Hey guys. I started a thread back when we were on the old style of forums, but I'd like to start a new one now that we're done with the expansion. It sounded like you'd like the filter to be more in line with the way that the broker's filter currently works. I have some ideas to go about making this a reality, but I'd like some more player feedback and find out what you guys want. We currently have the search button, but I'm thinking of having the first display of the recipe window be the filter and then only pull down the ones that are relevant for what you want to find. If we do this, it will cut down the time it takes to load all of your recipes while pulling down only a handful of the ones that match your filters at the same time. The only problem is that the search bar wouldn't work as well, since your array of recipes would only contain the ones that match your filter. At any rate, please feel free to reply to this thread or PM me your ideas of how you'd like the recipe window / filter to display and work for you. -Terrogaunt
Before you embark on new features it would be nice to have TS RUsh Writs first Each TS class will have different needs - but levels is the most basic. Carpenters for example might like type of furnitures, tables, chairs etc. Weaponsmith would ike slashing, piercing, crushing, levels etc. As various TS have unique needs I am not sure what you can do -- maybe by usable class at least for spells.
Even with the current filters, the search only searches what we've got currently filters. I agree, handcrafted/mastercrafted would be a good place to start.. Being able to create a filter that has specific recipes would be nice. Being able to filter on a stat (wis, agi, etc), would be useful for all gear. Being able to filter on slot... While I'd love rush orders, Terror has stated in the past that he's a programer type. I'm pretty sure rush orders aren't his in his balliwick.
Better filtering is a must, especially if it'll speed up the initial recipe load. I don't know why that couldn't be cached client-side and just validated server-side on combine start, so that the client doesnt have to pull the entire multi-thousand recipe list for folks each session. For me, necessary filters should include individual lists of recipe names (i.e., let me specify a few specific recipes that I want in the filter), basically all the filters in the current system, and filters for finished quality. Saved filters should also allow us to store the specific recipe list or the search text (as it is now, you can't store the search text in the filter, only the various other fields).
The plan in my head right now: - Item Level filter - Class filter - Item Type filter (armor, weapon, etc) - Item Slot filter ( head, chest, etc - I'll make this affect adornment filtering as well ) - Item Tier filter ( handcrafted, mastercrafted ) - Primary stat filtering ( speculative. this might not actually be doable, but it's worth a look ) All of this requires that I completely re-write the way that we currently load the recipes - which isn't at all out of the question, but will take time. That's why, if I do it, I want your opinions so we can get it done right!
Currently we actually are caching these out, but they go away when you zone again. (That's not going to change) I do have some ideas on how to make that caching smarter though. I plan on setting up a "default filter" checkbox that will save out your currently selected filter. Whenever you show recipes from then on, it would auto-pulldown the ones on the default (which could be all of them if you decided to be masochistic). At any time, you could change the filter and disengage the auto-pulldown.
Don't we in a sense have that now. I mean I can take my sage recipes, for example, and create a filter that only shows spells for a specific class, but I do have to select the recipe book from which I want to filter. And I can save my filter. How would your filter by class be any different.? I have a bunch of saved filters which I can select from for any of my different TSers. Most of the filter ideas you mentions which are easily doable in reasonable amount of time we can already do - using the CLONE option. I mean I have filters set up for all different claases by levels and by class and they are all saved. The Filter options are all saved in a filed - called eq2_recipe_filter . It is a VDL file, but I open it regularly and edit it like text file as that is all it is. Rather than using the CLONE process I often just copy and paste in the filter file itself. Would the main difference be that your would save loading all the recipes in once the filters are set? I.e. Would we only see the filter lists if we want to avoid loading all the recipes?
I actually see no correlation between the text you quoted and your answer. The question was if the savable filters we currently have could, in the new version, also save the text in the search field, a feature the broker is missing as well. Now your answer actually scares me a bit since it doesn't even mention savable filters which are a frequently used feature (by me and many friends) in the current system and ofc needed in the new. What you do with the default is ok, you basically should default to whatever filter is used last but make sure there is an option to turn off all fllters and see all recipes. An important question would be should recipe filters save globally across the account or only per character. I'd be in favor of a character based solution with a possibility to copy filters to other chars. Also like Guiscard already mentioned what about profession specific filters? What carpenters need is a filter for item type (chair, table etc.), but they have no use for class or level or primary stat filters. What about a duration filter for provys or a wield type filter for weaponsmiths/woodworkers? I'm sure there are a ton of these to consider.
Exactly. Technically you already have the ability to do all of this, provided that you know which recipe contains what and filter it out accordingly. I'd be adding the functionally for filtering it BEFORE it grabs all of the recipes to save a lot of time on retrieving that information and making the filtering system a lot more user friendly. Keep in mind, we are still in the prototyping of a concept and none of this has actually even been approved. My quote was in reference to saving of the filter. I didn't address multiple filters, but I don't see any reason why we wouldn't be able to save multiple. If those are saved out into an xml file, I can probably use the same methodology but the formatting will change by a lot. Unfortunately there really is no way to filter types of house items, since we don't have anything in our code that says that one house item is a table and another is a chair. We just see it as a generic house item with appearances and naming hooked up to it. Duration sounds like a reach, but we'll see how much it would be useful when we get there.
Yeah, the shortness of it is what I was referring to. At minimum the data should be valid for an entire session on a character, what I was referring to with caching it and then only validating the recipe on combine was semi-permanent caching (caching that would be stored on the client's computer and loaded each time. If I'm understanding it right, the bottleneck atm is when you open the recipe window and it has to query the game database for all the recipes you have available, which happens at least one per character-session currently. With more permanent caching/storing of that information client-side I would think a lot of the bottleneck would be avoided, since it's loading from file and then only verifying the recipe when you actually go to combine it (thus a query for only one recipe rather than a full list) and verifying the total list of recipes. I'm a bid of an amateur when it comes to coding, so I apologize if what I'm saying wouldn't work or wouldn't actually work the way I'm thinking. Regarding multiple filters and whatnot, one per character would be great. I wouldn't be against having a separate "global" filter list as well, where the filters loaded for any given character would then be their unique filter file + the "global" version. The two sets could be toggled through in-game via a checkbox on a given filter to declare it global or not. One other thing I think is really needed is an easier way to examine the product from the recipe list. As it is now, you have to examine the recipe and then click again to examine the finished product; since the finished product information is already part of it, maybe there could be another right-click option on the recipe list to examine the finished product directly. Thanks for wanting to give this window a revamp as well, Terrogaunt. EQ2's UI has been pretty neglected before you started making changes and new features and it's great to see the continued interest and investment in maintenance and improvement on the UI.
Honestly? Fix the bugs first, add content second. Please & thank you. (The linked post has both design bugs and code bugs, so something for everyone. ) Add some 90+ writs second. Please & thank you. I would like to be able to search by material required... "What's the name of the widgets I can make from a Chromatic Essence, again?" "I don't know... guess I'll try a search on Zam or something..." It would be nice to be able to search in-game based on that. (Less of a problem with the new special crafting materials that link all their possible items when you examine them, admittedly. Carpenters might like it too, for "what things can I make from a cobalt cluster", since not all the furniture items have the name of the primary ingredient in their names.) Searching by primary stat (and delay!) would be nice on my weaponsmith... need a scout sword with 6.0 sec delay to match the dagger I've got... I have to click a couple times on each sword in the list to find the "AGI-boosting 6.0 sec swords" instead of the faster/+STR/+WIS ones.
I'm well aware of that and thankful that we're for once asked before you present your new finished work. The proposal was to change the methology of how they work currently to something akin Lordebon's suggestion: Thats a pity, how about a filter of placability (I wonder if that is actually a word) like floor, wall, ceiling? The house item list window shows that info, but I'm not sure if its actually based on item info. The filters I mentioned were just examples, all I'm basically saying is give carpenters, provisioners, alchemists, adorners and tinkerers useful filters.
Persoanlly I would love a filter for adornments by tier. Lesser Greater Superior This would let me quickly assess what adornments I wish to make instead of having to manually type in (Superior) after every search filter. I think you already said something to this effect Terrorgaunt but I wanted to be sure it was listed.
I really like the idea of not having to wait for the full list of recipes to load. While my carpenter does tend to use almost her full list of recipes, it would be great to be able to restrict it to just all housing items to avoid having to scroll past all the alder and fir weapons when scanning through my list of furniture recipes for inspiration/items to craft. I assume we'd still have the ability to save named custom filters as we do currently? One thing I mentioned in the original thread that I'd still love to see one day -- the ability to search by a particular recipe ingredient. I was able to do this in another game, and it is surprisingly useful . There's been many a time I've gotten a rare and tried to decide whether I'd prefer to make furniture or jewellry or armour, etc., and being able to pull up a list on each crafter of what could be made using the ingredient would make that a lot easier, since many recipes don't include the rare in the item name.
Also mentioned earlier by Prrasha: This would indeed be nice You also might want to consider a hybrid of the current form and the Drums UI form (where the crafting and the revipe window are side by side) to have an option to expand it to a double window or leave it on one window would be awesome and render yet another 3rd party UI needless. I personally find it too big but I know that a ton of crafters uses it so it would be really cool to have both options!
These are all good ideas! We could definitely have particular sorting options based on the item type by having the initial option be a drop down of item type and then show the page that contains the sorting options. The power in our ui is wonderful Keep up the ideas. I won't be back in to work to start looking into these until January 2 but I will keep checking up on the thread!
I'd really suggest to give the Drums UI crafting window a look: http://www.eq2interface.com/downloads/info3587-DrumsUITradeskills.html The smaller icons on the recipe list so that more recipes can be seen are a nice touch as well. The recipe window can be shown while crafting if one so chooses (great if you want to prepare for the next craft or look a recipe up for a friend/guildie/channelperson while doing writs/crafting). Also while you're working on it and fix Prrasha's bugs please also fix the recipe book list some older level 10-19 recipes still show up under their old names and the list of recipe books is not fully alphabetically sorted (i.e. advanced craftsman volume XY comes at the end of the list instead of being sorted under a) Now have a nice holiday and thanks in advance for checking in from time to time
Oh and please make sure the new search field is longer than its current max of 18 characters, I even find the broker one a bit lacking in length if I want to refine my search with exclusions.
