Thread 2. Discuss further.

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/the_elder_scrolls_v_skyrim/b/xbox360/archive/2011/01/28/skyrim-menu-system-overhaul.aspx

Disappointing to say the least. Article completely ignored the PC UI. I'm hoping that's because they have something more to reveal. Just looking at that screenshot makes me cringe at how annoying it would be for PC. Another clunky, annoying UI that ignores the fact that the PC has these little things called a Mouse and Keyboard.

Meh not much to discuss.....

I was hoping we get a little more info than whats been shown but I guess we cant get everything.

I'll summarize my thoughts:


In general, I liked what I read. I really loved “When you glance to the sky after you’ve played the game for a while, what you’re seeing in the sky is different than what somebody else is seeing based on the constellations."
That's something really smart and nice. Thumbs up for you there Bethesda
Another thing I really liked was "Once you choose a perk, it lights up the corresponding star in the constellation, making it visible when looking up to the heavens while interacting in the world."
If this means that the ACTUAL night sky changes a bit, depending on your perks, etc. Then this is awesome. I really like this idea

Something else that caught my attention was: "Pulling the camera as far away as possible gives you a great respect for the size of the game world."
Hopes and wishes that the game world is bigger than Oblivion
Ideal would be 70-100 square kilometers to me.

- About the UI in general: I think it's a good idea that you press your buttons (left,right,up,down) to navigate instead of clicking on tabs. It sounds smoother, faster and less annoying.
Good idea about that Bethesda :thumbsup:



What I'm really sad, unsure and disappointed about is:

- From the map view players can manage quest icons.
Does this mean we'll have QUEST MARKRS!? :chaos: Hopefully it also means that we can disable them? Since it says "manage." Quest markers destroyed the meaning of thinking, discovering, tracking, exploring (imo).

- From the map view players access fast travel.
Really disappointed about this , even though it was stated in the GI article as well. This kind of "click on the map you travel anywhere, from anywhere" svcks according to me. I'd much more prefer something more immersive with a somewhat logical explanation, like Morrowind's fast travel system - where you had to pay a travel service-NPC for a transportation to other towns, plus teleport spells like mark/recall and intervention

- From the map view players can plan their travel route.
Not really sure what this means? Plan their travel route? Anyone got an idea what it would actually mean in practice?
"I think it'll be like a GPS Navigator. You put your own marker(s) on the map and an additional arrow on the compass points to it." - Eps
If it means what Eps said, then I'm sad/disappointed about that as well
Why? Because I hate any GPS function to an RPG game. If it means marking on the map, sure; I definitely like that. But I really don't like any magic GPS features... whether it's compass icons, quest markers or this.

- I think this favourite menu system can be practical; but if there is no fast, easy hotkey as JUST "press "1" and change weapon immediately (without any more clicks), then I'm sad
Having both would be good I think

So... When do we get to hear how the interface works on PC?

I mean, I assume Bethesda have designed a PC interface. Err... right?



In defence of fast travel (purely in the interests of fairness, I prefer travel services myself...) it can be used to force the player to travel across the terrain to each destination at least once. Morrowind's travel services meant that right from the start you could get to a lot of places without ever seeing the countryside in between. Oblivion had the same problem, but done in a less immersive way. Fallout 3 had no destinations unlocked to start with, so there was more exploration and discovery forced upon those players who were more inclined to just rush through as fast as possible.

Which, as I write the words, I realise could be horrible for some people and a blessing in disguise for others.

Oh well, I suppose you really can't please everybody - not even some of the time .

Well, 2 handed skill confirmed.

Didn't anyone else notice they only mentioned one of the d-pad button's?

There's a simple solution with no spells that are automatically added to your character in the beginning of the game. Simply put spell tomes somewhere in the beginning, next to a piece of alchemy equipment, so you can choose whether or not to learn those spells and use alchemy.

I'm seriously worried for attributes. If they take them away I'm gonna become like one of those sad fallout-fans that can't accept any new fallout games into the official lore.

I think it'll be like a GPS Navigator. You put your own marker(s) on the map and an additional arrow on the compass points to it.

Attributes never make the game, the immersion and lore does.

Are we going to have to jump between the three different nebulae to look at our different skill sets?

So here's what I gathered from today's update.

- The UI has been consolized, again.
- Attributes have more than likely been removed
- Bithsigns have possibly been removed
- Oblivion style fast travel is back in full force
- Quest markers are back in full force
- Hotkeys have been replaced by a favorites menu, meaning no more insta equip
- Stars light up in the sky depending on your preferences (cute, but I really don't care)
- Map system sounds almost exactly like the one implemented in Fable III

Skyrim sounds fun, huh guys? :sadvaultboy:

Disappointed by today's update, as I always seem to be when GI write about Skyrim rather than Bethesda telling us about it. Could they at least have revealed a few more screenshots of the UI? We now have a grand total of 1 menu screenshot, where before we had... 1 menu screenshot.

The only new pieces of information I could glean from the text aren't encouraging. I'd rather the night sky wasn't affected by my character's increasing abilities (I mean, why?), and GI's laboured descriptions of menu navigation and "favourites" are so console-exclusive that I basically still have no idea how it works.

First thoughts:
I really love how you can apparently view and investigate every item in your inventory in 3D.
I'm really confused by the favourites menu and how this is supposed to be an improvement over hotkeys.
I'm worried about the night sky being both overly dominated by nebulea, too reliant on perks to provide stars in areas and generally ugly and hard to mod due to these mechanics.

What do you mean ignored? If it had the same button to bring up the menu in the 360 and PS3 version then it will have the same as the computer, not to mention it really doesn't matter on the pc version because I for one rebind it to one of my Naga's 17 buttons. As for the directions, I'm sure you will either use the arrow keys or may even be able to use the mouse to mouse over a directional button and go to that part of the menu.



That literally isn't the night sky <_< You won't go out at night and look at the sky and there is the mage nebula. It's a symbolic night sky, not a literal night sky.

They might have designed their engine to do quick zoom out's. Like if I'am in a house and press my skill button/key. It would zoom out to the house,then up and up until it's skyward.

Hope there's some UI, as many others hope.

Invisible ? As in, if I pick an Orc, and use a mace solely, and then do the same with a Bosmer, the Orc *will* end up being better at it ? I do hope so, but it's kinda weird without any measurement.

Well, speculation on speculation.


Summing up my " :mellow: " feelings at the time perfectly. I'll withhold judgement awaiting more precise info, but quite underwhelmed so far : either the article has bad news, or is too unclear at best.

we all know we will buy this, but there are some red warning flags for me. Its getting a bit un-rpg and more first person shooter.

The new map could be horrid. I want discovery, I want to get lost on a snowcapped mountain and not know where I am!

I'm sure perks regulate everything attributes would do, and regulate the effects of birthsigns as well.

For example, there will most likely be multiple levels of a perk to raise your carrying capacity. Or another set of perks to speed up regeneration of your magicka.

Although, this would mean there has to be an amount of miscellaneous, or general perks that are not directly tied to skills. I'm sure this is the case.

A little concerned. I kinda thought we would hear about a PC interface, hope we don't get jipped again. Also more concerns that this is sounding less like an RPG every day.

"Cascading menu system" as in "like DarN UI" or just like in "euphemism for 'fantasy Pip-Boy 3000'"?

Not on skiis!

My guess is that while hotkeys enabled a single item only (without mods), favorites is like an entire setup. I hope, anyways. That way you push the button and a sword and shield are equipped, or a different one and two spells are equipped, etc.