Skill Scanner

I really hope this is easy to fix, cause I'm not gonna spend much in game if I can't track my skills easily
 
definitely, there are combinations of colors much better suited for readability than the ones they have chosen, as xen pointed out.

i'll have a more detailed look at the screens tomorrow but for sure this is not going to be an easy fix for the skill scanner.

and worst of all, if i fix it now, how long this skill window will last? until VU 9.4? why does MA devote time to change stuff that (apparently) doesn't need to be changed, when they are under such a tight schedule for CE2?
 
definitely, there are combinations of colors much better suited for readability than the ones they have chosen, as xen pointed out.

i'll have a more detailed look at the screens tomorrow but for sure this is not going to be an easy fix for the skill scanner.

and worst of all, if i fix it now, how long this skill window will last? until VU 9.4? why does MA devote time to change stuff that (apparently) doesn't need to be changed, when they are under such a tight schedule for CE2?

I think the current skill panel we have wont be changed for a while i might be wrong though but as you pointed out why would they bother changing it now.
The skill scanner is one of the most usefull tool i ever used in EU and if you manage to make a new one working i'm sure donation will follow :)
 
definitely, there are combinations of colors much better suited for readability than the ones they have chosen, as xen pointed out.

i'll have a more detailed look at the screens tomorrow but for sure this is not going to be an easy fix for the skill scanner.

and worst of all, if i fix it now, how long this skill window will last? until VU 9.4? why does MA devote time to change stuff that (apparently) doesn't need to be changed, when they are under such a tight schedule for CE2?
Perhaps to prevent/make harder accurate tracking of skillgains and so give room for unannounced changes in skillgains?
Perhaps because UI designer had too much time in his/her hands?
It does seem like a pointless change especially since profession levels window wasn't given same makeup.
 
definitely, there are combinations of colors much better suited for readability than the ones they have chosen, as xen pointed out.

i'll have a more detailed look at the screens tomorrow but for sure this is not going to be an easy fix for the skill scanner.

and worst of all, if i fix it now, how long this skill window will last? until VU 9.4? why does MA devote time to change stuff that (apparently) doesn't need to be changed, when they are under such a tight schedule for CE2?

Yeah they do seem to be changing the skill screens a lot these days. Its hard to think of a good reason why they're doing that other than that they don't like us being able to track our skills so well. But hopefully that's just bad interpretation. The new screen looks nice any way :D

On a similar note is it just me or can you no longer move loot around in the loot window (thus making it harder to tell exactly how much loot you have each time...thus making getting data for the loot analysis threads harder...hmm :scratch2:).

Also ammo seems to automatically fire out of the lowest stack, making determining exactly how much ammo you've fired a bit more painstaking (ie. have to calculate from decay of guns/amps). And making a right mess of the inventory as you end up with a horde of tiny stacks of ammo everywhere.

Other than all that, I quite like the VU :D
 
definitely, there are combinations of colors much better suited for readability than the ones they have chosen, as xen pointed out.

i'll have a more detailed look at the screens tomorrow but for sure this is not going to be an easy fix for the skill scanner.

and worst of all, if i fix it now, how long this skill window will last? until VU 9.4? why does MA devote time to change stuff that (apparently) doesn't need to be changed, when they are under such a tight schedule for CE2?

I haven't seen the screen yet (EU online after i went to bed :cry:) but would passing a simple image filter over the captures before OCR work? Grayscaling even?
 
You think the white on yellow provides better contrast than the white on green (when the progress bar has reached the number)?

I find it harder to read just with my eyes...

I hadn't really considered the progress bar itself. The black background and solid bar seem like they would facilitate the capture, but jdegre seems to think not, so there you have it. :(

Not only is it ridiculous that they spend time changing the skills panels, but if they're going to spend time on it, they ought to use it to make a "My Skills" page on entropiauniverse.com with an exact breakdown, like they do for items. In a skills-based game, i can't fathom why they don't make it easier to track... (I guess it speaks volumes about how MA prioritizes RCE vs. skills...)

Jimmy: Yeah, they broke the ability to move stuff in loot windows, which is highly annoying. Wish they'd add a little label with total tt in the loot window, but first things first: fix what's broken now (again). :laugh:
 
Not only is it ridiculous that they spend time changing the skills panels, but if they're going to spend time on it, they ought to use it to make a "My Skills" page on entropiauniverse.com with an exact breakdown, like they do for items.

Have you sent this as a suggestion yet? :D
 
The skill scanner is one of the most usefull tool i ever used in EU and if you manage to make a new one working i'm sure donation will follow :)

Right!

I made a small paypal donation before. Now that I realize how much time this was saving me, I've got a bigger one planned if jdegre invests his time fixing it again.

Fingers crossed.
 
My eyesight isnt great and white on yellow really doesnt cut it at all, very uncomfortable on the eye, especially as I have gamma up higher than normal to make things easier to see. I sent a support asking them to take a look at the white/yellow combination as squinting at the screen to make out skill values shouldnt be necessary
 
Right!

I made a small paypal donation before. Now that I realize how much time this was saving me, I've got a bigger one planned if jdegre invests his time fixing it again.

Fingers crossed.

I'm more than ready to donate if we get it again, just realized how usefull it was !
 
I've noticed that when you click away from the skills window, the contrast "dims" but that might be more parseable to the scanner as the contrast is better then - a pain to have to do that, but if it is necessary to do to help make the scanner work again, I would take the extra time to do it.
 
Sorry jdegre, I imagine how you feel after this thing happened.

Yeah they do seem to be changing the skill screens a lot these days. Its hard to think of a good reason why they're doing that other than that they don't like us being able to track our skills so well.

Probably people in MA just don't realize how tools like skill scanner are actually useful for them. These tools attract more people and make game more interesting, and with such silly re-designs people who make these decisions are spending MA's own money and loosing income from customers.

On a similar note is it just me or can you no longer move loot around in the loot window (thus making it harder to tell exactly how much loot you have each time...thus making getting data for the loot analysis threads harder...hmm :scratch2:).

Hopefully it's a bug and not another mis-feature. The solution to that would be making a dummy team and installing OCR parser with a second avatar, who doesn't get any loot but sees all loot. With OCR and other tools spreading more and more MA would better realize that being secretive and uncooperative with people is bad and obsolete strategy.
 
On a similar note is it just me or can you no longer move loot around in the loot window (thus making it harder to tell exactly how much loot you have each time...thus making getting data for the loot analysis threads harder...hmm :scratch2:).

Jimmy: Yeah, they broke the ability to move stuff in loot windows, which is highly annoying. Wish they'd add a little label with total tt in the loot window, but first things first: fix what's broken now (again). :laugh:

Hopefully it's a bug and not another mis-feature. The solution to that would be making a dummy team and installing OCR parser with a second avatar, who doesn't get any loot but sees all loot. With OCR and other tools spreading more and more MA would better realize that being secretive and uncooperative with people is bad and obsolete strategy.

at least it's been confirmed by bertha:

Known Issues 9.3
21 May 2008

...
Items in Loot UI cannot be moved.
...
 
Probably people in MA just don't realize how tools like skill scanner are actually useful for them. These tools attract more people and make game more interesting, and with such silly re-designs people who make these decisions are spending MA's own money and loosing income from customers.

Exactly my own thoughts Kolobok. I think having the web littered with nice applications about EU (i) shows how much depth there is to EU, (ii) shows how much interest there is in EU, (iii) gives a great credibility to EU - people coming new into EU will find it encouraging that all these tools exist.

But MA keep redesigning the skill window, and they've made it much harder to track individual loots (my last comment about stackable ammo was just a bug I experienced that was stopping looted ammo from stacking correctly). The skill window could just be a redesign, it does kinda look nicer, but I really can't think of any good reason why loot can't be moved around in the loot window. Only thing I can think is maybe its part of the 'reduce amount of memory EU is using' thing.

All suggests to me that they're not too keen on all these tools and there's something there that they really don't want us to figure out, but hopefully we're just being paranoid.
 
at the risk of being redundant and/or annoying, MA can't think of a good reason for that, either ;)

Ah, that's good thanks. I saw your post above and misread it - thought it was part of the VU listing :duh:
 
I'm experiencing withdrawal syptoms. :scared::eyecrazy::loco::cry:
 
I'm experiencing withdrawal syptoms. :scared::eyecrazy::loco::cry:

Yeah hehe. I was half-way through a skilling experiment which has been ruined by the change, hence my slight overreaction lol.
 
Yeah hehe. I was half-way through a skilling experiment which has been ruined by the change, hence my slight overreaction lol.

Take PrntScreens and sum it up later?
 
I can do the CSV file manually, but I don't want to introduce errors in my calculations :ahh: . But manually might be the thing to do in the meantime ;)

- Nightwolf
 
I need to know skill volume gain, and value...

So you printscreen - save to file. Then when scanner is fixed, you use it on those printscreens.

Only conflict would be is if you needed to know the volume gain at this very instant.

Alternatively, if you do need it now, you can enter it in manually.... you can determine the decimal by using line in paint
 
So you printscreen - save to file. Then when scanner is fixed, you use it on those printscreens.

Only conflict would be is if you needed to know the volume gain at this very instant.

No, I need to know it now, not in the future. :) I'm not going to do a shitload of hunting and find out later skill gains were nerfed...
 
just wanted to let you know that i'm working on fixing the skill scanner. i'm extremely overloaded at work right now, but i'm doing my best to find some time and try to fix it (even if eventually it only lasts for one VU and they change it again in 9.4). i have not shot a single bullet yet in the new VU.

i have received lots of encouragement by PM to work on it, even suggestions and ideas for the OCR part. they are really really appreciated, and i'll keep you guys updated with any progress.
 
Haven't fired a single bullet myself. Too busy at work as well...

But all efforts are greatly appreciated. Your tool has become the standard! Maybe we need to setup an opensource development community for these type of tools that the community become so dependent on.

Take your time for the update jdegre, rep sent ;)
 
I got my own Profession Screen Scanner working but it's going to take awhile to get the Skill Screen Fixed (if ever - not very motivated).


James
 
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