Arrows are great, now I just want a clear "Join" or "Queue" button at the bottom to make it clear that I am really queing.
What I think is missing is some kind of "status" information - how many players are waiting currently on a similar match (to gauge my chances of getting into a game soon.)
Arrows are great, now I just want a clear "Join" or "Queue" button at the bottom to make it clear that I am really queing.
What I think is missing is some kind of "status" information - how many players are waiting currently on a similar match (to gauge my chances of getting into a game soon.)
Should it be actual numbers or traffic estimates? (i.e. high, medium, low)
Should it be actual numbers or traffic estimates? (i.e. high, medium, low)
Both perhaps? Estimates might seem too wishy-washy. Ideally would be a counter "10 seconds to next match", but obvioulsy that's not possible since we don't know how people will queue in the next 10 seconds.
Both perhaps? Estimates might seem too wishy-washy. Ideally would be a counter "10 seconds to next match", but obvioulsy that's not possible since we don't know how people will queue in the next 10 seconds.
What about average time between matches? (less any cooldowns, of course).
For example, you hit Space, vs. KDF, Arena and it says:
Good job. But I still miss a clear "Launch/Join" Button at the bottom.
You haven't updated the right side yet, did you? There is still a mention of "Small" which you can't select anymore on the left.
Since I am not that familiar with the ground modes - are they fully equivalent to the space modes?
Also - Warzones currently have no queues. Is it a "good" idea that they don't? Should they have them?
Good job. But I still miss a clear "Launch/Join" Button at the bottom.
You haven't updated the right side yet, did you? There is still a mention of "Small" which you can't select anymore on the left.
Since I am not that familiar with the ground modes - are they fully equivalent to the space modes?
Also - Warzones currently have no queues. Is it a "good" idea that they don't? Should they have them?
Well, my thoughts were that Warzones have no queue but that selecting it would instantly transport you to an instance (space or ground, depending).
This whole design is basically what I had posted on 2 times already in the past few months... and never got a single response from Cryptic.
They need to fix the system, because they are wasting maps with their GARBAGE layout.
With this layout, they can add 1 new map a month, make it for 3 game types... add it to the rotation...
BAM.....
more pvp goodness.
p.s.
They should make all maps able to use all game types. This is common in a lot of games, and a change of environment could be a welcome change to the flow of battle.
Can you imagine Capture and hold on Cracked Planet, or any of the other maps,... Brier Patch.
Think of how that would change up strategy.
Then... get them to do this for Champions Online..... like they said they would..... almost a year ago.
I really like how clean and organized it looks. There is almost a crispness about it. Very nice work incorporating a lot of these ideas too.
Don't thank me. The original wasn't nearly as good as the changes I've made based off community feedback. The whole "with your powers combined...." bit helps.
Now, if we could convince the developers to latch onto this... :cool:
I'd change the button "Hurry Up and Wait" but hopefully the condensing of the public queue would solve that.
Any other ideas? I'm more than happy to go back and add stuff.
You could make a mock-up for adding even more factions (Cardassians, Dominion, Borg?).
And you could beautify the tournament and private game screenshots. I don't like the margins, for example.
But really - get to the profit part in my outline ASAP.
Seems to be missing a queue team button. However, a better implementation might be to leave the queue team button out and just give any teamed player a pop up saying "Player 'x' has queued cap and hold vs. kling. Do you want to join the queue?"
Here's another idea, maybe not related to the main interface though: When a PvP match ends, players have the option to stay on the same map and mess around. They wait for enough people to queue up for the same map, and when the queue is full the game begins again. Or at the end of a match perhaps they could re-queue for a different game, but still stay on the same map and mess around with other players. Just an idea.
I'm not making any promises that we're going to suddenly implement all of this. To be totally honest, I don't think tournament creation (as awesome as that would be) would become a priority.
However, I do think that you guys have provided very valuable feedback, and offered some great suggestions on how we could improve STO. So, I will be more than happy to pass it along to the producers. (It's kind of in my job description to do these things. )
I'm not making any promises that we're going to suddenly implement all of this. To be totally honest, I don't think tournament creation (as awesome as that would be) would become a priority.
However, I do think that you guys have provided very valuable feedback, and offered some great suggestions on how we could improve STO. So, I will be more than happy to pass it along to the producers. (It's kind of in my job description to do these things. )
Thanks,
Stormshade
Even the public queue revamp would be get a lot of positive feedback. It'd allow developers to create more maps (due to map cycling) without worrying that it'd fracture the PvP queues even more.
Thank you for the response - we hadn't anticipated it.
Congratulations to everyone who contributed! It was your ideas that fleshed this out and made it better. I'm just a guy with access to Photoshop.
'grats Darren, if possible could the "ready up" menu be removed and automatically take the participants into the game?
I left it open, in case the unbalanced team issue gets fixed.
However, a solution that might meet your needs is having people automatically enter the map but that the match wouldn't start until teams were even. :cool:
I left it open, in case the unbalanced team issue gets fixed.
However, a solution that might meet your needs is having people automatically enter the map but that the match wouldn't start until teams were even. :cool:
That would work for me. Although I wouldn't be too upset if the round started when the teams were only off by one or two, and allow players to enter (to the max number allowed for each team) after the round had started.
Another factor to consider with PvP Queues and automatic entrance is that (due to wait times) people will often queue up while running B'Tran Dailies or Warzones, for example.
You can see the problem this poses for them to be auto-sucked up into the match.
However, the autoentrance with match start delay timer might have players adjust to mutually exclusive options like: you're either running a mission or in the PvP queue, not both.
I still think that the unbalanced teams could be fixed though.
If they don't have any problem with sucking ships into deep space encounters, then there should be no problem sucking people into PvP matches that they voluntarily line up for.
If they don't have any problem with sucking ships into deep space encounters, then there should be no problem sucking people into PvP matches that they voluntarily line up for.
Well, are you at the boss fight in Undine Terradome when a DSE sucks you up?
I don't play PvP for a lot of reasons but that interface in the OP is so easy to understand even I get it. I really hope the menu system does get revamped since that may all that is keeping some folks from actually doing pvp.
Comments
What I think is missing is some kind of "status" information - how many players are waiting currently on a similar match (to gauge my chances of getting into a game soon.)
Should it be actual numbers or traffic estimates? (i.e. high, medium, low)
For example, you hit Space, vs. KDF, Arena and it says:
Or does it? Maybe 3/0 just means there is a high turnaround with lots of matches?
Both would probably be best.
Great idea btw Darren
You haven't updated the right side yet, did you? There is still a mention of "Small" which you can't select anymore on the left.
Since I am not that familiar with the ground modes - are they fully equivalent to the space modes?
Also - Warzones currently have no queues. Is it a "good" idea that they don't? Should they have them?
Well, my thoughts were that Warzones have no queue but that selecting it would instantly transport you to an instance (space or ground, depending).
I've just completed the other fixes.
2) Get Cryptic to implement this.
3) ???
4) Profit.
They need to fix the system, because they are wasting maps with their GARBAGE layout.
With this layout, they can add 1 new map a month, make it for 3 game types... add it to the rotation...
BAM.....
more pvp goodness.
p.s.
They should make all maps able to use all game types. This is common in a lot of games, and a change of environment could be a welcome change to the flow of battle.
Can you imagine Capture and hold on Cracked Planet, or any of the other maps,... Brier Patch.
Think of how that would change up strategy.
Then... get them to do this for Champions Online..... like they said they would..... almost a year ago.
Now, if we could convince the developers to latch onto this... :cool:
( --| Click here to see Public Match Interface Overhaul |-- )
( --| Click here to see Private Match Interface Overhaul |-- )
( --| Click to see the Tournament Creation Menu |-- )
When the player is still waiting "Engage!" sounds too optimistic, though.
I'd change the button "Hurry Up and Wait" but hopefully the condensing of the public queue would solve that.
Any other ideas? I'm more than happy to go back and add stuff.
And you could beautify the tournament and private game screenshots. I don't like the margins, for example.
But really - get to the profit part in my outline ASAP.
Here's another idea, maybe not related to the main interface though: When a PvP match ends, players have the option to stay on the same map and mess around. They wait for enough people to queue up for the same map, and when the queue is full the game begins again. Or at the end of a match perhaps they could re-queue for a different game, but still stay on the same map and mess around with other players. Just an idea.
Good job on organizing this Darren!
Say what?!?!?! :eek: :eek: :eek:
'grats Darren, if possible could the "ready up" menu be removed and automatically take the participants into the game?
I'm not making any promises that we're going to suddenly implement all of this. To be totally honest, I don't think tournament creation (as awesome as that would be) would become a priority.
However, I do think that you guys have provided very valuable feedback, and offered some great suggestions on how we could improve STO. So, I will be more than happy to pass it along to the producers. (It's kind of in my job description to do these things.
Thanks,
Stormshade
Thank you for the response - we hadn't anticipated it.
Congratulations to everyone who contributed!
However, a solution that might meet your needs is having people automatically enter the map but that the match wouldn't start until teams were even. :cool:
That would work for me. Although I wouldn't be too upset if the round started when the teams were only off by one or two, and allow players to enter (to the max number allowed for each team) after the round had started.
You can see the problem this poses for them to be auto-sucked up into the match.
However, the autoentrance with match start delay timer might have players adjust to mutually exclusive options like: you're either running a mission or in the PvP queue, not both.
I still think that the unbalanced teams could be fixed though.