I sorely underestimated just how poor the UI would turn out. It is so uncustomizable it isn't funny. Health bars, buffs, debuffs, and the power bar are all WAY too small. You can't move or resize anything, I HATE having the chat box up the top.

Not having a damage meter or even a freaking combat log is ridiculous. Why shouldn't we even know how much damage we're doing? I want to know what the best rotation is for my character and I have absolutely no way of working that out.

Macros are a staple in every MMO, how can you just not have them? There's a nice focus target but it's practically useless without focus macros.

These should be top priority for the next patch.

My wife was complaining about the UI for over 6 months in beta. The UI is garbage, nobody in my family will touch this game. My son already spent the prepaid credit card that preordered this game on some other game, Origin will have fun collecting.

I wouldn't say it's something that completely ruins the game. Especially not at launch. But if BioWare doesn't have it in the next patch, or heavily developing it for soon after, then it will be unbearable to play without Mods/Macros at max level.

I agree UI is horrendous.

Working out a rotation is simple due to fly text and watching health bars

I understand your concern with macros. Maybe simple macros but I would not like to see the game turn out like Rift. Bunch of 3 button rotations.

Your opinion. In my opinion, the UI is fine. I can see my party health as raid frames and make them as big as I want. That's pretty much all I needed. The health at the bottom and chat at the top are also pretty good in my opinion. So I have to disagree that the game needs mods and macros.

However, I do agree that the UI should have more customizable options. We should be able to move stuff around, and resize. I would love to resize a few things I find a bit small :S

Yeah the horrible UI design is my biggest problem with the game (second biggest problem is the lack of dynamic gameplay). I think the issue with the UI is that the lead UI "designer" isn't a designer at all--but rather a fine artist/illustrator. No thought was put into usability or interaction with the environment and other players. I've played the game for 3 days straight, and not once have I spoken with another player. This is mainly due to the fact that I do not know when someone is talking to me, nor is it self-evident how to talk to another person.

For the life of me, I just do not understand why there are NO chat bubbles. How could they leave something like that out? Are we just supposed to watch "Barrens Chat" in the upper left-hand window scroll by at 20 point type in the hopes that someone will mention my name in the 4 seconds it takes for a new message to scroll by? It's ridiculous.

 

Working out a rotation is simple due to fly text and watching health bars

I agree UI is horrendous.

 

Working out a rotation is simple due to fly text and watching health bars

 

I understand your concern with macros. Maybe simple macros but I would not like to see the game turn out like Rift. Bunch of 3 button rotations.

All I want is mouse over healing. If they implement that into the game, I don't even need macros. Nor do I need mods.

My wife was complaining about the UI for over 6 months in beta. The UI is garbage, nobody in my family will touch this game. My son already spent the prepaid credit card that preordered this game on some other game, Origin will have fun collecting.

Yeh, i to just hang around on forums on games i dont play..

the UI is not great, but i have no problem with it. and BW said they are going to make it more adjustable

I don't think the game NEEDS addons or macro support, but it would greatly benefit from it.

For me it's just a huge quality of life thing and i like being able to customize things to how i want it.

People not wanting add-ons, are generally the people that were refused from raids and stuff cause their DPS was too low .

To be honest, Add-ons should be in, maybe just make it so you can only see it yourself, but i'd like to see my dps so i know how to improve, or see my threat as tank. And especially customizable UI stuff, changing healthbars/target bars, target of target, buff displays, the general UI stuff should be customizable.

Macros or stuff like deadly boss mods i do not care about.

How exactly do macros make you play better? Without greater imput from the user.

Example: Focus targets, to use it you constantly have to switch and set a focus target, then you have several different buttons to either CC or attack your target or your focus target.

Now tell me, how the hell is fumbling clicking like some bad player for the focus target, then hitting your skill and then running around trying to find your original target LESS skilled than setting a focus target and hitting your focus macro?

In most cases good use of macro is the epitome of skill.

Now you could possibly make a case with certain mods, especially older mods that played the game for you or made it trivial (decursive in vanilla). However, in most cases mods do not play for you, they just improve quality of life. Most mods require greater input from the player to react to the information it's giving you

People not wanting add-ons, are generally the people that were refused from raids and stuff cause their DPS was too low .

 

To be honest, Add-ons should be in, maybe just make it so you can only see it yourself, but i'd like to see my dps so i know how to improve, or see my threat as tank. And especially customizable UI stuff, changing healthbars/target bars, target of target, buff displays, the general UI stuff should be customizable.

 

Macros or stuff like deadly boss mods i do not care about.

I have to disagree. Providing too many numbers turns the game into a number cruncher, excell-online game, instead of an semi-action RPG that it is supposed to be. We have enough with EVE to take the spreadsheet-online game types. If you have so many bars and meters as a tank, you'll end up paying more attention to those, instead of what is going on.

I would prefer to watch the game and react to what a mob does, instead of reacting to what a little bar with a number tells me.

personal preference, but I would still prefer all that stuff out. I want a game, not some kind of simulator.

I have to disagree. Providing too many numbers turns the game into a number cruncher, excell-online game, instead of an semi-action RPG that it is supposed to be. We have enough with EVE to take the spreadsheet-online game types. If you have so many bars and meters as a tank, you'll end up paying more attention to those, instead of what is going on.

 

I would prefer to watch the game and react to what a mob does, instead of reacting to what a little bar with a number tells me.

 

personal preference, but I would still prefer all that stuff out. I want a game, not some kind of simulator.

If you feel like that then just don't use addons and let people who do want to use them, use them. Just because it's available doesn't mean you have to use it.

UI needs some work, indeed. But I don't understand why people complain so hard about it. It's fine, very fine. Especially when you can change to Ops frames in groups.

Addons just make the game easier, don't really want them. I'd rather see the community friendly and spot bad players by looking at how they act.

Macros? Meh..

I have to disagree. Providing too many numbers turns the game into a number cruncher, excell-online game, instead of an semi-action RPG that it is supposed to be. We have enough with EVE to take the spreadsheet-online game types. If you have so many bars and meters as a tank, you'll end up paying more attention to those, instead of what is going on.

 

I would prefer to watch the game and react to what a mob does, instead of reacting to what a little bar with a number tells me.

 

personal preference, but I would still prefer all that stuff out. I want a game, not some kind of simulator.

You realize you shouldn't be doing that in SWTOR either? Watching the mob tells you nothing. You will be watching bars just the same, just really small ones that ruin your eyesight.

This is an MMORPG, not an action RPG.

I have to disagree. Providing too many numbers turns the game into a number cruncher, excell-online game, instead of an semi-action RPG that it is supposed to be. We have enough with EVE to take the spreadsheet-online game types. If you have so many bars and meters as a tank, you'll end up paying more attention to those, instead of what is going on.

 

I would prefer to watch the game and react to what a mob does, instead of reacting to what a little bar with a number tells me.

 

personal preference, but I would still prefer all that stuff out. I want a game, not some kind of simulator.

If you end up paying more attention to the meters and such, then you're simply not cut out for any sort of raiding. The only time you'd pay attention to bars is to check debuffs, and the meters is to check aggro. Otherwise you'd be looking at the boss, and around yourself for any damaging things, or incase you need to move.

I was surprised at first with the lack of UI customizatuion. i.e. resizing, moving chat boxes, moving skill bars, etc. I'm sure they'll be implemented very soon. I can't imagine them skipping over that. They must be adding the finishing touches on it before they push in the next patch or so. As for macros... for me it depends. Sometimes it's a useful tool. Other times (like in Rift) it just makes for 1-2 button mashing easy mode, which is kinda lame. I guess my opinion is usability and easiness of macros depends on the skills available to you in game.

Just remember guys, we're still pre-launch here. I'm sure all these options have been considered by the dev team. And I'm sure most of them will be available very soon.

I agree the Ui isnt great

My guess is you got your feelings hurt for having sub-par DPS.

Damage meters are just METERS. If your damage sucks, than that's YOUR FAULT. NOT THE ADD ON.

I agree the Ui isnt great,but adding mods and macros to the game could be dangerous. DPS meters are the devil. Its prety much ruined wow

That's ridiculous.. Damage meters were probably the first mods ever introduced, right after extra bars. It was part of the old curse package back in vanilla. The game grew and grew and people used damage meters the whole time. Damage meters ruin nothing if you know what you're doing.

Now gearscore/ilvl are a different thing altogether, but those can and should be blocked from working.

If you feel like that then just don't use addons and let people who do want to use them, use them. Just because it's available doesn't mean you have to use it.

Very true, and good point. People should play how they want. I concede that one. And as long as it does not give some kind of advantage, then it would be fine.

Another problem that comes up is that (at least from the WoW experience), is that people started creating unintended macros/addons. To have pets attack totems automatically, or give warnings on certain attacks that you would normally have to pay attention to.

So they have to be careful with that. People will definitely abuse anything they are given. So I would still prefer it under BWs control.

Additionally, if it hasn't already been posted in this thread:

http://www.swtor.com/blog/what%E2%80%99s-next-old-republic

I guess we should pay more attention to what's already been posted by the devs.

EDIT: Specific topics include UI Customization and Guild (including menu) functionality. I didnt catch anything about macros/add-ons, however. Guess we'll see about that.

I wouldn't say it's something that completely ruins the game. Especially not at launch. But if BioWare doesn't have it in the next patch, or heavily developing it for soon after, then it will be unbearable to play without Mods/Macros at max level.

The issues with this game go far beyond the UI being garbage. They nerfed the heck out of the mod system, it is a shell of it's former self. Other issues are the fact you can't turn off the blah blah blah cut scenes and just get your mission in a couple of clicks, instead you have to hit space bar 20 times.

After you play the game for a month or so you will see just how bad it gets, they have a lot of work to do if they want to keep 70% of the people who bought the game as long term customers.