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Action Menu - must do better

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While some UI elements have gradually improved over the versions, the Action Menu has stayed pretty much the same (possibly since OFP?)

Almost everyone will have experienced the highlighted option changing between deciding to select it and actually activating it - always fun if "touch off bomb" is the one you accidentally activate.

There's nothing more annoying than blatantly bad UI design being ignored, especially when it could be fixed with minimal effort. It's probably the most efficient use of time to improve user experience.

The Action Menu fails to adhere to some very basic UI principles:

- do not move interface items

- only the user is allowed to change the function of an interface item

So to fix: (while the Action Menu remains on screen)

- do not remove menu items, just disable them (important: only prevent the user from activating them, not selecting them)

- never change what the user currently has selected

- when adding new menu items, do not move existing ones

It's not some amazing new concept, it's just how it should have been programmed in the first place.

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why not make sth. like the commor rose. looks stylish - and if it can be personalized - will be benefitial - ecvenb if only optional.

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the common rose can be problematic, because in arma there can be hundreds of actions available at the same time. it is difficult to design a GUI that is that flexible.

it works for your youtube example, because this are "common" actions. they are limited in number.

i suggested an easy solution at the feedback tracker:

http://feedback.arma3.com/view.php?id=10726

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I wish they would tranform the chatbox into a console already.

typing "/touchoff bomb 1" would take the same amount of time as pulling a detonater out of your gear and pressing it.

it would open up a whole new array of gameplay mechanics.

if more then one finds it a good idea i might open up a feature request.

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come on guys. let's go voting!

thread can be closed! they are already many other threads about the issue.

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I wish they would tranform the chatbox into a console already.

typing "/touchoff bomb 1" would take the same amount of time as pulling a detonater out of your gear and pressing it.

it would open up a whole new array of gameplay mechanics.

if more then one finds it a good idea i might open up a feature request.

This isn't DOS lol!

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This isn't DOS lol!

facepalming so hard right now. Who said anything about DOS?

This is basically a feature i have first seen used inside gta san andreas multiplayer, SA:MP.

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/DR_dutchy/sa-mp-050.png (675 kB)

It allows for wide array of diffrent game mechanics. Like for example using AHK to build your own hotkeys.

The mod is pretty old but there are still servers active with 500 to a 1000 people in it at the same time.

a console would add

1. Scalability. Not having to develop a extensive GUI.

2. Saves Manpowers.

3. adds more freedom.

What would be even better is making a Ncurses like functionality to make command line GUI.

ncurses.jpg

It also stops players from mindlessly grieving each other and having allows people to research item functionality.

It adds mystique to a game because its not being spoon fed on screen. you will have to dig about to see what each item can do.

scrap the action menu for anything but radio or animations

things that seem very difficult to create suddenly become very easy.

for example: refilling mags with bullets become

 /magfill
##### Mag Fill #####
# magfill <mag> <bullets>

/magfill 1 31 

(where 1 stands for the mag and 31 stands for bullets)

its a modders wet dream: magsplit, magcombine, etc etc

Edited by defk0n_NL

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That's ridiculous. A console might do well with a Dwarf Fortress type of a game. I don't see why you need to care about BIS saving manpower and not having to develop a proper GUI for us players. :confused:

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facepalming so hard right now. Who said anything about DOS?

This is basically a feature i have first seen used inside gta san andreas multiplayer, SA:MP.

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/DR_dutchy/sa-mp-050.png (675 kB)

It allows for wide array of diffrent game mechanics. Like for example using AHK to build your own hotkeys.

The mod is pretty old but there are still servers active with 500 to a 1000 people in it at the same time.

a console would add

1. Scalability. Not having to develop a extensive GUI.

2. Saves Manpowers.

3. adds more freedom.

What would be even better is making a Ncurses like functionality to make command line GUI.

http://i8086emu.sourceforge.net/images/ncurses.jpg

It also stops players from mindlessly grieving each other and having allows people to research item functionality.

It adds mystique to a game because its not being spoon fed on screen. you will have to dig about to see what each item can do.

scrap the action menu for anything but radio or animations

things that seem very difficult to create suddenly become very easy.

for example: refilling mags with bullets become

 /magfill
##### Mag Fill #####
# magfill <mag> <bullets>

/magfill 1 31 

(where 1 stands for the mag and 31 stands for bullets)

its a modders wet dream: magsplit, magcombine, etc etc

Yeah, well, no. No DOS.

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yeah I'm so sick and tired of the "its too hard" bullshit counter arguments

this is what people want... these are the small details that will make arma suck less

and no... it doesn't take much manpower, especially when they're selling all their shit like hot cakes

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Almost everyone will have experienced the highlighted option changing between deciding to select it and actually activating it - always fun if "touch off bomb" is the one you accidentally activate.

I would like to have a keyboard shortcut for this. When it was assigned, the menuitem "touch off bomb" could disappear!

Edit: The VTS Gesture commo rose looks really nice! icon14.png

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It's not some amazing new concept, it's just how it should have been programmed in the first place.

+10. The instability of the action menu, and the dog's dinner of menu 6, are by far the worst features of A2/CO from the PoV of actually playing missions IMHO.

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Actually detonator and mines could be chosen by using grenade select key, and detonated or put on ground using throw grenade key.

Edited by Raven_JJ

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Have to agree with this one - the current menu is clunky and is a pain in the a$$ to use.

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I like the menu system. Hate roses in general, and they would be especialy shit considering how many action choices you could get. If your scared of slipping when you click your mouse hit 'enter' instead or get a better mouse. I found the logitech G700 to have a realy solid scroll click action, works a charm.

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if it was between current action menu and roses i would pick current menu. just because its more simpler.

but hey, if there were a console you could make whatever gui you want. :j:

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A commo-rose would not work simply due to the fact that the action menu is dynamic and has scripting power behind it to add more actions. I wouldn't see a comm-rose work with this system. How would a commo-rose handle a ton of actions?

Maybe a split between the two interfaces. Commo-rose for vanilla ArmA actions and the current scroll wheel action menu for scripters.

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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*

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Open door... door opens behind you. RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE.

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That irks me too. 6 could probably be either re-prioritized or further split into submenus. Something like this would be nice:

  1. Treat (self would always be number 1--greyed out if not needed).
  2. Repair
  3. Explosives
  4. Weapons
  5. Vehicles
  6. Environment (all doors, campfires, etc go here)
  7. Other

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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*

Same with having your units target something, it's just abysmal.

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Menu 6 is a complete mess. I once counted 5 full pages of "Open door"/"Close door" before finding the "Heal"option, just as frogguyluv described.

An utterly useless list as there's no indication of which bloody door is where.

Utes airfield near the flight tower is bad enough, some other island are far worse simply because the addon maker has been kind enough

to make the buildings properly enterable.

Wish there was a way of just removing those entries altogether, or limiting it to the three or four nearest.

After that whinge I should come clean & warn you I'm making an add-on intended to add 4 new entries at the top of menu 6...

:868:

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