So New UI comes out in April according to the roadmap. https://www.everquest.com/news/eq-2023-roadmap They are probably working on the sprint of it, and next month is finalizing testing internally of it. I'd say right now is probably a good time to say what we'd like to see. Maybe they see it, and it encourages them to finish whatever tasks they are on, and so they can ask about ideas we came up with try and get that in (probably not because not likely to see someone finishing work quickly just so they can do more work, but never know how passionate people are). 1. One thing I'd like to see quests maybe easier to find them, do them. Quest UI where it shows all the quest givers in the zone. can preview their quest without going to them. Preview what you do in the quests would be really nice too. Like maybe I just want to do a kill quest, I'll kill in the zone on things where I could have be doing the quest at the sametime. So Quest UI that shows all the quests in the zone, preview reward, preview the tasks to do in the quest. 2. Maybe another thing would be, some function to their wikis, so say I can play the game do the quest and have a mini window of the wiki, it can read the wiki good or the quest interface is pretty straight forward easy where I don't need a wiki. The wiki being Allakhazam. Some UI that helps me figure out how to beat complicated quests/missions. Use wiki while in game. 3. Tradeskill UI, where I can put in an expansion see what I can make tailoring jewelcrafting foods. What I need. Without being at the tradeskill area would be nice. So like Sort tradeskills by chest, armor, ToL expansion. Foods that contain stats by TBL expansion. Some UI that have good sorting features so I can figure out foods that have stats, gear by expansion. Be open anywhere. Ah a plus would be hovering over an item and it says storebought or dropped and expansion. Maybe little icons on it signify its a drop, its a forage, its a storebought. Another icon showing the expansion the item is in. 4. Box friendly UI, I know a lot of box. I don't know what would be good though. Maybe a social. Action Trigger UI, so less alt tabbing more focusing on the main box account, control your boxes using socials and actions. Have the main account have a social macro /say "everyone attack" The boxes they have audio trigger but for commands. So, If someone says "everyone attack" /target %t /autoattack /alt activate x /alt active y /cast 3 "I need heals box2" /cancel all pauses /target person needing heals /cast 2 Box UI, responding to socials, I think this would be helpful in raids too. A lot of people box, a box UI would come in handy. Maybe the boxing UI can just be turn your box into a merc. Have settings like (maybe merc UI needs updating set priorities) Priority 1 you are CC So mez/root whoever is not on assist targeting Priority 2 slow Priority 3 DPS and the merc box can perform those actions. Or find a reason to encourage something else that makes people box less, say full group merc box, get extra xp compared to if you boxed. Thing is boxing is something many many people do here, should be addressed not ignored. UI for boxing would be good idea. 5. Voice Macro UI, more options "Any buffs" did someone say buffs, I got you, I'm just on my main account one second. "many enemies are on the loose (train incoming)" have /shout option 6. Streaming UI, Twitch, Google, people stream, not everyone but it helps get people into the games, get EQ noticed. I think most people don't stream because they boxing, boxing streaming I don't think goes well together. So boxing UI would be realllly helpful. Feel free to put ideas, its good to talk about UI while they working on it before they put it out because if they are focusing on UI then its more likely to get in the game and possibly they will get around to doing it rather than being told they will put it in the backlog. This is BIG, this NEW UI, we should be talking what wanna see. Its a big deal.
UI engine, everything you put is UX which is not being worked on this year. All thats happening is the existing windows are going to be modeled with some kind of custom HTML engine.
Id guess its going up on test server on the 8th, if so that would be a great time to go check out test.
New UI engine doesn't necessarily mean a revamp of the UI itself, and if they were planning a dramatic UI revamp that'd probably be listed separately on the roadmap. I'm just hoping it opens up more functionality for custom UIs. I'm not expecting WoW-style fully scriptable UI elements, just the ability to stylize elements the way you want. Like, you can't even outline text currently without faking it with bulky and probably performance-degrading techniques.
I think this "new" UI isn't going to be what a lot of people are thinking it's going to be. There may be some cosmetic changes here and there, but I suspect most of the update is going to be behind the scenes with the coding. It's probably going to look and function a whole lot like what it looks and functions like right now...just cleaned up a bit. I think they're just making it easier to work with for (hopefully) some big future overhaul, if they get around to it.
Accendo has already shared a few of the planned details here before the official announcement. No cosmetic changes planned to the default UI unless they cant get the new system to behave the same way. https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq...quest-roadmap-2023.288114/page-4#post-4191238
They are doing both, they have said as much. The new UI engine will be capable of doing things that the current UI engine cannot. Now is definitely the time to be putting in wants. They have said that there will be changes just minor at first. I took what he said as being more that there will be changes to the UI windows that they have ported to the new engine, but that they are not going to significantly rework the default UI until after they have ported all the existing windows.
This is solved by just downloading either Good's or Brenwall's maps, not really needing an entire new window as far as where the quest givers are. As for the rest, that completely removes any of the exploration part of the game, which is a significant part of the game. You are intended to go out, find, and talk with the quest givers. Then you are to check what the quest gives once you get it. If you don't want it drop it and move on. They used to have an in-game browser, but it was a waste of time and resources for them to manage. Alt-Tab exists for a reason. If you are still playing Fullscreen in 2023, then I don't understand the reason why. Furthermore, Allakhazam is a 3rd party site which Daybreak has absolutely no control over, there is zero chance that they put any of the content from there in the game. Again, these are things solved by using existing websites rather than wasting the time and resources to create and maintain a window for it. This also is another instance of the request removing the exploration and interaction portion of the game. This will never happen. These are all features of various programs which are officially considered cheat programs, and if you are caught using them and it is confirmed then you can be banned or suspended for a not insignificant period of time. Far more than EQ is capable of currently, and the effort required to implement it would be unreasonably high. Also, there is also the fact that it can roll into #4's issue of cheat programs when I just record my commands and automate an encounter. I know several people who stream themselves boxing, with the current UI. The reason why most people don't stream while they are boxing is more because most of those people either don't have a good enough system to do both at once or they are using cheat software which would be easily seen in the video and get them banned in short order. As far as what I hope to see, I am just hoping that the changes to the back end allow for a change to the Item Display window so that it will go back to being a compact and set size. So that I can easily have all 6 possible windows open at to see what the item are without them covering my entire screen.
That is something that I think might be part of the graphics engine update later in the year then the ui update.
Accendo says the update has or will have window scaling, which is my biggest request for the interface. I do not like having to shrink my resolution down to 1080p every time I want to play.
Things that should be added: Pet aggro % in pet window. Pet inventory+stats tab. Augmentations inventory tab. Mercenary resistance stats for the merc window. Skins (wood, marble, grey stone, original). Scaleable standard UI. Character view (mirror) for the inventory window like in original. Numbering for the extended target window slots. Serverwide friend list window that does show the online status of PCs. Digital clocks that do show the local earth and norrath times (inventory window maybe). The ability to copy and paste chat text.
1. Quest UI, I would like QUEST HISTORY to have more tabs to sort by, expansion, zone, nice to have type (kill quest). I was thinking more along of the achievements tab. The achievements tab looking kind of ruins the exploration part as well. But an update/improved QUEST HISTORY would be nice. So once I find the kill quests come back to game 4 years later, want to do it again, I can find them again easily, or find the missions that are not so crazy easily, say tempest temple, I didn't spend too much time there, I did do a daily quest there which was easy and would like to again but I don't feel like going through 50 quests and hopefully find it. This is where sort and filters really is useful. 2. I suppose you are right This is nice. 3. I would like better sorting, expansion, (drinks) does it contain stats, the ingredients shown, if they could have icons signifying if they storebought, dropped, which expansion they are found in if expansion-specific. Also, to be viewed anywhere, 4. Anything to improve the box experience, small details will go long ways. If people use external like not mentioning it, their using external, hmm how far can I go using this comes into play. For boxing I'm thinking borderless, can shrink windows and it doesn't mess with the layout, the layout shrinks with the window. Just move your cursor over that window, press the social macro button, hover over window social macro button. Just like someone would when alt tabbing but its much smoother now. A lot of people box, do something boxing. I look at Live, wheres the groups? Everyone is boxing TLP? Can we get a truebox server People box, do something with boxing. 5. Voice Macro, as in the Voice Macro in game, I think your thinking something different. There is already 12 options, I'd like more, suppose this isn't UI though. We need "Buff" voice macro, so I walk into Guild Lobby and /shout "Buff" or I'm training to zoneline "Train" This game really really needs some voice acting, not everywhere but voice macros and on end end game bosses, gods. 6. Streaming UI could be to let everyone know in game on your server that you are streaming, it has a list of people on your server or serverwide that is streaming. Just something to let others know someone is streaming, go support them. I think most don't stream is because of boxing, and they are using the box program that is borderline acceptable. If people can box their system is most likely good. Computer specs are a bit overpowered for video games right now, well RAM is thats for sure, some people have 128GB RAM. I like this, very helpful for tanks. 7. Updated LFG window, put in roles, expansions interested in, type of things people interested in like Hunter, Missions. Smart LFG window, say if someone goes to PoK and not in a group, "do you want to go LFG while you are in a waiting zone?" In the options tab ON/OFF. Maybe people want to go LFG but its only for a little while they are waiting in a zone and when they are out and about they not really looking because they doing something specific, decided on moloing or boxing most likely. So waiting zones are good zones, figuring out what you want to do for the day, quick LFG on while your figuring it, automatically SMART LFG, knows what your interested in. So, Options, SMART LFG on? "Noticed your in PoK, not really doing anything, lets put LFG automatically, who knows maybe something nice will come about from it." Groups are hard to find them, no one is LFG, and there is people waiting around. So is the LFG window bad? Needs improvement? Needs a SMART LFG system? I think it needs a SMART LFG system. Like I'm in PoK doing tradeskills chilling right now, sure go ahead put me LFG see if anyone happens of it. My previous settings the last 4 expansions, missions or hunter. Maybe I'll get lucky. Or its TDS missions, maybe I'll lucky. "Oh wow never knew there was others interested TDS missions too, great thanks SMART LFG."
I'd like to see some improvements to the achievment tab. Be able to hide the expansions not unlocked yet on TLP servers, be able to select to only show expansions I have achievements yet to complete. The other thing which I would like to see improved would be the claims window, searchable by item (monut, illusion, etc) and if they are available on my current TLP.
I don't believe the game can control what window is currently in focus, that's something the OS handles. There is a setting in Windows to make just moving your mouse cursor over a window makes it the current focused window but it gets really annoying really quickly in my experience.
So the big UI update, is not gonna change the UI lol? Man this game needs a massive UI refresh. The hot buttons, macros and windows take up more than half my screen. They need to consolidate the AAs and abilities even more and make easier/better macros for things. EVERYONE boxes and that just adds so much stress and annoyance with all that. I can't imagine a new player trying to comprehend all that stuff. Give us some more automation for things.
