[0.17.x] Options for using something closer 0.16.x UI

[Crewman06]

Okay,

I've read the forum post A Long Guide to the Fantastic New Quickbar (0.17) No matter how much I try to love the new toolbar, and GUI, I just can't. The fact that I had to read a guide to tell me how to make use of the new toolbar tells me, it's not as intuitive as some might think. Maybe it's just me, if you're reading and you agree please offer futher constructive dialog to this; and, if you're reading this feeling "I should just get over it" please, explain why in detail and we too can move this dialog forward.

So my idea and suggestion is an option to configure the GUI, to allow for changing it to behave in a way that's pre 0.17. Perhaps more tutorials are what's called for, but I personally would be better off with the pre 0.17 GUI. Perhaps A mod could be made, perhaps I could make that mod but still, I am adding my suggest here hoping it may become part of future versions.

For me, I am having a hard time with the new UI; and, for me, the game has lost it's playability. To those of you who feel differently, I'm glad you still enjoy the game, I wish nothing but the best for you. I am only asking for an optional UI to be added.
Thank you for your time, and happy gaming.
Sincerely,
-C6

Edit: Below is the evolution of my little suggestion.

I'll throw in my 2 cents.

The new quickbar is based around the idea of organizing a bunch of shortcut sets to be used in various situations, kind of similar to pipeline objects in Vulkan. Unfortunately, there cannot be enough bars for every situation, which is why a rearrangement of existing quick bar is, sometimes, in order. It is possible to do just that, but currently it requires excessive clicks: to move the shortcut to another location one must place it at a new slot and then clear the old one: that is 1 extra click and 1 extra mouse movement; to swap the placements of 2 shortcuts one has to move 1 of them to an empty slot, before making 2 relocations, which requires 6 extra clicks and 5 extra mouse movements.

Here is an easy fix:

Allow Shift key, that currently doesn't effect the quickbar at all, to switch to 0.16 style interaction: to use Shift-Click to move the shortcut without having to clear the old one, or to swap locations of 2 shortcuts without the need for an empty slot. While this solution should be enough, it would be great to have an option to select which behavior is a default one and which one is accessible with Shift key. This solution should allow 0.16 style behavior without the need to maintain 2 GUIs.

I like where this is going, thank you RockDeicide.

If I might expand on it, I would add an option to allow for shortcuts created automatically for freshly crafted items, similar to how items are added to the toolbelt pre 0.17. So someone like me may not get the toolbelt inventory slots back but, at least when I'm crafting, or pick up, a placeable entity I get a shortcut for it with out having to think too hard about my toolbars. This option could be disable all together for people who prefer; and, with what RockDeicide has added this would have an effect of being like pre 0.17.

Thank you again for posting your "2 cents" RockDeicide!
Sincerely,

-C6

[Koub]

So my idea and suggestion is an option to configure the GUI, to allow for changing it to behave in a way that's pre 0.17.

That's asking the devs to dev and maintain 2 fundamentally different GUIs. I'm pretty sure once your muscle memory will have adapted, and maybe the devs fix a few quirks in the new GUI, you'd have trouble getting back to the old one.

[Optera]

Perhaps rework the modding API so the UI we get with base mod is can be fully reworked or replaced by other mods.
One recent example for this is Stellaris, some of the UI mods there have nothing in common with the original UI.

[Crewman06]

[/quote]

I'm pretty sure once your muscle memory will have adapted, and maybe the devs fix a few quirks in the new GUI, you'd have trouble getting back to the old one.

Thank you for your feedback Koub.
Perhaps in time I may get use to it but, I'm not playing the game as much as I use to play, it also just feels unplayable to me at this time. Still, as I'm left with few options I may just continue with [0.16.x] for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps rework the modding API so the UI we get with base mod is can be fully reworked or replaced by other mods.
One recent example for this is Stellaris, some of the UI mods there have nothing in common with the original UI.

That would present a logical solution over maintaining a different UI for someone such as myself and it would open the possibilities to a variety of possible new "game-modes" or scenarios which might otherwise be out of reach currently. Thank you Optera!


I would also like to add that I've played other games that have this sort of UI and I don't play those games anymore either.
Again, to those who enjoy the new layout I'm am happy for you.
Sincerely,
-C6

[Darinth]

Okay,

I've read the forum post A Long Guide to the Fantastic New Quickbar (0.17) No matter how much I try to love the new toolbar, and GUI, I just can't. The fact that I had to read a guide to tell me how to make use of the new toolbar tells me, it's not as intuitive as some might think. Maybe it's just me, if you're reading and you agree please offer futher constructive dialog to this; and, if you're reading this feeling "I should just get over it" please, explain why in detail and we too can move this dialog forward.

So my idea and suggestion is an option to configure the GUI, to allow for changing it to behave in a way that's pre 0.17. Perhaps more tutorials are what's called for, but I personally would be better off with the pre 0.17 GUI. Perhaps A mod could be made, perhaps I could make that mod but still, I am adding my suggest here hoping it may become part of future versions.

For me, I am having a hard time with the new UI; and, for me, the game has lost it's playability. To those of you who feel differently, I'm glad you still enjoy the game, I wish nothing but the best for you. I am only asking for an optional UI to be added.
Thank you for your time, and happy gaming.
Sincerely,
-C6

I understand disliking the new functionality, but unfortunately you haven't given a why. Like Koub, I feel like this may unfortunately be a matter of you having gotten so used to the previous iteration that the new system is strange and alien to you, but I'd like to hear a bit more about why the new system specifically doesn't work for you. There have been a number of perfectly valid complaints about the new toolbar, but once some of these kinks get worked out of it I think it'll be the far superior system.

[Optera]

I would like to have a a slightly brighter color theme closer to the previous UI design myself. All these dark grey in even darker grey tones are depressing.
Especially those dark toolbar slots look like they are locked, they should be similarly light grey as inventories indicating they can be used.

Another thing really bothering me for mod development is how you can only show which mods changed which item or entity, but not in tech window what techs where changed by other mods.

[Ranakastrasz]

The new UI has problems, absolutely. Mainly in that it REQUIRES usage of the complex, previously optional middle mouse button for locking. You can't drag items/shortcuts around, override them, or anything else without actually looking up how it works.

Want to move an item to a new slot? Click and drag. Nope, just copied it over. Gotta middle mouse button to clear the old one now.
Want to replace an item with a new one? Click and drag. Nope, you just picked up the old item. Gotta middle mouse button to clear the old one first.

Probably other stuff, but those are the main two rules I have to remember. Not difficult, but not something you can learn without asking/looking it up/experimenting.

I've mostly gotten used to it, but it absolutely is not intuitive, and control scheme-wise, worse than 0.16. Admittedly even that I was probably biased on, because of how similar it was to Minecraft and most other inventory management systems in every game I've played. The new one doesn't really follow the industry-wide rules.


It just isn't user-friendly. Takes too many unusual actions for various stuff.

[Crewman06]

Thank you for your input Darinth.

I understand disliking the new functionality, but unfortunately you haven't given a why.

I've read the forum post A Long Guide to the Fantastic New Quickbar (0.17) No matter how much I try to love the new toolbar, and GUI, I just can't. The fact that I had to read a guide to tell me how to make use of the new toolbar tells me, it's not as intuitive as some might think.

As you can see I have tried learning the new system. Also I've have used a similar system in "Space Engineers", "Medieval Engineers", and countless games that employ a similar Hotbar. For me, Factorio works best with the "toolbelt", which works more like "Minecraft". Again I cannot stress this enough I am well aware that others, just like yourself, are happy with the new system. But having part of my overall inventory as a toolbelt is more organized for me. For me it is the "far superior system", for you it is not and that's okay so my suggestion was to have both.

Like Koub, I feel like this may unfortunately be a matter of you having gotten so used to the previous iteration that the new system is strange and alien to you

In this case it's not that it is strange or alien to me, you are correct that I'm use to the previous iteration. For me having the items drop into my toolbelt inventory was simple enough to understand and implement. There was a toobelt filter people could use that worked like a rudimentary hotbar, and I understand the need to expand on that. As I mentioned above, I've played games that have this system so it's not new and, I rarely if at all play those game anymore for the same reason. Having to plan out my hotbar in advance and switch between bars just isn't that intuitive for me, I am frustrated by it.

So my idea and suggestion was "Options for using something closer 0.16.x UI", "Options", not a replacement.
Optera's reply suggested:

Perhaps rework the modding API so the UI we get with base mod is can be fully reworked or replaced by other mods.
One recent example for this is Stellaris, some of the UI mods there have nothing in common with the original UI.

then perhaps I could one day find, or make, a mod that moves part of the inventory into view like the old toolbelt and, while it wouldn't have quite the same amazing functionally it had, it would at least allow me to have fun again along with those who like the new system.

The one game I do go back to from time to time is "Minecraft", of course if they ever implemented the hotbar, I would probably stop playing or, as in the case of Factorio, use a version that works for me, and there isn't anything wrong with that either. I just cannot enjoy the game as it currently is anymore.

I do hope this answers some, preferably all, of your questions Darinth and, I thank you for taking the time with my post.
Sincerely,

-C6

[RockDeicide]

I'll throw in my 2 cents.

The new quickbar is based around the idea of organizing a bunch of shortcut sets to be used in various situations, kind of similar to pipeline objects in Vulkan. Unfortunately, there cannot be enough bars for every situation, which is why a rearrangement of existing quick bar is, sometimes, in order. It is possible to do just that, but currently it requires excessive clicks: to move the shortcut to another location one must place it at a new slot and then clear the old one: that is 1 extra click and 1 extra mouse movement; to swap the placements of 2 shortcuts one has to move 1 of them to an empty slot, before making 2 relocations, which requires 6 extra clicks and 5 extra mouse movements.

Here is an easy fix:

Allow Shift key, that currently doesn't effect the quickbar at all, to switch to 0.16 style interaction: to use Shift-Click to move the shortcut without having to clear the old one, or to swap locations of 2 shortcuts without the need for an empty slot. While this solution should be enough, it would be great to have an option to select which behavior is a default one and which one is accessible with Shift key. This solution should allow 0.16 style behavior without the need to maintain 2 GUIs.

[SuperSandro2000]

Why can't we just quick replace the filter with middle mouse click?

[Crewman06]

I'll throw in my 2 cents.

The new quickbar is based around the idea of organizing a bunch of shortcut sets to be used in various situations, kind of similar to pipeline objects in Vulkan. Unfortunately, there cannot be enough bars for every situation, which is why a rearrangement of existing quick bar is, sometimes, in order. It is possible to do just that, but currently it requires excessive clicks: to move the shortcut to another location one must place it at a new slot and then clear the old one: that is 1 extra click and 1 extra mouse movement; to swap the placements of 2 shortcuts one has to move 1 of them to an empty slot, before making 2 relocations, which requires 6 extra clicks and 5 extra mouse movements.

Here is an easy fix:

Allow Shift key, that currently doesn't effect the quickbar at all, to switch to 0.16 style interaction: to use Shift-Click to move the shortcut without having to clear the old one, or to swap locations of 2 shortcuts without the need for an empty slot. While this solution should be enough, it would be great to have an option to select which behavior is a default one and which one is accessible with Shift key. This solution should allow 0.16 style behavior without the need to maintain 2 GUIs.

I like where this is going, thank you RockDeicide.

If I might expand on it, I would add an option to allow for shortcuts created automatically for freshly crafted items, similar to how items are added to the toolbelt pre 0.17. So someone like me may not get the toolbelt inventory slots back but, at least when I'm crafting, or pick up, a placeable entity I get a shortcut for it with out having to think too hard about my toolbars. This option could be disable all together for people who prefer; and, with what RockDeicide has added this would have an effect of being like pre 0.17.

Thank you again for posting your "2 cents" RockDeicide!
Sincerely,

-C6

[ownlyme]

Hate the new quickbar too, main reason for going back to 0.16