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QCF Design Community • View topic - [Suggestions]
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[Suggestions]

PostPosted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 10:50 pm
by baconcow
Having played the game for probably 10-20 hours now, there are a few critical suggestions I would like to make. Keep in mind, while reading this, I am completely addicted to the game.

1) The main 'overworld' map and menu is confusing for new players, terrible to look at, and very ineffective. It took me far too long to figure out my way around it effectively. It comes off as a bunch of unorganized boxes and it is not intuitive to easily determine which you need to use. This is one of the most important aspects of the game, especially for new players as it will be their first impression and where they end up spending a lot of time early on. Also, those I have shown the game to nearly dismissed it altogether based on the layout alone. For one thing, the preparations box is not very intuitive. You go into it and choose your items and then what, if the play button is not highlighted? There is no okay or continue, the only way forward is to select the dungeon, which is not obvious at first. This could all be made better by having an easier-to-understand overworld layout with a better way of choosing your race, class, preparations, and dungeon.

2) Dungeon map. While the dungeons are fine, the quest flags are also confusing at first. One would think they would be better understood if integrated better into their respective locations or into a quest selection menu.

3) Upgrade boxes with no image (either glitch or unfinished). Also, when you go to something to upgrade it, it shows the next upgrades, sometimes, but the upgrade button is greyed out with no reason why (whereas class upgrade buttons say you need xxxx gold). This only confuses a player further. What is the point of saying LVL1 next to the races.

4) Some dungeons have tiles that make it very difficult to see certain God altars. This is just a suggestion to help improve hkw they show up(i.e. emanating glow).

I give these suggestions with ideas of how one can approach fixing them to some extent. Feel free to PM me for further discussion. I think this game has ridiculous potential. It would be a pity to see a game that is being marketed as being casual be very unintuitive and confusing to casual (read: non-dungeon crawling and non-roguelike players). For someone like myself, my roguelike playing is almost nothing, having played a few roguelike games or games with minor roguelike elements, including Z.H.P., Shiren the Wanderer, FTL (minor), and Spelunky (minor, 360). For some, including reviewers, they could easily take not of things mentioned in my suggestions and thus hampering their enjoyment of an otherwise excellent game.

Re: [Suggestions]

PostPosted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:12 pm
by dislekcia
All the map-type screens are temporary art that we're working hard on replacing. We're totally with you on those not being good enough right now ;) All the holdover elements you dislike - visible but useless upgrade buttons, lvl information for race buildings - will go away and be replaced by something much more like the image BEHIND the buttons themselves.

Which dungeon tilesets make altar visibility difficult?

Re: [Suggestions]

PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 12:42 am
by Lujo
While we're there, the current run selection screen has a few confusing kinks even for advanced players. For example, once you pick a run, you can't see what classes or badges you have completed it with. If this info was available from the prep and even play screen it would allow for more tactical adaptation. Also, cycling between the "classes completed" and "badges completed" for each particular dungeon finally being implemented would be swell. Being aware of all the RACES you completed a dungeon with as a third panel to cycle between would be great considering PQI also counts them and could send you on runs you'veo allredy done but with a different race.

Just want to give baconcow some vet support. Hope noone minds. Also I know you're working on it, just so you know it's noticable even if you're used to the current interface.

Re: [Suggestions]

PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:05 am
by Darvin
Speaking of visibility, it would be nice if you could further differentiate the apothecary shops and regular shops. As a colour-blind gamer, it's the only sore thumb in DD currently in that regard.

Re: [Suggestions]

PostPosted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 1:08 am
by q 3

Re: [Suggestions]

PostPosted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 4:18 am
by The Avatar
I think the worst is pactmaker in the halls of steel tileset.

Re: [Suggestions]

PostPosted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 6:02 am
by harfatum
I've thought for a while that single-color sparklies look amateurish, visibility issues aside.