Originally Posted by Aramintai
Ok, here's a mock-up of what you guys are suggesting with all stacks expanded, in whooping 2560x1440 resolution no less:
[Linked Image]

Wow, Aramintai! Thanks a lot for doing this mockup! I really liked seeing nothing less than 75 skills stacked and sorted up like that! birthdayjump wave

Now, keep in mind that all those skills would only show up when you right click over an empty slot, something that probably would't happen so often after the hotbar is set. All the other times you'd right click over an occupied slot, only the category of that thing you just clicked would show up. Then left click over your choice to make the stack disappear and bring the selected thing to the slot you right clicked. That could be used not only with skills, but also with potions, arrows, weapons and just about anything you can put at the hotbar. Got it?

Still, IMO there's nothing preventing the stacks of each category to occupy two columns or even being positioned horizontally. There certainly are many ways around going "through the roof".


Originally Posted by Aramintai

That's what hotbar is for. It just needs to be elongated and have more layers, 9 maybe.

Ok. But imagine yourself cycling thought NINE layers of the hot bar, trying to decide what to do or to quickly review your options in a fight. And also having to look for some odd spell that you don't use that much but you know is there... somewhere. Cycle, cycle, cycle...

Call me lazy, but imagine all the work we'd have, dragging lots and lots of stuff to those 9 layers of elongated hotbars and organizing everything manually. Do we really want that? Aren't we asking for an inventory auto-sorting functionality because there's too many things and we're too lazy to sort them ourselves?

Also notice that an elongated hotbar other than occupying permanent screen real state, mess up with the hotkeys and look rather ugly, would also take space away from the chat and the log windows. Now tell me this isn't cluttering up the view.


Originally Posted by Hiver

I figured that this kind of concept would not show all of the available skills and items from all categories at once, but rather - only those that are in the category you clicked on. (after the first time)

So for example, once you put a fire spell in the hotbar - the next time you would right click on it - only the fire spells would appear above it, once you put a potion in the slot - only potions would appear above it. etc.

- this would require a more broad list of all skills and items for the first usage, but the inventory and skill list as they are can be used for that initial choices and placement -

After that initial setup when you right click on any specific spell or item - only spells and items of that specific category would show up stacked above. So you would see only fire spells, or only Air spells, or only potions, or only weapons... etc.

Arranged whichever way is better, of course.
At least, thats how i imagined it.

You got that right, Hiver! That's exactly what I imagine too.


Originally Posted by Hiver
There is no obscuring the screen when these stacks only appear momentarily and then disappear once youve chosen a specific spell, item or a skill.
If only specific categories are shown then its even less icons on the screen at once.
- That simply isnt an argument that can be used as objection against this kind of setup.


Expanding the hotbar is an obvious way to go about this but im figuring that since it isnt already expanded, that Larian wants to keep it smaller. As it is. And im just trying to work with whats there now.


None of this means that a specific suggestion must be or that it will be accepted.
We are making different suggestions here and devs will look it over and eventually do something about it. Or not.
Thats all.

You just wrote down what I was thinking. Nice! hehe


Originally Posted by Stabbey

That said, some of the things I've heard suggest that a larger hotbar may be less necessary, at least for the next patch.

Cool! Would you mind sharing some of that privileged information with us, Stabbey? rolleyes

Last edited by Pitheco; 10/05/14 06:08 AM.