New UI: A Mockup

[DoctorMog]

Too Busy for my tastes.

Needs to be cleaner and simpler.

There is also far too much information on that window for low resolution players.

[viion]

It would also hurt Gamepad users, all the Dpadding around.

[MeowyWowie]

Excellent work Vesper.

At first glance it may seem a bit confusing, but it's definitely something I could get used to.

[BlaiseLallaise]

It would also hurt Gamepad users, all the Dpadding around.

This was my first thought. Looks great for those who actually use a mouse to play, but what of us gamepad users? And I bet there are also some keyboard users that don't use the mouse who would have a similar problem.

[Amineri]

Well, I see people complaining without actually providing positive feedback, nothing new here. Instead of just saying "Too busy", of "too ugly", how about providing some specifics about which specific elements you think aren't needed, and how it could be adjusted in order to improve it?

Every element on that UI provides a very useful function, and a function that people would complain about the lack of, if it weren't there.

The biggest piece there is one that hasn't cropped up yet, because the materia system hasn't been introduced. Yoshi-P has specifically said that gear with materia attached can be bought and sold (that is, attaching materia does not make gear untradeable). This means that every single Aeolian Scimitar can now be potentially different, with different materia attached. People complain NOW about not seeing the HQ level -- it's going to be crazy when they can't search over the attached materia, and have to visit every retainer in order to see what materia is slotted into every piece of gear that is for sale.

That said, perhaps a toggle option for "basic search" and "advanced search" would help new player get familiar with the search function, without making it so underpowered as to be eventually useless for 99% (maybe an exaggeration here <_<) of the playerbase.

I'd say that the basic search interface should have just the minimal search features needed for finding an item. No "search seller", "search repair", or "search buy order" options. Only the "search active" feature, no "search sold" (i.e. price history). Remove the seller's message for the basic interface, and the materia search options. Eliminate the toggle for NQ/HQ, and have the search simply retrieve them all.

Basic Search Interface:

• Text field, to search based on string
• Class/job field
• Item Slot field
• Item Type field
• Search Result list
• Highlighted item details (when selected from Search Results -- shows NQ/HQ, and materia slotted)

Advanced Search Interface:

• Everything above from Basic Search Interface
• Option to search by seller
• Option to include searching though requested repairs
• Option to include searching through buy orders
• Option to search through active items or sold items (e.g. price history)
• Materia selection filter options (to allow searching for items slotted with given materia types)
• Option to search for only NQ or HQ items
• Seller message displayed

[Onidemon]

Whether we are keeping the Market Wards or eventually getting an AH is something that will be argued about back and forth. Some like the wards, some want AH. I think most of us can agree the search features are severely lacking.

This is a UI mockup I made as an idea for a market search revamp. The current functionality is horrible and thats being kind.

[SIZE="5"]Here is the UI Mockup[/SIZE]

Note, this UI would be accessable from not only going to the market wards entrance, but from your PERSONAL retainers as well and from your main menu. If using the UI from the main menu it would lock out all features except for features of your actual characters inventory and bazaar. No bazaaring retainers/market searches while out in the field. But you could access your characters stuff from it.

Search
Items need to be searchable via text as well as drop down menus. The search bar would have boxes to toggle whether you wanted to search active listings, sold listings, by item name and my seller name.

Class/Job Dropdown
This dropdown would allow you to choose to search for items based on job/class.

Item Type
This dropdown would be specific to NON equip items only (Materia, Raw Materials, Crystals etc)

Item Slot
This dropdown would allow you to search equip items slot (Body, Head, Legs, Feet, Gloves, Accessories etc)

All drop downs would allow you to check off whether you want NQ or HQ versions of the item to appear in the search.

Stat Checkboxes
These boxes would allow you to further narrow down gear, only showing gear that has at least one of the stats you choose on it.

Sellers Bazaar Message
Players would be able to set a bazaar message via the UI. (this message would appear when a search result was highlighted or moused over)

Search Results
Results would show the name of item, quality, quantity the item is being sold in, the price of the quantity, the sellers name [retainers] and the ward it is located in (forgot to add that to the mockup!)

Item Info
A box with all the items info would appear as well after you highlighted or moused over the item in the search result.

Tabs
Not pictured, but there would be tabs for the following [Market Search][Selling][Repairs][Seeking].

• Market search is the tab I spent time mocking up.
• Selling would be a tab that would show your personal bazaar, retainer 1 bazaar and retainer 2 bazaar in three separate columns. Sorta like [PB][R1][R2]
• Repairs would be the same as the above Selling tab in layout, but with repairs instead. MONEY WOULD NOT TAKE UP A SPOT IN YOUR BAZAAR! Also, with changes allowing the player to ask for repairs WHILE WEARING their armor is a must.. I mean really.
• Seeking would be the same as the selling tab, but with items you are seeking instead. You would be able to list items you want to buy and offer up MULTIPLE items for trade, or gil and items. The reward for the server would NOT take up space in bazaars. You could list items you don't have in your inventory as seeking (Lets implement a database FTW! You would also be able to list as many to buy as you want within the systems/inventory limitations)

Amazing job my friend!

[Onidemon]

Vesper,

I re-arranged your mockup for the sake of gpad and PS3 users. PS3 users will make up probably the majority of the population when that ver is released and i think this setup will be easier to use with a gamepad. Let me know what you think about it.

[SIZE=6]Gamepad friendly Mockup[/SIZE]

[RemVye]

Vesper,

I re-arranged your mockup for the sake of gpad and PS3 users. PS3 users will make up probably the majority of the population when that ver is released and i think this setup will be easier to use with a gamepad. Let me know what you think about it.

[SIZE=6]Gamepad friendly Mockup[/SIZE]

This is all that is needed..... GOOD JOB. Simple, easy, accessible, not cluttered. All that other stuff on the original was garbage not sure how people actually liked it. I would probably quit the game if PS3 users got something like this and PC users got that abomination from the OP. R4G3.

Edit: I would probably put the item details / display above the "bazaar message" because we don't have a bazaar message and really the item takes priority over a the retainers bazaar message. Keep it close to the actual search options.

[Anon]

what rem said ^

[viion]

Vesper,

I re-arranged your mockup for the sake of gpad and PS3 users. PS3 users will make up probably the majority of the population when that ver is released and i think this setup will be easier to use with a gamepad. Let me know what you think about it.

[SIZE=6]Gamepad friendly Mockup[/SIZE]

There we go, getting better, i think its all a bit too big, the window should be smaller.

The graphic ui design is also extremely fugly, but thats just what the se dev has done not you.

The layout is ok, i dont see point in HQ/NQ options, just display all with the giant display box, there are not many items as it is. I also do not see point in having both Slot and Type, when Type will just display Slot anyway, no? Picking Type Head and also Slot Head? May as well just have Type be much easier.

The bazaar message thing while it could be a good idea idk, be pointless drawn data imo and most be empty or old or generic or rmt and there will be very few that are legit and even then its like what is its purpose? So you can ask them to do Woodworking synths? I garauntee you know someone already or there is someone in your LS who does it for free.

Also no border around gear display, or a more padded one.

Also the window for the sells is very narrow, it wouldnt really fit things, long item names "Cream-yellow Velveteen Dye" is not going to fit, even some long player names "powowowow powowowow" lol

A much simplier approach wold be to have a narrow search window then use the same display window as yo uget when you /check to show the gear

[ Search ]
[ Class/Job ] [ Type ] [ Order ]
[ Result Window ]

Maybe a [ Bazaar Message ] below if needed.

Hovering an item or highlighting one just like /check window displays the items details.

You'd also need to tab the main window for a buy / sell, but instead of showing a gear display like the buy sells you'd show your own inventory where you can select an item and set a price, have the system display the top 5 lowest prices within that same window so the user doesnt need to first find it, and hit sell.