A question regarding interfaces

[Tawmis]

The first one, although I didn't care for the second, either. I despised the wheel-like interface used in NWN1. Eventually it frustrated me so much, I gave up on it.

Why didn't you just hot key everything? You had something like 36 (or more?) possible hot keys...!

[DeadPoolX]

The first one, although I didn't care for the second, either. I despised the wheel-like interface used in NWN1. Eventually it frustrated me so much, I gave up on it.

Why didn't you just hot key everything? You had something like 36 (or more?) possible hot keys...!

Maia has asked me the same thing. The problem with that idea is that I'd never remember all of them.

[Collector]

The first one, although I didn't care for the second, either. I despised the wheel-like interface used in NWN1. Eventually it frustrated me so much, I gave up on it.

Why didn't you just hot key everything? You had something like 36 (or more?) possible hot keys...!

Maia has asked me the same thing. The problem with that idea is that I'd never remember all of them.

That is exactly why interfaces should not be too deep.

[Tawmis]

The first one, although I didn't care for the second, either. I despised the wheel-like interface used in NWN1. Eventually it frustrated me so much, I gave up on it.

Why didn't you just hot key everything? You had something like 36 (or more?) possible hot keys...!

Maia has asked me the same thing. The problem with that idea is that I'd never remember all of them.

That is exactly why interfaces should not be too deep.

Well NWN had (I think rows of 12) hot keys along the bottom of your screen -

There's the regular 12.
Pressing SHIFT gives you 12 more. Same row.
Holding ALT gave you 12 more.
And pressing CONTROL gave you 12 more.

So it was like 48 hot keys. And you can mouse over what they are. If you forget. And they each had a unique icon (so if you had a shape wolf spell, it'd look nothing like a bull strength spell icon).

[DeadPoolX]

Well NWN had (I think rows of 12) hot keys along the bottom of your screen -

There's the regular 12.
Pressing SHIFT gives you 12 more. Same row.
Holding ALT gave you 12 more.
And pressing CONTROL gave you 12 more.

So it was like 48 hot keys. And you can mouse over what they are. If you forget. And they each had a unique icon (so if you had a shape wolf spell, it'd look nothing like a bull strength spell icon).

Okay, but... don't you think 48 hotkeys is one too many? I shouldn't have to remember each hotkey and use SHIFT, ALT or CTRL to access them.

I could probably deal with 12 total, but no more than that.

I prefer the skill bar in Guild Wars, which can only have eight (8) spells and/or skills accessible at any one time. You can change those spells/skills at an outpost, but when on a quest or mission, you're stuck with whatever you selected. That also adds an element of strategy, as well.

[Tawmis]

Well NWN had (I think rows of 12) hot keys along the bottom of your screen -

There's the regular 12.
Pressing SHIFT gives you 12 more. Same row.
Holding ALT gave you 12 more.
And pressing CONTROL gave you 12 more.

So it was like 48 hot keys. And you can mouse over what they are. If you forget. And they each had a unique icon (so if you had a shape wolf spell, it'd look nothing like a bull strength spell icon).

Okay, but... don't you think 48 hotkeys is one too many? I shouldn't have to remember each hotkey and use SHIFT, ALT or CTRL to access them.

I could probably deal with 12 total, but no more than that.

I prefer the skill bar in Guild Wars, which can only have eight (8) spells and/or skills accessible at any one time. You can change those spells/skills at an outpost, but when on a quest or mission, you're stuck with whatever you selected. That also adds an element of strategy, as well.

You don't HAVE to use all 48. When I play I usually use 12 or 24. Unless I played a caster. If I played a caster, I usually organized my spells by level or whether they were damage or buffs (each for their own bar) - and then the other hotkeys for skills or actions. Easiest way to do it. So you just remember all buffs are on the ALT hotkeys, all damage is on the SHIFT hotkeys, my socials/skills were on the regular hotkey. And Control Hotkeys would be used if I had something random.

[abyss]

My favourite interface is the one from space quest 1 vga. It is such a great interface layout. I also like the interface from Light House which is also great.