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[Zemat]

I was reading the comments on TIGSource about the last release of DF and there where a lot of complaints (as usual) about the UI but they weren't related to the lack of graphics as much as related to the complexity of the controls.

In this regard. I would like to do something more constructive other than bitch about the controls and ask which UI control thing you would like Toady to change the most and how.

For me. I think the one thing that would reduce a lot of the complexity of the UI is adding a more generic TAB or mouse mechanism to select which menu the player wishes to interact with instead of having a shortcut for every command on every menu displayed at the same time. This would eliminate for example the need to use the arrows to scroll a menu, the +,-,*,/ keys to scroll another, and the U,H,K,M keys to scroll yet another at the same time.

I know one could learn to play this way and some people actually like it this way. But the fact is that having so many buttons for what is basically the same functionality but in different menus is confusing and even pointless when you don't actually have to manipulate 2 or 3 menus at the same time. It's also counterintuitive in some cases when for example in one menu has to use some scroll scheme and in a completely unrelated but similar menu have to use another. Even someone who has been playing this game for so long as me fumbles with the controls once in a while due to this.

I know there are some cases where complex scrolling schemes are necessary. But I think all of them can be condensed to using only the arrows and <,> with shift/control for 10x jumps in map views and Home, End, PgUp, PgDown in menu and legend views, while using TAB to switch control between concurrent menus. The current function of TAB which is to hide menus and maps can be replaced for actual shortcuts to show/hide each specific menu/map instead of a single button to show/hide them all.

[codezero]

I wouldn't care how hard the UI was if it didn't pause everytime you do something. Even if I had to use one key to scroll through every menu item and another to select it.

This game can only be played (out) by not playing it.

[Exponent]

I wish for a better way to perform actions on groups of items in a menu.  For example, when selecting what to bring to the trade depot, I would like to be able to highlight a range of items and enable or disable all of them at once for trading.  The same in the trade screen, if I want to buy or sell a range of items.  Similarly, in the stocks screen, it would be sweet if I could select multiple things and then forbid all of them at once, for example.

The range select doesn't have to be mouse based, but bonus points if it is (including using the mouse wheel to scroll through menus).  Bonus points as well for allowing the selection of multiple non-adjacent items and ranges, just like how Ctrl+Click or Ctrl+Shift+Click work in Windows.

If this got implemented, my right wrist would be very very happy.

[Dame de la Licorne]

Yeah, not having it automatically pause every time you want to check something.  I can understand it for the 'd' menu options, but the rest?  I'd rather it just pause if I hit the space bar and otherwise let it run while I'm in menus.

[Granite26]

A: Improved Lists -- Sorting options, filters and tabs for the big, bad boys (Stocks screen and units list mostly)

B: Control over alerts -- Windows checkboxes are your friend.  Every possible message could have a radio button for 'log', 'stop and log' and 'don't show at all.  Add in Improved Lists to the log (log should store everything, even if it doesn't show up in the scroll window.  give us a combat log, a trade log, etc.)  Timestamps and zoom-to's would be nice.  Finally, change the order of alerts firing so that they fire BEFORE the trigger resolves.  (I.E. cancelled because of wet stone, allow redesignate BEFORE the dwarf figures out what to do next)

C: More Information:  Use color in more places, include more information on the lists, use a 6 ways to access philosophy for information.

Finally, as a more off-the-wall suggestion, context sensitive help.  Right Click (sic) on any command brings up help for it.  Lots of work?  Maybe not, if you cheat and redirect(erm open a new ie window) to the wiki page for it.  Sure it's windows specific, but linux users LIKE not having documentation .

[Idiom]

Drop the U,H,K,M entirely and go for just the style used in the designate menu. Much larger areas, much faster, fewer keystrokes, could be done with the mouse, auto-ignores obstacles, etc.

[Zemat]

Also, the use of A,S,D,F,G,H,J,K,L for setting money exchanges during trade in Adv. Mode is weird, complex and wasteful of shortcuts. Better just press a key to type in a monetary value (positive or negative) like one would set any other value in the worlgen config screen for example.

Edit: He he, I realize I'm cheating for mentioning two things instead of one. But this is the one more easy to fix.

[Sukasa]

I actually like the fact that it pauses while I'm in the menus, I find it's somewhat convenient, myself.  So yeah, definitely make that an init option.

[PenguinSeph]

The UI should be as uniform thoughtout the game as possible.

[Capntastic]

The UI should be as uniform thoughtout the game as possible.

This is, essentially, the Holy Grail for DF's interface, I believe.

[PenguinSeph]

The UI should be as uniform thoughtout the game as possible.

This is, essentially, the Holy Grail for DF's interface, I believe.

It is what should be done.

I wonder how you could do it.

You could change everything that used UHKM to use the designate style menu.

You would have to ensure that the arrow keys always scroll and Enter always selects, and that Space always goes back.

What else?

[Granite26]

Drop the U,H,K,M entirely and go for just the style used in the designate menu. Much larger areas, much faster, fewer keystrokes, could be done with the mouse, auto-ignores obstacles, etc.

I dunno, I kind of like saying 'I want to make something THIS big.  Now, where does it fit?'

[Zemat]

Drop the U,H,K,M entirely and go for just the style used in the designate menu. Much larger areas, much faster, fewer keystrokes, could be done with the mouse, auto-ignores obstacles, etc.

I dunno, I kind of like saying 'I want to make something THIS big.  Now, where does it fit?'

Well, in that case you could use the designation method to set the size and some scrolling option to move the area around. But not U,H,K,M

[PTTG??]

Something that doesn't come up that often but I feel should be considered:
 Change the colo(u)r system. Allow RBG colo(u)ring so that, for instance, there can be orange. Or various shades of stone. Or have better daylight colo(u)ring in Adventurer mode.
While your at it, change tilesets so that 50% gr(e/a)y is equal to the colo(u)r the game calls for, and have brighter colo(u)rs add to that in the same way that darker colo(u)rs subtract in the current set-up. Also, use alpha channels for transparency. This as a whole will create a strong foundation for future universal tilesets, when(if)ever that happens.

Perhaps the main reason I want RBG is to have better-looking rock and terrain.

Also, I don't mean it needs to be a full millions of colo(u)rs system. Even if it was a 0-10 scale for each, a mere 1,000 shades, it would be as good as you would need. Or you could just have full colo(u)r, and use floating points...

[umiman]

I'd like to be able to use "end" and "home" in lists. Also the ability to "f" search any of those lists.

More shades of colour would be nice too, as well as more characters to use.