News: 2024 User Interface Update

[Faran]

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

Thank you!

 

[avalonis]

when will respected developers take up the economy and think about mining? which almost no one needs , or flies to TT or becomes cubes? guilt is unlimited armor plates and weapons and - if you make all this limit so that it breaks, except for STOCKS) then everything will gradually increase in the need to hunt and mine, knowing that your product will be bought-
and THE QUESTION IS, will the information be saved in our notebooks? where are the sales notifications and emails?

 

[minim]

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

This was really the only issue with current UI. How can you guys miss this?

 

[Sub-Zero]

This was really the only issue with current UI. How can you guys miss this?

@Ludvig|MindArk
It's crucial to design it so every UI element can be resized. That's what is expected of a modern UI.
I hope there is a chance of getting such an update in the future.
Ability place the buff icons anywhere too and maybe Ability to separate them so it's clearly what is your pills and your regular buffs, tbh I'd rather have the option to hide my ring buffs since I already know them and they are constant. The important buffs are the time limited ones.

 

[Arthur The Hunter]

@Ludvig|MindArk
It's crucial to design it so every UI element can be resized. That's what is expected of a modern UI.
I hope there is a chance of getting such an update in the future.
Ability place the buff icons anywhere too and maybe Ability to separate them so it's clearly what is your pills and your regular buffs, tbh I'd rather have the option to hide my ring buffs since I already know them and they are constant. The important buffs are the time limited ones.

@Ludvig|MindArk

i agree and wish this too!

 

[Rawr66]

@Ludvig|MindArk
It's crucial to design it so every UI element can be resized. That's what is expected of a modern UI.
I hope there is a chance of getting such an update in the future.
Ability place the buff icons anywhere too and maybe Ability to separate them so it's clearly what is your pills and your regular buffs, tbh I'd rather have the option to hide my ring buffs since I already know them and they are constant. The important buffs are the time limited ones.

Well in current version of the UI if you get more than two rows of buffs you can no longer mouse over them to see how long time you have left or what their effect is... hope this at least gets fixed in new UI.

Still rooting for a scale option for UI elements and icons in general... even the ones in the top left on the demo screenshot they posted.
Cause a 22x20 icon... open that on a 4k monitor and try to click the right one >.<
"Is it this dot... no not that dot... maybe the dot to the right... nope... maybe it was the dot to the left?"

 

[Terminator]

This was really the only issue with current UI. How can you guys miss this?

The chat window is also decreasing its width at every logon.
Let's see if new one will have this feature too.

 

[anonimity]

- P.S will we finally be able to buy stacks of ammo larger than 999.99 ped at a time <3

asking the right questions here....

 

[Ludvig|MindArk]

Well in current version of the UI if you get more than two rows of buffs you can no longer mouse over them to see how long time you have left or what their effect is... hope this at least gets fixed in new UI.

Still rooting for a scale option for UI elements and icons in general... even the ones in the top left on the demo screenshot they posted.
Cause a 22x20 icon... open that on a 4k monitor and try to click the right one >.<
"Is it this dot... no not that dot... maybe the dot to the right... nope... maybe it was the dot to the left?"

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.

 

[Fanan]

The chat window is also decreasing its width at every logon.
Let's see if new one will have this feature too.

That is the most annoying visual bug currently! EVERY log in I need to resize chat.

 

[GeorgeSkywalker]

With regard to plates I'd like to specify what we ideally want. Ideally a way to equip plates with one key/icon press. This means we could have one icon for ghost+5b plates and if pressed the system will automatically take 5b plates wherever they are and equip them to ghost armour set. Note this means the system will take the plates from a vehicles carried inventory or from another armour set and equip them to the ghost set or take them straight from carried inventory.

Furthermore I would add the same functionality to enhancers. So we could have ghost+5b plates+defense enhancers from levels 1 - 10 all automatically equipped. With enhancers though there should be a way for us to set max number of enhancers per slot and also only to refill/equip if empty. For example I have at max 4 enhancers per slot and only refill the slot when there are none. So the system should be able to do this. Again the system should be able to take enhancers from carried inventory, carried vehicles inventory or from another armour set.

 

[Wingpool]

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.

I find the new buff icons introduced in oct 2022 very unintuitive. When looking for specific buff I often have to hover over all of them to find the one I am looking for. For me, the icons don't represent well what they stand for. When I look at them I usually expect a different buff than the one it actually is.

Will there be any additional effort put into having icons that make sense?

I hope I am not the only one with this problem.

 

[jetsina]

further scaling

What do you mean, further? We are not going to get ANY ability to scale icons initially if I understand correctly.
And I find the buffs icons a pain too, yes. They make little sense to me and after just a few are too small even on my setup.

I am also one of those who has vehicle up and down to the left of ... left (A). Will we really have to shift everything one to the right to fit things in, making that infamous F into a G?

 

[The Great Adventurer]

Will Private Message popups, vehicle inventory, blueprint books, etc open up from where they are closed (like some other windows) or will the AWAYS open in their 'default' position?

What "functionality" is being changed with the update vs what "visuals" are being changed?

Example:

- You can no longer add icons to anywhere on the screen. <-- Functionality
- Using transparent SVG icons for the default actions. <-- Visual

 

[Ludvig|MindArk]

What do you mean, further?

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

 

[krazykat]

I'd like to see how the map looks and also how the item windows look. What about the tracked mission dropdown info. ? What will happen to that?

 

[jetsina]

That's three pretty important questions, kk, and not even particulary detailed. The tracked mission one is where I'd also like to know if we can increase the number from what now seems to be six, before one gets detracked.
Thanks for the other answer Ludvig, but mine was probably one of the least important points, and more of a semantic note.
I guess you can at least tell from before we've seen much at all what our concerns are. Even chat GPT could put a list together if that's what you're aiming for...

 

[Sulje]

I was hoping that the design presented a while ago wasn't final, but it appears to be final. Can't wait to see how it looks once it's live

 

[Tina Walther]

Will Private Message popups, vehicle inventory, blueprint books, etc open up from where they are closed (like some other windows) or will the AWAYS open in their 'default' position?

What "functionality" is being changed with the update vs what "visuals" are being changed?

Example:

- You can no longer add icons to anywhere on the screen. <-- Functionality
- Using transparent SVG icons for the default actions. <-- Visual

speaking of vehicle/storage boxes, would be nice to have the same grid applied like main storage so items don't get "buried" on top of each other, and while you're at it how about a search/itemlist in game like on the website

 

[endermigne]

The chat window is also decreasing its width at every logon.
Let's see if new one will have this feature too.

Wait. Don't. Fix. This. I got so used to this...

What do you mean, further? We are not going to get ANY ability to scale icons initially if I understand correctly.

They don't seem to use SVG for those things. Maybe they'll do with an update.

 

[krazykat]

That's three pretty important questions, kk, and not even particulary detailed. The tracked mission one is where I'd also like to know if we can increase the number from what now seems to be six, before one gets detracked.
Thanks for the other answer Ludvig, but mine was probably one of the least important points, and more of a semantic note.
I guess you can at least tell from before we've seen much at all what our concerns are. Even chat GPT could put a list together if that's what you're aiming for...

I'll add the terminal and crafting windows as well. I did not think of them until afterwards. And then there's space. Anything connected to this UI thats specifically space related?

 

[jwestonmoss]

@Ludvig|MindArk

This looks good. Clean, modern. I'm sure there will be issues but as long as your people are receptive to feedback I'm confident this will be a successful update.

I do have some criticism though, not about this update, but about the way such updates are communicated over time.

Updates like this come in fits, suddenly, after radio silence about any meaningful non-mayhem update for months, and with regards to this specific feature update, years.

One of the biggest problems that MA and EU have right now is communication. We are all left to ourselves to either prognosticate with our crystal balls (if we're optimistic) or complain about a lack of progress (if we're pessimistic).

What is needed is a genuine roadmap, which is compiled and presented at least annually, and then updated quarterly. It needs to be presented and maintained in a highly visible place where the community will be reminded of it.

We get that these are not promises. They are best-effort projections which may or may not happen, or which may or may not be delayed. But at least then, we have a rough idea about the future, and a sense that MA is hard at work making things better.

You have to think of the psychological side of "community". Communication is key. What we've had so far, just isn't enough. I hope this makes sense.

 

[Sub-Zero]

I hope that some of the good ideas in this thread will be taken a look at and implemented in some way not long after UI update. QoL improvements to existing UI systems is also a way to modernize it to 2024.
Sidenote: The interact targeting function is not very smart. Maybe add as option so it will target the closest mob to you or furthest away as an option.
If memory serves me before new camera system there was some way to target nearest target with next target/previous target by selecting my avatar then next target and auto use tool.

 

[jwestonmoss]

I hope that some of the good ideas in this thread will be taken a look at and implemented in some way not long after UI update. QoL improvements to existing UI systems is also a way to modernize it to 2024.
Sidenote: The interact targeting function is not very smart. Maybe add as option so it will target the closest mob to you or furthest away as an option.
If memory serves me before new camera system there was some way to target nearest target with next target/previous target by selecting my avatar then next target and auto use tool.

yes it seems like it tries to detect nearest to your reticle within a cone and only after that reverts to nearest

 

[Arthur The Hunter]

The chat window is also decreasing its width at every logon.
Let's see if new one will have this feature too.

This has driven me nut. I'v been forced to keep it in default scale and create second chat window that rest in top of it and contains rest of my chat tabs.

 

[Terminator]

This has driven me nut. I'v been forced to keep it in default scale and create second chat window that rest in top of it and contains rest of my chat tabs.

I've set an icon where I want my chat window to end on the right, and my fisrt action after login is to enlarge the chat window until this icon.

Some other tiny (low priority) bugs which annoy me for years :
- Open Codex, "Track" a mob, select another one, it proposes to "Untrack it"
- When you have a Mob tracked, the "X" sign for closing don't work, we have to reduce all tracked, reopen them, and finally the "X" sign works
- When you change the progress of a Skill or Profession in the small window, you have to unlock then relaock again, otherwise the new item is not kept
...

 

[Arthur The Hunter]

I've set an icon where I want my chat window to end on the right, and my fisrt action after login is to enlarge the chat window until this icon.

Some other tiny (low priority) bugs which annoy me for years :
- Open Codex, "Track" a mob, select another one, it proposes to "Untrack it"
- When you have a Mob tracked, the "X" sign for closing don't work, we have to reduce all tracked, reopen them, and finally the "X" sign works
- When you change the progress of a Skill or Profession in the small window, you have to unlock then relaock again, otherwise the new item is not kept
...

I used to do this too but cant bother anymore.

 

[jetsina]

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

I've left this a couple of days, couple of days, couple of days,
How many xs across? xxxxxxxxxxxxxx,xxxxxxxxxxx,xxxxxxxxxx, 14, 11, 10.
... for the same text quantity (on a uniform background). What does visual quality even mean to you guys? Are you saying that every horizontal and vertical line (pixel even in combination) should have the opportunity to be unique? That would mean that letter lines should only be one pixel across? Well, good luck reading that then, let alone decipher what an image is supposed to be where a background isn't 100% even.

My interpretation is that people with high resolutions will have to actively lower the resolution of the WHOLE screen in order to get information 2 or more pixels wide per line where they need that.
I'm fully a aware that I'm no expert in this, but I thought resolution was about how small I CAN make a sign, for example, some 'distance away', that still has all the detail, just very small, not how small MUST the sign now be to say: look, it's the largest size possible without losing visual quality.

I've already spent the last few days not logging on with much enthusiasm because it's 'saying goodbye' to the UI time ...
Who knows how I'll feel after the vu ...

Yes, not bothering is a death knell, slice by slice. Is this a shoulder shrug I see here? Good job it's a few pixels wide ...

 

[GeorgeSkywalker]

With regard to plates I'd like to specify what we ideally want. Ideally a way to equip plates with one key/icon press. This means we could have one icon for ghost+5b plates and if pressed the system will automatically take 5b plates wherever they are and equip them to ghost armour set. Note this means the system will take the plates from a vehicles carried inventory or from another armour set and equip them to the ghost set or take them straight from carried inventory.

Furthermore I would add the same functionality to enhancers. So we could have ghost+5b plates+defense enhancers from levels 1 - 10 all automatically equipped. With enhancers though there should be a way for us to set max number of enhancers per slot and also only to refill/equip if empty. For example I have at max 4 enhancers per slot and only refill the slot when there are none. So the system should be able to do this. Again the system should be able to take enhancers from carried inventory, carried vehicles inventory or from another armour set.

Would like to add to set a "loadout" we should equip our desired loadout and then this could be used as a kind of template by the system and an icon for it created i.e. equip armour + plates + enhancers as desired. This allows us to customise as desired we could have mixed armour, mixed plates and mixed enhancers or even miss out some enhancers in a particular slot (e.g. most expensive enhancer slot). If pressed again then the system would do as described above e.g. if wrong plates change to "loadout" plates, same for enhancers if enhancers different from loadout then rectify with one caveat only add enhancers to a slot if that slot is empty.

We already have this for armour so it would be a case of adding to that code this extra functionality.

 

[Ludvig|MindArk]

Since some questions are starting to repeat, despite having already been answered, here is a collection of all official comments with additional information in this thread thus far. I am also adding a copy of this collection as the first comment in the thread, so it appears directly below the opening post.

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.