Friday Facts #191 - Gui improvements

[Bi0nicM4n]

Finally it has been mentioned to change hotkeys for your 6th-10th items from shift-1-5 to 6-0. I agree with this change.

Please DONT change the toolbar shortcuts from Shift 1-5 to 6-0. This would be a huge step down in usability because most of us don't have fingers that can reach past 6 or 7 from WASD. On the other hand, making the hotkeys re-bindable, sounds like a great feature for those who want to move their hand all over the keyboard.

Yeah, I fully support. Shift + 1-5 is just SO MUCH MORE comfortable it HAS to be the default. With it, a player won't have to keep repositioning their hand on keyboard all the time, which is really unnerving. I understand new players might be uncomfortable with this at first, as I was in my time. Some of them might rebind them to their liking; but Shift + 1-5 is simply superior to 6-0 in the end.

[IronCartographer]

The granularity of 2 inventories is lost. Putting your entire inventory in a chest while keeping your toolbar inventory is no longer possible

Additionally, filters can be used [in the main inventory] to make specific items go somewhere and to make sure you always have space for them.

The former problem could be solved by the latter new feature. Control click on an empty, non-filtered inventory slot could be adjusted so only non-filtered items are transferred. This should work even if applied consistently to vehicles as well.

[smichael13]

I was just thinking to myself the other day, "I wish there could be some GUI updates and maybe even a logistics screen so I can see all the items that are in my logistics system rather then the menu that is cut off on the right side of my screen"

Love the new improvements & ideas! Keep it up y'all!

[Drury]

With the amount of pure input/output slots in Factorio, it might be worth considering giving them some visual differentiation to make them inherently intuitive to new players, like a different border around the item box.

Something like





/rip cursor, hopefully your sacrifice will go towards building a better future for us all

[viveks711]

Finally it has been mentioned to change hotkeys for your 6th-10th items from shift-1-5 to 6-0. I agree with this change.

Please DONT change the toolbar shortcuts from Shift 1-5 to 6-0. This would be a huge step down in usability because most of us don't have fingers that can reach past 6 or 7 from WASD. On the other hand, making the hotkeys re-bindable, sounds like a great feature for those who want to move their hand all over the keyboard.

Yeah, I fully support. Shift + 1-5 is just SO MUCH MORE comfortable it HAS to be the default. With it, a player won't have to keep repositioning their hand on keyboard all the time, which is really unnerving. I understand new players might be uncomfortable with this at first, as I was in my time. Some of them might rebind them to their liking; but Shift + 1-5 is simply superior to 6-0 in the end.

What about for the bottom row? You could have 1-5 & Shift 1-5 for the top row and 6-0 and shift 6-0 for the bottom ones'?

[IronCartographer]

Finally it has been mentioned to change hotkeys for your 6th-10th items from shift-1-5 to 6-0. I agree with this change.

Please DONT change the toolbar shortcuts from Shift 1-5 to 6-0. This would be a huge step down in usability because most of us don't have fingers that can reach past 6 or 7 from WASD. On the other hand, making the hotkeys re-bindable, sounds like a great feature for those who want to move their hand all over the keyboard.

Yeah, I fully support. Shift + 1-5 is just SO MUCH MORE comfortable it HAS to be the default. With it, a player won't have to keep repositioning their hand on keyboard all the time, which is really unnerving. I understand new players might be uncomfortable with this at first, as I was in my time. Some of them might rebind them to their liking; but Shift + 1-5 is simply superior to 6-0 in the end.

What about for the bottom row? You could have 1-5 & Shift 1-5 for the top row and 6-0 and shift 6-0 for the bottom ones'?

Does this mean we could get multiple toolbars that we could cycle through? I could have my default toolbar, and additionally have a "Train" set, or a "Fluid" set for when I am focusing on those things.

I think we shouldn't even have both rows visible at the same time; the reduced visibility from increased toolbelt size has always bothered me, especially in combat. I like Bradley's idea--it would allow for even more toolbelts with situational shortcuts. No more absurdly awkward blind spot from 4-toolbelt-bar mods and such.

Also count me in on voting for 1-5 and Shift 1-5 staying default--though let's not forget they're easily rebound...so everyone can be happy.

[Bi0nicM4n]

Yeah, I fully support. Shift + 1-5 is just SO MUCH MORE comfortable it HAS to be the default. With it, a player won't have to keep repositioning their hand on keyboard all the time, which is really unnerving. I understand new players might be uncomfortable with this at first, as I was in my time. Some of them might rebind them to their liking; but Shift + 1-5 is simply superior to 6-0 in the end.

What about for the bottom row? You could have 1-5 & Shift 1-5 for the top row and 6-0 and shift 6-0 for the bottom ones'?

Nope, that won't do. You can press X and then Shift + 1-5 with one hand and not care about your hand being all over the keyboard. With Shift + 6-0 you'd have to stretch your thumb to the other side of keyboard, or, even worse, use both hands (!).

[Gnocchi]

I'm currently working on improving a websites UI/UX, and it's fun to see you having the same problems as I do, when people complain about some fix, since they are so used to it.

But then again it had to be fixed because a bunch of new people are making mistakes and contacting customer support, so it has to be done haha.

GJ guys! Really love the game, and it's the game i've played the most except WoW

[Tias]

First of all, I'm all for the changes mentioned in the FFF.

Here is a sugestion about the weopons/ammo: You could make it, so that the weapos and ammo is shown on the bottom right as it is, but only while in combat, or for 10 seconds after pressing the next weapon key. Maybe with a setting in the options between this, always on and always off.

[Snarley88]

Changes are good! I often find my self surprised as I read the FF (which I read every week btw) that you have thought of the solutions to problems I hadn't realised I had. As you say, you get so use to the quirks you don't see them anymore but that's no reason to keep things the same, rather it's the very reason to keep improving. Factorio should be the best game it can be

[Selvek]

For easy making ghosts without things at hand I propose some form of Ghost Pipette.
A pipette which returns ghost. Probably shift-Q.

This. Please! This would be soooo nice!
As an extension, a "temporary instant blueprint" hotkey (known in other programs as "copy-paste") so that you can quickly duplicate small stuff without cluttering your inventory with blueprints.

[Artman40]

Aside from "Place a ghost when you run of items", what about an option "Place a ghost when you're too far/when you're too close/something is in a way" option?

[AndrewIRL]

Came this close >< to getting name checked in FFF, instead only my thread got mentioned.

Usually my approach is that Factorio must be the best game no matter what.

Correct approach.

I never understood why all my weapons and ammo need to be shown on my screen all the time, when 95% of my time is spent building factories.

Seems reasonable on the surface but which kind of ammo I have available and what gun I'm using needs to be accessible instantly any time battle happens. I don't have time to go into a menu in a fight. Scenario - I've gotten piercing shotgun rounds but only manufactured a small amount when an attack comes - I run out and after shooting a bit, run out of shotgun ammo, I need to switch to SMG quickly oh wait, no I don't that's out of ammo too, quick switch to pistol and kite. I need a UI that support this in under 1 second. Right now I have it, glance at the lower right of the screen, make the right decision, hit Q a couple times, survive.

Having my weapons at the ready is life or death on this planet, the locals are hostile.

I also never liked how the logistics section has to be there in the center of my screen whenever I need to craft something or grab something from my inventory.

Good point, logistics is a second class function and should be demoted behind a tab.

[yodamester]

Do it please! I like this ideas about quickbars. I always feel a little bit messy. I always use all 20 quickbars with fixed items, so "nearly" the same like yours
Keep up the good job!

[Koub]

I love the announced changes.
I'd love the blueprint book to get some love too : It took me quite some time to understand how it works. When you don't know how to use it, it's very unintuitive (this, and the fact every time you use a blueprint from the book, it duplicates in your inventory, and you have to delete it to make some room).

[Bi0nicM4n]

I'm also curious what you guys think about bout our UI/UX and general game interaction. Should it be improved? Is it good enough? Do you get lost in the menus? Did you have problems when first playing the game? Comment in our usual topic at the forums.

Almost forgot. Could you implement the Fast Filter Fill mod functionality for cargo inventories in the base game? It speeds up the process of setting up filters in cargo wagons, cars and etc by stretching already set filters horizontally and vertically, and can also reset all filters simultaneously.

[IndustriousMoogle]

How about adding two little buttons on the logistics tab to increment the requested item count by the item's stack size? So if you want 2 stacks of advanced circuits, first make the request, then click the button to increase the amount by one stack. Can bookend the scrollbar with them.

[Selvek]

Having my weapons at the ready is life or death on this planet, the locals are hostile.

+1

I also never liked how the logistics section has to be there in the center of my screen whenever I need to craft something or grab something from my inventory.

Good point, logistics is a second class function and should be demoted behind a tab.

So when I first read this it sounded like a good idea, but thinking about it more, I'm not so convinced. At the moment, everything is conveniently located with one easy e-press. Adding a tab isolates things and adds more clicks without really having any benefit. If there were a shortage of space on screen with the inventory open, I could see this helping, but at the moment there is plenty of space so I'm not sure what advantage the tabs buy you. I could see maybe reorganizing so that inventory is center, logistics is left, crafting is right or something if you dislike the visual leap from inventory to crafting. Or, maybe have logistics and crafting both be extendable tabs (one left, one right) so you can expand or contract as you see fit.

[bobingabout]

If you make the toolbar a shortcut, I would like to sugest that you make the character inventory size larger to compensate.

[viveks711]

Yeah, I fully support. Shift + 1-5 is just SO MUCH MORE comfortable it HAS to be the default. With it, a player won't have to keep repositioning their hand on keyboard all the time, which is really unnerving. I understand new players might be uncomfortable with this at first, as I was in my time. Some of them might rebind them to their liking; but Shift + 1-5 is simply superior to 6-0 in the end.

What about for the bottom row? You could have 1-5 & Shift 1-5 for the top row and 6-0 and shift 6-0 for the bottom ones'?

Nope, that won't do. You can press X and then Shift + 1-5 with one hand and not care about your hand being all over the keyboard. With Shift + 6-0 you'd have to stretch your thumb to the other side of keyboard, or, even worse, use both hands (!).

All this time, I've been thinking that Shift 1 - 5 cannot be reconfigured... I could always change it to 6-0 and press X to switch to the bottom row... I learnt something new today...