Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback BG3 UI fantasy design; "Forgotten" realm?

I don't like the appearance of the UI simply because, and I don't know why, it screams "placeholder" to me. The orange circles and green triangles beneath our portrait to show actions/bonus actions. The big block in the right corner containing the mini map and everything else not related directly to combat, meaning I have that big block obstructing my view in that corner but leaving too much space(I know, blasphemy) on the rest of the screen.

I guess it comes down to partly not feeling very symmetric to me and partly me used to having menu's etc framing the screen. Having to go looking underneath the mini map to find the spell book for example doesn't feel initiative to me. And when in inventory, wanting to equip, say Shadowheart, with something that's in her inventory, I always forget to pick her as my active character meaning I equip my mc with that item instead.

I wish they will separate the different boards at least so I can move them around and configure them to my liking.

While there is room for improvement (even a lot), at least for me, utility> appearance. I definitely like BG3's approach to the spellbook. Everything is quite legible and most importantly it is on one page.

Ok but what if you could blend utility with appearance?

So for example, the quickview Spellbook as displayed in the current Char Sheet view is one sort of display. But what if you could pull that up in a window in isolation for the selected character instead, while still showing the environment rather than launching a full screen display and forcing the view of all party members at once? The same information as in the Char Sheet display, retaining the same essential stripped down transparency, could be overlaid atop the in-game view. Brought up via an icon on the mainbar/hotbar say, rather than just from the mini map or hotkey topbar. That would add an extra utility dimension to what already exists in that tab.

A more immersion oriented dimension might be something like 'click to expand the Spellbook to a full screen dedicated view.' Now for the selected Character the full screen is completely engaged, allowing for a overview of spells lvl 1-9 in a sufficiently wide layout to do that justice. The same core information as in the Char Sheet quickview, but now enlarged and embellished further. When you click the Icon to open this menu maybe the Avatar makes an incantation and sounds off or does a brief magic hands Animation before settling into the "spell pose" that best suits, and thematically the menu screen now becomes something more. Perhaps a Druid or Ranger would see vines and suggestions of flora or elemental motifs, a Cleric would get a design treatment that matches their deities ethos in some visual way, a Martial something fit for that, or a Utility orientation like a Rogue with those kind of abilities grouped in display with adornments.

Assuming a single window/screen for everything special and spell-like here, which in BG1/2 might have been given it's own icon and subpage. But still, with the distinct adornment and separate treatment they could do things to carry it further in the individuation for each menu. Feeding into the general gameplay utility aspect with the option to now have a windowed view for heads up in transparency (just the one chosen panel, overlaid on the main gaming screen, framed to one side say). Feeding into the immersion aspect, the expanded and embellished view on full screen if selected.

Right now if you click "Spellbook" and you have a party you get the view like so... The 3rd and 4th spots are deadspace here and latticed out, with a backing sort of like a flipped playing card.



Here's the Char sheet... Again showing the party at a glance whether that's what you want or not. You have to scroll down and expand a bunch of tiny arrow tabs if you want to see all your stats and modifiers and whatnot. They can't all be viewed on screen at once. The space is insufficient cause I have to see Astarion's stats presented there as well, along with the two big blank spots, I guess to really make sure we know we're only getting a party of 4 tops in this game. It's a poor use of a full screen display menu in my view, if the character information I'm after is just everything about Tav and only Tav, why not expand this out and organize it in a way that's more compelling than an excel document? If I'm interested in more detailed expanded information on all of Astarion's stats and his character progress rather than Tav's, I could just click on his portrait icon to see his sheet in full display and isolation too, but that's not how it's treated. Basically we get the Party overview survey and only that. A dedicated menu per character, with a quick window showing only what I'm interested in on the fly via the heads up as well, would add to both utility and immersion, while also offering more opportunities for thematic adornment. We could still get the simplified overview via a "Party tab" for all, or "Quickview" tab for a selected character, but I'd like something more.



This is the equipment screen, again for all characters in the party at a glance, same as the others.



Depending on the equipment slot the item transparency will overlay on top of the avatar or at their waist or knees with a mini inventory window and then the enlarged model. But again, with available deadspace not really made use of, or done in a way that really plays up what I'm focusing on in the moment, say Lae'zels armor in this case lol. I'd think there could be a more expanded view per character to highlight or section something off, or just scaling those things somewhat larger for impact. If I'm just trying to equip the MC or focusing on one particular character, like do I really need to see Astarion and the rest of the party up at the same time?

These menu's all take up the full screen currently anyway, so it's not like I'm targeting or planning out my next hop when these tabs are up, and yet it's still like the survey broadview. One of the ways the party and the companion characters sort of intrude into everything about the MC. Sometimes I just want to give the eye a place to settle and focus on the one Character, or to take in the more dedicated view of one of those tabs. Like as if my head is really in the spellbook, not glancing across it see what's up ahead in the forest, but like fully buried in it. When that happens it would be charming if the UI could adapt and suit that desire for a pause and focus design. Instead of just being quick ups display at all times, if that makes sense. But even for a quick up, having the individual char sheet bars in a window based on selected character would be convenient. Especially if the window could be framed to balance off say the mini map or wherever seems best to the users eye.

For the map itself, aside from the world map which we don't see till later, it's mainly the expanded Mini view, even though the display has more space for the zoom and the detailing. In many areas it's hard to read the topography or the elevation from the mini map, information like walls or pathways is also pretty hard to gather, so it's down basically to the markers shown in key. But I wish the map might have more the character of the actual environment or else be abstracted like an actual map or able to switch between the two for even more dynamism. Like a topography and creature or naturalists map vs a political or path oriented one, or seeing both at once overlay. The option to add a note or mark a feature once uncovered would be cool, or MM/Journal type gloss on who was where and where stuff went down.

Fun information in the old games dealing with most powerful foe vanquished and favored weapons etc. were also a nice touch, just in thinking how the journal and char sheet can connect. Current XP right now is like a meter bar at the bottom of the panel and you have to mouse over it to read your experience as a number. But information like that could be expanded out and displayed at a go more completely, if the menu had a full screen presentation in addition to the quickview one. I think those are areas where they could dial it up, and still retain the same essential sweep that they have right now, just adding to it.

It is a placeholder, it is just a modified DOS 2 UI.