Guild Wars 2

I found the mechanic of having to stand inside one AOE field in order to avoid another counter-intuitive and unwieldy to communicate. I’d really have like it if the devs could have created an interface here that would be more intuitive and fitting with the rest of the game.

The standard of dodging out of red/orange enemy AOE fields has been in place for quite some time and it works. Introducing an orange AOE field as a “safe” spot is a cheap trick at best and simply poor design at worst. Changing the color of the interface could make it easier for players to understand and communicate to each other, without changing the mechanics of the effect.

I’d have made the smaller AOE circle green because street lights and player/npc names in the game tell us that green means “go” (safe) while red means “stop” (not safe). There’s no need to obfuscate the mechanic with fuzzy messaging in the interface (orange AOE circle that looks like the typical red AOE circle) if the mechanic is designed well. The fact that this element appears at unpredictable locations means there is a chance players will miss it (especially if they are covered in particle effects). Therefore, timing and location of the element are key to the mechanics, while color is not.

Are other players out there thinking the orange AOE spots were unduly misleading?

Good idea, using a different color would help give a clue that it’s not just a normal AoE. Then more complex mechanics could be introduced once the messaging is clearer.

Well for please come here spots we have white AoEs in SW and DT.

dlonie.6547:

Good idea, using a different color would help give a clue that it’s not just a normal AoE. Then more complex mechanics could be introduced once the messaging is clearer.

I think the entire point is that its not supposed to be immediately intuitive. Like it actually took some work to discover how to deal with that attack exactly because of this. I dont think its a bad thing to be honest.

It’s not like it is a friendly area of effect. It still does damage and can kill people if they are low. It is distinct with regards to the fact that it has a shrinking circle inside it. No other effects in the game has really done that I think.

spoj.9672:

dlonie.6547:

Good idea, using a different color would help give a clue that it’s not just a normal AoE. Then more complex mechanics could be introduced once the messaging is clearer.

I think the entire point is that its not supposed to be immediately intuitive. Like it actually took some work to discover how to deal with that attack exactly because of this. I dont think its a bad thing to be honest.

^^ This

Plus personally I don’t want this to turn into wildstar where I’m just playing with shapes

I think the circle should be red as long as nobody stands in it. I really had trouble finding out why I took damage, even when I was in the circle. There was no indication what so ever that there need to be 5 people in it to prevent all damage caused by the lightning. It should at least fade into a white-ish color, or maybe even green or blue so you can actually learn from the visual response you are getting instead of crafting theories.

also the Blue AoE that ports you should be better visible, it kinda gets lost in all the Mesmer wells and Engi effects

Also, small suggestion; is there a way you could make the timer circle inside of the marker grow out instead of shrink in. It’s just easier to see when it goes off that way.

pinches self

Is this real life?

I’m loving the two-way feedback with this team. It’s good to have confirmation that you folks are listening.

Those changes sound great to me.

Crystal Reid.2481:

Just wanted to post and let you guys know the FX artist has been looking into this. For starters we’re going to swap the Distributed Magic orange telegraph to a different colour (since orange usually denotes “GTFO” and not “You should stand here”). Secondly, he’s looking into adding more “height” to the Unstable Magic Spike attack to help give more visual cue that you need to move/dodge. Hopefully some of this will help the messaging!

Would be nice if you could change all aoe indicators from barely visible red circles to solid orange aoes. His aoe spam when he gets a breakbar is barely visible. Red circles blend with seekers and the terrain.

Crystal Reid.2481:

FX artist has been looking into this.

Excellent.

I hope the suggestions in this thread pan out to some really great, intuitive and informative user interface designs that work consistently throughout the game.

As I hadn’t considered the implications for color blind players until I read through several posts about the Commander Tag UI, I’d suggest possibly changing the shape of the interface as well as the color.

Using an octagon might send a mixed message, as it is used so often for stop; but, replacing the circle with a hexagon or decagon would make it easily distinguishable as a unique element. I’d be prone to use the decagon as a nod to the 10 player limit of raids and it’s similarity, visually, when small, to the circle. I’d probably also alternate the fill on the triangular sections of the polygon to further make it visually distinct.

Overlaying this design with some sort of filigree or tracery might make it too confusing, with such treatments being used for wells and marks. Therefore, I’d probably stick to the regular polygon with some additional identifying marks.

Of course, using a shape with some form of patterning could also help, such as concentric rings, checkerboard or crosshatch, especially if changing the shape from a circle was ruled out.

I did get a bit of a giggle when, while laying dead outside the Vale arena, I could see the thin orange line of the oncoming AOE attack contacting from a large distance outside of the arena. The irony of this UI aid being indiscernible to players in the arena and thus completely useless as an interface was quite amusing to me.

spoj.9672:

I think the entire point is that its not supposed to be immediately intuitive. Like it actually took some work to discover how to deal with that attack exactly because of this. I dont think its a bad thing to be honest.

If the mechanic was a form of gateway, like a level gate, that prevented success until it were deciphered then ceased to be repeated I’d agree with this point of view.

Unfortunately, it takes less than a single play through to figure out the intent of the mechanic and this mechanic has no replay value added by being difficult to read. The first time a player misreads the mechanic after having deciphered its requirements may be refreshing. Around the 10th or 15th time it becomes a frustrating distraction that discourages play.

Obfuscation is always your worst form of security.

Great games don’t baffle players with ways to interpret their interfaces, they challenge players to use their simple interfaces to overcome well calculated risks.

Great games also dont need to clutter the screen with ugly indicators. I actually prefer having very minimal indicators. The old red circles were very unclear and unreliable but at least they didnt impose too much on the games aesthetic. The new orange circles do like nice and clean. But i think they stand out too much personally. Id rather not have that further cluttered with multiple shapes and colours just for indicators. When you can simply learn what to do for each attack based on the bosses actual animations and have one simple indicator if necessary (shouldnt be necessary on all abilities).

One indicator design is enough.

Crystal Reid.2481:

Malthurius.6870:

Also, small suggestion; is there a way you could make the timer circle inside of the marker grow out instead of shrink in. It’s just easier to see when it goes off that way.

We won’t change the animation simply because we’re already using a version of the telegraph that grows outwards later in the release, and that telegraph is definitely something you don’t want to stand in and need to get away from.

In other words… If the telegraph grows inwards, you should stack on it in some form (or maybe it’ll pull you in /plots). If the telegraph grows outwards then you need to get out.

As a colorblind player, I thank you for taking this approach. It is a much better system.

Crystal Reid.2481:

Malthurius.6870:

Also, small suggestion; is there a way you could make the timer circle inside of the marker grow out instead of shrink in. It’s just easier to see when it goes off that way.

We won’t change the animation simply because we’re already using a version of the telegraph that grows outwards later in the release, and that telegraph is definitely something you don’t want to stand in and need to get away from.

In other words… If the telegraph grows inwards, you should stack on it in some form (or maybe it’ll pull you in /plots). If the telegraph grows outwards then you need to get out.

Oh! Then never mind then; my suggestion was with the assumption that all the fill-in animations would be the same regardless of the mechanics. Since they denote different mechanics then this is actually much better.

TheRandomGuy.7246:

Crystal Reid.2481:

Just wanted to post and let you guys know the FX artist has been looking into this. For starters we’re going to swap the Distributed Magic orange telegraph to a different colour (since orange usually denotes “GTFO” and not “You should stand here”). Secondly, he’s looking into adding more “height” to the Unstable Magic Spike attack to help give more visual cue that you need to move/dodge. Hopefully some of this will help the messaging!

Would be nice if you could change all aoe indicators from barely visible red circles to solid orange aoes. His aoe spam when he gets a breakbar is barely visible. Red circles blend with seekers and the terrain.

yeah given the overall FX in game i think too ALL aoe should be hard orange ;-)