Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Solasta UI vs. Baldur's Gate UI

Spells, for example, BG3 should have a Cast button which pulls up a popup menu of spells you can cast, like Solasta.

Same with Use Item. They do this with Throw, so why not other things like magic and special abilities instead of that hotbar mess?

Yeah good points, for sure!

Oh gods no. :-/

May i ask you? What do you think about allowing casting from spellbook?
After all its a popup menu where you have all your spells sorted ... it should satisfy you, no?

I mean ... it seem quite useless to show spellbook like this, when all you can do is adding spells to your hotbar:

I believe that option to give your "spellbook" on hotbar if you (understandably) dont want to use that small icon on map, to open this exact menu should satisfy you people who are asking for spells menu ... no ?

And if so ...
How would you like option to simmilary open your inventory with allready filtered items ...
I mean ... allowing you to add to your hotbar "scrolls" icon, to only show scrolls in this "smaller" inventory menu, preferably with that sorting icons that are in usual inventory menu, so we can switch between other filters like arrows, potions, etc. faster.
Isnt that kinda synthesis between what do you want, and also what do we (feel free to read is as i) want?

Not at all...
Not sure I have to explain why...

I can't understand players that don't want to have one more click with the "it's faster with hotbar" argument when :

- you'll have to spend hours managing your hotbars (keep in mind at the moment it's only lvl 1-4 and act 1)
- you'll have to switch from 1 bar to another when the first one will be full
- your UI is always changing, leading to tedious management over and over again (no more torch, no more potions, no more... => So now the recast of your spells finally appear on the first bar when you expected it on the 2nd).

This system is horrible I can't understand any PRO.
A small custom hotbar for the very usual things could be cool but seriously who likes managing giant hotbars every 4 hours because "well, it's time... I can't find anything... I have to sort things again".

Auto sorting your items/spells/features a way or another is the key to have a clear, friendly user and consistent UI.

At the moment players are often using bags they drag on the hotbar to sort items... It would be the same with a specific menu instead of this "loot popup" that comes anywhere on the screen.

Spending hours? Thats pretty funny.
Swapping to multi bars is possibly a thing later on if they don't adjust the ui removing the center portrait and extend them. Right now we have 28 slots per if extended all the way, if abilities exceed that of course.
The ui changes usually when leveling up thats about it. Spells already have a pop up for higher level versions and bags can be slotted. Bags are generally your item sorting pop up feature, you can store whatever in them and put them on the action bar (like you said).

The bag feature if worked on more would be a better solution than say a button for each type of item in inventory. Bags right now if I remember correctly revert back to the small size every time you open the bag. So making you extend the size every time, thats pretty annoying.

UI could be structured / grouped roughly like this:


ACTIONS
Attack / Cast spell (expands, sorted by spell levels, tabs for upcasting or metamagic) / Throw / Shove (expands to prone / push) / Disengage / Dodge / Hide / Ready / Dash / Help / Use class ability / Use item / Temporary actions e.g. Activate Witch Bolt

BONUS ACTIONS
Off-hand attack / Cast bonus action spell / Use ability / Use item

WEAPON SLOTS
A numbers of quick slots for equipment configurations you can switch in combat

CONSUMABLE ITEMS
Potion belt / Scroll case / Quiver for special ammo, each expand like inventory container


Any actions that are not available can be greyed out so you can tell by glance if you have some action or bonus action still available.

Well, it certainly doesn't give the impression that you're trying. :-/

At least I'd like to know the difference between when you open a window with all your spells ... and when you open a spellbook containing all your spells. O_o
In fact, I wouldn't even care about "what" UI opens for you (because I certainly wouldn't use it), it was more a question of whether the option to put an icon on the hotbar that would allow you (in any format) access to all spells would be acceptable ...
Or you simply stubbornly demand the complete and absolute disposal of the hotbar.

Well, it's not really about "speed" as such ... it's more a matter of comfort.
When you open a gift, you want to open the box and see the contents ... when you open the box, that contains the box, that contains the box ... it gets annoying pretty fast.

"Hours"? That's a lot of exaggeration ...
Yes, it takes a few minutes to assign spells to their place for the first time, with each new level you will settle only a few new icons.
True, it's a little more annoying for characters you get at higher levels ... for example, if you add Wyll at level 4, then the setup takes a bit more, but definitely not "hours".

What's really annoying is the fact that the game doesn't currently allow you to permanently "throw away" spells that you don't want to use.
By that I mean "disguise self" ... it's a fun spell and adds both possibilities and potential fun ... especially in terms of Roleplay.
But since Drow is also received in this game kindly in the place he just destroyed and set fire to the Drow raid ... the spell really isn't really needed.

In fact, this has never happened to me before ... I suppose it could be a problem at higher levels, but even there the problem can be solved with a simple filter ...
For example: I definitely don't need my caster to have elementary arrows or throwable flasks ... when its cantrips can do at least a similar result. And if so, tossing the one item in the inventory is definitely not such a problem.

Of course, it works the same way with other icons ... there is no need to have multiple spells that do practically the same thing.

Truth!
But this can be solved in other ways, for example, by modifying the "auto-remove spells from bar" function, which we have in the settings.
If it worked in such a way that after it was turned off, the game would stop removing everything from the bars that a script ceases to be essential, the problem would be solved.

In addition, for exactly this reason, I have been lobbying here for several months now that the spell in the recast (and by that I mean the actual recast, ie reusing the same spell, without the price in spellslots) replaces the icon of the original spell.
Examples: Hex, Hunter's Mark, Move Moonbeam, Heat Metal. Speak With Dead, Detect Thoughts, etc.

Well, here are a few:
- It's faster
[i] (yes, in the order of barely seconds, but it is) [/ i]
- It's potentially clearer
[i] (yes, you can fill the whole hotbar with nonsense and have a mess in it ... but you can also keep it clean and tidy ... it's just about how you work with it.) [/ i]
- Each player has the opportunity to compile an order that suits him.
[i] (And that's exactly where it's time to add an icon to the hotbar that would open ALL all spells, another that would open ALL all scrolls, another that would open ALL all arrows, etc. to perfection.) [/ i]
- Well, even though it may look weird, for example, it helps me a lot to immerse myself in the action ... because when I cast one click, I control the spell ... not the Interface.

That's an interesting question, without a doubt.
On the other hand, I wonder who does it like that. : D

Maybe the mistake is more in your style of using the hotbar than in the hotbar itself, especially if you described yourself in this example.

I can't completely agree ...
Yes, autosorting should definitely be implemented ... a pop-up window or a spellbook would need it (as we say) as a pig scratching.
However, I would definitely not put him in bars, and if so, only optionally (default OFF!!!).
If you look at the screenshot I posted above, you may notice that I tend to build spells according to my own rules ... this is something I would definitely not like to lose, because that's why the hotbar is much clearer for me.

Then, I don't understand what you didn't like about the possibility of adding an icon to the hotbar, which would open a spellbook from which you could cast a spell ... or would open any other popup menu with a selection. O_o
Because I don't find a single difference.

This sounds like a complete monstrosity to me.
You see, and that's why I believe (or want to believe, w / e) that Larian chosed a hotbar ...

Except for this!
And I would add that spells that do not have a popup menu (because so far our characters control only one level of the spell ... namely the second-level) should have a number written on the icon: II. in right down corner.
Again, to make it clear at a glance what this is all about.

How's that a monstrosity? It has the same buttons you would require on a hotbar, only in more logical intuitive places with less clutter and better organized without having to constantly do it yourself.

Putting a separate spellcasting UI under a cast button would especially save an incredible amount of space on the main screen.

@ragnarock (not to quote this wall of text)

I think you missunderstood me on some points.

Yes, I think we'll spend a lot of time managing our bar at the end of the game. Maybe I should do it right from the beginning but in the end you have spend 20 minutes to manage your 4 bar (4 companions) at the entrance of the grove. Not sure about "hours" but don't forget to consider that you'll do it during the entire game.

Ofc it's okay to manually sort things when you're in the tutorial.

Spells and features aren't the only thing you have in your hotbar. Consommables and other items (candles/torch,...) don't appear in it and we'll probably find tons of things to use during combats.

The bags are +- fine to me, except that it's bags.
It's not designed to be used like that or it's not really good. You have to sort every items manually, the popup open anywhere on the screen, you have to open every bags to full them with items you looted, if you have 4 bags in your bar you don't see which one is for scrolls, which one is for potions etc...

About consummables I would be totally fine with an icon for - ammunitions - potions - scrolls - grenades -... that would open a proper small popup with items you have in your Inventory.

And I think it could be the same with spells and features.
This is what I meant but it shouldn't open the actual spellbook.

Opening an entire spellbook takes way too much place on the screen. Going through intrusive menus during combats would be boring.

Definitely only show the memorized spells when casting. Everything else is useless information. Preparation UI is the only place where you need to see everything.

I'd like something like this:

Click [Spells] > memorized spells appear as icons in a vertical line above the main UI, grouped by level, and on top of each spell icon we can have smaller icons for level 2, level 3 etc. for upcasting.

You could leave the cast menu open if you want to cast spells with one click.

This, if worked on more would be pretty good. It already has a sorting feature which could be added onto. Specific pop up location along with keeping size adjustments every time you open the bag. Custom naming system when hovering over bag.

Im just saying, play Solasta. The UI is very user friendly. BG3 is not. Click Cast, all your spells pop up, pick spell, pick ta get. Quick, clean and easy.

One would expect that after that long post it will be clear ...

But lets see:
more logical intuitive places - nope
with less clutter - on the contrary
better organized - nope
without having to constantly do it yourself - i do not O_o

So ... thats how. :-/
You see, this is a problem I have with a lot of fixed Interfaces ... there's one designer who gets the impression that his vision is the best, the most amazing, and the only right one ... but it's not. :-/

Maybe ... even if the price isn't too high (and I think it is).
What exactly is the purpose?

It is certainly not necessary, I will stay with it that way, so it is more comfortable for me.
But I will still ask you to write the nickname correctly ...
If it's bothering you, you can always copy it.

This is exactly what I don't understand: Why?
You have the bars preset before ... why would you change them? And if you decide to change them, for whatever reason, how could it be the fault of that bar? O_o

I didn't forget about it, but if I have preset bars from level 1 ...
So by getting one spell at level 2 I have to place 1 icon ... by getting three more spells at level 3 I place only 3 icons again ...
And if you don't want to tell me that we will get 20 spells at the 10/11/12 level, I will place only a given number of icons again.

So I don't understand how this could be relevant.
Unless, you decide to completely reorganize that bar each level, which, as I wrote above, is not the fault of the bar.

I believe you wanted to write that they DO appear in it ... because otherwise I don't understand how things that don't appear in a bar could be relevant to its occupancy.

Anyway, that's exactly what I wrote above applies to it: A simple filter.
Does the character use it? I'll put it in the bar. (notice that i said "i")
Does he rarely use it? I'll put it in the second side, for example.
Doesn't he use it at all? So I just don't put it there at all.
Simple as that. O_o

Don't get me wrong, I'm well aware that bars in BG3 can very easily become cluttered and crowded.
I just don't think it's the fault of those bars ... but rather people who have everything added to them and then get lost very easily.

Therefore, I do not think that a complete change of the interface and discarding everything that has been done so far is the only possible way to remedy it.
I'm happy with the hotbar, I use it in a way that suits me and I don't want to lose it ... at least not because of people who probably can't use it properly.
I've already lost one system that I liked much more ... and I strongly doubt that Steam would want to return my money for a game I've played for over 300 hours, so I'll fight to the last breath for the existence of a hotbar.

This i would call a good compromise. (y)

As I said, I used the spellbook mainly because it is already implemented and would require only minor modifications ...
Probably not the best example, but the main thing is that we already understand each other.

I just want to chime in on this as I frequently mess with the toolbar.

I like my spells organized in a certain way if it’s in a toolbar. I like offensive, defensive, healing and utility spells grouped together. Then there’s class powers. I will spend time organizing my toolbar when I level up.

But whenever I memorize different spells, I need to reorganize my toolbar again since some spells are now gone and new one have appeared. Same with new consumables and other consumables that are now gone. I don’t have that issue with Solasta since the pop up menu only shows memorized spells. I don’t mind them being grouped up by spell level because I can easily know each spell since the spell name is also in the pop up menu.

Honestly I think the old toolbars are archaic and we just use them because we are used to them. It’s not very good if characters end up with a ton of spells, consumables and other powers.

I vastly prefer Solasta’s UI. It’s not even close. It’s so fluid and it guides you through your combat choices. It’s very elegant compared to your usual toolbar that we see in most games.

Yeah Solasta has an incredibly smooth and intuitive toolbar among other things. It's almost like they gave lots of things a lot of thought. =)

Have you ever played BG1&2, Pillars of Eternity, Pathfinder or Solasta..or is your experience solely based on DOS and MMO's? You're so quick to say "nope" but can't really say why.

These RPGs don't even have a hotbar, save for Pathfinder that gives you like 10 slots for your most frequent needs, and their UI's are much more functional than BG3's.

It's more like BG3 doesn't even have a UI. They just threw in a hotbar and left it up for the player to try and make it work somehow. It's like a temporary solution for you to be able to use your abilities somehow.

The BG3 UI will become exponentially more frustrating when you have a higher level character with tons of prepared spells that change frequently and don't even begin to fit in that little bar with everything else that has to be there. Spells will shift around constantly and you won't find anything in that mes.

Then there's the plain weird choices like why is my main hand attack a fixed button but my off hand attack is a weapon icon somewhere in a hot bar that keeps moving when I re-equip my off-hand. Why are upcast versions of level 1 spells presented as new spells cluttered with real level 2 spells.

It's just awful all around.

Consummables don't appear in the spellbook and I also use consummables so it's a bit more job than just 1 or 2 spell(s) / level (for every characters).

Anyway I'm not going to argue and quote every sentences to say you're wrong while I'm right

The UI/hotbar management is something I HATE and many games have great systems.
Ofc you're free to like it.

Spellbook? O_o
What does a spellbook have to do with hot bar occupancy? o_O

Also consummables are not tied to leves at all ... so yes, it still its still 1 or 2 spells per level. :-/

Well, it's not easy to explain "why" when you defend the non-existence of something ... logically it's even impossible.
In this case, I would probably refer to the general wording that something is not better if you lack arguments that it is better.

You have written a few things that may seem better to you ...
But since they didn't seem better to me, i said it. :-/
It's just a matter of opinion, nothing more.

But anyway ...
I said why above ... i can repeat it for you:
So ... that is mine "why" ...
And i completely understand that none of those may seem important, or relevant for you.
As i said abowe, its just matter of opinion.

But what I would like to know is how much it would suit or not suit you to be able to put a button with all the spells in the hotbar, another with all the scrolls, another with all the arrows, another with all the potions ... and so on.
Maximuuus had already admitted that such a variant would be permissible for him ... so it seems that the hotbar as such is not such a problem.

As I said, it's a different game with a different system ...

You can't compare the number of slots and ignore how many options a game has ...
Did you computed spells, scrolls, consumables, arrows, potions, throwables, etc. in Pathfinder?
I bet the answer is no.

Agreed actualy ...
That is why i sugested multiple times that we need biger hotbar ... in my opinion that one we have seen in first build was the best:
[img]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rd4Ttnm34ozAtNTf2jX2Ai-1024-80.jpg.webp[/img]

You can toggle autoattack with offhand for regular attack (not sneak attack tho) ...
Under the "meele" or "ranged" weapons you can toggle attack with main hand, or dual wield.

But with the rest, i agree completely ...
I just can see any relation with hotbar discusion.

I disagree. The solution is not to just make the hotbar bigger. The solution is to make menus available as they are needed like Solasta.

We really need to go past the old way system of UIs.