Quality of Life Improvements for the Retainer Menu Interface

[DarkDedede]

Now that we are given the option for eight retainers, I think it's time to start considering some improvements to the interface we have to use for our retainers. The interface was fine for 2.0. However, with all of the added features, managing up to eight retainers has become more than cumbersome.

Here's a list of things that I feel would help to make managing multiple retainers a bit less of a chore. Also note that I currenly use a PS4, so some suggestions may not apply to other platforms.

• From the retainer selection menu, have some indication of which city the retainer is stationed. Having the city crest by the retainer's name would be good.
  
• Some indication of whether something sold recently, since the players last visit.
• When choosing a listing price or stack size, have the option to use an onscreen numerical keyboard. The user can input the price in through the keyboard, as opposed to the current "up/down" method.
• For multiple listings, have the option to save the last set of inputs (price, stack size). This would be useful if the player wants to sell identical listings.
• When changing your retainers equipment, have the replaced piece of equipment go into the player inventory, as opposed to the armory chest. I'm sure many players have armory chests that are close to full. I would think that players would appreciate less clutter.
• Have the option to swap retainer equipment from the retainer inventory.
• When using "Try On" from the retainer menu, have the preview show the piece on the retainer, as opposed to the player. This would be especially helpful for retainers that are different genders, as certain gear looks very different on a female compared to a male.
• Allow a listing to be created from multiple smaller stacks, as opposed to the currently selected stack.
• Allow the option for gil from sales to automatically be transferred to one retainer, specified by the player.
• Allow the player to update the order that retainers display in the retainer select menu.
• Allow glamours to be applied from the retainer equipment menu.

I may add more suggestions, as I think of them. Feel free to add your own.

[Mildoze]

These are all great suggestions. I really like the ideas you have for the Retainer Equipment issues. In addition to your suggestion for the ability to remember the previously listed price you posted on that item I'd like to add the following ideas for your suggestions.

-Add the ability to post multiple listings of an item at a set stack size in one action
-Add the current listings and recent transactions into the "create listing" interface. The need to click a button to view other listings and sales history is just annoying (a lovely feature to view that info, but poorly displayed in nested windows). Just make that all included in the listing window when the player is setting their price for their item.
-Ability to view/post Player and Retainer Inventories during the item listing process. These options shouldn't be separated.

The interface and quality of life features needs to evolve for the sake of our sanity!

[Sida]

Here's mine. When dismissing retainer, automatically return to the retainer menu, without having to go through the bell clicking again. Also, option to turn of the retainer greeting texts. They are great, and add flavour. But when juggling items with multiple retainers, they grow old, fast. I spend more time clicking through the messages and reopening the retainer list, than actually interfacing with the retainers. But first and foremost, skip the step of having to reopen the retainer list. I'm pretty sure that majority of people who uses retainers interfaces multiple of them on same "session" most of the time.

[Niwashi]

Also, option to turn of the retainer greeting texts. They are great, and add flavour. But when juggling items with multiple retainers, they grow old, fast.

I think that greeting and farewell text should be moved to show up above the retainers heads, and perhaps in the chat log, but not as a dialog window. That would still allow it to be there for flavor purposes, but without needing our acknowledgement of it each and every time.

Oh, and I agree about staying in the retainer menu (that first one where we select which retainer to call) until we close it, making it easier to go back and forth between different retainers.

[Sida]

Yush, the idea to have the retainer comments as self passing speech bubbles is grand! As I said, I appreciate them for the flavour they add. Just that their cumbersomeness starts itching.

[Unaki]

Some good suggestions here. I would just be happy with the ability to simply press a button and immediately bring out my next retainer. Having 8 retainers on ventures gets really unwieldy.