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Please, Please, Stop the pop up dialog boxes

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
This is mostly going to be about space combat. There are a couple of things that really annoy me about my bridge crew and I am going to start with the least annoying thing they do and progress upwards.

Why is it that I have a state of the art ship, a supposed ace bridge crew as they are all promoted as high as they can go without leaving for their own ship, yet for the life of me, they can not detect ships coming at me till they are 6 kilometers away and already attacking me? Does every faction have cloaking devices except for the federation? I mean come on, that is freaking annoying and I am not even a tactical person, they get hit the hardest with that stuff. (These are PVE explore X cluster missions).

Now that we have that out of the way, lets get on to the meat of this post. Why is there a dialog box popping up on my screen the second I kill someone. Lets not worry about the fact that they could be as close to me as a few meters away, but now my science officer must insist on standing in front of me blocking my view of everything, to tell me that there are more ships on their way!

Hey, about some voices in the game that simply tell us that there are more ships coming or at the very least, instead of a box that takes up 75% of your screen that you HAVE to click on to get it to go away, can you at least make that message smaller and maybe 3/4ths up the screen that just flashes up there without the need to have to click ok? I mean, come on, I am in the middle of a fight, a ship is about to go BOOM just a few meters away from me and my science officer is jumping up and down in my face telling me that someone else is coming. Great, let me get out of the way of the warp core explosion that is about to happen and THEN you can tell me. Contrary to popular belief, captains of star ships are actually able to multi task.

Now when you get to the end of those missions, you usually have the big baddy who thinks he has got something, deciding that he wants to message me on screen that he is going to try and rip my nacelles off. Great, at least delay that message for a few seconds while I am moving my ship out of range of his minions that just got destroyed!

There is an option to allow your ship to keep moving while dialog boxes are up, that is a blessing but it is simply not enough. These dialog boxes must go! Give our boffs voices so they can tell us some of this stuff without the need for those boxes or put up some kind of small message that goes away on its own and is not interfering with the battle at hand.

Oh, and is it possible to fix the Recon science vessel so that its forward phasers are not coming from BEHIND the ships shields. That one is annoying but not nearly as bad as my bridge officers jumping in my face every single battle.

Alrighty, not that I have complained and sound like a crazy man. I also want to say thank you, to cryptic for a great game. Sure at RA5 there isn't much to do right now, but the episodic content that you have had in this game has been wonderful! I have enjoyed every minute of it (minus all the needless pop up boxes mind you :) ) and have really had a lot of fun so far. I would like to see the daily quests be changed from 24 hours from the time you take the quest, to simply being done any time in a 24 hour day. That way it doesn't always have to be at or later of the same time your originally did the quest.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I was angry at these dialogue boxes several times as well :) Quite often they're just annoying, exactly as you described.
    But my "best" (ironically) experience with that was at the starbase 24 action, however: I fought my way through the klingons and had my fun doing it; somehow I was quite off the other players but managed to bring the last few klingons down before they did the same with me. What a glorious victory!

    When I came to the starbase, the next wave of klingons had already spawned. I wanted to avoid them so I could safely beam down to the station - in this moment, a dialogue box would open! Sad about not being able to read the story, I hasted to klick the "continue" button, just to get another page of story telling from my BO. By this time, two klingon groups reached my already damaged ship. I was not able to click the "Beam down" button fast enough - my ship blew up and I had to start over. Grrr. :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I totally agree with the OP. I always seem to get boxes popping up when I am on-top of an enemy warp core that's about to got boom :eek:. Ironically, if I am at a safe distance, the box never seems to pop up :rolleyes:.

    I was doing a ground mission yesterday, where the Borg attacked and a box popped up. I had to skip through 3 pages of story to defend myself. After that I was left with a problem, miss out on the story, or what I actually did, abandon the mission and start again, so I could go back and read what was being said.

    Surely the easiest solution would be to prevent boxes popping up while you are at Red Alert? Or at least be able to minimize them, so you can go back and read what they say after you've got your ship/captain to safety?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    They should show up as a flashing icon (flashing so you don't miss them) that you can click when you are ready for the interaction.

    These in your face boxes have forced me to miss some dialogue and I enjoy dialogue and story. Wonder if the Boff voices will get implemented and we could just have a voice over during these moments until we are ready to complete the dialogue.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Ah yes the pop up boxes, a classic example of how not to do things in a game...
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Merls wrote:
    They should show up as a flashing icon (flashing so you don't miss them) that you can click when you are ready for the interaction.

    These in your face boxes have forced me to miss some dialogue and I enjoy dialogue and story. Wonder if the Boff voices will get implemented and we could just have a voice over during these moments until we are ready to complete the dialogue.

    Yeah, I forgot completely about that part. I can't tell you how many story elements that I have missed because I am being attacked already and haven't even gotten to read what is on the screen.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    First off let me state that I am an avid fan of the series and the game...

    IMO the problem lies with the way the storyline is presented to us...Instead of getting a Klingon on screen in our bridge we get this lame pop up window with terrible graphics that happens to be at the same time some ships are attacking us... making me frantically close the pop up before I can even read it so that I can save my hide...Not that it matters because there is no penalty for death..."less immersion"

    I mean come on! At least give us a bridge with a screen and some decent cut scenes how cheap can they be!! These pop ups have the quality of the first ever metal gear...

    They need to take some lessons from the devs of Mass effect 2...Those beginning cut scenes are first class..

    Get rid of the terrible & embarrassing pop ups!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    My god. I think you've found the one thing in-game that we will all universally agree on. :eek:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    In the options you can set it so that your ship does not automatically stop when you get a dialogue box.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    In the options you can set it so that your ship does not automatically stop when you get a dialogue box.

    You did not read his whole post.

    Shame on you.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    You did not read his whole post.

    Shame on you.

    *hangs head in shame* :(
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    First off let me state that I am an avid fan of the series and the game...

    IMO the problem lies with the way the storyline is presented to us...Instead of getting a Klingon on screen in our bridge we get this lame pop up window with terrible graphics that happens to be at the same time some ships are attacking us... making me frantically close the pop up before I can even read it so that I can save my hide...Not that it matters because there is no penalty for death..."less immersion"

    I mean come on! At least give us a bridge with a screen and some decent cut scenes how cheap can they be!! These pop ups have the quality of the first ever metal gear...

    They need to take some lessons from the devs of Mass effect 2...Those beginning cut scenes are first class..

    Get rid of the terrible & embarrassing pop ups!

    Absolutely +1 for in-bridge-on-screen and cutscenes! :)
    Escpecially the onscreen with your bridge surrounding you would be awsome. I know this would be a greater kind of deal since it would require a smooth changing of views inside/outside and the timing would even be more difficult. But I miss this soooooooo much! Stories could be told much more intensive when organized in a way that you could take your time and a good setting to pay attention to it.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Agreed, this game has way too many pop ups. I really wish my bridge officers talked to me. I'm not asking for anything fancy like being able to customize voices for each person but come one. Gimme some speech.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    agree with everything that has been said in this post i got killed last night when joining a mission because of the 3-4 pop ups that came up in front of me betime i had got rid of them i was respawing voices would be good but i agree pop up boxes on the side of the screen so we can continue till we are safe to read them
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I laughed while reading the OP's words. Such true statements...

    I think the presentation ought to use the upper 1/3rd of the screen (allow it to be rearranged with the HUD controls) that posts simply a thumbnail image of the BO giving you the message, and then let their text float over space, as other messages do, like when you receive Skill Points or End of Mission messages.

    That would mean that the only part of your vision really occluded would be that taken up by the small thumbnail, as you could really see "through" the text if it doesn't have a background.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    those pop up boxes annoy me when i blow up a ship that is almost directly on top of me, then i get the message pop up, all my engines have been cut and i have to scramble to put power back into engines and close the popup box to avoid a possible fatal 20K explosion crit (yes been killed a few times like that, especially on those mirror universe sector defence missions)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    like this:

    http://screenshots.en.softonic.com/en/scrn/58000/58524/3_09-ene-2007_14-07-32.jpg

    http://www.areagames.de/images/games/Special%20Fortsetzungen/wingcommander5.jpg



    and yes Voiceovers would go a BIG step in Quality, especially in the Missions and for the Quest releated NPC's, like that one Mission with Nimoy and the Guradian of Time, the code is allready in place.
    I dont even want expensive Moviestars like Nimoy to make those Voiceovers... just People, who can ...uhm... like... SPEAK, you know?
    If you can get some proper Trek Stars later on the way to put a few Voices in, the Nerd inside me will jump up and down... but let just make the gamer inside me happy fist, ok?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Z3R0B4NG wrote: »
    like this:

    http://screenshots.en.softonic.com/en/scrn/58000/58524/3_09-ene-2007_14-07-32.jpg

    http://www.areagames.de/images/games/Special%20Fortsetzungen/wingcommander5.jpg



    and yes Voiceovers would go a BIG step in Quality, especially in the Missions and for the Quest releated NPC's, like that one Mission with Nimoy and the Guradian of Time, the code is allready in place.
    I dont even want expensive Moviestars like Nimoy to make those Voiceovers... just People, who can ...uhm... like... SPEAK, you know?
    If you can get some proper Trek Stars later on the way to put a few Voices in, the Nerd inside me will jump up and down... but let just make the gamer inside me happy fist, ok?

    You knew EXACTLY what I was referring to. :)

    I miss that game a lot. I'm thinking of trying to rig up Privateer II just for a taste. I wanna be a pirate, lol. I want the thrill of having to hide my contraband before the Confeds search my ship after a jump, or risk destruction.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    The worse thing IMO is when the boxes pop up when close to an exploding ship. Frikkin so annoying.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Poorly-timed pop-ups annoy me too, and I wish they were handled better. If you do end up frantically clicking through dialog screens without reading them in order to deal with the exploding things around you, all is not lost. The text is saved in your communications log, which you can go back and read at your leisure if you missed out on story bits.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Stelakh wrote: »
    My god. I think you've found the one thing in-game that we will all universally agree on. :eek:

    Yep I think you are right. This is like cooperation between federation and romulans. :P
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Merls wrote:
    They should show up as a flashing icon (flashing so you don't miss them) that you can click when you are ready for the interaction.

    These in your face boxes have forced me to miss some dialogue and I enjoy dialogue and story. Wonder if the Boff voices will get implemented and we could just have a voice over during these moments until we are ready to complete the dialogue.

    Yep. I've posted about it myself before now.

    A lot of "space based" games had areas of the UI which indicated communications from npcs.

    STO itself has one already, when you minimise one of those windows, it ends up as a bar in the bottom right. So why not just have ALL communications appear initially as that bar and will remain there until you click it to acknowledge the communication?

    No additional UI elements are needed. All that needs to change is to have the communication initially appear in its "minimise" form and flash.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Yes. They do need to do something about this. Just set it up similar to their tool tips. Setup a flashing federation symbol at the bottom right of the screen. We click on it when things calm down.

    The dialog box got me last week. I was taking on 3 BoP's, and while fighting them, I wasn't using my awareness of the battlefield and circled my way into another group of enemies. When I finally finished them off, I was at low on hull strength and very little shields. I was at half speed, I started to up my speed to get away from the ship's warp core breach and the stupid dialog box popped up. I couldn't hit it fast enough to get to brace for impact and I exploded into little bits. Lame.

    Fix this please Cryptic! Thanks! :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Well I happen to love things the way they are, and shame on all of you for suggesting they could be improved.

    Just kidding - I definitely agree with these sentiments. I think it would be unrealistic to record voice actors for every mission, but I would absolutely be on-board with a flashing button or some other workaround.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Totally agree. They are annoying. They need to be non-intrusive and placed to the side of the screen. Even better would be if you were simply (but obviously) given a notification you were being hailed.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Voices for Boffs would be my first choice, something to hear other than the false-Majel Roddenberry, just for a change of pace.

    Bridge cut scenes at the end of a mission would be nice, but ones in the middle would break flow quite a bit (since you'd have 2 load screens in rapid succession.

    One caveat to this I would like to add: While it doesn't have to effect game play any, I would love a feature to assign bridge officers a role, science officer, CMO, tactical, OPS, etc. I get a little annoyed when my science guy is giving me tactical sitreps.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Dryan wrote:
    Totally agree. They are annoying. They need to be non-intrusive and placed to the side of the screen. Even better would be if you were simply (but obviously) given a notification you were being hailed.

    Isn't there a sound associated with being hailed in star trek? Couldn't we have a standard male/female voice for being hailed. Captain we are being hailed. Then have a "open hailing frequencies" or "onscreen" button. That would be very trek. I've never seen a bridge officer just put a hail onscreen. They always announced it and awaited the order "onscreen". Considering I have all of enterprise, TOS, TNG Voyager and DS9 series, and have never seen a single instance where the bridge officer just opened channels without the order to do so, why are we subjected to it in STO?

    Choosing to have my hails onscreen or not seems like the captains prerogative to me and is very "Trek".
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    well, I just hope the devs see this and actually do something about it as it really drives me batty. And it just gets more annoying, the longer I play. Especially since explore missions are about the only thing I can do now at RA5.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    I am signing this as well. Most annoying feature ever.

    Please remove the pop up dialog boxes or make an option to turn them off.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited February 2010
    Josaph wrote: »
    I am signing this as well. Most annoying feature ever.

    Please remove the pop up dialog boxes or make an option to turn them off.

    Agree.

    Or at least allow us to resize and set appearance default location like the HUD display can be adjusted.

    And for pete's sake don't deactivate the keys while some of the pop-ups are displayed.

    OR setup an algorithm to determine ship strength/surrounding enemies/combat. If value is greater than 70% change default pop up message to be:

    "Captain, the computer indicates we need to kiss our TRIBBLE goodbye."
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Signed. Albeit much delayed from the original post. Has this been addressed at all?
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