The In-Duty Portrait Display of 6.3

[Iscah]

It seems like it would make more sense to display the portraits while you're loading. Either before you enter, as each person confirms participation, or over the black screen as you load in. But it's too distracting having them show up where they do, while you're already travelling through the dungeon.

[GeorgieGorge]

It seems like it would make more sense to display the portraits while you're loading. Either before you enter, as each person confirms participation, or over the black screen as you load in.

This would make sense, as they are now I just don't get it. Why do I need a window in the middle of my screen to show me my party when I can just....look at my party? I just don't get the point of this feature at all.

[Atelier-Bagur]

This would make sense, as they are now I just don't get it. Why do I need a window in the middle of my screen to show me my party when I can just....look at my party? I just don't get the point of this feature at all.

because people like to be creative with their characters? Sorry I guess?

That being said, the current implementation of it needs more polish and rework

[Gemina]

It seems like it would make more sense to display the portraits while you're loading. Either before you enter, as each person confirms participation, or over the black screen as you load in. But it's too distracting having them show up where they do, while you're already travelling through the dungeon.

For sure it would, but the load screen is loading the data needed for the portraits. I think a compromise here would be adding a new element to the UI that allows players to click on it to display the character portraits. The sticker can vanish on its own after a certain period of time, or players can elect to not have it show up at all by disabling it in their UI settings. This way they can also give the players the option how they would like the grid displayed, whether it be 1x8, or 2x4, vertical or horizontal, size option, and where exactly on the screen the portraits appear.

I really do like this feature though. It think it's really neat, and I love being able to see close ups of my party members. It just needs some fine tuning for those who want to see them.

[Packetdancer]

It seems like it would make more sense to display the portraits while you're loading. Either before you enter, as each person confirms participation, or over the black screen as you load in. But it's too distracting having them show up where they do, while you're already travelling through the dungeon.

I strongly suspect the portrait data is part of the same state that gets loaded into the instance; this would mean that the portrait isn't available until everyone has loaded in.

The reason I suspect this -- aside from the general technical "it is wildly easier to do this if the instance server knows the portrait information, rather than you having to query every person's home server directly" -- is that they only show the portraits after the wall drops at duty start. Which is the most surefire way I can think of to hook existing code in order to gate something on "this happens after everyone has successfully loaded in".

From a player standpoint, though, I agree with you; it would be a lot nicer to see it while loading in -- or while waiting for people to finish cutscenes, or whatever else -- rather than having it appear briefly and very distractingly at the moment the gate drops.