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Player Features and Ideas Discussion

 
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Reload and nanite repair time indicators
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Ereshgikal
Wharf Crusaders
#1 - 2014-03-05 11:12:00 UTC  |  Edited by: Ereshgikal
Did a search on this topic and only found a locked thread from 2012:
https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=152930
Did not find it in Commonly Proposed Ideas thread either.

Anyway, with the proliferation of modules that have long reload timers (rapid launchers and ancillary reppers for example) I feel there is a need for an indicator showing the time left until done.

The old thread proposed a counterclockwise run of the "active cycle ring", but I propose that the "active cycle ring" concept is re-used:

White single line - active cycle (as today)
White dual line - reload cycle
White filled circle - repair cycle with nanite paste

Mockup
http://i.imgur.com/WUEeJ5n.png

Initially I was going to propose just different colors, but when I was trying to do a mock-up I thought it looked horrible and it would be a PITA to colorblind persons.

While numbers would be good too, they do not provide as much info at a glance as do a colored cycle ring. Perhaps numbers could be optional like the shield / armor / structure indicators.


Just to give an added incentive to adding a reload time indicator, just think of all the rage pilots (such as myself) will have when we die with just 3 seconds left until the ASB has finished reloading and we know that it was only 3 seconds. ;)
Corraidhin Farsaidh
Federal Navy Academy
Gallente Federation
#2 - 2014-03-05 11:49:57 UTC
Simplest solution I can think of is to have the cycle indicator run backwards (anti-clockwise) and the icon flash red until reload is complete. Neither should be too tricky to include into the UI.
Ereshgikal
Wharf Crusaders
#3 - 2014-03-05 13:29:36 UTC
Corraidhin Farsaidh wrote:
Simplest solution I can think of is to have the cycle indicator run backwards (anti-clockwise) and the icon flash red until reload is complete. Neither should be too tricky to include into the UI.


Running backwards makes for a bad choice if one wants to get info quickly. What one previously got as 75% done (during active cycle) is now just 25% done (during reload). While it doesn't seem like much when writing about it, the reversal of meaning will force the pilot to parse the indicator for much longer.

And I am not sure how repair cycle with nanite paste would be handled in such a proposed solution.
Corraidhin Farsaidh
Federal Navy Academy
Gallente Federation
#4 - 2014-03-05 13:58:56 UTC  |  Edited by: Corraidhin Farsaidh
The cycle indicator runs forwards as per now whilst the unit cycles. Once it starts to reload the cycle runs backwards and blinks red. The mod has reloaded/is ready to run again once the backwards cycle is complete and it stops blinking red

Edit:

This also uses nothing other than existing mechanics in code, so easier to implement.
masternerdguy
Doomheim
#5 - 2014-03-05 14:01:24 UTC
Corraidhin Farsaidh wrote:
The cycle indicator runs forwards as per now whilst the unit cycles. Once it starts to reload the cycle runs backwards and blinks red. The mod has reloaded/is ready to run again once the backwards cycle is complete and it stops blinking red


That would look pretty cool.

Things are only impossible until they are not.