappointed in Ian and Boswick. You guys know what you're doing. You showed that in the wonderful initial design of the game. You showed that in the subtle yet effective UI design. This new design goes against all of that well thought-out design. Instead it shoves all the information in our faces in a gaudy, flashy manner while hiding away the more useful information that we relied on (CE, ME, Crowns, selected weapon).
What happened guys?
What happened to our pretty game, OOO?

EDIT: Oh great, I've been moved to the land of Ignored Suggestions. WELP.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 16:57

Merethif

Great design! +10000

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:00

Twistedvampire

WOW O_O

This is actualy what OOO needs! It's just truely amazing! OOOs! HIRE THIS MAN!

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:06

Bzzts

WOW.

Agreed.

+ ∞∞∞∞∞

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:03

Randomzz

gotta say

that's a pretty good layout imo

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:06

Eltia

Cooperstown, ND

Good attempt. What's that orange bar to the right of the heat gauge? Is that the BS ability bar?

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:07

Batabii

Okay, so...

I don't see why you need to see your hp twice to begin with.
Percentage is a lot more useful than pips, if you can't have both.
weapon slots are way too tiny
too soon to worry about battle sprites, and that section takes up too much space (two whole UIs?)
not complaining about the ce/cr display, just how you phrased "hide vital stats" lol
can't see any reason you'd want to hide the map...
I hope the vials are at the top center, you didn't label them

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:08

Thimol

-----

cool, though i imagine it might be difficult to fit onto smaller resolutions

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:08

The-Dragon-Child

Woot! +1

This is the UI I want *drools* I really hate the current UI T^T

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:11

Burq

I freaking love it :D

That's a very good attempt I have to say. Really liking with you did with the middle and bottom top of the screen!

And I agree with your opinions on the change and the disappointment with Ian and Nick: I can only hope they rushed it in one night because of a dead line or a n order from up top or something - they really both can do WAY better then this.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:12

#10

Kimahsonite

+9001

Honestly, I like this better than the current UI, even if OOO probably spent more time on that than you spent on this.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:19

#11

Burq

@Batabii

Pips are a lot more useful then percentage for 1 reason: they let you see the exact health your party members have instead of guessing (2 players can both have 33% health left but one is wearing proto armor and another skolver gear while both have costumes and full inspect of: who has the more total health and can take a hit or 2 more?).

Having your health show twice is useful to compare your performance to the rest of your team but it could be taken out, true.

Also, he's showing 2 possibilities for the Battle Sprites, not both at the same time :V

And knowing CE is vital on a game that's pretty much made around the ce/mist concept.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:23

#12

Luguiru

The shield meter still seems pointless to me. What are you going to use it for, to see if your shield was broken in the past three seconds?

With the team health tracker I would rather see a numeric fraction instead of vague percentages or tedious to track bars. Bars of health they have, slash, maximum health they can have at a time. Done. Maybe even make the numbers match their personal color so your eye can catch the numbers if everyone has different personal colors.

With energy I like the smaller energy tracker. If they had different icons or different colored thetas I would also like that.

With the chat box I would like to see the height of the whole thing be modifiable so you can have the chat box only show the last 3-4 lines instead of covering about a sixth of the screen with ten or however many lines it currently shows.

Other than those few things I definitely prefer this over what they gave us. Except the portrait thing, that just makes people want to doll up their knights.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:23

#13

Batabii

@burq

Oh, right. I forgot about that. Still, it would be better to have both.

And that's not what I mean. The way he said "hide vital info" made me think "zomg nobody look at my sekrit stash"

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:23

#14

Artistbma

+1 million!

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:24

#15

Zopyros-Il

Beep Boop

If OOO ever wants to hire me for something, I'd rather it be for my monster, character, weapon concepts, and my rather large collection of armor set concepts rather than an UI I spent a few hours on.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:41

#16

Zopyros-Il

Beep Boop

Whoa lots of replies while I was typing.

Thanks for the general positive feedback on this!

@Eltia
That bar just shows more Heat if it goes over the normal indicator. I never liked how it never showed a tangible amount for the Heat if it ever went over. Battle Sprite cooldowns would be the icons on one of the Sprite UIs at the top.

@Batabii
1. and 2. were addressed by others.
3. Sorry about that, but it's better than it is now where you can't see what weapon you're using or what weapons in your arsenal are Cursed. Plus, it doesn't cover up your screen in the middle of a fight.
4. Those are two different concepts. Just tried to fill up empty spaces without blocking the blocking much of the player's screen. I have no idea where they're going to put it on the new one without cluttering up the screen even more than it already does.
5. Well they are vital! D:
6. That button would only hide the options, not the map itself. They were part of the same "blob" on the old UI so I didn't bother separating them.
7. Oops. Those are the vial slots, but it's too late to label them now.

@Lug
Never saw the point of the Shield health either. Only added it in because I wanted to show that it could be added into the old UI. If it showed it proportional to the Health of the Shield equipped (Swiftstrike vs. Ancient for example) then I'd be all for it, but how it is now is pretty useless.

I like that about the Party health tracker. That would work MUCH better than what we have now.

I personally like the larger Energy one, but I don't dislike the new smaller one's design. It just needs to be a bit bigger in my opinion.

I'd make the chat window resizable if if I could, but alas...

And I think OOO really wants us to doll up our Knights, so I left it in. If I had my way with the portrait, I'd have it show the various status effects on the Knight, if they're close to death, and if they take damage. Make it react to the Knight's actual actions on screen instead of staring off into the abyss.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 17:48

#17

Altairio

Me gusta mucho!(I like it alot!. :D) Actually, I don't like it, I FRICKING LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 18:01

#18

Eltia

Cooperstown, ND

Alright thanks for the clarification. Here are some feedbacks for you. Overall I like it. With a recent revelation from test server, it looks like something is going to happen with Shield (and hence the need of that shield bar). It looks to me both the BS ability bar (which would recharge itself overtime) and the Shield bar (which we already know will recharge itself after being damaged, and maybe more) would be bouncing (dancing) during battle. e.g. BS abilities get triggered, draining the BS bar. So it makes sense to put them somewhere in close proximity on the screen (but differentiated by sharp colors) so we don't have to roll our eyeballs too much.

Do you think you can find a place in your design to make this happen? If my guess is right, in the future the battle would be mostly driven by the rhythm of the shield and BS bars. (It would be kind of like the ATB system in Final Fantasy V.) So it makes sense to position those two bars right first, and then decide if we want to stick the Health Bar to where it originally was, or pick a different representation for Health (like reusing the CE gauge) and stuff it somewhere else.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 18:04

#19

Thuq

+ 7ever on this UI design. I

+ 7ever on this UI design.
I don't think they could use this though since it was created by somebody not on the team, but they could at least base off it... or get your permission. -shrug- Just I really hope they do something related to this if they're gonna add more things they think are necessary to the games gameplay.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 18:08

#20

Shidara

Wow.

You really don't have anything better to do, do you.

I jest.

I must say though, that's an impressive improvised attempt for the UI, and I certainly wouldn't mind having this. I do kinda prefer the new style though, maybe I'm just tired of the same ol', but the point is that I appreciate the fresh look for what it is right now, but as far as the UI layout goes this is a very nice concept. Good work.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 18:15

#21

Doofta

This is what we truly need.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 18:16

#22

Twistedvampire

KEEP UP THE GOD WORK!

You art is amazing, please don't stop what you're doing, & keep your spirit up even thoguht they moved you! D:

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 18:20

#23

Kalaina-Elderfall

This design is perfect.

This design is perfect. Implementing this as-is is pretty much the only thing OOO could do right now to keep me playing their game.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 18:23

#24

Toksyuryel

Yeah this right here is perfect. I would be extremely satisfied with this UI.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 18:24

#25

Milkman

Yay my eyes are healed!

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 18:30

#26

Ubernerd

Pay 'tention, OOO

This is what your players want, OOO. This is what a good UI looks like. This is a setup you should at least seriously take into consideration. Please.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 18:59

#27

Ilovevogue

OOO better be looking at this

I rarely ever post on the forums, but when I saw your design I was blown away. This is exactly what we need. Not to be able to see my crowns / ce is driving me mad after one day. The ability to hide this would appease those who disliked it being visable. They gave me all these options on my screan I dont want or need and took away the the things I used! I agree with Burg about bringing the health pips back as well. The percentage option just does not work AT ALL. I hope this post receives hundreds of comments so it is brought to OOO attention immediately!

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 19:32

#28

Zopyros-Il

Beep Boop

Klipik manages to illustrate the biggest problem with the new UI better than I can. (Klip's post)

@Eltia
I was under the impression that each Sprite ability would have its own cooldown bar, not all three abilities using the same one. I know there's going to be stuff with the defense and the shield, but once again I didn't know it would effect the bar itself.
What I'm hoping is that it doesn't do the stupid thing it's doing now where the Health/Shield/Sprite bars would grow and shrink in size constantly. It's far too visually distracting for players. Combined with how visually confusing the rest of the additions have made the screen... ugh.

As much as I'd like to go back and fix things up with that new information, making it up-to-date wasn't my main goal. It was to show that there was nothing wrong with the old UI and that it could be changed slightly to incorporate the new additions. Even if my version doesn't have all the intended features, it shows that OOO did mess up by thinking they needed a new UI that rearranged everything senselessly. Though, if they break it even further, I'd be more than glad to continuously shove their older, better design in their faces. Kind of like how they're shoving everything in the game in our face right now!

@Shidara
I actually have stuff to do... honest! It's just nowhere near as interesting as Spiral Knights stuff. :P

I don't necessarily hate the new visual look of the UI. How things are arranged and presented is what bugs me. Also how it meshes with the rest of the established art of the game is another concern of mine... in that the new UI doesn't mesh with the art at all. It sticks out like a sore thumb at this point and if OOO thinks that the shiny UI alone is what brings people to the game, they're more lost than I thought.

@ Everyone else
Thanks for the positive feedback! Hopefully OOO doesn't ignore this like most feedback they get from us!

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 19:40

#29

Hollafamer

Please god 000 pick this idea up

Yes yes yes this is smartly done. Good mix of old and new this is the Ui we need. I would go so far to say if 000 ignores this thread then I am finished with this game for good that how strongly I feel about this idea great work.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 19:44

#30

Krazzaine

+MoreThanIsProbablyNecessary

Lovin' this UI mighty hard.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 19:48

#31

Eltia

Cooperstown, ND

Well, I do not know how the BS abilities would work exactly. (Only Three Rings knows.)

In my view, the BS abilities would be like Magic. Each one would have its own cost and it would drain a certain portion of the (same) BS ability bar. I believe this is more likely what OOO would do because it simplifies implementation and reduces visual cluttering.

But, it's OOO and they invented that new HUD. So I could be totally wrong about this prediction.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 20:00

#32

Rekkusu

I hope OOO accepts this :D

it's Amazing!

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 20:02

#33

Trydeth

You already know I show a great level of approval for this suggestion but making it concretely known on here can only help.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 20:05

#34

Tin-Foil-Hat

Cool design and all but you

Cool design and all but you just blocked a good 30-40% of view :l

Assuming all those arrows are collapsing, you still block some of the more important areas such as bottom middle. Lockdown will be a pain with such a UI.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 20:12

#35

Shidara

@Zopyros-Il

I will agree that it does stand out much more than it used to, but with the option of hiding it away when I'm not using it I'm not really too fussed about it as it won't end up distracting me that way. I'm interested in seeing where they will go from here after taking in our feedback, so whilst your idea is really neat and all I'm not yet ready to give it my support of being implemented in place of the new one.

Also, I'm pretty sure they believe gameplay is what'll attract players as opposed to their shiny new UI. :P
Just because they're getting a little bit experimental doesn't mean they've lost their way!

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 20:32

#36

Mrtortoise

I love this.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 20:38

#37

Fehzor

Also make sure to mention less shiny-blue crap. Unless you did. Lazy and late at night. To-day I was playing the game. Then I was like "The Binding of Isaac has a nice looking UI." and I left and played Isaac.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 20:45

#38

Zopyros-Il

Beep Boop

@Eltia
That seems more like the method they'd use now that I think of it. SK is supposed to be a simpler game, so a unified cooldown for the Sprites seems more plausible.
Still, we don't know how it will turn out in the end. If the added gauges for the Sprites make this UI even worse, another redesign from me will definitely happen.

@Tin-Foil-Hat
The bottom UI with the Health, Shield, and statuses aren't much bigger than the old UI's vertically. I oversized the status indicators, but they aren't even there all the time. Horizontally, yes, my UI does take up more space, but they added in a lot of on-screen info that I had to include. I could definitely size it down though.
Otherwise, my redesign doesn't cover up much more space than the old one and a little less than the new one.

Also, as a LD player, you probably don't like the fact that whenever you switch your weapon the weapon wheel pops up and blocks your view and the fact that your Health isn't in your field of view normally. The new UI also sizes up a lot of the old elements as well, so how does the new one affect your LD gameplay? Is it better or worse in your opinion? (I don't do LD myself, so I'm curious)

@Shidara
Yeah, but you can't hide away the annoyingly flashy window that comes up for elevators now. Some like it, but I liked the subtle simplicity of the old buttons. And even then, it's not like they couldn't add the hide away buttons to the old UI. Hell, they could have made multiple skins available for the UI so players can have the old subdued hues of the old one or the shiny brighter colors of the new one.
The square buttons also really bother me. Everything else in the game is circular in nature (such is the nature of spirals), so they just feel ridiculously out of place compared to everything else.

I know that they want players to enjoy the gameplay, but considering how much playable content they've released lately...
That, plus how proud they seemed to be with their new UI, something that shouldn't have taken much more than a week to design, create, and implement into the game. It's a little disheartening...
And as cynical as I'm being, I do appreciate that they're experimenting. I just wish they were smarter about it, which I know they can be. It's like SEGA constantly over their shoulder is dumbing them down.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 21:10

#39

Tin-Foil-Hat

@Zop - I dont mind it, i

@Zop - I dont mind it, i think its a tad too close to the character, if it was a bit father itd be more enjoyable but your ui that shows all weapons is fitting.

The main issue i have with this ui and the previous is the character portrait, i personally care to see my characters portrait, since im playing the character. I find that is completely unnecessary in my opinion. The only time i should care about looking at my character still frame is the character menu itself. For the most part your UI is a revamp of the old one which can be good or bad, in some players opinions.

Personally id like to see something far more condensed.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 22:24

#40

Flaame

As a player who went the

As a player who went the extra mile to get into the testing server and test the content with the potential to improve the UI, I agree.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 22:25

#41

Zeeca

+1 vote

Good job man, you IMPROVED on the old UI, unlike OOO!

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 22:38

#42

Klipik

So I hear you wanted to know about LD

I haven't played LD in my usual tier, T2, more than one match because it was unplayable for me with the changes. The screen shake every time you get hit leads to lag and much easier stun-locking for your opponents. Obscure HP location means you don't know when to back out of a fight; if you glance up to check how you're doing you're as good as dead anyway. I also use a style where I shield and switch weapons a lot, so the flashing shield bar and giant icons in front of my character make it even worse. I've been playing T3 instead, where I'm under geared so I don't have to check my health because I know I die in 2-4 hits from anything.

Thu, 04/04/2013 - 22:45

#43

Spirit-And-Soul

NICE

lmao you just took the new UI artist's dream and crushed it. hard. +1

Fri, 04/05/2013 - 03:58

#44

Hardfault

Beautiful

That UI which you made... is downright beautiful. Why couldn't OOO come up with something like that? The new UI is too fancy. @ OOO Guys, the UI doesn't have to be fancy at all. It needs to be simple and practical. The new UI is TOO fancy and flashy. No one wants to press "I" just to check if they can descend, the older one made it obvious that you cant. I would suggest making the older UI optional OR using what Zopy has done. Thanks!
P.S Forgot, +1

Fri, 04/05/2013 - 04:14

#45

Zeddy

" If it showed it proportional to the Health of the Shield equipped (Swiftstrike vs. Ancient for example) then I'd be all for it, "

That's how the current shield bar works. Have you even tried equipping different shields with the new UI?

Fri, 04/05/2013 - 04:22

#46

Triplescrew

+1 because its better.

But I dont think we need portrait thingy and shield meter. Especially at the bottom of the screen because of camera angle.
Just imagine a devilite hiding behind your portrait and...boom!!! you dead as space.

Fri, 04/05/2013 - 04:25

#47

Triplescrew

WTF. Sorry about that. It

WTF. Sorry about that. It lagged.

Fri, 04/05/2013 - 04:29

#48

Msaad

We shall let this thread live, THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH, WE NEED YOUR ENERGY!!!!!!

Oh yeah, +1

Fri, 04/05/2013 - 05:14

#49

Thunder-The-Bright

great job.

I think this is the kind of feedback OOO needs. keep the love coming!

Fri, 04/05/2013 - 05:58

#50

Troupe-Forums

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Zopy's UI Redesign: