Guild Wars 2

Can we have an option like this:

Particles:
[Show Player Only]
[Show Party Only]
[Show All Reduced]
[Show All]

Please let me edit the UI.

PLEASE let me reduce particle effects.

the biggest problem is the camera. When the character has some surface close behind, the camera will show you…the neck/shoulder of your character!!!. Why not simply make so that when the camera gets too near, it switch to some kind of isometric view to ALWAYS allow a perfect view of the whole scenario?

Agreed on particle effects. When I can’t see the boss telegraph his moves, and I can’t see the circles on the floor, I can’t play the game the way it was designed, and the way it needs to be played. Heck, I can’t even see whatever signal it is that Tequatl gives before his wave, so can’t dodge/jump that when in the pack attacking him…with 50 or more players in close proximity. So it doesn’t take particle effects, stacked player bodies are enough.

If there are any graphics effects that flash at 7 cycles per second (or whatever that number was they figured out was most likely to trigger epileptic seizures) then the animation staff needs the proper training. Seem to recall an anime series a few years back whose animators didn’t know either…

Still have to wonder if the ArenaNet devs play on 2560×1440 displays with high end graphics cards, which is far beyond my budget, and if they see something different than I do when these effects occur.

I know it’s a no no, but I has to make a macro which centres my mouse when I press down on my mouse wheel. It is the only way I’ve been able to keep myself from going insane trying to find the darn thing.

1. Please don’t hide the mouse when I right click. Yes, it will be where I left it, but when I am right mouse “driving” for a couple of minutes, there’s no way I am going to remember where the mouse last was before it was hidden.

2. Please make the mouse colour and/or size adjustable.

3. Please adjust the camera view so I can see the heads of the bosses without having up look up my own skirt.

Thank you.

Oh yes, and

4. Please don’t put a completely different style log off menu in front of me, which requires a specific click to get away from, when I hit ESC too many times while trying to close all my windows when being attacked.. Or to stop targeting a gate (etc) when I am far from it. I really love flying off in some random direction that isn’t forward when I press the 3 key for my guardian’s greatsword, because the game didn’t un target the item I stopped attacking 2500 units ago….

Just give us an option to turn it off completely. I don’t want, nor have any personal need for particle effects. I don’t care and I never will. It only clutters the screen and makes dodging certain attacks impossible. Dodge Kholer for example is a really tricky business when he’s got Guardian fire on him for the whole fight..

Oh, and it would be nice if you actually addressed the issue in the thread, instead of posting some void off-topic PR message.

Shifu.4321:

You must not have played World of Warcraft

Except you can completely customize your UI in wow, and that one is garbage…. What a terrible example lol.

Shifu.4321:

You must not have played World of Warcraft

It might look silly but it is highly customized for all your raid sperging needs.

leng jai.2961:

GW2 clutter is from obscene amounts of particle effects rather than the UI. I quite like the UI we got actually.

What? the UI is terrible. condition and boon icons are TINY and non-moveable. I’m not sure it’s possible to design a worse UI for PVP.

With regards to the UI. I use my mouse to click the skills because I use the arrow keys on the right side of my keyboard. Any chance we can have an option to turn off skill tips too please? Some weapons have triple boxes that are really quite big and probably unnecessary for a lot of players after playing their profession for a while.

I added a screen of my Necro about to take down one of the hardest monsters in the game and the wand is a good example of what I mean. I know what these skills do by now so I’d prefer not to have them obscuring my screen if possible.

ColinJohanson.2394:

One of the projects we’re working on in preparing the game to release in new regions is trying to make the game easier to learn. While a lot of that work is in the area of better tutorials, better level up messaging guides, and unique tutorials for specific mechanics we’re also evaluating UI complexity (and system complexity) to try and make information easier to see/consume.

Cleaning up the existing UI systems to make them less cluttered, more-stream lined, and better unified is part of this project and absolutely something you’ll see in the west as well, likely around or possibly even before we release the game in our next major world region.

And to get ahead of the next question: No, we have no solid dates! We’re still in beta in China and are testing and developing all of these new systems to make the game is easier to learn. We haven’t announced timelines for development any other major regions other than being in Beta in China at this time.

And once again you avoided the real question: Will particles mess ever be solved? Will we ever be able to turn off those particle effects, or at least be able to see just few of them?
Easier game learning is nice, UI is solid its not what people are complaining about, they are complaining about thousand skill that are clogging visibility of anything else…

ColinJohanson.2394:

One of the projects we’re working on in preparing the game to release in new regions is trying to make the game easier to learn. While a lot of that work is in the area of better tutorials, better level up messaging guides, and unique tutorials for specific mechanics we’re also evaluating UI complexity (and system complexity) to try and make information easier to see/consume.

Cleaning up the existing UI systems to make them less cluttered, more-stream lined, and better unified is part of this project and absolutely something you’ll see in the west as well, likely around or possibly even before we release the game in our next major world region.

And to get ahead of the next question: No, we have no solid dates! We’re still in beta in China and are testing and developing all of these new systems to make the game is easier to learn. We haven’t announced timelines for development any other major regions other than being in Beta in China at this time.

Colin, it would go a very long way if I were simply able to turn off the ‘Personal Story/Living Story’ notification box on the top right of my screen. I, above all people, know that I have yet to kill Zaitan. I don’t need a constant reminder.

Scrambles.2604:

Mathias.9657:

Shifu.4321:

You must not have played World of Warcraft

That is indeed the worst UI ever made, but WoW doesn’t look like that lol.

Yeah, honestly i liked that about WoW, you had the power to make your UI as cluttered or non cluttered as you prefered. Some people see that UI as a mess, but i see it as personalized.

So true, that is not what the WoW ui looked like at all. One thing that WoW aloud that GW2 does not is 3rd party programs, and that person has a lot installed.

ColinJohanson.2394:

One of the projects we’re working on in preparing the game to release in new regions is trying to make the game easier to learn. While a lot of that work is in the area of better tutorials, better level up messaging guides, and unique tutorials for specific mechanics we’re also evaluating UI complexity (and system complexity) to try and make information easier to see/consume.

Cleaning up the existing UI systems to make them less cluttered, more-stream lined, and better unified is part of this project and absolutely something you’ll see in the west as well, likely around or possibly even before we release the game in our next major world region.

And to get ahead of the next question: No, we have no solid dates! We’re still in beta in China and are testing and developing all of these new systems to make the game is easier to learn. We haven’t announced timelines for development any other major regions other than being in Beta in China at this time.

Something I am legitimately curious about is why the lack of interface customization, isn’t the best way for everyone here is to allow customization of the UI placement / visibility per player, ala Guild Wars 1?

I don’t know what half the bosses in this game look like because everything is always on fire. I’m sure they look cool, and I’d like to give props to the team that modeled / designed them… but I have no basis to form an opinion. They are all particle effects (with the Limit option turned on)

also: please allow me to move around more of my UI. I have always hated stuff in the bottom center of the screen. in GW1 everything was shrunk and pushed to the sides. I’m here for an experience in a living world, not account / database / resource management. (true, its not nearly as bad as most other mmos, but this was easily customizable in the last game. don’t take things away from us)

It would be nice if a Dev could acknowledge the particle problem rather than have a big reading comprehension failure.

Having said that, I too would like to get rid of the personal story notifications, have them remember collapsed state and finally, I too am forever losing my mouse, a real problem for targeted spells.

The most notable culprit is the Sigil of Fire.

Exemple : At Dwayna temple each time a player with sigil of fire crit there is a chance for a fire AOE and getting this perma continuous fire blast ….it don’t take a huge amount of players using this sigil to produce this issue.

Can you please get rid of the living story and personal story hints from the top right!!!

Smith.1826:

Please let me edit the UI.

PLEASE let me reduce particle effects.

I would love to edit the UI and have full bind customization – having the same binds for every class and weapon is so bad.

ColinJohanson.2394:

One of the projects we’re working on in preparing the game to release in new regions is trying to make the game easier to learn. While a lot of that work is in the area of better tutorials, better level up messaging guides, and unique tutorials for specific mechanics we’re also evaluating UI complexity (and system complexity) to try and make information easier to see/consume.

Cleaning up the existing UI systems to make them less cluttered, more-stream lined, and better unified is part of this project and absolutely something you’ll see in the west as well, likely around or possibly even before we release the game in our next major world region.

And to get ahead of the next question: No, we have no solid dates! We’re still in beta in China and are testing and developing all of these new systems to make the game is easier to learn. We haven’t announced timelines for development any other major regions other than being in Beta in China at this time.

A few things you can do that would greatly increase visibility in game for me:

Allow me to close/open all that junk on the right of the screen. The daily info, the story quest I never do, it builds with every new content release and takes up at least 10-15% of my screen-estate.

Allow UI elements to be moved and anchored. Target bar is in the WORST location for any class that is ranged. If you accidently click it when trying to ground target a ranged skill at the top of your screen, you instead target yourself and your AoE falls on YOU.

Not only would I like some scalability with the UI elements, apart from the overall ENTIRE UI scaling and no other option, would be to scale, move and reanchore Boons/Conditions.

GW1 had the BEST UI as far of customizability, of any MMO I have played to date, including this one and any new comers.

I lose my mouse ALL the time. The fire particle affects make seeing the enemies for targeting or evasion almost impossible. I thought they announced they where toning this down in a previous release, but I see no evidence of this. If it where not for my need for Empreal, I would completely avoid all of the boss battles as they are all long boring graphical overloads. This is on top of the camera issues of course, but that is a whole other topic.

Elric Of Melnibone.4781:

I lose my mouse ALL the time. The fire particle affects make seeing the enemies for targeting or evasion almost impossible. I thought they announced they where toning this down in a previous release, but I see no evidence of this. If it where not for my need for Empreal, I would completely avoid all of the boss battles as they are all long boring graphical overloads. This is on top of the camera issues of course, but that is a whole other topic.

They added an option to reduce particle effects a few patches ago. It doesn’t make a significant difference, but there is your evidence.

ColinJohanson.2394:

One of the projects we’re working on in preparing the game to release in new regions is trying to make the game easier to learn. While a lot of that work is in the area of better tutorials, better level up messaging guides, and unique tutorials for specific mechanics we’re also evaluating UI complexity (and system complexity) to try and make information easier to see/consume.

Cleaning up the existing UI systems to make them less cluttered, more-stream lined, and better unified is part of this project and absolutely something you’ll see in the west as well, likely around or possibly even before we release the game in our next major world region.

And to get ahead of the next question: No, we have no solid dates! We’re still in beta in China and are testing and developing all of these new systems to make the game is easier to learn. We haven’t announced timelines for development any other major regions other than being in Beta in China at this time.

Thank you, Colin, for the response. Good to know this issue is being addressed. However, in addition to “less cluttered, more-stream lined, and better unified” UI systems, can you also add two additional options:

1) The ability to reposition UI elements anywhere on the screen (some can be repositioned currently, but not all).

2) The option to turn UI elements off. This is on an UI element-by-element basis. I’m not asking for a global on/off toggle; we can already do that with CTRL + SHIFT + H. I’m asking that each UI element has it’s own on/off toggle so if I want to hide just the mini-map, for example, I can do that.

Points #1 and #2 above existed in GW1. I don’t know the logic behind trying to reinvent the wheel with regards to the UI control, but GW1 did it right by giving the player virtually total control over their UI. I fail to see any legitimate reason for not doing the same in GW2.

Second point; particle effects. Same concept; give players control over the density of the effects. As suggestions for how to improve this have already been made in another post, I’ll simply link to it here: Over kill visuals

Thank you.

ColinJohanson.2394:

One of the projects we’re working on in preparing the game to release in new regions is trying to make the game easier to learn. While a lot of that work is in the area of better tutorials, better level up messaging guides, and unique tutorials for specific mechanics we’re also evaluating UI complexity (and system complexity) to try and make information easier to see/consume.

Cleaning up the existing UI systems to make them less cluttered, more-stream lined, and better unified is part of this project and absolutely something you’ll see in the west as well, likely around or possibly even before we release the game in our next major world region.

And to get ahead of the next question: No, we have no solid dates! We’re still in beta in China and are testing and developing all of these new systems to make the game is easier to learn. We haven’t announced timelines for development any other major regions other than being in Beta in China at this time.

I don’t think the original poster was talking about UI clutter.

Look, it’s pretty simple Colin,

You guys have streamlined combat in this game essentially to autoattack and dodge/block/go invuln/evade.

What I mean by that is people have done the math, done the parsing, and determined that the best dps rotations in the game are really pretty much just letting your autoattack chain go, with a few exceptions.

Then thanks to invulnerability on dodge, the terrible way interrupts are implemented, making it essentially too much trouble to bother interrupting attacks when you can just dodge them, and the fragileness of characters REQUIRING dodging just about every single attack, has trained your playerbase into a mode of playing the game where they just wear berserker gear, focus on maximizing dps, and avoid every attack that comes their way. The fact that a lot of newer content bosses utilize unreflectable projectiles to stop people from using one of the only interesting mechanics left in your combat… projectile reflection only reinforces this mode of playing. You guys have essentially “streamlined” as you call it, “watered down” as I call it, combat into dodge and dps. It is one dimensional and about as deep as an oil puddle on pavement.

NOW, about that clutter we’re talking about….

You’ve designed a game where you have this one dimensional combat or dps and dodge, dodging based on visual animation cues, since you don’t have enemy cast bars. The boss attacks are strong enough when there’s a lot of players that every single hit, instantly downs, so you MUST dodge EVERYTHING, or you die. The problem with this system is you have dozens to hundreds of players attacking this one target, obscuring it in spell particle effects, making it near impossible to see the visual cues.

So this is what you’ve managed to do to your player base. You have trained them through experience, to expect to just stand at range or risk melee, , dps, and then get one shot by an attack they couldn’t see coming, and then waypoint back and run all the way back, until the boss is dead. You’ve created graveyard zergs. Now in dungeons this isn’t as much of an issue for 2 reasons, one you can’t graveyard zerg, and 2, there’s only 5 players so the particle effects aren’t as big of an issue.

The astounding fact of all this, is that you are well aware that particle effects are an issue in the gameplay, and have tried to remedy it not only by trying to “cull” particle effects but more commonly you try and make the bosses bigger (Aetherblade captains anyone? They’re like 3 times the size of anyone else), but that doesn’t cut it when the particle effects scale to the model size!

Why are you so afraid to add enemy cast bars? They were in GW1 and were a great help, I especially enjoyed them when I played interrupt based mesmers and rangers. Enemy cast bars would instantly solve this charlie foxtrot of particle effects problem by giving players another cue to work with, it might also make interrupting more viable, that is, if you found a way to make defiant not completely prohibitive towards interrupt playstyles.

So, I hope you can address this post, most notably the fact that enemy cast bars would improve quality of life for a lot of people and solve a lot of the issues with particle effect clutter, but also in the long term scheme of things, depth of the combat system needs to be addressed someday, this playstyle of dodge and dps really needs something else.

What? Someone mentioned the UI, and Colin popped in to give us some transparency on that. I thought it was great!

I agree about the particle effects, though; the other day some guy in Labyrinth chat was yelling at us for missing boss tells and inconveniencing him with our deaths. My husband was watching over my shoulder, and asked; ‘Are you supposed to be able to see things? It looks like you are flailing around in a swimming pool full of Play Doh. With fire on it.’

This is 2013. Every UI I can think of is customisable, why not this game?

Devildoc.6721:

[snip]…

Well-written analyses; of which I agree with most of it. My concern, though, is over the suggestion of adding cast bars for the bosses. I’d rather see them address the ridiculous particle effect overkill so we can actually see the bosses rather than add cast bars. In combat which you’ve described as “watered-down” (and which I agree with), the addition of cast bars will make it even more watered down.

Now, if they fail to address the epilepsy-inducing light show, then, yes, I’d agree cast bars would be the only solution; as there’s no other way to see the boss’ visual cues through the particle effects. I just feel that’s the wrong solution to the right problem.

We have options to control the number of player models that render on the screen and with how much detail they render. Apply the same concept to the particle effects and problem solved.

What’s more is it’s a win-win for everyone. For those who don’t mind the particle effects as they currently exist, they can set their sliders, toggles, drop down menus, or what-have-you to their highest density. For those who want to tone them down, they will have the option to do so. For the devs – though it’s not identical cut-and-paste code – the programming they added recently that allows players to control the number of models rendered and their level of detail can serve as a template for how to design the particle effect sliders.

Grumpdogg.6910:

Can you please get rid of the living story and personal story hints from the top right!!!

I’m tired of asking for this (but +1’d anyway) and also the removal of the pointless ragged border and XP bar. In game press ctrl + shift + h then turn it on and off a few times and you’ll see how space is taken up by things that should be taken up by the game.

I mean look at it this way, how many famous painting are in art galleries without a square or rectangular frame because they look better with the raggedy canvas instead? None?

I’d prefer not to have cast bars added to the game for one big reason. As it is we can’t usually see the bosses head/shoulders unless we’re waaaaay back at edge of range. If we had to watch a cast bar we’d need to turn our camera nearly straight up to see it, then we’d miss the fields our friends are dropping, or mobs coming up behind, or animations to signal a big attack.

Just let us be able to see the boss through all the Las Vegas light shows and I’ll be happy.

I’d just like to add another pointless clutter UI effect that is the red effects border when we take a few hits. Now I get why this was added because a lot of modern games have it so obviously GW2 has to have it too regardless of relevance.

The games that usually have this though are pretty much first person shooters and the red effects are to simulate your pain on being hit (or give you an idea of which direction your pain is coming from).

Why is this taking up real estate in a 3rd person mmorpg game? We are not playing as the person we play we’re just in control of them so red borders at damage are just more needless screen obscuring clutter.

Shifu.4321:

You must not have played World of Warcraft

At least I can see what the boss look like in wow.

I simply can’t see the boss with all the particle effect.

GW2 UI is fine. But I loathe the particle effect.

But unfortunately, Anet probably wont’ do a thing. Since legendary gear is such a big deal in this game. And legendary gear with no particle effect = another plan weapon.

Pure bad design to make 1-shot mechanics that are expected to be dodged and are only telegraphed to the player via boss animations that are obscured by particle effects. It’s like they took 3 or 4 different things and made them into one extra bad recipe. Change any one of them and it would be fine.

ColinJohanson.2394:

One of the projects we’re working on in preparing the game to release in new regions is trying to make the game easier to learn. While a lot of that work is in the area of better tutorials, better level up messaging guides, and unique tutorials for specific mechanics we’re also evaluating UI complexity (and system complexity) to try and make information easier to see/consume.

Cleaning up the existing UI systems to make them less cluttered, more-stream lined, and better unified is part of this project and absolutely something you’ll see in the west as well, likely around or possibly even before we release the game in our next major world region.

And to get ahead of the next question: No, we have no solid dates! We’re still in beta in China and are testing and developing all of these new systems to make the game is easier to learn. We haven’t announced timelines for development any other major regions other than being in Beta in China at this time.

Can’t wait for the new UI..

I’d also like to add a request for customization on battle text, as I find my crits end up blocking my view on smaller bosses. When watching for telegraphs is so important here, I’m surprised it’s so obnoxious.

Specifically, I’d like to be able to all battle text in combat. No numbers please.

Also, maybe a recount feature? Please?

I think the fx are beautiful when you’re playing solo – the trouble is, they have the same “impressionistic” feel as all the graphics in the game, which, again, is beautiful in and of itself – it has a painterly look. But that “painterly” look makes the ability fx a bit fuzzy.

I remember CoH used to have absolutely tons of fx as well, but they had sharper outlines in general, they didn’t have that “painterly/impressionistic” effect, so it was somehow easier to see what was going on.

But I don’t think that can be changed at this stage, it’s part of the feel of the game. They probably do need to work on having more sliders to tone things down a bit more for those who like clarity though.

Kraag Deadsoul.2789:

Devildoc.6721:

[snip]…

Well-written analyses; of which I agree with most of it. My concern, though, is over the suggestion of adding cast bars for the bosses. I’d rather see them address the ridiculous particle effect overkill so we can actually see the bosses rather than add cast bars. In combat which you’ve described as “watered-down” (and which I agree with), the addition of cast bars will make it even more watered down.

Now, if they fail to address the epilepsy-inducing light show, then, yes, I’d agree cast bars would be the only solution; as there’s no other way to see the boss’ visual cues through the particle effects. I just feel that’s the wrong solution to the right problem.

We have options to control the number of player models that render on the screen and with how much detail they render. Apply the same concept to the particle effects and problem solved.

What’s more is it’s a win-win for everyone. For those who don’t mind the particle effects as they currently exist, they can set their sliders, toggles, drop down menus, or what-have-you to their highest density. For those who want to tone them down, they will have the option to do so. For the devs – though it’s not identical cut-and-paste code – the programming they added recently that allows players to control the number of models rendered and their level of detail can serve as a template for how to design the particle effect sliders.

I don’t think there’s any way to completely solve the particle effect problem, unless you don’t want to see ANY particle effects, but some, like fields, are useful, and of course you need to be able to see the boss’s aoes and whatnot.

There is no other game on the market I can think of where they expect you to dodge actively based on an animation alone, especially none that result in you getting instantly killed if you fail to dodge. That’s the combination where I feel this is a problem. If not dodging resulted in you getting hit, but surviving it, okay, fine. But getting hit by world bosses that have a hundred people fighting it, generally results in instant death.

To me I find it amazing that a game like world of warcraft doesn’t even have an active dodge function, and yet they give you enemy cast bars, and even chat window notifications (which are used by addons to make an even more obvious notification in the center of the screen in bold text), and the bosses can be interrupted with kick, counterspell, etc… and yet..

Here bosses are immune to interrupts essentially (since defiant stacks so high it’s impossible to rely on bringng it down, in instances it’s still more trouble than it’s worth to break down the stacks to interrupt, you just dodge instead), you either dodge or get one shot, AND you have to rely on animation cues only.

That’s just a really bad combination.

I don’t think it’s possible to make the game work based on animation cues only, I think there will always be enough clutter to make seeing cues difficult at best.

Carize.8532:

I’d prefer not to have cast bars added to the game for one big reason. As it is we can’t usually see the bosses head/shoulders unless we’re waaaaay back at edge of range. If we had to watch a cast bar we’d need to turn our camera nearly straight up to see it, then we’d miss the fields our friends are dropping, or mobs coming up behind, or animations to signal a big attack.

Just let us be able to see the boss through all the Las Vegas light shows and I’ll be happy.

Enemy cast bars would be located under the boss’s health bar, like in GW1, so as long as you’re targeting them, you’d be able to see them.

I think our UI right now is playable, but would be much better if we can customize them, and I mean everything like in GW1. That was one of the benefit as a player that I miss when I played GW1, everything can be customized in terms of UI.

Back to the OP’s concern, I agree as well its really hard to see a skill setting off or a red zone in your screen with all of these huge effects going on, specially when youre trying to kill a champion. Horrible. Picture 20+ people in Queensdale farming and zerging champs, now picture their skills going off. (When an Ele drop conjure weapons its barely noticeable to other players. Boar F2 skills. )

Ranger interrupting a skill is not even a matter of skill to me unlike GW1 ranger interrupt, in here its a matter of luck when players are on your target its really impossible to see your enemy. I think this should be fix, I love the skill effects of this game I understand your concern in terms of graphics and particles. But at the same time it is messy, and if you want people to understand the game keeping it simple is the way.

AEFA.9035:

I think our UI right now is playable, but would be much better if we can customize them, and I mean everything like in GW1. That was one of the benefit as a player that I miss when I played GW1, everything can be customized in terms of UI.

Back to the OP’s concern, I agree as well its really hard to see a skill setting off or a red zone in your screen with all of these huge effects going on, specially when youre trying to kill a champion. Horrible. Picture 20+ people in Queensdale farming and zerging champs, now picture their skills going off. (When an Ele drop conjure weapons its barely noticeable to other players. Boar F2 skills. )

Ranger interrupting a skill is not even a matter of skill to me unlike GW1 ranger interrupt, in here its a matter of luck when players are on your target its really impossible to see your enemy. I think this should be fix, I love the skill effects of this game I understand your concern in terms of graphics and particles. But at the same time it is messy, and if you want people to understand the game keeping it simple is the way.

Interrupting is REALLY a matter of luck because you have to be lucky enough for all the players to use their stuns/dazes to strip defiant down and then lucky enough that no other player decides to use a stun when the boss is not using a skill.

It’s possible in a dungeon where it can only stack to 5 but the reality is nobody bothers to do it, because it’s easier to just dodge.

We talk about soft trinity here of support, dps, and control.. but lets face it, control is thrown right out the window because of defiant.and dodge. Support is thrown right out the window by low ROI in healing power, and the fact that people cannot get hit at all without dying , again, relying on dodge. Also the fact that both control and support are done just as effectively in berserker gear as in gear with healing power or any other gear, means that the entire flawed system places too much importance on one role, damage.

The particle effects, especially in zergs are over the top at the moment. I think many champions such as Lyssa/Dwayna and the new ones in the Mad King’s Labyrinth are interesting, but when I have to strain my eyes just to make out which part of their body is their head (and often fail) it’s just not enjoyable.

The particle effects do need some more controlling settings options.

Though something I would really really like to see is a slightly different version of ctrl+shift+h, which turns off all the UI. If this window showed my health and class specialty (ex. adrenalin) I would use it almost all the time. I know what buttons do what on my characters and I would LOVE to be able to just hide everything and enjoy what I can see around the world (messy particles and all), kinda like how Skyrim works with your health etc only coming up when you need to see it.

Basically, a new version of the UI with only the health, class special, and a small arrow in the corner to bring up the chat box. The current UI is very nice and doesn’t take up a whole lot of the screen but there is still a big difference with it not there at all.

ColinJohanson.2394:

One of the projects we’re working on in preparing the game to release in new regions is trying to make the game easier to learn. While a lot of that work is in the area of better tutorials, better level up messaging guides, and unique tutorials for specific mechanics we’re also evaluating UI complexity (and system complexity) to try and make information easier to see/consume.

Cleaning up the existing UI systems to make them less cluttered, more-stream lined, and better unified is part of this project and absolutely something you’ll see in the west as well, likely around or possibly even before we release the game in our next major world region.

And to get ahead of the next question: No, we have no solid dates! We’re still in beta in China and are testing and developing all of these new systems to make the game is easier to learn. We haven’t announced timelines for development any other major regions other than being in Beta in China at this time.

What I understand from this quote is that their main goal atm is to release the game in Chinese which obviously takes a lot of common efforts from many departments in A-Net. Than, if they want to release this in China they want to make the profit from the original game. Imagine what would happen if they had released an expansion in here already. They should have raised the price of the game to include the expansion or they would have sold it as a piece which meant less profit from an expansion.
Selling a game and an expansion is not such a good move, because few people would buy both at once. So considering all this, I think they invented the Living World as a fill-up content because the festivals have already been pre-scripted as of GW tradition.
They needed to keep the current players busy so the game will keep its population up until the game releases in China. After this, they will probably think of an expansion in about 1 year or so just after the asian community have been solidified.

Shifu.4321:

You must not have played World of Warcraft

To folks who never played WoW and are simply enjoying the “my game is better” feeling, in World of Warcraft you set up your own UI. As for the actual game itself, there are zero issues with seeing what’s going on. You can be in a 25 player raid, and still see exactly where not to stand and exactly where abilities are going to hit because the way characters, spell effects and the environment blend together is crystal clear.

In GW2, you basically can’t see what’s going on at any point in a group scenario other than when a mob is huge (Lupicus), or typically at range from the group (Flame Shaman in FotM). The rest of the time it’s just a mess of Guardian fields, someone’s Twilight/Sunrise putting black/yellow brushstrokes in front of everything, purple stuff, and the mob flickering every time it gets hit.

ColinJohanson.2394:

One of the projects we’re working on in preparing the game to release in new regions is trying to make the game easier to learn. While a lot of that work is in the area of better tutorials, better level up messaging guides, and unique tutorials for specific mechanics we’re also evaluating UI complexity (and system complexity) to try and make information easier to see/consume.

Cleaning up the existing UI systems to make them less cluttered, more-stream lined, and better unified is part of this project and absolutely something you’ll see in the west as well, likely around or possibly even before we release the game in our next major world region.

And to get ahead of the next question: No, we have no solid dates! We’re still in beta in China and are testing and developing all of these new systems to make the game is easier to learn. We haven’t announced timelines for development any other major regions other than being in Beta in China at this time.

I notice he didn’t mention anything about the biggest issue being discussed in this thread: particle effects

Please allow us to move the minimap to the left of the map (so I can have chat and minimap to the left). I am blind on the right and it makes navigating very difficult.

I don’t know how much more I have to ask. T_T The UI was modular in GW1 and that made it one of the most accessible games that I’ve played. All I’m asking for is to move the minimap to the opposite corner.

from an 8 year old game. No excuse GW2. None.

What kind of developer forces these setting on their players?
I just started playing FFXIV ARR and they have a setting where I can adjust everyone elses spell effects. I can even turn them all completely off! This. Is. Awesome.
Never miss a dodge again.

Shifu.4321:

You must not have played World of Warcraft

there a big difference. That clutter is created by the players. Our complain is the clutter created by the games own graphics.

We have to be able to edit particles.
And to mix up the UI. GW1 had that for the love of all that’s holy. Why can’t we have it now?