Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Combat UI

Exactly ...
Honestly since patch 1, i keep repeating in UI discusion that i would like to allow three upgrades to curent Spellcasting system:
1) Allow us to drag on hotbar specific spell (meaning Rank1 only, instead popup window button ... funny enough, you can do that with all higher ranks, but not with lowest one ... that will allways transform into popup window)
2) Open person-spellbook in combat (you know, the small version that takes 1/4 of screen and you can see there only curent character spells) AND (and that is important) allow us to cast from there! (Since right now, you can open your spellbook ... but the only thing you can do there is drag spells on your hotbar, or de-/re-memorize them ... wich is not allowed in combat)
3) Allow us to Drag on our hotbar some button that will open special UI containging all spells sorted by levels, another one containg all scrolls, all arrows, etc. (imho spellbook is quite suficient for spellcasting, but many people didnt like the suggestion, so w/e) ...

This way i believe everyone should be happy ...
Sadly there is lot of people around here who just keep demanding compelte erasing whole hotbar from existence, wich i on the other hand concider to be complete bullshit. :-/

Well ...
I would agree that spell icons could be easily done better, wich is also the thing i bring out since Patch 1 ...

For example ...
I woult totally appreciate, if icons contain minimum spell level number even for level 1 ... personaly i hate it that "lowest spell" dont show its spell slot requirement, no matter wich one it is. :-/
I mean ... i see on my hotbar Mage armor (Lowest level 1) spell, and Misty Step (Lowest level 2) spell ... and neither of them have spell slot shown ... then i use my last Level 2 Spell Slot, thinking that i will be able to misty step away with level 1 ... but surprise surprise, misty step is no longer avaible since i dont have level 2 spell slots anymore.

Another example ...
I believe we all agree on the statement that Concentration is source of many frustration in this game ...
For one i would like Larian to implement another message for situation where you spell run out ... to write message "Concentration ended" instead of "Concentration broken".
For two, i would LOVE from larian to once again add some clear notification on icons for those spells that require concentration ... either that, or Gray out (note that im talking here about collor only, not making them unusable) other concentration spells, if you allready hold some concentration.

Another example ...
Someone here on forum aproximately 4-5 moths ago suggested that spells should have round or triangle shaped icon ...
So you can see on first sight wich one use Action, and wich one is castable by Bonus Action ...

Another example ...
I believe also half year ago, we were talking about re-casting spells (Hex, Hunter's Mark, Speak with dead, Witchbolt, etc.) ...
We find it quite frustrating that theese spells are used only once per long rest ... and rest of the time you have another icon that is disappearing and reappearing ...
Someone (sorry, not remembering the name) had very nice suggestion that re-casting icons could either replace original spells ... or simply being added to their pop-up window.

But as you can see, all that have nothing to do with existence of hotbar.

Conceptually yes, though I have my misgiving regarding how small buttons for extending menus are and how easy it is to misclick when switching between spell levels. I had to reload in Kingmaker multiple times, when I made a move order what I wanted to hide the tab - especially problem in turn based mode, where the character will just walk, eat bunch of opportunity attacks and waste this and the next turn that way. But overal, it's solid.


While we complain about hotbar - I really hate the abilities which when used spawn another ability - so like recasting Ranger's Mark or Witch Bolt. It's adds to hotbar chaos, even after thorough organization.

The Pathfinder WotR one is ok, though I need to get used to it more and there are some QoL issues I have with drag and drop of potions for example (or anything where you want to split).

I definitely think the BG3 needs an overhaul though. Perhaps with Spells (as in more than just the few favourites you have) having a seperate hidden Hotbar you open with a hotkey (like hold down SHIFT) for example

Nwn1 used a pin wheel, so you had a small action bar plus the wheel.

fast img insert, this is just the emote section example, but should give a idea of what it looked like.

I quite enjoyed the Temple of elemental evil radial UI, really fitted nicely with D^D gameplay

Which is more organized and easier without requiring tons of moving things around and organizing?

1. Slot 1 = Sneak Attack Ranged, Slot 2 = Throw Brine Shell, Slot 3 = Cunning Action Dash, Slot 4 = Sneak Attack Melee, Slot 5 = Potion of Speed, Slot 6 = Lesser Healing Potion

2. Button/Hotkey pops up Special Abilities window where Sneak Attack Melee and Sneak Attack Ranged are listed one after the other, Cunning Action Dash is there also, Button/Hotkey pops up Spell list window with all spells by spell slot, Button/Hotkey pops up window with Item list such as potions and throwing objects in order as they are in inventory

Option 1, I have to move around hotbar slots to organize. Option 2, all organized for me. Hmmmm

it is more organized but you had to dig for your spells / abilities, this could be said about solasta ui also hiding your abilities under a pop up button. It's having them on the screen vs additional clicks.

edit* ill rephrase, it's more organized for you, so you don't have to do anything or customize it yourself.

Depends ...

If you do want to move things aroung a lot ...
Hotbar is more organized, since you are the one who is sorting things the way you want ... if you do, and also you want to use "pops up special abilities window" ... bad luck for you, things are allready sorted the way developers want them and you cannot move with anythng. :P

If you do not want to move things around a lot ...
They are just the same, bcs things can easily be sorted in same order as they was in "pops up special abilities window" ...
And the only differente here is that they are on single bar, instead of two separate bars. -_-

And if you principialy refuse to move things around no matter what ...
Then, and only then, "pops up special abilities window" can seem better ... bcs you are too lazy/stubborn/whatever to keep maintained your hotbar, but that is, once again, not faut of that hotbar.

Also, there is second question that should be asked ...
What does work more smoothly? :P

1. Slot 1 Sneak Attack ... see > click > aim > cast
2. Button/hotkey pop up ... open > search > see > click > aim > cast

I believe someone allready counted this with some buff spell ... not sure wich it was tho :-/ ... in debate about old (every spell level had own icon) vs. new (popup window with spell levels) casting system.
It was a little different topic, but i believe the same example can be used here too:
Lets say you have 4 Wizards party and you want to cast Mage Armor to each ...

Hotbar:
1. Wizard ... Click on icon > cast
2. Wizard ... Click on icon > cast
3. Wizard ... Click on icon > cast
4. Wizard ... Click on icon > cast
That takes 8 clicks to buff them (11 if you count switching characters)

Pop-up:
1. Wizard ... Click on icon > pick level > click again > cast
2. Wizard ... Click on icon > pick level > click again > cast
3. Wizard ... Click on icon > pick level > click again > cast
4. Wizard ... Click on icon > pick level > click again > cast
That takes 12 clicks to buff them (15 if you count switching characters)

(The original example was about something else tho ... but i didnt find it.)

The big flaw in that line of reasoning, is that it doesn't take into account time necessary to organize hotbar after every levelup or change in spell repeortoire. That's an argument against spells not being hidden behind a "folder", not in favour of hotbar design which is incoprehensible mess without heavy maintenence.

Even so, you assume there is no hot bar to begin with, for frequently used spells (which Pillars of Eternity and Pathfinder have - when it comes to hotbars Pathfinder is better then BG3). On top of that something like Pillars doesn't even require clicks as things expand automaticly when hovering over.

Solasta requires only one additional click, Pillars none. I do think Pathfinder is far from perfect, with a lot of wasted real-estate which could be used for an easier to access (or personally, I would happily trade left optional sidebar, for an easier and automated access to the spells rather then expandable-thingies.)

Someone here mentioned that he would like UI as in Solasta, where is no hotbar ... im against it ... and since then, i stict to that topic.

Let me put it this way. In BG3, I spend a TON of time in two places; Item Management and Hotbar Management.

Why?

Because in order for it to be organized, you have to rearrange both over and over again, every time you get something new. And this is EA only.

Here's my fear about the current hotbar:

Wizard at level 8 may know 20ish spells and probably prepared 10. 10 spells and every time you sleep you might switch out a prepared spell or 2. Add to that spell scrolls, special abilities, items like potions and throw them all on that tiny hotbar set. Now multiply that by 4 party members. Now include that with Item Management. How much time will a player spend just sorting it all?

Well ...
From my experience aproximately 30 seconds per level.
(Usualy i get 1 or 2 more spells)

I dunno ...
Maybe (i mean almost obviously) we play the game differently, but i mostly have to switch one, sometimes two spells when situation needs it, but never more ... on my Wizard ... through whole EA. O_o
You talk about it as if you recreated your whole build every 30 minutes ... wich seem insane. O_o

Also, there is at least one more difference between our gameplay as i see it ...

Potions ...
I never put consumables (except healing pots) to Wizard (or any else honestly) hotbar, bcs ... why anyway?
- Resistance potions last to Long rest ... no reason to spend hotbar space for them.
- "Expensive" potions ... like Giant strength, swiftness and invisibility ... i use only against challenges so, no reason to spend space for them.
- Poisons i use specificly for my non-casters (wich have quite clean hotbar btw) ... Wizard chance to hit with regular weapon is almost zero anyway, so why bother.
And as far as i know, that is everything we have so far.

Scrolls ...
That is different story ... i usualy forgets about them, but when i use them i mostly pick the same as are my prepared spells (since they suits me best) ...
For example i never used spells like Animal Friendship, Disguise self, or Speak with Animals ... and i rarely use spells like Hold Person, Collor Spray or Darkness (mostly bcs its still not working as it should for Warlock) ...
So yes, i do use scrolls ... either i put them to empty space on hotbar (and thrust me or not, there is plenty of free space still on my Wizard hotbar ... Cleric is a little worse) ... or i simply open inventory and use them from there.

But i totally agree with you on one thing, that hotbar is tiny ... it certainly should be AT LEAST twice as big.
My personal favorite is still first build we have ever seen ... it maybe wasnt so "pretty" but it was effective.

I don't know. I guess a larger hotbar would make it better. Perhaps it is simply that the hotbar is too small. I mean, I know there's a setting now to turn off Auto-place things in hotbar, so if you don't want things just randomly popping into it you can turn off that setting and just manually put everything on your hotbar.

I think, for me, the issue is that I like when games auto-organize things for me. I liked in Neverwinter Nights 2 I could hit a key and open my spellbook and there was Level 1 spells all in a row. Level 2 spells all in a row. Level 3 spells all in a row, etc. There wasn't a lot of hodgepodge going on like this hotbar in BG3. That's part of why I like Solasta's. If I want Special Abilities, I click on powers and it pops up my special abilities. If I want spells, click Spells and they're all there. All organized for me. The only thing they could have done to make it easier would be hotkeys for each category instead of so much clicking.

But I guess that's just my own personal preference. I hate the hotbar only because it's everywhere. Potions next to spells next to Astarion's bite ability next to Sneak Attack Ranged next to Spell Scroll next to Throw Brine Shell, etc. You pick up new things or change your prepared spells and then you've got to manage the hotbar all over again. It's annoying to me, just like item management.

I just want to say that I find those original icons (which I never saw other than in these screenshots) to be far more aesthetically appealing than the brown and orange ones we have now.

Pathfinder has a good solution even if it's not very well done IMO (but it's an impossible job with so much classes and types of powers)

About BG3 a single hotbar combined with "a button" to open your spellbook, a button to open your actions, a button to open your bonus action, a button for your consummables should be okay.

A button that is not clickable if you do not have (re)(bonus) actions anymore or something that show you how much type of everything you can use like in Solasta.

Pathfinder's UI combined with the best of Solasta's one.

It's like this. Solasta spells out what each character can do. Noobs to 5e can pick up the game and do pretty well each round of combat because they can see their action options, spell options, etc. All laid out for them with the UI.

BG3 and Pathfinder, not so much. You have to really play around to figure out what you can do and such. What things on your hotbar are spells vs. abilities.

I didn't even know, for example, that Arcane Recovery was a hotbar special ability because you are only supposed to use it during rest. I couldn't figure out how to use it and thought they forgot it. Had to post it in the forum to learn it was on the hotbar as an ability.

In Pathfinder it's way easier to understand when you play in turn based.

But it's not enough and far from being as friendly user ase it is in Solasta.

And this is the funniest part for me ...
We even allready have that button, its placed by minimap ... all we need from Larian is allow us to put in on hotbar ... and allow us to cast from there ...
And voila!

We will get allready implemented spellcasting interface that is bindable to hotkey, with all spells & sorted by spell levels.
With almost no additional work done.

Hotbar + Popup Windows with pre-organized spells, etc. Would be a good fit. Then a player could put only those things on hotbar that they know they'll use more frequently and everything else has the pre-organized popup windows.

I'm not talking about opening a full menu that recover the whole screen... The funniest part is that you suggest to open such a massive menu everytime in combats...