[dev1026] Visual cues to let us know when an ability can be used

[Eekiki]

If you look at your action bar, you'll notice that an ability that requires 1000 TP to execute is darkened if your TP is below 1000. An ability that you just used that has a cool-down period of 30 seconds is darkened while that clock ticks down to zero. The fact that the button is darkened lets us know that that ability is currently unavailable for use. Therefore we don't bother trying to use it.

This should be expanded in a couple ways. Firstly, if an enemy is outside of an ability's area of effect, the button for that ability should be darkened. Secondly, for abilities that are only usable in certain circumstances (e.g. Pugilist's Simian Thrash, which can only be executed after an attack is evaded), the button should be darkened until its special conditions for use are met.

Basically, the only abilities on our action bar that should be lit up at any given time are the ones that are immediately usable.

[Jynx]

God forbid people actually watch the flow of battle...

Anyways I wouldn't be against this idea, just seems like a rather small change in the long run. I mean it's not hard to know when you evade or parry a attack.

[Ilean]

God forbid people actually watch the flow of battle...

You dumb? This "flow of battle" I am supposed to watch is more text rolling in the battle log.

/recast in macros just doesn't cut it.

Visual cues for action bar are needed!

Additional action bar slots are needed even more!

[Rentahamster]

God forbid people actually watch the flow of battle...

Anyways I wouldn't be against this idea, just seems like a rather small change in the long run. I mean it's not hard to know when you evade or parry a attack.

The visual cues in the flow of battle are hardly noticeable, too.

[Tenchi]

God forbid people actually watch the flow of battle...

Anyways I wouldn't be against this idea, just seems like a rather small change in the long run. I mean it's not hard to know when you evade or parry a attack.

LOL made me laugh hard Jynx.

[Dreamer]

God forbid people actually watch the flow of battle...

Anyways I wouldn't be against this idea, just seems like a rather small change in the long run. I mean it's not hard to know when you evade or parry a attack.

This isn't exactly trivial. For example, when playing as a pugilist, there are a number of abilities that can only be used after you evade an attack. Due to the quickness of the combat text, you literally have to glue your eyes to your character if you want to catch it, as there are simply no other cues to let you know that this has occurred.

We don't need bright neon color signs (though I admit I liked them in LotRO), an extra visual cue to let us know this has happened and that such abilities are now available for use would be extremely helpful.

[Eekiki]

That's why I tagged this with dev1026. That is only one example, but it's more about engaging an enemy. How many times have you been ready to fire an arrow or cast a spell on an enemy and gotten "The enemy is out of range." You take a couple steps closer and try again. "The enemy is out of range." You take a couple steps closer, etc. The game knows whether or not we're close enough to attack before we do. Why is it withholding this information?

[Kilta_Firelotus]

The game isn't going to give all info for battles. You suppose to learn timing and distance. Which are not that hard to learn. Kinda getting silly though, ppl don't want a game be easy... but are asking for the game to be easy.

[Eekiki]

The game isn't going to give all info for battles. You suppose to learn timing and distance. Which are not that hard to learn. Kinda getting silly though, ppl don't want a game be easy... but are asking for the game to be easy.

You are confusing "functional" with "easy". Again.

There's nothing to "learn" about distance from the monsters. We are seeing a three-dimensional rendering broadcast on a two-dimensional surface. It is impossible for us to consistently discern our distance from another object given the limitations of our computer monitors and our human eyeballs.

I've had enough of you, Kilta. I'm sick of watching you artificially inflate your post count by blindly contradicting nearly every post with misinformation, unrelated nonsense, confused logic, uneducated opinions, and generally inflammatory statements.

Come back after you've actually played the game, and can constructively contribute to the community. Until then, you're on my ignore list.

[Evangela]

and I want the action bar show up permanently, add an ability to on/off auto-hide action bar