Actionmenu too cluttered

[daman3 19]

Hello everybody,

I know the game is still in early development, but I think the whole game world is too cluttered with text-entries.

The "change weapon loadout" is currently in the same action menu as

the "get in as...", "climb up ladder..and more" actions.

It would be nice to press a predefined button (like X) and a seperate

menu appears, where you can preview in game time all loadouts before you apply them. (like in Crysis)

I'm sure you are about to change this.

In general I think an "action menu key" would do the game good.

So instead of the menu, you have to press a simple button which is the same

for all actions. For example "G" to get into a vehicle, but also use doors,

or climb up ladders, like in other games.

The argument that "what would you do if you want to search a ammobox

and are standing next to a vehicle, so more than 1 action is in close proximity

but there's only one key available" does not work, if it does take into account

the view direction of the player.

For example, the player is looking at the car, and the action button does

the "get in" action, instead of searching the ammobox which is players view

is not focused at.

And last but not least: The red dot of the gun does simply look weird.

If its not possible to add a true parallex free glass, at least try to add

something like a new LOD called "Aim", so that when you are not aiming

like in the picture, the red reticle does not appear.

Greetings and post your opinions,

[Hellhound 10]

I agree with this, maybe BIS can make general icons for the Mount/Unmount, different actions etc.. and also give them different colors so it looks less cluttered.

Furthermore i think they should leave out for what weapon you are mounting the scopes (since you already have it in your hand), last they should use abbreviations for the scopes, so "Mount Advanced Rifle Combat Optics to EBR should become something like * ARCO.

[NeMeSiS 11]

I was under the impression that this was WIP.

[Hellhound 10]

I was under the impression that this was WIP.

Of coarse it's WIP, but doesn't hurt to think out load i think.

These are just suggestions from observations, otherwise this whole forum might be closed until the game is out :D

[That guy 10]

i doubt the attach/detach actions will be on the action menu in the final game anyway, so worrying about is kinda pointless

and i hope that you cant mod most weapons in the field as it is...

[Mafia101 0]

Agree, for weapon and armor customization I'd like to see something similar like they have in concept art...

Cool UI like other games have for customization, like when you change something you actually see on preview how it looks etc. Also items you can choose should have some sort of icons so people can see actually what they put there. And so on :D

[nuxil 2]

it looks totaly horrible using the action menu for this.. but this is probealy just demos showing off that the weapons now support custom scopes, but i hope they add it to the gear menu in the final game.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Everything should be done from the gear menu. Attachments should show up in the items menu, and you just double click on an attachment to install or deinstall it. Installed attachments could have a different background or whatever, and be visible on the gun graphics (if possible).

They messed up a little in one of the videos and accidentally showed us the (too) similar gear menu, which had some interesting place holders shown.

[roberthammer 582]

They could make some Nice UI menus , like in PR or ACE mod

[rory_pamphilon 16]

Yeah I seriously hope they bin the ugly cluttered text menus. Simplicity is the key, why not something like the battlefield 2 rose which is context sensitive so the actions available change depending on what u look at.

Too much txt is horrible in my opinion..

Why not use some keys for get in/out, engine off, autohover etc

Or even better, how about turning a key or pressing a button in the cockpit.

Too much txt spoils the realism imho.

[wolfbite 8]

Hopefully the re-attaching of sights can only be done at weapon crates or such.. but agreed it neets a single keystroke for climbing/getting in vehicles

[celery 8]

How about a separate world action button that upon pressing executes the default interaction with the object you're looking at, and (if so signified) upon holding you can choose lower priority actions with a quick radial menu. The scroll wheel menu would be reserved for non-object specific actions.

Edited August 25, 2011 by Celery

[pathetic_berserker 4]

Hopefully the re-attaching of sights can only be done at weapon crates or such.. but agreed it neets a single keystroke for climbing/getting in vehicles

Minimum would be to to use the gear menu, certainly wouldn't want that sort in the scroll/text menu. Making a player find a weapon crate to fit gear he already has maybe a bit extreme.

[madrussian 347]

Tweaking the action menu to be a bit more organized is probably fine. Just none of those awful "radial" menus please! (Ya know, the ones from other games that hijack your mouse!)

[dmarkwick 261]

Tweaking the action menu to be a bit more organized is probably fine. Just none of those awful "radial" menus please! (Ya know, the ones from other games that hijack your mouse!)

I don't know the problem of hijacking the mouse, IMO the idea is that you do one action at a time, i.e. you are being observant & vigilant in the game world so you need your mouse to look about, but when you're performing an action such as fixing an object to another object then your ingame "focus" should be on that, so you use your mouse.

I might suggest though that any particular radial/window be active for only as long as you hold down a key, so that you can most quickly release it and get back into the action if necessary.

I know it's theoretically possible to use the mouse, use the keyboard and use the action menu all at the same time, but really I think the UI should have more realistic focus mechanisms. Like, for example, radial or dialogue windows.

In any case, please can we lose contextual actions that switch all around the place? I dislike having to chase actions up & down the list as things move about in my view. Place the list once upon compiling it, then keep it like that until either a choice is made or is cancelled.

IMO natch :)

[CarlGustaffa 4]

One inconsistency in our ideas; how about ordering AI to mount certain attachments? Action menu in the command menu system as it is now, only enables us to order one at a time - time consuming. And inconsistent if we get to do it other ways - is impact big or small?

A radial is a dialogue, but a good one operates a bit different from a dialogue. But any radial system should be generalized to do whatever we ask of it, rather than being locked down to this specific feature. It would need minimum the following features:

1) User can create any number of radials he desires, and in any shape and layouts.

2) User can hook up opening qualifier key to whatever key he desires.

3) Ability to choose which elements are shown; images, text, tooltops or whatever.

4) Designing a radial, can choose from 4 presets; circular, diamond list, rectangular list, and linear list. There would always be 16 slots available, but of course not everyone would be used most of the time.

5) User can set closing action; auto close on rmb release, or keep open as long as qualifier is held.

When the radial opens, i.e. via qualifier + right lmb drag, following data is sent:

1) Selected units (F2, F4-F6, F9 etc). Can be empty. Can also contain player as well as AI.

2) Cursor target, cursor target pos (house pos, vehicle pos, ammo crate etc).

3) 3D position in the world (currently only available from the communications menu).

The idea is that a programmed radial can be context sensitive depending on what you had selected or what you pointed at when you opened it.

4) Radials can in many cases be context sensitive. I.e. you can have an infantry unit selected, or a searchlight operator, or a vehicle driver. The item Toggle Light would mean different things (and change description). If an item doesn't make sense, like Toggle Lights for someone in the cargo, the item can be shaded or removed. But it's consistent, Toggle Light is always in the same position.

When radial item is selected and radial closes, it executes as this:

1) Starts a function or script corresponding to that particular radial, with all the above information passed along with the selected slot - number or named. I.e.

[myRadial3,slot6,[unitlist],[cursortarget,cursortarget pos],[3dPos]] call function.

2) Simply exits and closes radial if qualifier key is released or rmb is released over inbetween or center area.

The script suite also absolutely needs to be able to send key combinations, i.e. low level commands like "flank left" that currently cannot be done using scripts, only number key command system. And of course for the number key command lovers, it doesn't touch it at all.

Limitations:

1) Inability to remotely ask units to target units you cannot point at, or make them use dynamic actions. So without being able to point at target/object, some of the 2-Target or 6-Action commands cannot be done with this system.

2) Cannot stack commands without additional programming, but certainly better on handling same actions for multiple units since it can be scripted.

3) Yet another control scheme for the beginner? Scary. A few good examples should be provided with the game, but let different players come up with different schemes and see what comes out of it.

If it turns out good, then we have progress. If it turns out bad, you can laugh all the way to my funeral :D MadRussian is worried about mouse hijacking. I'm more worried about if it turns into having to deal with navigating through levels of submenus, which will really slow the system down. Oh well, I can dream can't I :p

[Drumheller 19]

I'm pretty sure that in one of the first videos he said that this very thing would be changed.

[maddogx 13]

I'm pretty sure that in one of the first videos he said that this very thing would be changed.

He did. Most of the current action menu junk is apparently just for quick access to the functionality during the presentations, since the appropriate GUIs aren't yet done.

The only worry I have is that they have so much other stuff to do that never get around to it and just release it like it is. :D :p

[heroes maker 10]

erm ... i've got my idea on this, i know BIS will maybe don't made it but whatever, so how about when you look at a box filled with scopes, GL and other, make a action appear in the menu ( like that "customisation menu" ), then a menu appear when you see your weapon in 3D and you just have to click on the part you want to change it just like that :

and then the second one, when you are in battle, a key bidding can do that OR again, a action in the menu appear, but instead of having a whole new menu appear, you just have new action that appear and you select the one you want and when you finish you select "end customisation", so this mean when you are in a fight, and someone "pop-up" in front of you, you can shoot without stopping the action because you have to choose "end customisation" for that

did i make it clear or did i draw it ?

[rye1 21]

Looks like the new Ghost Recon Adv Warfight (or whatever it's called), where you can change/select via voice commands too. Changing out the internal systems and everything.

[gossamersolid 155]

The game is still 1 year away from release, BIS is working on more important stuff, such as the engine prior to touching things up and making them "pretty".

[rye1 21]

I'm not saying I don't agree with you but it's not making it pretty, it's making it useful and not clogged up. It's definitely not on the same priority of engine work but it's definitely high on my list for gameplay purposes, with less hassle, especially as we'll see a whole load of new features which will demand themself to be used through the firemode selector and action menus.

[Alex72 1]

I wouldnt mind adding/removing parts in the field, but i have to have the parts with me in my backpack for example. Screwing on a silencer before entering a town need to be done without finding a weapon crate, but you have to have it with you. Cant be able to change the weapons completely without actually having the parts with you.

The more complex stuff could be at weapon crates.

[rye1 21]

Not just the new features either but these minimal but never the less annoying problems persist in A2. The clogged up firemode selector, especially when considering mods and 10 types of grenades. :p The fact you cycle through things that are virtually to no use when trying to kill the enemy like IR strobes, and things that need reloading like the M203, to finally get to the semi-auto function and fire. Then you're talking about scrolling and having a list, of which with low fps and sheer speed, you can easily click the wrong button and all kinds of things. Definitely needs a bit of love. People have mentioned plenty of things they'd like to see, from different key binds to a Crysis like flower menu. Not bad ideas.... keep it up.

[Falkenhayn 0]

Not just the new features either but these minimal but never the less annoying problems persist in A2. The clogged up firemode selector, especially when considering mods and 10 types of grenades. :p The fact you cycle through things that are virtually to no use when trying to kill the enemy like IR strobes, and things that need reloading like the M203, to finally get to the semi-auto function and fire. Then you're talking about scrolling and having a list, of which with low fps and sheer speed, you can easily click the wrong button and all kinds of things. Definitely needs a bit of love. People have mentioned plenty of things they'd like to see, from different key binds to a Crysis like flower menu. Not bad ideas.... keep it up.

I completelly agree. It is probably the worst things in the ARMA series regarding playability. Adopting a different solution like a flower menu or more key binding possibilities will improve immersion a lot.