Let's talk about a new UI

[Beastmaster]

Let's get some specifics here. Please omit the standard scripter hoopla, the UOA references, and the UOAM stuff. Instead post some specifics of what you want. It goes without saying a robust macro system is needed to support the complexities this game offers. I'll lead off with some examples.

Mining/Lumberjacking - press 1 key, auto targets every mountain/tree in range and mines/chops until they are dry or your tool breaks. You still put in the time hunting down the type of resource you want and you have to spend the time there to gather the resource same as normal minus all the clicking.

Crafting items - press 1 key, remove X amount of item Y from container Z and make item A until you break your tool or run out of resources.

Dressing/undressing - press 1 key and equip/unequip everything you normally have in your paperdoll

Skill training - taming for example - press 1 key, target appears, target animal, taming attempts continue X times or until tame, then renames and releases or kills

I know some of that stuff can be done to varying degrees with what we have now. But a nice macro recording/playing system in the client is very much needed.

 

[Dermott of LS]

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Seems like several of your mentions are closer to actual scripting than UI enhancements.

1. Mining/Lumberjacking: This is already in KR with "TargetbyResource" as well as several different ways to build a mining or jacking macro. Right now I have mining down to 1 to 3 keypresses and 1 click based on vein and desire (1 keypress/click if I like the color, 3 keypress, 1 click if I want to bump the color) and then a keypress to smelt each ore color and size (4 Nine slot hotbars, one hotbar for each size in order from Iron to Valorite, each with a set of hotkeys). I DID have a macro that went through the entire ore type system, but the lag from non-present ores in the macro made it unweildy.

2. Crafting Items: This one as you write it is TOO much of a script. The current crafting options in the custom UIs BB_Enhanced, Default_Enhanced, and Legacy have the options of Make Number, Make Max (which keeps making until resources run out or tool breaks), and Make Max Until Failure (which stops on a failed attempt). Having one that pulls resources I believe would go too far in terms of gameplay automation.

The ONLY change I see that I would make to the crafting menu in terms of functionality would be to have the Make Number box be a combo box to allow you to type in a number to make OR drop down as a menu to 10, 15, and 20 as "default" choices.

3. Dress/Undress: In KR already.

4. Taming Training: This one is also too close to scripting for my comfort, and probably the devs' as well.

 

[Beastmaster]

I realize my examples were very much like scripting, and that was my intent. If we don't provide an option that removes most of the tedium, then players will continue to seek alternatives, and find them. Its time the devs realize the monotonous keystrokes/clicks just aren't fun for the majority of players. That said, if I wanted to craft 1 special item that used rare ingredients that I didn't have a stockpile of, then yeah I'd go through all the steps to make it. But to train up a skill, its just ridiculous, and always has been.

 

[Connor_Graham]

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1. Mining/Lumberjacking: This is already in KR with "TargetbyResource" as well as several different ways to build a mining or jacking macro.

The only problem with KR is that it doesn't stop when the vein runs dry, but continues so when you walk to the next vein you just start mining without the opportunity to hit the vein with the Prospectors Tool or Garg axe. This to me makes mining in KR just plain suck.

 

[Dermott of LS]

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I don't use TbR for mining because it misses a LOT of veins in itself. I have 3 hotbar slots for mining:

Slot 1: "primer" digging tool Target:Cursor Hot Key: Ctrl-Alt-Q set to Nostromo button 01

Slot 2: Built macro (in the macro menu) for Prospector's Tool (Target:Cursor) - CursorTargetLast Hotkey:Ctrl-Alt-W set to Nostromo button 02

Sot 3: Built Macro (in the macro menu) for Shovel/Pick (Target: Cursor) - CursorTargetLast (This is done 5 times with 5 separate shovels and CTL icons) Repeat set to 6 Hotkey: Ctrl-Alt-E set to Nostromo button 03

This allows me to target any vein of my choosing, use a prospector's too if needs be then mine the vein the rest of the way in a single keystroke.

Macros for Slots 2 and 3 are built each time I go out to mine, and when I run out of shovels, I call it good for the time being.

 

[Connor_Graham]

None of which changes the fact that mining sucks in KR.

 

[Dermott of LS]

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My setup works MUCH nicer than ANY I used in 2d or 3d... especially since I don't even have to keep my backpack open. EVERY ore has a hotbar slot and hotkey and with a fire beetle gets smelted a LOT faster than via dbl-click ore, click on beetle. The setup above lets me target each vein manually with a minimum of clicking and no need for a weight on the last-object/last target macro.

The ONLY complaint that I have with the system is the inability to replace used tools by putting the new ones in the exact slot in the macro (they append to the end of the slots) thus creating the need to update the macro as I mine or before I start mining, but other than that, mining in KR for me has been TREMENDOUSLY easier once I took the time to learn how to set up the system to do so.

I guess it's the difference in attitude between "it sucks" and "how does this actually work?"

 

[Connor_Graham]

Ok, so maybe I should change it to:

If you have a $200~ keyboard (or whatever the F*** the Nostromo is), mining is great in KR, but if you don't, it still sucks. Specialized outboard hardware shouldn't be a requirement to play UO.

 

[Beastmaster]

And its way more complicated than it needs to be. It should not be such a chore. It should take time to mine the spot but there's no NEED to inflict all that crap that goes with it on a player.

 

[Dermott of LS]

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A Nostromo is a $40 game pad available at your nearest Best Buy. Oh and for the record, I was using the Nostromo in UO well over a YEAR before KR was even announced.

But doesn't matter, the Hot Key assignment could be set to F1, F2, and F3 with the results still the same.

Come on Connor, you're smarter than this.

 

[Zym Dragon]

Ok, so maybe I should change it to:

If you have a $200~ keyboard (or whatever the F*** the Nostromo is), mining is great in KR, but if you don't, it still sucks. Specialized outboard hardware shouldn't be a requirement to play UO.

Mining can be set up to function just like in the legacy client.

1. Set up a macro for last target.
2. Drag a shovel into a hotbar and set the hotkey for that (set the shovel target to "cursor.")

Hit your shovel macro and manually target the vein, then mine away using the shovel macro with the last target macro. This setup works like last object/last target macros in legacy.

When the shovel breaks, simply drag another one into the hotbar.

The great part about KR is the smelting imho. Drag your ore colors into hotbar slots (keep the target as "current"). As you mine, keep your fire beetle targeted. When your pack is full, single click on the ore in the hotbar to smelt.