People aren't happy because it's such a huge change from what we have now. People like the simple colours and tidy interface that we have now, and the new, shiny, somewhat cluttered UI will take quite a bit of getting used to. Also the new pill and vitapod art is fugly and completely out of place.

"Kongregate asked for it, as well as several other threads."

With all respect, Kongregate is full of kids. And NOT the WHOLE COMMUNITY asked for health bars and cluttered stuff like this, but only minor number of people did. Most of them being from newbies who just want this and want this.

............................................________
....................................,.-‘”...................``~.,
.............................,.-”...................................“-.,
.........................,/...............................................”:,
.....................,?......................................................\,
.................../...........................................................,}
................./......................................................,:`^`..}
.............../...................................................,:”........./
..............?.....__.........................................:`.........../
............./__.(.....“~-,_..............................,:`........../
.........../(_....”~,_........“~,_....................,:`........_/
..........{.._$;_......”=,_.......“-,_.......,.-~-,},.~”;/....}
...........((.....*~_.......”=-._......“;,,./`..../”............../
...,,,___.\`~,......“~.,....................`.....}............../
............(....`=-,,.......`........................(......;_,,-”
............/.`~,......`-...............................\....../\
.............\`~.*-,.....................................|,./.....\,__
,,_..........}.>-._\...................................|..............`=~-,
.....`=~-,_\_......`\,.................................\
...................`=~-,,.\,...............................\
................................`:,,...........................`\..............__
.....................................`=-,...................,%`>--==``
........................................_\..........._,-%.......`\
...................................,<`.._|_,-&``................`\

Why do I have to be quiet about things I didn't ask for, don't need AND don't like? Those who criticize, complain and rage just trying to make this game better. Because they CARE about this game. Hell, I writing this because I'd rather not look at something like this when I play SK. You could say we just hate it because it changed. Well, that's not entirely true. It changed for the worse. That's the problem.

The new UI isn't a complete disaster. I like the new map and even if it's kind of unnecessary ( the color-based shield breaking was so unique! ) the shield meter too...and...yeah that's it.

I'm just hoping they let us rearrange, resize and disable a things the way we like it...not like this feature's going to be implemented in the next couple months though.

So please, let us use the old UI or customise the new one. Also, do something with the way too shiny items. They look absolutely horrible.

rage? That indeed doesn't seem like a very wise decision. I've been through this kind of stuff again and again in other games. So I am used to it.

But yeah you'll basically won't see me anymore when I won't "feel" at home after certain changes. I mean there's plenty of games anyway. But it'd be sad to see this one of many SEGA games to feel like its going in a not so nice direction.

Odds are you will be able to turn off the monster health bar, the one above the monster at least, maybe the one at the top of the screen also. Although if you can't remove the one at the top it is no big thing honestly. The things in the bottom corners have arrows on them, meaning that they will be able to be expanded to that size or shrunk off the screen. Most people (almost all) will leave them shrunk. If you notice there is a third arrow just below the mini-map, no telling what that one is for as it is shrunk how the other 2 can become.

Showing the enemies on the mini-map is a waste in my opinion, and will completely remove the surprise element of Phantoms.

What I honestly want to know is can I shrink my character's picture? I really, REALLY don't need a pic of myself that is as big as the mini-map. I am not that narcissistic. I am also interested in seeing having party members looks like. Is that what the expandable thing on the right is, the party list/HP bars? Or are they going to have something underneath my giant picture and rather large HP bar?

... And where did they get a +13 Vita?

~Gwen

Whatever people wanna call it, it doesn't matter. If it causes people to not like it and leave in the end it'll affect everyone. We don't care that you think our reasoning for leaving isn't rational. In the mean time we're enjoying ourselves fine with other games. Because indeed there are plenty of them

I am feeling a bit sad about the old UI being removed. My only real gripe however is I want to be able to remove the info about the specific monster I'm attacking (royal mini). It will be rather annoying if I don't get to do that.

I still refuse to believe this UI change is not an April's Fool joke or that Ian made something so tacky and unfitting to the game's general art style.

That is like asking for a cookie and then crying because it isn't chocolate chip

Would you not complain if the cookie was moldy all over? And not everyone asked for it, btw. If all it took was Kongregate's push to make OOO change it to something so tacky and cheap, well that just makes me disappointed in OOO and angry at Kongregate.

If I cant turn it off or change it back to the old one (I dont mind one bit losing the new features) I'll probably really call it quits from this game and cash out all my items for tf2 stuff. At least there I can shoot at the things that hurt my eyes.

It looks like a poorly done generic RPG.

@ Softhead - Note the top topic bars, the spiral knights logos. Go to the main page and note how they use gradiants and i guess you could say "pop/bubbly" styles on icons. If you dont think the art style doesnt make sense, i cant help you but as someone whos an art student the majority of the new ui changes, aesthetically speaking, do match. A few things bother me but over all it matches and looks better than the general hud we have now, also its much more helpful.

I'm kinda shocked at how the entire community is acting so childish towards what essentially is a minor graphical change.
I mean, I can understand if it was a stupid nerf or mal-thought buff like the gun buff or the shard bomb change, yeah, it's ok to have strong opinions there because those things were game changing and affected everyone's playstyle. But complaining about how menus and windows look? It's completely ridiculous.

I fail to see how it looks ugly. It conveys information, clearly, and descriptively. That's what a GUI does. Does it have eldery naked women pasted all over it? Nope. Is its face filled with warts? Nope. Is it some ugly pastelly colour? Nope.

I don't see what the problem is.

"Features we don't really need"? You have failed to realise that only experienced players come to the forums. The only Features experienced players need are a sword, gun and bomb of some sort and a floor full of monsters and crowns. This GUI is aimed at newer players.
If you got a problem with parts of the GUI showing too much info, hide them with the tabs, that's what they're there for.

@Hexzyle

Because presentation matters a lot, specially if we go from a unique and fitting look to something generic and clunky, even if it had new features added. And it's not a minor change: if the UI is getting a rework, all the menus and item icons will have to get one too or it will look even more patchwork; a minor change would be a color change (the new blue to a crimson red) or the minimap alone.

I love this game's art style, it's one of the things that made me fall in love with this game, changing something like that for just a few extra unneeded features (and I like the shield gauge and health bar... well, not the huge pointless character model staring at you) is more then enough reason for me to complain.

We haven't seen the whole of it yet.

Changes can be suggested and made once it's released. And I'm pretty sure the developers will allow you to switch between the new and old interfaces. (At least I hope, it would only seem logical in order to satisfy everyone)

Lag enducing.

My laptop is on it's last leg.

I'll most likely kill my mugshot first.

Before it kills me.

It doesn't really look too bad. All they really did was move some things around, change the icon size, and added health bars for enemies.

taking out the crowns and ce counters...

Erm, that's underneath the minimap.

just look at the Iron Slug buff.

Oh you haven't heard about what's happening with the Iron Slug?

@Hexzyle

"I fail to see how it looks ugly"

I can't help it if your sense of design is downright bad.

ive never seen so many ppl giving a **** about freaking UI CHANGES

"I fail to see how it looks ugly"

I can't help it if your sense of design is downright bad.

Doesn't match my opinion perfectly = Wrong

Nice logic there.

You have failed to realise that only experienced players come to the forums

I'm here, so your point is moot.

It's also common that humans tend to HEAVILY underestimate how quickly they will get used to something.

I remember when Youtube changed it's layout to the current one now. Same thing happened; people complained, and called it hideous and ugly, and it quietened down. Not sure if people like it, but that's besides the point; point is, the complaints died down pretty quickly. Same thing might happen with this new UI.

I don't actually see how we could not complain at a downgrade...

Neither can I, but I still can't tell why you're complaining. There isn't enough information to actually consider it as a downgrade at this point.

I will judge things as they are given to me, and I like the current UI's look much better than the new one's look from what I have seen. I'm not saying that it will necessarily be bad, I am saying that IF it looks and acts like I think it will, being like the screenshot, then I won't be too happy for it.

I feel like the current UI really captures the art of Spiral Knights, and that the new one looks overly polished and kind of crappy. We didn't ask for "a new UI" we asked for several features to be added on to the current one. As in-

"Please add monster health bars." and "Please make shield health visible." and "Don't rely on text to explain so much. Instead, teach players in other ways."

And not-

"Please redesign the entire UI from scratch and make it looks shiny and blue."

Because the current art on the UI is not only decent, but fits perfectly with the game.

As for "Use it for 2 weeks before judging it"- I don't have to "use it" to see whether I like the artistic style on it. I'm sure I'll like the way it is used much better- the information is a plus, etc. But the shiny blue is crap.

+ 1 Troupeforum "shiny, somewhat cluttered UI " really looks like to be from a cheap RPG on the picture. & "the new pill and vitapod art is fugly and completely out of place."
+1 Burq for saying that it is may an "April's Fool joke" ( or that Ian made something so tacky and unfitting to the game's general art style is now a complete Kongregate's disaster.)

Don't even like the shield bar that reminds me of what a Halo in 3rd view could have been & it takes a part of the originality of the game.

No even the map will be useful, because being surprised to see the monsters popping up from the ground may not be a surprise anymore; and for the experienced gamers, they don't need it anymore because they know how they pop and where exactly.

The weakness of mobs is explained a plenty of time in the intro of the game, so this is just for birdbrained people who might have pushed OOO for this UI.

The only advantage is the HP bar of the mobs, to hit the mobs without the thrill of him being killed or not ...

THIS UI IS BAD AND YOU SHOULD FEEL BAD ! (V) (;,,,;) (V)

I was informed of the new possible HUD, and while I am commenting, that does by no means entail my return.

I will be brief. Relatively.

In all honesty, when I first saw the new version, I didn't like it. I'd played and looked at suggestions for SK under the assumption that the ambiguity of the 'numbers' regarding health and the like were supposed to be part of the fun.

Now, not will we not only have more accurate representation of the health of our soon our already soon-to-be-dead-anyway enemies, but we have what is basically a 'hold-your-hand-this-is-how-we-do-it' readout. Well, exaggeration, obviously. But yes, I am referring to the Monster Strength/Weakness readout. Yes, it is helpful for newbies. However, I don't think even newbies need to be spoon-fed such information. We have the GTH to show us that, we have the tutorials that the Missions provide, we have the Wiki, if all else fails. Why we need something else to remind us an extra time, literally handing it to us on an as-per-needed basis? Notsosure.

But really. Most monsters die quickly enough to not warrant knowing how much HP they *had*. Besides Bosses, and I thought that was what their visible 'Stages' were for.

So now New players get more of a handicap (Although in T0-1, there really isn't that much of a challenge anyway), and older players get to be able to play more effectively. Which IMO, isn't exactly needed, given existing knights' durability and effectiveness.

Not to mention that there appears to be a Shield health bar. I was under the impression that the Colour-ranking of the Shield's health was supposed to provide an estimate to the player, leaving it to be their call on what to do. And honestly, if someone did take the time to study the shield health bar to fully utilize it, I'd think it'd still be easier to just check the Colour-rank by briefly activating it. (Although in saying, if one were to fully utilize it, I think it would provide more help than necessary.) Generally, I find it somewhat not-useful, and also not really needed, considering the pre-existing system.

That, and I am also slightly concerned, considering that the new layout seems to resemble what I think I would find on a touch-interface game. I don't really know, some personal reasons, but the idea of SK Clockwork runs making it to a touch-system doesn't exactly appeal to me.

Those are the bad points, IMO.

The good points:
1) I am more accustomed to the original UI, so I can't really say I like the new look. However, it does look neater, and more 'Modern' as it would seem.
2) The toggle-able Side-bars are appreciated, although I am curious as to how allied-knight status' are displayed.
3) The Monster-locations addition to the Minimap are a nice touch, although I hope they don't show cloaked entities, like Chromas and Ghostmanes.
4) Overall, the look seems fresh and clean.

So while I can't say for definite that I love or hate this update as a whole, there are a few things that I like, and also those I don't like. Some more than others. The Monster Strength/Weakness display being the one that I dislike most of all among the changes. Itself, and the ease it provides, IMO, are unnecessary, even for a complete stranger to the game.

What I think anyway. I may/may not come back to look at replies. Chances are 'not'.

~Psychodestroyer

EDIT: I have to admit though, the first thing that disturbed me when I saw it was the shininess. Make of that what you will.