Usability thread

[lamefun]

This is the thread for usability issues.

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[size=5]Batch 1[/size]

Keyboard

• There needs to be a way to set different binds for aliens and humans.

• There needs to be a quick way to switch between the main weapon, the back-up weapon and the construction kit, so it’s actually possible in practice to build a base alone. I suggest to simply use the 1, 2 and 3 keys.

• There needs to be a quick way to use the medkit. I suggest using either the Z or the Ctrl key.

Upgrade menus

• Upgrade menus should take up as much of the screen as needed and be organized in columns, so that you can see all upgrades that are available to you at once.

• You should not need to double click to buy stuff. Information can be shown on mouse over instead.

• There should be a damage area diagram in the Armoury (eg. 200% head, 50% body) to encourage new players to buy a helmet as a human and aim for the head as an alien.

Chat

• Separate the “X killed Y using Z” area from the chat area. Right now chat messages can disappear in less than 0.1s when there’s a big battle going on.

• There should be a way to view the chat log without the kill messages or system information.

• There should be a way to save the chat log to a file.

Options

• There should be a way to input the sensitivity numerically.

• You shouldn’t need to enter a game to see all options.

Finding games

• The server list is a complete mess with 3 duplicate entries for many servers. There should be only one entry per server, the protocol should be chosen automatically.

• There should be a featured server section (containing the GrangerHub development server and the currently very active Bunker server).

• There should be a list of upcoming scheduled games in the main menu, with local dates and times for each one of them.

Feedback

• There needs to be a way to know whether you scored a headshot.

• When you play as an alien, there needs to be a way to know whether you’re close enough to attack.

• There needs to be some way of knowing whether you’re sprinting or not.

• There needs to be a way to see how much stamina you have left. The current indicator is nearly impossible to read with any kind of accuracy.

Miscellaneous

• There should be a readily obvious way to take screenshots and record demos and save them to a directory which is not hidden by the operating system.

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[size=5]Batch 2[/size]

First startup

• Ask players to enter a nickname upon first startup to fix the unnamed player problem.

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[size=5]Batch 3[/size]

Console

• Commands and cvars should have detailed descriptions viewable using a /help command.

• When invoked without arguments, the /help command should display some general information.

• There should be an about:config style GUI where you can search for commands and cvars by name and description.

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[size=5]Fixed[/size]

Upgrade menus

• Upgrades that are available to you but are not compatible with what you already have should not be hidden. The incompatible upgrades should be instead automatically sold.

Miscellaneous

• Structure range markers should only be shown when holding a construction kit or using a granger so they do not obstruct one’s vision.

[dGr8LookinSparky]

@lamefun

Ask players to enter a nickname upon first startup to fix the unnamed player problem.

What’s the “unnamed player” problem?

@lamefun

There needs to be a way to set different binds for aliens and humans.

It looks like there is a way that was implemented years ago, by making a separate .cfg config file for each team, and setting the name of each file accordingly with these cvars:

• cg_alienConfig
• cg_humanConfig
• cg_spectatorConfig

I haven’t tested this personally though.

Those cvars are not set by default, but it could be beneficial to make some useful default team configs.

@lamefun

There needs to be a quick way to switch between the main weapon, the back-up weapon and the construction kit, so it’s actually possible in practice to build a base alone. I suggest to simply use the 1 , 2 and 3 keys.

A lot of other games do something like this, actually even Quake III did something like this where each of the number keys by default would switch to a different weapon you were carrying. Trem chaged this. Often Trem players use the number binds on the human team to buy/sell stuff.

What we should do is have the number keys usable in context in menus, so that when you open the armory menu or the evolve menu, the number key can then be used for selecting in those menus. That would free up those keys outside those menus to be used to quick switch to the primary weapon, blaster, ckit, and different upgrades you might be carrying.

In addition the scroll wheel should behave as it use to in Quake 3, that is automatically switch to the items as you scroll. Even items like the medkit, the grenade, etc should be switched to as if you would be holding them like a weapon (so you would see a hand holding a grenade, or holding a medkit, etc), and then while you are holding such an item, we could have upgrades that might be activateed three different ways since the three mouse buttons could be utilized for the upgrade you are currently holding.

@lamefun

There needs to be a quick way to use the medkit. I suggest using either the Z or the Ctrl key.

By default that is bound to m, but yeah, I see value in having it bound to a more convenient location.

@lamefun

Upgrades that are available to you but are not compatible with what you already have should not be hidden. The incompatible upgrades should be instead automatically sold.

We got that working. I even made it so that if you are carrying a battery pack and buy a non-energy weapon, the battery pack is automatically sold so that you don’t risk wasting those credits.

@lamefun

Upgrade menus should take up as much of the screen as needed and be organized in columns, so that you can see all upgrades that are available to you at once.

@lamefun

You should not need to double click to buy stuff. Information can be shown on mouse over instead.

What I would like to do is implement grids of buttons for the armory menu, one button for each item, and clicking on an item’s button would toggle between selling and buying the item depending on if you already have the item or not, and hovering over the button would show the description.

@lamefun

Separate the “X killed Y using Z” area from the chat area. Right now chat messages can disappear in less than 0.1s when there’s a big battle going on.

@blowFish did implement this in the 1.3 client release game logic, I just need to port it over to the game logic repo.

@lamefun

There should be a way to view the chat log without the kill messages or system information.

agreed.

@lamefun

There should be a way to save the chat log to a file.

Currently you can save what you have in your console with the command
/condump <nameOfFile.txt>

@lamefun

There should be a way to input the sensitivity numerically.

You can with the cvar /sensitivity, but it can be good to have this option in the menu.

@lamefun

The server list is a complete mess with 3 duplicate entries for many servers. There should be only one entry per server, the protocol should be chosen automatically.

This will be fixed in the next client release.

@lamefun

When you play as an alien, there needs to be a way to know whether you’re close enough to attack.

What would be some good ways to indicate?

@lamefun

There should be a readily obvious way to take screenshots and record demos and save them to a directory which is not hidden by the operating system.

We’ll have part of this addressed in the next client release where in the main menu there would be buttons for opening your trem homepath folder, your screenshots folder, and your demos folder.

@lamefun

Structure range markers should only be shown when holding a construction kit or using a granger so they do not obstruct one’s vision.

This is fixed.

[lamefun]

@dGr8LookinSparky

What’s the “unnamed player” problem?

People not choosing a nickname and ending up as UnnamedPlayerN’s, so you can’t find them later on.

@dGr8LookinSparky

It looks like there is a way that was implemented years ago, by making a separate .cfg config file for each team, and setting the name of each file accordingly with these cvars:

Console is elitist, I think that ideally it should be gotten rid of completely, but if it can’t be done, its elitism should at least be mitigated (I’ve added some points concerning the console to the first post).

@dGr8LookinSparky

Currently you can save what you have in your console with the command
/condump <nameOfFile.txt>

See above.

@dGr8LookinSparky

You can with the cvar /sensitivity , but it can be good to have this option in the menu.

See above.

@dGr8LookinSparky

What would be some good ways to indicate?

Crosshair changing shape when the enemy is in range.

[dGr8LookinSparky]

@lamefun

Ask players to enter a nickname upon first startup to fix the unnamed player problem.

What if there was a popup menu in the main menu for naming yourself whenever you enter the main menu if your name was still the default name, and a popup naming menu in-game when you enter a server with an assigned server “newbie name” (which can also happen if you have a name that conflicts with a different registered account)?