Action Menu - must do better

[galzohar 31]

I think this one is very easy to implement and will at least solve the "accidentally satchel this helicopter" problem:

http://feedback.arma3.com/view.php?id=12059

Another problem is that you might fire if you try to use your action right as your action menu faded out. This can be avoided by intelligent key bindings, but the default here is very bad and gets people used to the bad habit. Maybe another ticket for BIS changing the default "use current action" key to something other than left mouse button would be good too.

Just adding hotkeys for everything is not a real solution as there are a lot of possible actions along with a lot more that users can add with mods and missions. The most important actions already have hotkeys. If you think there are more actions that need to allow binding a specific key to execute, then you could make a specific ticket for the specific action. Even if it doesn't have a default key, it can still be bound by those that choose to do it.

Edited July 28, 2013 by galzohar

[raven_jj 1]

I think an alternative to highlighting objects would be showing action icons not in the center of the screen, but in the center of an object you're about to interact with.

[Colossus 2]

I'm all for rethinking the action menu, I think it's on high time for a revolution. I'm not such a big fan of highlighting however, but if it were to be true it would be preferable to have it in a discreet fashion - disabled if possible.

[budzilla 10]

I quite like Dslyecxi video. At least get rid of weapons from the action menu - it would take a whole lot of the frustration out of the game.

[big_t 1]

...At least get rid of weapons from the action menu - it would take a whole lot of the frustration out of the game.

This at least.

[twisted 128]

My bigger pet peeve:

"2!"

"Yes!"

"Action!"

Close Door

Close Door

Close Door

Open Door

Open Door

Close Door..

*2 pages into the future*

Heal Dying Leader

"Roger!"

*Dies*

lol. so damn true and frustarting. we learn to live with it but never quite like it.

[HKFlash 9]

Pretty used to the Action menu for all it's faults. Someone pointed out that they like the twitchiness of maybe hitting that detonate button prematurely as it adds RL bomb tension albeit in a not so RL way and I kinda agree.

My bigger pet peeve:

"2!"

"Yes!"

"Action!"

Close Door

Close Door

Close Door

Open Door

Open Door

Close Door..

*2 pages into the future*

Heal Dying Leader

"Roger!"

*Dies*

Sad but true.

[St. Jimmy 272]

The messy action menu is the biggest flaw in Arma 3 at the moment and Dslyecxi shows it very well in his video. It needs pretty big overhaul IMO but removing simple "get yourself killed" actions like launcher, tens of different explosives and pistol is the smallest change that BIS must do.

[dale0404 5]

I aint got a problem with the menu system, been using it for years!

[TSAndrey 1]

It's too late for an action menu overhaul at this point, but they could atleast tweak it. The action menu should detect what direction you are looking at and show actions according to that...

[dunedain 48]

I never, until recently, minded too much the action menu in OFP, Armed Assault and even ArmaII because there was barely any interaction with the environment. Even in Resistance and Arrowhead while featuring much more open building it didn't have much of an impact as most had no doors. But it has indeed started to annoy me on ArmaIII for the same reasons Dslyecxi showed in his video...

It would be much better if the action menu moved to another key and freed the mousewheel, kinda like how it works on ACE. I'ld love a much more CQB capable ArmaIII... Maybe in a standalone expansion? But it's been a while Dslyecxi made a very good video on how grenades should work in the game. I'm not sure anyone is listening unfortunately.

Edited July 29, 2013 by dunedain

[dmarkwick 261]

It seems to me there's a confusion about the contextual-sensitive menu system. It seems to have elements of both area and object-pointed-at-by-crosshairs.

So when there are several doors around you, the area nature of their triggers reveals them all in the menu list. But also when trying to give orders to AI, whatever you're pointing at also changes the list. Trying to give a specific order to an AI can be frustrating as just as you click something wanders into your view, and you give a totally different order because the contextual menu has reshuffled and highlighted something you did not want.

The VBS method of simply drawing a line to the object connected to the currently selected menu item works. It doesn't ameliorate all problems but it does make an improvement that doesn't require an entire rewrite. In this sense it would be the easiest fix BIS could make in the short term.

[sqb-sma 66]

I never, until recently, minded too much the action menu in OFP, Armed Assault and even ArmaII because there was barely any interaction with the environment. Even in Resistance and Arrowhead while featuring much more open building it didn't have much of an impact as most had no doors. But it has indeed started to annoy me on ArmaIII for the same reasons Dslyecxi showed in his video...

It would be much better if the action menu moved to another key and freed the mousewheel, kinda like how it works on ACE. I'ld love a much more CQB capable ArmaIII... Maybe in a standalone expansion? But it's been a while Dslyecxi made a very good video on how grenades should work in the game. I'm not sure anyone is listening unfortunately.

(Not sure why your second paragraph is near black text)

Completely agree, I loved his grenade concept and wanted to see it in game. It's certainly better than what we have now... I mean how is that even possible?

[13islucky 10]

The VBS method of simply drawing a line to the object connected to the currently selected menu item works. It doesn't ameliorate all problems but it does make an improvement that doesn't require an entire rewrite. In this sense it would be the easiest fix BIS could make in the short term.

You mean kind of like how the command system is handled? For example if I want a guy by a window I point towards it, I open the issue order key and a line from the ground to the object/cover is traced if you're pointing towards it. It might be useful if used in conjunction with the Action Menu.

[orcinus 121]

But also when trying to give orders to AI, whatever you're pointing at also changes the list. Trying to give a specific order to an AI can be frustrating as just as you click something wanders into your view, and you give a totally different order because the contextual menu has reshuffled and highlighted something you did not want.

^^ This.

Bang on the nail. Menus should be stable. Only the player should ever be able to change which action is selected in the context menu.

If an action becomes unavailable temporarily it should merely be inactivated/grayed out and remain selected until the player either closes the menu or selects something else.

[GottyPlays 10]

guys don't expect anything to hapen here...we are 2 months from release...and already in beta...and they are concentrated on other things!

/sarcasm

[dmarkwick 261]

guys don't expect anything to hapen here...we are 2 months from release...and already in beta...and they are concentrated on other things!

/sarcasm

Yes that's why the white-line-to-object would be a good stopgap measure - it doesn't require any rewrite just a small new feature.

[Smurf 12]

About the MMB action menu: It would be a great step if you remove the "Reload White Smoke" and all that ammo thing from there and move it to elsewhere. Suggestion: Ctrl + R => Radial menu with all ammo available for that muzzle.

[Flash Thunder 10]

Seriously also make change fire mode and selection of grenade launcher and smoke grenade types separate buttons already BIS!

[kremator 1065]

Okies as the other thread was closed, and rightly so, I'm going to post here.

@DEVS please look at Dslexcyi's video and completely redo the action menu. I'm using L'etranger's radial menu presently and, although a little limited, it is great !

[Fa11en 10]

Agree with almost everyone, fix the menu its horrible absolutely horrible.

@Kermator where do you download that?

[dale0404 5]

I will repeat what I have said previously, the action menu is a foible of the Arma series and by that I mean quirk not weakness. If they do change it (which I doubt) then fine but I am happy with it as it is.

[kremator 1065]

@Kremator where do you download that?

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?154567-VTS-Simple-gesture-commo-rose&highlight=etranger

Try that :)

[NeuroFunker 11]

arma 3 is already better in most aspects then arma 2, some things still got not improved, and action menu is one of them. Arma 3 is now more so to say operable, so you have to act and move quick, to take cover etc, and like dslyecxi showed in his video, entereing a building/room, when your under pressure, takes ages to open damn doors with action menu, and you most likely will be killed. And that is really annoying, and may ruin whole fun. About vehicles, well i kinda got used, to quick scroll, to find gunner/passenger possitions, but i agree it also sucks, you have to run around the vehicle in circles, to find right position in vehicle, you want to enter.

Is there a ticket for action menu already? If i have missed, please point me on, will deffenitely vote up!

[Psychomorph 1]

Man, this software is a user experience nightmare. I give up.