Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

1

9 (8.6%)

2

8 (7.6%)

3

22 (21%)

4

33 (31.4%)

5

33 (31.4%)

Total Members Voted: 105

[ImBocaire]

What difference between constructed walls and ordinary stone? Literally the only difference is that you can't engrave constructed walls.

[Kay12]

What difference between constructed walls and ordinary stone? Literally the only difference is that you can't engrave constructed walls.

Natural walls are mined out, constructed walls are removed (this distinction is good, I think). I think they work somewhat different during cave-ins? And yes, there's a value difference: Natural and constructed walls are worth the same, smoothed walls and walls made out of blocks are worth the same and engraved natural walls are the most valuable.

I don't really care that much, but I'd like engravings to work on constructed walls as well. But that doesn't really belong in this thread...

[Graebeard]

It's little interface improvements like this that make my day.  I would have used this functionality in Every single fort I've ever played, meaning less time giving myself carpal tunnel and more time actually playing the game.

In this vein, I'd love to see similar simplification for trading.  Imagine if you could enter one command that marked all the items you'd brought to the Depot for trade?  I used to give myself sore wrists hitting down, enter, down, enter... litterally hundreds of times before I lost it and just started ignoring traders after the first few seasons.  It's so bad that when I saw someone had made a macro to hit down, enter over and over I got really excited.

I'd say my personal preference for updates goes in this order: crash bug fixes > bug fixes reenabling prior content (dungeon masters) > functionality improvements like this > new mechanics (e.g. syndromes, ropes, ghosts) > new content (sponsored animals, honey) > general interface usability improvements.  I'd rank that last one higher, but I'm so used to this system that any change in menu layout, even improvements, bothers me because I have to relearn it.  I know Toady's priorities are way different, but since you're asking how we feel about updates I thought I'd share.

[Girlinhat]

The main issue is to find the worst UI points, and fix those, while focusing on content mainly.  Staircase designation has always been something that's so daunting many players choose not to dig very far.  It's such an annoyance that it hinders gameplay.  That, needed an overhaul, and this will help tremendously.  On the other hand, walls work.  Place a 10 long section, and then ctrl-enter the material.  This is slightly ponderous but overall very stable.  That change doesn't need to be made right this instant.  Toady could focus on existing bugs or new content before walls become a major issue.  Like, would you rather have crutches or walls?  The same theory applies to Therapist.  Therapist does exist, and it performs its task very well, making the need for overhauling labor not important.  It still needs to be done, but not right this instant.  If someone complains "I don't like to use third party because it's cheating" then they can deal with it.  The game is in development and no one promised a perfect package.  Corners must be cut and compromises made, which a ton of people don't realize.  No one has promised anyone a good game, Toady is just throwing out what he makes.  The third party programs make an incomplete game more workable.

At the end though, it all comes down to a question: Is this problem significant enough that it should be done before something new is added?  Walls have a relatively easy designation.  Stairs would require macros, which can be unreliable under certain situations.

[Lectorog]

This particular fix: 4.5-5
In general: 2

I voted 2, because past this, I don't care much for interface improvements. I know how to do everything I need to, and none of it is too painful. Multi-level designations were the only interface change I wanted, and now they're here. Well, in the next version. My hand will still be sore until then.

I'm really curious as to the FPS effect of designating an entire map for channeling.

[Sutremaine]

Um, multi-level designation is just that - you can already do that, but this'll reduce the amount of keypresses needed dramatically.

You can't do anything multi-level at the moment except for burrows. Let's say that you want the following design repeated over ten levels for your workshop area:

Code: [Select]

###########
#...#.....#
#.........#
#...#.....#
#####....X#
#...#....X#
#........X#
#...#....X#
#####....X#
#...#.....#
#.........#
#...#.....#
###########

Right now you'd have to either do each level by itself, or each ten-level tile column by itself. There's no way to designate the whole 3D space for mining and then nip out the walls. The stairs in particular would benefit from true multi-tile designation.

It's the difference between placing constructions one tile at a time and placing them using the umhk system, though to a lesser degree. I started playing after the construction menu was expanded, but I imagine it was a big thing at the time.

[Lemunde]

I voted 5. The interface is in desperate need of an overhaul. Honestly after this next patch it would be nice to see Toady devote a month or two to interface enhancements.

[lanceleoghauni]

I voted 5. The interface is in desperate need of an overhaul. Honestly after this next patch it would be nice to see Toady devote a month or two to interface enhancements.

I don't see any interface issues that are so glaringly bad that he should devote time from content for 

[aragaer]

Worst thing I see about current interface is how inconsistent it is.

Designating stuff, stockpiles, zones and burrows - enter to start, enter to finish. Building anything (including farm plots and floors) - uhkm. Similar action (rather similar), different controls.

Some menus use +-/* for scrolling, others use arrows (help topics use +- for example), yet others use mix of that (picking dwarf skills on embark - arrows to chose, +- to increase/decrease; setting up trade agreement - +-, up-down to choose, left-right to increase/decrease).

Some workshop actions aren't bound to any keys and you have to pick those manually (smelter, kiln, glass).

Some workshop actions can be ordered even if you don't have required materials (melt objects), for others you have to get all required stuff first (melt ore).

You need k to view an item in a stockpile, but t to view an item built. Even if both are just statues. Or chests.

When viewing a list of dwarves through job or unit list, c centers screen on a choosen dwarf. From health menu it's r.

I am sure there are more inconsistencies like these.

[Lancezh]

I voted 5. The interface is in desperate need of an overhaul. Honestly after this next patch it would be nice to see Toady devote a month or two to interface enhancements.

I don't see any interface issues that are so glaringly bad that he should devote time from content for 

You must be blind then

This user interface is the only thing that keeps this game from being a huge success moneywise for toady thus allowing him to be much more devoted to content. And spare me with the "i dont like casual gamers" stuff...

Usability is not easy to do however, i hope he has an expert for that, enough people studied it at universities or learned it by pure Profession experience.

[Anathema]

Worst thing I see about current interface is how inconsistent it is.

Designating stuff, stockpiles, zones and burrows - enter to start, enter to finish. Building anything (including farm plots and floors) - uhkm. Similar action (rather similar), different controls.

Some menus use +-/* for scrolling, others use arrows (help topics use +- for example), yet others use mix of that (picking dwarf skills on embark - arrows to chose, +- to increase/decrease; setting up trade agreement - +-, up-down to choose, left-right to increase/decrease).

Some workshop actions aren't bound to any keys and you have to pick those manually (smelter, kiln, glass).

Some workshop actions can be ordered even if you don't have required materials (melt objects), for others you have to get all required stuff first (melt ore).

You need k to view an item in a stockpile, but t to view an item built. Even if both are just statues. Or chests.

When viewing a list of dwarves through job or unit list, c centers screen on a choosen dwarf. From health menu it's r.

I am sure there are more inconsistencies like these.

Amen to all of these - particularly nonsensical little things like the separate 't' command, why does that even exist? For over a year of playing I didn't even know about 't', I figured if the game was going to tell me details like descriptions of a constructed statue or the weapons in an already built trap, I'd be able to access those details through the 'k' screen - where else would they be? And since those details weren't available through the 'k' screen, I assumed there was no way to view them; why would anyone make a second obscure command that serves no purpose except to cover some of the things that the first command logically should (but doesn't for no apparent reason)?

Sorry, don't mean to rant, I've made this mistake too - when you're adding some little piece of functionality to a hugely complicated project, it's easy to overlook something similar that it logically should be merged with or at least be consistent with. But now that we're looking at the big picture and these inconsistencies become obvious, I'd love to see more of a priority put on smoothing them out.

[Nameless Archon]

The main issue is to find the worst UI points, and fix those, while focusing on content mainly.

This is why I'd like to see further changes like this one. Labor is already handled, and elegantly, by Dwarf Brain Parasites the Therapist.

On the other hand, walls work.  Place a 10 long section, and then ctrl-enter the material.  This is slightly ponderous but overall very stable.  That change doesn't need to be made right this instant.

I'd like to see the 10-per-dimension limit removed (or greatly relaxed). Allowing walls to be 100 long and 2 squares thick in one construction designation, for example. Not immediately essential, but more important "long term" than getting rid of the parasites Therapist.

If someone complains "I don't like to use third party because it's cheating" then they can deal with it.  The game is in development and no one promised a perfect package.  Corners must be cut and compromises made, which a ton of people don't realize.  No one has promised anyone a good game, Toady is just throwing out what he makes.  The third party programs make an incomplete game more workable.

This section is constructed with the highest craftsdwarfship. It menaces with spikes of grammar. It is adorned with hanging rings of agreement. It is studded with common sense.

[dwarfhoplite]

Nah. I'm proud to play with such abstract UI

[GreatWyrmGold]

Screw night creatures and new town development, multiple-z-level designations are my favorite part of the upcoming version and have been ever since Iread about them on the dev page twenty minutes ago!

[lanceleoghauni]

I voted 5. The interface is in desperate need of an overhaul. Honestly after this next patch it would be nice to see Toady devote a month or two to interface enhancements.

I don't see any interface issues that are so glaringly bad that he should devote time from content for 

You must be blind then

This user interface is the only thing that keeps this game from being a huge success moneywise for toady thus allowing him to be much more devoted to content. And spare me with the "i dont like casual gamers" stuff...

Usability is not easy to do however, i hope he has an expert for that, enough people studied it at universities or learned it by pure Profession experience.

  you must have missed the Horrible Spelling And Grammar of Sarcasm.

Also I must admit that my view is a bit myopic because I don't even think about the interface anymore, I just use it, id doesn't really slow me down.