News: 2024 User Interface Update

[Bertha Bot]

2024 User Interface Update​

The Entropia Universe User Interface (UI) is an extensively discussed topic within the MindArk team and our valued community. In our continuous quest to enhance the Entropia Universe gaming experience, we’ve embarked on a mission to resume and complete the UI update! This initiative stems from game performance tests and the valuable community feedback we’ve gathered since the initial start of the update process.

The old UI elements are a major factor in the Frames Per Second (FPS) drop linked to graphic lag issues. The decision to update the UI was rooted in improving the performance, achieving cohesive design, and resolving navigational challenges presented by diverse outdated window designs. We also recognized a need for visual enhancement, particularly in unifying the UI’s appearance, including artistic elements, especially for fonts, color schemes, buttons, and text fields. An overhaul of the entire UI system was necessary to facilitate the addition of new features and functionality in the future.

UI Fundamental Changes and Improvements​

• Performance Optimization: A thorough review of all UI windows led to significant enhancements in UI responsiveness, ensuring a smoother Entropia experience.


• Unified Design Philosophy: We aimed to create a consistent, visually appealing UI. We redesigned elements like fonts (choosing a Sci-Fi style), colors, and text sizes.

• HUD Transformation: The Heads-Up Display (HUD) redesign reduces clutter, offers a more expansive view of the game world, and enhances the overall user experience.

• Optimized Functionality: We repositioned buttons, adjusted window sizes, and removed redundant elements for a more intuitive user experience.

• Chat System Revisions: We enhanced the chat system with features like adjustable transparency and improved communication tools within the game.


• Action Bars & Icon Management: The new action bar management system simplifies customization. The update reduces on-screen icons and enhances visual clarity. Users can assign icons to a maximum of five bars, each with ten actions and three pages, allowing 150 assignable actions. Keybinds are now possible with modifiers (CTRL and SHIFT) and are not limited to the dashboard or action bar.

• Streamlined Monetary Transactions: To streamline in-game currency management, we removed the transfer center and introduced a dedicated website access button in the update.


We have actively monitored feedback on the Planet Calypso forum and online discussions while developing the new UI. Including the Entropia Universe community in this process is paramount to MindArk. To further gather feedback, we invited 12 Entropians with 3 to 20 years of in-game experience to the MindArk studio for UI testing. With all the feedback we have collected, we have created an update that elevates the look and value of the Entropia experience. In conclusion, our commitment to enhancing the user experience led to a comprehensive UI overhaul, resulting in improved performance, visual appeal, and streamlined functionality. These changes will address many concerns and lay the foundation for a more enjoyable gaming adventure.


With the update, your previous settings from the old UI will be reset, including keybinds and positioning of various UI windows. For everyone's best experience navigating through the update, the implementation of the UI update during a less event-hectic period gives everyone time to get used to the UI's new, improved look and feel. Unless unforeseen circumstances or additional development needs occur, the primary release date for the user interface update is February 13, 2024 February 20th, 2024 (Due to additional development needs, we've decided to postpone our UI release to February 20th. Thank you for your patience!) .

Keep your eyes peeled for more details about the upcoming UI update - We will share more info in the near future!

Originally Posted Here

 

[Ludvig|MindArk]

Summary of all official comments with additional information in this thread so far:

Post-its should remain after the update (and are expected to), but if you have important information in them we suggest that you make sure to make a backup copy before the update, just to be sure.

LON/LAT (coordinates) by the radar will be added as an option before release.

You should be able to freely bind any key except CTRL and SHIFT, as they will now work as "modifier keys"... meaning you cannot use them seperately, but you can for example bind:

Ctrl + O
Shift + O
Ctrl + Shift + O

The new health bar is set to change color as your health goes down, So when you reach a certain HP, it will turn yellow, and then red as you get even lower.

You should be able to bind any action or item to any key except CTRL or SHIFT, and you can bind them directly from the action library without needing to have icons on the screen for them.

You can also have up to 3 key binds per action.

Just to make sure no one feels overlooked/ignored here; we will continue answering questions in this thread, but may not be able to answer all of it. More information will come soon though.

Also, for some additional information; this is not the "final release" version. We are compiling and looking over all the feedback, and will of course double-check everything to make sure it works properly before release. There will also be updates and patches as needed after the release.

It should look roughtly like now, but a bit touched up.

You will not be able to toggle/remove the icons in the top left on release, though we may look into such an update later. You will still be able to use a button to hide the entire HUD though, if you for example want to take screenshots.

That's the green bar in the dashboard in the center, at the bottom of the screen (below the buff icons). It will also change color as you take more damage.

That will be a part of the crosshair.

Radar and chat window can be resized, but not all HUD elements, at least not in this release. We will be working on making more HUD elements scaleable for future releases though, so it may come in the future.

Icons and buffs cannot be resized, but the buff icons will be larger in general.

Chat will be customizeable, with for example font size and font bolding. You can also choose transparency level for the chat window (and set it to zero if you wish).

I'm told that there should be a fix in the release which makes this impossible. In case it does not work, we will be monitoring the release (and related feedback) very carefully, to make sure we can patch that and any potential other issues as quickly as possible.

If you place the arson chip in an action bar, you will be able to see the cooldown yes. All cooldowns in general should be much easier to see and be aware of after the update.

The UI team is investigating if it's possible to make the modifiers an option which can be turned off... though if so, it may not be in this particular update, but in a patch a few days later.

Regarding the UE5-related questions;

The work on transitioning the game engine to Unreal Engine 5 is ongoing; however, priorities and resources have been reallocated. On the technical side, our developers are now working to remove the dependencies associated with the current game engine while simultaneously modernizing the components independent of the engine to create a modular and scalable technical solution.

This approach also enables the implementation of new gaming systems and technological improvements today, which positively impacts Entropia Universe in the current game engine. As we intend to move system by system to Unreal Engine 5 gradually, we reduce the risks without forfeiting many technical advantages in terms of marketing and user experience.

For further details, please refer to the Letter from MindArk's CEO for Q4 2023, accessible at: https://news.cision.com/mindark-pe-ab/r/letter-from-mindark-s-ceo--q4-2023,c3855343

Additionally, insights into our ongoing development initiatives with UE5 can be found in the Interim Report for Q3 2023, available here: https://www.mindark.com/investor-relations/financial-reports/documents/2023/MindArk-PE-AB-Q3_En.pdf

Alright, an update from the UI team regarding the CTRL/SHIFT modifiers; there will be an option in the interface where you can select if you want to use modifiers or not.

If you choose to use modifiers, the CTRL and SHIFT buttons will be reserved for use in modifiers, and you can bind CTRL + [Any Button] or SHIFT + [Any Button], but you cannot use CTRL or SHIFT without modifiers.

If you choose to not use modifiers, you can bind whatever you want to CTRL and SHIFT, but you cannot use modifiers.

@NevadaJake @Duhword @Sub-Zero @GeorgeSkywalker @Orion @Bones @JohnCapital @Msturlese @Sirhc

If you can currently bind a key and put it as an icon, you will be able to bind it and put it in an action bar after the update... so it should work just as before.

Unused slots are not hidden, though they are transparent (as you can see in the OP). We may also add an option to have unused buttons fade fully in a future patch.

As I said, it will work just as before, except you have to put it in an action bar instead of as a loose icon.

It should be possible to move all UI elements to whereever you want them on the screen, yes. You can also set the action bars to be either horizontal or vertical.

You can also assign key bindings to actions which you do not have icons for, if you want, and each action can have up to three key bindings. Mouse and keyboard both work, so you should easily be able to do everything with just the mouse if you wish.

Icons will in this release be set to the largest size possible without losing visual quality.

It will not be possible to scale them larger than that in this release, but the plan is to update all icons in the future, and further scaling will probably be implemented when that happens.

That you would be able to make them larger, after that future patch.

 

[Art Jennifer]

 

[Korin Dante MDe]

Its so compact that you need microscope to use it.

Mobile companies removed battery and MindArk removed text from user interface.

Err... I don't see inventory UI yet.

 

[Faran]

Is this prepping for unreal5?

 

[Hego Damask]

the user interface update is February 13, 2024.

Really looking forward to this. I have a bugging not working UI for 3 years now which is totally unplayable since December.
I really hope i will have again a working UI finally, and not just a different looking and still not working UI.
50-50% i would guess.

 

[ChairmanEdgewise]

2024 User Interface Update​

We have actively monitored feedback on the Planet Calypso forum and online discussions while developing the new UI. Including the Entropia Universe community in this process is paramount to MindArk. To further gather feedback, we invited 12 Entropians with 3 to 20 years of in-game experience to the MindArk studio for UI testing.

This is a HUGE step forward!

This is amazing! Well done!

Looks great, by the way.


I like the clean look of it, and can't wait to experience the new UI.

I remember when the current UI was new, and it was such a fresh good feeling.

I do miss the old Project Entropia UI, and I am sure I will miss the current UI when we switch to the new one.

It's just part of development, we miss old things. I am super excited for the new one!

This is getting me even more excited for UE5!

 

[Angel O2 Mercer]

How does this relate to the UE5 engine upgrade?

@Ludvig|MindArk

 

[Evey]

Can the elements move around? Like the radar for example.

Great opportunity to address the cancer that is rookie chat?

 

[Killahbee]

Took long enough

Entropia Universe - User Interface Update Postponed

Due to changing priorities related to the development of the Unreal Engine 5 client, Mindark has determined that it is not practical to implement the

www.entropiauniverse.com

I'm very curious to see the updated UI!

 

[Reicha]

Looks great, would have really like a picture of auction UI. Hoping for some great changes there.

 

[Angela Draniie Cloud]

Chat System Revisions: We enhanced the chat system with features like adjustable transparency and improved communication tools within the game.

Can we make sure Damage Over Time effects and heal over time effects have different chat messages?

I was told by other MA employees to put that suggestion in PCF.

 

[Nik-Elas]

Possible post-it annihilation? save your notes peeps!!

 

[GeorgeSkywalker]

Hang on didn't MA say the user interface was scrapped and that they would be working on UE5 instead?

First impression from pics looks good with less clutter.

 

[Ludvig|MindArk]

Can the elements move around? Like the radar for example.

Yes, the different elements can be moved around, including the action bars (and the action bars can be switched between horizontal and vertical).

 

[Rawr66]

Can LON/LAT be toggled on/off for the radar?
Some existing mining tools/loggers wont work anymore if it does not show.

Can the UI be scaled?
Since i know there are alot of older players that might not be able to see a 22x20 pixel icon on a 1080 or 4k screen.

Edit: it's not 16x16 pixel icons... it's 22x20 icons.

 

[San]

This looks very nice, looking forward to it!

Oh, but one more thing (having a Columbo moment) ... Didn't you say that the UE5 thing would be a complete rebuild... How much sense does it make to continue work on the existing program if all resources were thought to be dedicated to the new one, were one not to speculate that this has met with some unexpected difficulties? Or is that silly and far-fetched

 

[Angela Draniie Cloud]

This looks very nice, looking forward to it!

Oh, but one more thing (having a Columbo moment) ... Didn't you say that the UE5 thing would be a complete rebuild... How much sense does it make to continue work on the existing program if all resources were thought to be dedicated to the new one, were one not to speculate that this has met with some unexpected difficulties? Or is that silly and far-fetched

They said a while ago they were done the heavy lifting of UE5 so they were going to continue working on current engine to make updates.

 

[True Juan]

Yes, the different elements can be moved around, including the action bars (and the action bars can be switched between horizontal and vertical).

What about Unreal, is it off the table?

 

[Art Jennifer]

What about Sticky notes? Or will there be some form of new listing tool? That would be helpful.

 

[Gopher]

The new UI looks clean, very nice job!

 

[Ludvig|MindArk]

Possible post-it annihilation? save your notes peeps!!

What about Sticky notes? Or will there be some form of new listing tool? That would be helpful.

Post-its should remain after the update (and are expected to), but if you have important information in them we suggest that you make sure to make a backup copy before the update, just to be sure.

 

[Evey]

Can we have some more functionality on those? Ctrl + Z would be something the community would really really and I mean really appreciate!

 

[atomicstorm]

Better name plates would be fab

 

[Sub-Zero]

About the Action Bars & Icon Management: change

Yes, the different elements can be moved around, including the action bars (and the action bars can be switched between horizontal and vertical).

sorry but why force players to play the game your way? I have my icons setup exactly where in the screen I want and even have the hp bar exactly where I want. The hp bar is iconic and one of the last remnants of entropia.
Why remove options? Please make it customizable in the way we can currently and add default way like you described for others who like it...
While it's nice you include way to move the actions bars and a little horizontal and vertical change... We currently can have as many icons all visible at ANYWHERE on the screen this allows complete customization based on what the USER prefers.
The healthbar is a lot bigger currently and it's a lot more compact than that long line of healthbar above the weapon.
Currently I can move my healthbar a bit higher up on screen closer to middle in case I'm doing bigger mobs and need faster access to seeing my hp go down which helps my avatar live. The current healthbar is also color based on your current hp which helps further know when you should fap. The current health bar has also more height which again helps you to see your hp.

While it's nice you wanna try modernize the UI it shouldn't come at the expense of customization options.
I for one think that you should still be able to set an unlimited amount of icons anywhere you want on screen like now, but keep default option as you want.
And for sure the hp bar needs better design I personally see no reason to change from current one, you'd just need to remove it from the black UI currently and pop it out and make it moveable like old hp bars were when we could drag them from mobs.

There's also weird design choices. The other icons you guys made looks like you'll need to use magnifying tool on windows to see, but the skill icons and other game icons are large. I hope you can increase the size / lower the size of all UI elements, in order to suit each players different screen resolution and vision. Again I can't say this enough the most important thing when designing UI is to add as much customization options as possible in order to give the option for the player to customize it to their liking, adding a default option for beginners or for people who like the default option is totally acceptable.

Current UI design choice for switching between action bar sets gives me the same vibe from really ancient project entropia, which really doesn't feel modern at all.

Entropia Universe Unreal - Preview of HUD UI

I doubt changing the game look and active play style will bring in many(if any) new players. The reason we have very few new players is the cost to play, not the graphics / UI / play style. Adding actual value a player could invest in over time should be the goal of the dev team. Changing core...

www.planetcalypsoforum.com

 

[Angela Draniie Cloud]

Can we have some more functionality on those? Ctrl + Z would be something the community would really really and I mean really appreciate!

You mean instead of praying the game doesn’t randomly highlight a whole sticky note, deleting everything in the process? But that was soooo much fun

 

[NevadaJake]

• Action Bars & Icon Management: The new action bar management system simplifies customization. The update reduces on-screen icons and enhances visual clarity. Users can assign icons to a maximum of five bars, each with ten actions and three pages, allowing 150 assignable actions. Keybinds are now possible with modifiers (CTRL and SHIFT) and are not limited to the dashboard or action bar.

Will hotkeys be limited to the numbers 1 to 0 on the keyboard? Or will we sill be able to assign any key on the keyboard to an action/item? For example, I use the Number Pad for many actions/items. Will this still be possible?

 

[messi91]

Chat System Revisions: We enhanced the chat system with features like adjustable transparency and improved communication tools within the game.

This means you will remove #rookie chat.Amen

 

[krazykat]

Can LON/LAT be toggled on/off for the radar?
Some existing mining tools/loggers wont work anymore if it does not show.

This is an important point. LBML in particular won't work if the position, LON/LAT, is not shown on the radar.

 

[tBANNA]

Yes, the different elements can be moved around, including the action bars (and the action bars can be switched between horizontal and vertical).

with the hope that some elements will remain in the same position chose even after the action is ended ( i.e. the vehicles action element always was places in the same spot bottom right corner under a secondary chat window in my case ) it looks great and i cant wait to see it

2024 User Interface Update​

• Chat System Revisions: We enhanced the chat system with features like adjustable transparency and improved communication tools within the game.

would be possible for chat windows to be recorded separately? is really important to have those infos organized better for a more compact analyze of dmg/loot composition and other data that we want to collect separately ( i m not to keen to see globals and hofs in my log, or stuffs like trade messages etc ) would be amazing if windows will get saved as they are with the info we chose to see on them

great great news, i have to admit i was waiting for this

cheers !