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Player Features and Ideas Discussion

 
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Improved Drone Interface
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Jace Bowen
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#1 - 2012-05-22 18:51:46 UTC
One of the worst parts of the UI is the drone interface window. First of all, you can't see the shield/armor/hull status of drones in your drone bay. Second, in order to see the shield/armor/hull status of your deployed drones you have to expand that squadron of drones. Third, once you have deployed and recalled a couple squadrons of drones, you spend the rest of your time in the drone window scrolling.

Here is what I would do to fix it. First: split the drone interface into two panes: drone bay and deployed drones. Second: In the drone bay, each squadron would be represented by an icon, selectable from a defined set of icons. If you click on that icon, you deploy that drone squadron. By Default, the list of drones themselves is hidden, but as an option you can expand to see the list. This list would include shield/armor/hull status of all drones. Third, deployed drone squadrons ALWAYS show the status of the deployed drones in the separate "deployed drones" pane.
Quade Warren
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#2 - 2012-05-22 19:07:00 UTC
Jace Bowen wrote:
One of the worst parts of the UI is the drone interface window. First of all, you can't see the shield/armor/hull status of drones in your drone bay. Second, in order to see the shield/armor/hull status of your deployed drones you have to expand that squadron of drones. Third, once you have deployed and recalled a couple squadrons of drones, you spend the rest of your time in the drone window scrolling.

Here is what I would do to fix it. First: split the drone interface into two panes: drone bay and deployed drones. Second: In the drone bay, each squadron would be represented by an icon, selectable from a defined set of icons. If you click on that icon, you deploy that drone squadron. By Default, the list of drones themselves is hidden, but as an option you can expand to see the list. This list would include shield/armor/hull status of all drones. Third, deployed drone squadrons ALWAYS show the status of the deployed drones in the separate "deployed drones" pane.


Good grouping techniques can solve a lot of problems, but I'd much rather have a new default group that holds all damaged drones only.

That lack of ability to differentiate between damaged and non-damaged drones makes it very annoying to repair any drone/fighter if you are not able to get to a station to repair... like in wpsace. A damaged drones group would make this easy to work around and, as long as they automatically go to their assigned groups after they are fixed, would make things work like a dream.
PinkKnife
The Cuddlefish
Ethereal Dawn
#3 - 2012-05-22 22:15:44 UTC
An improved drone control method/window is on the way, it was previewed at fanfast and will probably be in the Winter expansion if nothing else.