New Social UI: First Impressions

There is a poll attached..

What are your first impressions of the new social user interface?

Please share what you like and dislike. Please be specific

Edit: My first impression is that I hate it

Now that Ive learned it and am starting to understand the enhanced functionality I am a bit happier. There obviously are some bugs that need to be fixed but there is a lot of cool new features aside from just Offline Messaging.

For example, there is now a player created, universe-wide public channel called #Trade. To join it just type in /join #Trade and the T in Trade has to be capital

There is other stuff too

I would like the possibility to see ALL chat channels available and their status (private/public) and and like /listmembers command to show the total number of users in this channels as well.

In general I like this new interface very much.

I'm also missing a chat logging feature.

Voted I hate it. I didn't see anything wrong with the last one tbh.

how can I decide who's globals I want to see and whose not?
I got a pretty long FL...

It should look more like the old one, with new features available by some small button.

For me the text is to small and all the posibilitys like "/create" are to complicated.
I wished it where more easy to invite people to a custom channel and an overview who is in there.
Invite could be over right click on User in FL.

And that after pressing enter the the text get not cleared is very anoying.

I would like to see a solid black background on the chat (or whatever color you chose) . And some colors that are more bold. I feel like I am trying to take one of those color blindness tests.

I would also like an option to remove the annoying globals and hofs that pop up outside of the chat window.

Thank you.

Hotei

Preferred the old system, was clearer to read, easier to use, and apart from a few features - afk and offline messaging - I don't see what the new system offers in the way of advancements.

What a trainwreck of a UI. cant tell if it's a global of HoF. Since both now come in one channel with same color.

When I whisper people I used to get up a private chat window. It now just send a itty bitty text in the UI and I have to manually go and click "private chat" to get a single window. (it doesnt even link last messages when doing /w)

Used to only type /s /t for changing chat channel. I now have to type the whole name instead.

Omg chat is ruined

WTF MA YOU RUINED THE CHAT SO BADLY OMG

I mostly like it.
All the new channels are nice, and will take a little getting used to but overall I think its great.


What could use some work:

Font Size is an issue, Very very small text on a large screen.

The Background makes it very tough on the eyes. Black Background or similar to the old style would be better I think.

More customization would be good - Customizable Background, Adjustable Font Size, and More colors to choose from.

i suggest the programmer of the social UI to read some UX/UI books

there is a nice book which is called "don´t make me think" - UX/UI should be easy as possible

It's so bad, I just don't know where to start...

j0k3r said:

i suggest the programmer of the social UI to read some UX/UI books

Click to expand...

I'm afraid that's the problem, it's made by programmers, not designers.

I Hate it

1. Have MA no concept at all of disabilities?
Are they so stupid that they are willing to lose a large section of their player base by totally disregarding all advice on making web applications for people who are colour blind, dyslexic, partially sighted.
Do they have no understanding of the use of standard fonts for readability ? or the use of high contrast to improve visibility ?

2. Do they really want to ensure we all quit because the game is unplayable due to lag.. if rookie chat is to spam every account the resources used will be enormous.. though probably still smaller than the aggravation caused.

3. Who dreamt up putting pm in main chat.. If I am busy hunting or flying, by the time I look back at my chat box the pm has scrolled off screen, so that person thinks they are being ignored. Yet this is not my intent
f I am momentarily afk, grabbing a drink....same.

4. The message typed does not auto delete from the message box, but has to be deleted manually. WTF.

5. Every message I type or receive in a pm pings as if new incoming message... I stopped looking at main chat for new ones after only a few mins... so if I ignored people... sorry.. but I was just all pinged out.

6. What is the channel space travel for? will this broadcast in space ... and if so why ? We already have force chat for on-board use

7. by the time I open and expand all the boxes so I can read pm's, see at least the whole of page 1 of fl, and read main chat, I actually have almost no screen left to operate the game..

MA...please pretty please roll this back
what we had before was not perfect but at least it was usable

The only exception is the roll back you have done on the ships guests lists.. please leave that there until you actually do something usefiul like alpha order at least.

I am now considering a break from game..
I just feel totally discouraged..

something I never before felt would happen

Question I have is if MA bought this and from what game did it come from? this interface is so not EU's..looks like an add-on.

Chat can be worked out..need to learn it.
Windows no longer join as one
Mail Center is in need of work
Fonts suck
Background sucks
mail system if it worked would be cool to have
Missing when last an avatar was online
linking items to chat is cool

but all in all..MA..you should have kept this on your development server for a while and played with it between developers for a bit more.

I like it so far:

I created a new tab for each main channel. That way you don't miss out on anything

Rgds

Ace

Edited my OP

The poll is still the same question.

Some windows have been forgotten in the new interface design.





When I clicked on Exit the game,
there is now a 2nd comfirmation window asking if I want to exit...
Answer : yes, I clicked on Exit already.
So, a 2nd window was really necessary ?

EDIT : finally this happened to me only once, so I guess this was an isolated bug.






Send pm : Enter key to validate the text, but we need to click to send now...
there was nothing more simple ?

Boring flickering global tab, incredibly bigger windows, sorry but all this bring more mess than anything.

Friend List : before i could easily scroll in 1 clic (wheel mouse),
now I have 15 tabs to clic (clic clic clic clic.... not really the most fun to do)

Kattfres said:

I didn't see anything wrong with the last one tbh.

Click to expand...

True, the previous interface was clear and easy to use, without high knowledges.

The new chat and all interface seems really fastidious to learn.




How will this be for completly new players ?

I wasn't on long enough to try it out, Like the idea of offline messaging. I thought the chat window was hard to read as well. Plus with all those windows open,what screen is left........... will see later tonight more

The new social UI and chat window is an atomic power plant!

How do you disable these annoying and barely readable hof pop-ups?

Akbar said:

Some windows have been forgotten in the new interface design.

Click to expand...

Name selection is in Contacts UI (click on your avatar).

MORE BOLD CHAT COLORS NEEDED!!!!

Unable to change System chat color.
Need to be able to change background color.

Other than that, I really like it.

Intrface isnt bad in general.

But, about chat:
1. Yellow highlighting of inactive tabs annoying.
2. No possibility use only one tab or possibility to disable System messages in System (also Local in Main).
I like to use only one tab, all this must be customizable.

In other functions chat is acceptable.

Position of Message center and Contacts buttons must be adjustable!

More options to cusomize Message center please (as disabling warnings about new messages)...

Svarog said:

Name selection is in Contacts UI (click on your avatar).

Click to expand...

No need to tell me what to do, I know since I did, see the screenshot.

I just need 1 button.. DISABLE ALL CRAP

Chat used to be crisp and clear, now it is all murkily pastel-colored...

Still deciding. As with anything new there is a learning curve. I'm playing with it and there are things that I like, and others that I either dont understand yet, or dont like. Until I have time to get used to it I cant really judge. I'm not one to bash new things simply because I grew accustomed to the old. In this case it makes sense because to be perfectly honest, the old interface sucked. It was horrible. I grew accustomed to it.

Svarog said:

It's so bad, I just don't know where to start...

I'm afraid that's the problem, it's made by programmers, not designers.

Click to expand...

i´m a coder and also designer, but the big problem is that designers say "i don´t need and i don´t want to know how to code" and programmers say "i don´t need and don´t want to know how to design" ... if you design for programs, websites, apps and so on you have to understand both ...

i run since over 12 years now my webagency and i offer here and now my help as consulter, designer and programmer

hate it lots of things are missing but i think it can be improved