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Updating Local, at last - let's talk about it!
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Fyrkraag
Perkone
Caldari State
#1 - 2011-11-30 22:26:21 UTC  |  Edited by: Fyrkraag
I would like to get more interest in changing the local display format. While I quite love my ideas, I would also like to engage in a sincere dialogue with other capsuleers about what they would think would be good changes to the local display method, so that we may have a well-rounded understanding of what would genuinely benefit the player base at large (as opposed to just one person -- like me :)) and solve the problem of this atrociously outdated window.

If you think local is fine the way it is, you may state so, but be sure to include why you think maintaining the status quo would be an improvement to the game outweighting others' modifications. Do not add things to the thread that do not contribute to the forward progression of the discussion (another words, resist the urge to troll).

Fine Points First
1. I do not propose having a discussion about changing the way local works. Please start a new thread for this.
2. I do not propose having a discussion of any changes that would perform computations not currently done, or rather is done manually by players themselves (example would be standings count / tallies). I believe the introduction of such features into the proposal would cause CCP to "veto" or could frustrate the efforts of CSM in dealing with CCP. Let's keep it purely cosmetic for starters.
3. I am interested in your opinions on cosmetic modifications to Local, for the purpose of better utilizing screen estate and enhancing the user interface experience.


So what are your ideas?

Here, I'll go first:

1. an option to hide, or suppress, the portrait images in local.
2. an option to hide, or suppress, the chat window text area in local.
3. an option to hide, or suppress, the text input box for writing local chat in the local window.
4. an option to change, or modify, the font sizes of the characters displayed in local.
5. an option to change, or modify, the height/padding between the horizontal line separators between each character line displayed in local, OR have it set dynamically based on the chosen font size.
6. local configuration options should be limited within, or brought up from, the 'context' area of the local window itself as per modern software design concepts. They should not, for example, clutter the options in the "General Settings" that is seen by pressing the ESC key.

options 2 & 3 could be consolidated into a single option as per developer preference.
options 4 & 5 could be consolidated into a single selection as per developer preference.
Malcanis
Vanishing Point.
The Initiative.
#2 - 2011-11-30 22:55:41 UTC
The main issue that I have with immediate local is that it makes EVE feel small.

You instantly know everything about everybody in system - how many, who, when they arrive, when they leave. There's no distance limitation, no time delay.

As I said here: https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=7358&find=unread the way to "expand" EVE is to make the systems perceptually bigger. Reforming local is an essential part of that.

Of course it will be absolutely necessary to improve on the DSCAN system, but I really would like to get away with the whole "every ship can instantly scan 3.6e30 cubic kilometers of space every 5 seconds with perfect fidelity" too.

"Just remember later that I warned against any change to jump ranges or fatigue. You earned whats coming."

Grath Telkin, 11.10.2016
Krios Ahzek
Royal Amarr Institute
Amarr Empire
#3 - 2011-12-01 01:03:17 UTC
There HAS to be a way to be aware of your immediate surroundings, that is the system. The DSCAN alone is pretty weak considering catching a enemy on it means that you have 5 seconds before he finishes his warp.

 Though All Men Do Despise Us
Fyrkraag
Perkone
Caldari State
#4 - 2011-12-01 15:27:18 UTC

While I think that changes to local mechanics is a valid discussion for another thread, and indeed a very valid discussion for Eve and making Eve better, those ideas do not really explain how you would like Local to be represented in your UI. As I mentioned in my original post, changing the way Local works will give us nothing from CCP for several reasons (people can't agree on every idea, years of aging legacy code, return benefit versus cost, people rooted in established playstyles based on the current function, and so on).

Some Eve gamers who have become so accustomed to it really can't understand the idea of an alternative. Indeed, some of you may not even know what I am talking about altogether.

Allow me to help clarify. Consider for example that more data can be compressed into the same amount of UI space. Another popular game that most of you have played (love it or hate it) and could relate to is a good example to start. In this other particular MMO, a very large number of player's names can be displayed in a remarkably small space using custom add-ons for that MMO.

I'm not saying copy anyone, not at all! But rather, coming up with a vision to better utilize screen space to information ratio for the user in a way that works best for Eve. Creativity may be necessary.



Anotherwords, I'd like this to be strictly a UI design (only) thread :)
Refer to sentence 2 of this post if you need a reason why.
Signal11th
#5 - 2011-12-02 12:57:40 UTC
although as many people will attest I'm for getting rid of local completely I would like the potraits to be user choice removed. I'm not really interested in what the pilots look like to be honest.

God Said "Come Forth and receive eternal life!" I came fifth and won a toaster!
Takara Mora
University of Caille
Gallente Federation
#6 - 2011-12-09 18:19:53 UTC
Signal11th wrote:
although as many people will attest I'm for getting rid of local completely I would like the potraits to be user choice removed. I'm not really interested in what the pilots look like to be honest.


Yep, I already reduce the font size to minimum, remove the portraits from the text area --> now I just wish I could remove all the portraits entirely, and even maybe display ONLY a list of all active pilots in system (no text area at all if I so desire), and even get multiple columns allowed, so I can really see EVERYONE in system at one time rather than scrolling up and down all the time ....
Feligast
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#7 - 2011-12-09 19:00:49 UTC
Don't have a problem with this at all. Could even roll in the oft-put forward idea to be able to sort local by standings as well.
Xorv
Questionable Acquisitions
#8 - 2011-12-09 21:17:26 UTC
Fyrkraag wrote:

While I think that changes to local mechanics is a valid discussion for another thread, and indeed a very valid discussion for Eve and making Eve better, those ideas do not really explain how you would like Local to be represented in your UI. As I mentioned in my original post, changing the way Local works will give us nothing from CCP for several reasons (people can't agree on every idea, years of aging legacy code, return benefit versus cost, people rooted in established playstyles based on the current function, and so on).


There's an underlying tone in your posts that makes me think you're really arguing for the status quo of Local Chat. Working on only the UI of Local (ie improving it) when many of us, even those in CCP believe it needs to have a functional change as far it provides Intel is just a bad idea and waste of Developers time IMO.

UI changes can come when there's functional changes. As Malcanis stated these would be the removal of the Intel functions of Local Chat in combination with an improvement to DScan.
Neurotica
Stimulus
Rote Kapelle
#9 - 2011-12-09 21:50:06 UTC
I like the idea of stopping eve cache the portraits.

But I hate the idea of the thread going into a local rant.
Hustomte
Veritex Industrial Inc.
#10 - 2011-12-10 23:43:19 UTC
Xorv wrote:

There's an underlying tone in your posts that makes me think you're really arguing for the status quo of Local Chat. Working on only the UI of Local (ie improving it) when many of us, even those in CCP believe it needs to have a functional change as far it provides Intel is just a bad idea and waste of Developers time IMO.


*facepalm* ... focus Xorv, I know you can do it. This is not a Local Chat thread. Cool

...Signature...
Proteus Maximus
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
#11 - 2011-12-12 00:35:03 UTC
Simple.. You dont register in local unless you speak in it. problem solved.

If Goons were around when God said, "Let there be light" they'd have called the light gay, and plunged the universe back into darkness by squatting their nutsacks over it.
Takara Mora
University of Caille
Gallente Federation
#12 - 2011-12-12 03:36:56 UTC
Soooo .... I guess it's NOT possible to avoid this becoming a Local Chat Rant Thread after all ....
Xorv
Questionable Acquisitions
#13 - 2011-12-12 03:37:22 UTC
Hustomte wrote:
Xorv wrote:

There's an underlying tone in your posts that makes me think you're really arguing for the status quo of Local Chat. Working on only the UI of Local (ie improving it) when many of us, even those in CCP believe it needs to have a functional change as far it provides Intel is just a bad idea and waste of Developers time IMO.


*facepalm* ... focus Xorv, I know you can do it. This is not a Local Chat thread. Cool


Really?

Well let me try again just for you, since your from Ghana and I like Ghana.

1. An Option to hide my image and name from the chat windows of other players unless I speak in Local.
Takara Mora
University of Caille
Gallente Federation
#14 - 2011-12-12 03:38:14 UTC
Nope, definitely not possible ....