test content
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc

CBS (Color-Blind Support) Button request

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I was showing my brother the Duty Officer system earlier tonight. He's partially color-blind, has difficulty telling some colors apart. He mentioned that it's often hard for him to do various things because the UI relies a lot on colors.

So I was thinking. Would Cryptic think about creating a Color-Blind Support (CBS) control for the UI that you could turn on and off via the options? All it would do would be to put a letter next to some things that are differentiated by color. For example, the Duty Officer names are colored White, Green, Blue and Purple. If the CBS is turned on, you'd see a W, G, B and P to the right of the name.

He puts a T, S, or E after the names of his bridge officers so he can see at a glance what class they are. Instead of doing that, the BO Icon could simply have a small T, S or E in the middle or on the bottom if the CBS is turned on.

I think something like this would be really appreciate by people who have a rough time with colors.

Thanks!
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    this is a very cool idea. hope cryptic pick it up for their games.
    i think a lot of people forget about people to don't see the world in the full spectrum as most of us do.

    + 10 for epic idea
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Rosvik wrote:
    I was showing my brother the Duty Officer system earlier tonight. He's partially color-blind, has difficulty telling some colors apart. He mentioned that it's often hard for him to do various things because the UI relies a lot on colors.

    So I was thinking. Would Cryptic think about creating a Color-Blind Support (CBS) control for the UI that you could turn on and off via the options? All it would do would be to put a letter next to some things that are differentiated by color. For example, the Duty Officer names are colored White, Green, Blue and Purple. If the CBS is turned on, you'd see a W, G, B and P to the right of the name.

    He puts a T, S, or E after the names of his bridge officers so he can see at a glance what class they are. Instead of doing that, the BO Icon could simply have a small T, S or E in the middle or on the bottom if the CBS is turned on.

    I think something like this would be really appreciate by people who have a rough time with colors.

    Thanks!

    Excellent idea, a small tool tip over anything which is explained by colour would help, nearly 10% of the male population are colour blind so it is a reasonable request.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Rosvik wrote:
    So I was thinking. Would Cryptic think about creating a Color-Blind Support (CBS) control for the UI that you could turn on and off via the options? All it would do would be to put a letter next to some things that are differentiated by color. For example, the Duty Officer names are colored White, Green, Blue and Purple. If the CBS is turned on, you'd see a W, G, B and P to the right of the name.

    At the moment, we do have a somewhat subtle indicator for Duty Officer qualities that can help your brother, the overlay on the portrait has one bar for a Green doff, two bars for a Blue doff, and three bars for a Purple doff.

    If you can come up with more ideas to help improve the user friendliness of the UI for color blind people, I'll see about trying to get them add them to the UI.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    We have a fleetmate who is constantly saying he has trouble with many different issues because he's also color blind.
    I shall point him to this thread. ;)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Its the main reason i don't play Klingon. I have major issues with their faction colours. If a solution could be made ii be very happy.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    FallingSky wrote:
    At the moment, we do have a somewhat subtle indicator for Duty Officer qualities that can help your brother, the overlay on the portrait has one bar for a Green doff, two bars for a Blue doff, and three bars for a Purple doff.

    If you can come up with more ideas to help improve the user friendliness of the UI for color blind people, I'll see about trying to get them add them to the UI.

    I am not sure, but I think the Klingon UI colors are pretty bad. Well, I am not color-blind*, but I get constantly onfused with the red-orange. Some more flexibility here would be neat.

    *) (actually, I have some kind of weakness distinguishing green/red tones)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    I too am partially colour blind (Missing Red Spectrum) and I also would like to see some changes. I am happy with the icon changes that were made to the particle traces and would like to see more of these changes in the UI. I have a klingon toon, but do not play it as the colour scheme is way too tough to look at. A huge help to be honest would be a tool that indicates colour in the tailor. The A1 etc.. helps but the shades do bleed into the others. I at least can have a fleet buddy assist in picking the colours.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    FallingSky wrote:
    At the moment, we do have a somewhat subtle indicator for Duty Officer qualities that can help your brother, the overlay on the portrait has one bar for a Green doff, two bars for a Blue doff, and three bars for a Purple doff.

    If you can come up with more ideas to help improve the user friendliness of the UI for color blind people, I'll see about trying to get them add them to the UI.

    Thank you FallingSky, will think of what would help me and let you know, I am a little red/green colour blind so purples tend to look like blue etc. Congratulations on a great launch day too. :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    Agreed. Trying to work out what colour the Klingon boffs are is pretty impossible.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    I have to agree with this. I'm not even colorblind and there are instances where the colors are a problem.. For example, I can't actually tell at times, which Side a doff is on, because certain races are multifactional. This can be a problem with the exchange in a major way. Secondly, on the Klingon side its actually very difficult to see what class someone is when they join your team. The Klingon Empire symbol dominates, with only a small circle behind it with a small splash of color on it, surrounded by RED. The issue here, is that when I look at a Klingon person's class icon, I have to lean closer and take a hard look to tell what they are. This issue is nonexistent on the Federation side because the character's color code is dominant on the circle (Red, Orange, and Blue). I'm sure there are other interface issues where color is an issue. Its nice to have color as a guide, but more clarity is always better.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited January 2012
    I have to agree with this. I'm not even colorblind and there are instances where the colors are a problem.. For example, I can't actually tell at times, which Side a doff is on, because certain races are multifactional. This can be a problem with the exchange in a major way. Secondly, on the Klingon side its actually very difficult to see what class someone is when they join your team. The Klingon Empire symbol dominates, with only a small circle behind it with a small splash of color on it, surrounded by RED. The issue here, is that when I look at a Klingon person's class icon, I have to lean closer and take a hard look to tell what they are. This issue is nonexistent on the Federation side because the character's color code is dominant on the circle (Red, Orange, and Blue). I'm sure there are other interface issues where color is an issue. Its nice to have color as a guide, but more clarity is always better.

    Honestly, with the team interface, it might simply be better to have a clean class icon, next to their faction icon. Like the Command Star, Operations Spiral and Science Rings. Just a clean separate Icon, not a color in a small piece of their faction iconography.
  • frankfletcherfrankfletcher Member Posts: 17 Arc User
    edited August 2012
    I am colorblind (red/green). In order to keep up with bridge officer types I name all of each type starting with a certain character. (i.e. Engineers = Elizabeth, Eric, Edward; Science = Stewart, Sally, Samantha; Tactical = Tabitha, Tilly, Ted.) It's bland, but it helps when picking officers for universal console slots and such.

    The Klingon color scheme is especially difficult for me in general.

    An complete UI colorblind mode option would be very beneficial. Maybe a UI color picker would be easier to implement.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Sign In or Register to comment.