Minimap Icons Indistinct

[KatherineOfSky]

Some of the icons which border the minimap are indistinct and hard to figure out what they are for.

factorio_8I7vr4aEyp.png (40.69 KiB) Viewed 1950 times

1. Blueprint Icon: I understand the idea of this one, but at 1440p, it's difficult to make out the empty squares, and it just doesn't work well as a represenation. Suggestion: the letters "BP", or an open grid.

2. The Bonuses Icon: The arrow's side tips are so tiny, they're almost invisible. I suggest a more robust looking arrowhead.

3. Farming Icon, represented by a bale of hay... Seriously, this does NOT look like it represents trains. I think it's meant to be a train track, but it's so blobby and rounded that it just doesn't visually work at all. At best it kinda looks like a mini-spreadsheet... or bale of hay... no joke. I suggest a clear train track "ladder" shape, or a tiny steam locomotive.

4. Logistics: the icon is clear, but every time I see it, I think "Phone coverage!" My association with that overlay is robots. That icon doesn't say "bots" to me. I much preferred the roboport icon because that's exactly what the coverage shows. I am aware that the Logistics system shows the contents of special chests, however, 99% of the functionality is performed by robots, whether constructing arrays or logi bots delivering stuff around.

5. Pollution. I understand the skull, but I think a smokestack emitting a few puffs of smoke might be more evocative. After all, the player doesn't die of pollution...

[Koub]

I have to admit I agree. When I need to mouse over an icon to figure what it's meaning, the icon does not fulfill its primary mission.

For 1, I agree with the "BP" caption. As an alternative, one can find things that tell "blueprint" with a google search for blueprint icon. The current one is nice, but not very explicit.

For 2, I have no idea, there is nothing that says "buffs" in my head.

For 3 I suggest :

option 1

Tchou tchou mofo.jpg (18.98 KiB) Viewed 1940 times

Well a more serious suggestion would be something like :

option 2

Train icon.jpg (6.83 KiB) Viewed 1940 times

Also agree with 4, the old roboport icon (or a stylized roboport) would do the job better than the current phone coverage indicator.

The 5 would be more understandable with something looking like :

pollution

Pollution.jpg (5.48 KiB) Viewed 1940 times

Actually, I went back to 0.17, and I could guess all icons without hovering over them (even if pollution is obvious to me because I know it's a red cloud on the map, I couldn't have guessed it by myself). The current icon set has traded functionality for stylish design.

[KatherineOfSky]

For 2 I think an arrow is a good shape. "Bonus" is such an abstract, I'm not sure that there is a universal symbol for it.

ROFL on your first #3 suggestion! HAHAHAHA (Literally laughed out loud on that one!)
I agree on the second suggestion!

Your suggestion for 5 is exactly what I was thinking.

Actually, I went back to 0.17, and I could guess all icons without hovering over them (even if pollution is obvious to me because I know it's a red cloud on the map, I couldn't have guessed it by myself). The current icon set has traded functionality for stylish design.

Yes! Exactly! In 0.17, everything was easily recognizable!

[ssilk]

I think the devs discussed it. Because I think if you make the suggested icons small you cannot longer see what they meant.

[Koub]

I think the devs discussed it. Because I think if you make the suggested icons small you cannot longer see what they meant.

In 0.17, they were the same size, and much more efficient at suggesting what they meant. And I'm the "efficiency over style" design type guy. If I have to choose between beautiful and usable, i choose usable first, and as good looking as possible without degrading usability after.

[ssilk]

Now when you say it, I remember that there where simpler understandable icons. Hmmm.

[Koub]

Hmmm.

indeed