Game's UI Suggestions

[AlpineSK]

Since Sebastian asked, I am starting a thread for what I still feel is the worst part of this game: The UI. It's been bad since day 1, and there has not been a thing changed about it over the course of the year.

I purchased this game on March 4, 2013 and I, for one, am EXTREMELY disappointed with it. I see very little improvement from where the game was last summer to where it is today. I do not enjoy the game, and nothing that was changed in this patch made any difference in that for me. I've played many, many sports management games (Microleague Baseball and Football, OOTP, EHM, DDS College Basketball to name just a few) and this one ranks at the bottom of the barrel.

But I digress.. Sebastian asked me to list the top ten things that make the game "hard" to play.. Its not a matter of fun.. its not a matter of hard, its a matter of functional. So since you asked, here you go..

1. Lack of tooltips in player statistic screens.

2. Transaction screen needs to be functional like OOTP's. It gives you the ability to have an overview of your entire organization and to drag and drop players from one team/level to another.

3. GET RID of the space that lies between a player's name and the first statistical column whatever it might be.. Please.. I beg you.. you know what I mean the one that also exists, for example, in the "standings" section of the League Home Page. How do you know what I mean? Because it has been pointed out over and over again in these forums. If "we agree to disagree" please explain to me the benefit of having almost a third of a screen taken up with empty, dead space in an area that is supposed to provide you with information.

4. Color coded ratings depending on their level of rating. I can look at my roster screen on OOTP and get a good idea of the overall status of the team that I am fielding.

5. How about just some color at all outside of player screens. It's all so bland. I can only look at so many black and whites and grays and the occasional red or green value.

6. Drop down filters like OOTP has. They are far more functional than the filter system in FHM which, while it might work for a search feature, is clunky when you're looking at your roster. You should be able to do EVERYTHING from one screen.

7. Some explanation (tool tip?) of the difference between, for example, your CONTRACT MAX and PROTECTED LIST.

8. Logs? Hello? Its a column borrowed from OOTP to try and make it look like OOTP but its empty. Also, how about some sortable stats in team histories.

9. Tabs that match the selections in the team menu.

10. A calendar view of the schedule making it easier to identify days off etc..

Feel free to add...

[AlpineSK]

Prime example: Here is the game's Roster Screen at 1280/768. Please tell me how the dead space is beneficial to the game, or even appealing to anyone who looks at it...

... needs an update. It's very cramped and its just annoying to look at.

My teams staff is upside down (in order of importance anway) Team Owner is hidden and you have to scroll to see or click on people. The Available staff needs some kind of filter too.

[AlpineSK]

Sebastian is saying that some people like the UI.. I guess I am wondering why. I'm not saying people who have said "I cant deal with the UI" I'm talking about people who say "its good the way it is. Don't change it"

[Sebastian Palkowski]

Thanks for the detailed post. As I wrote earlier, we are aware that the GUI is far from perfect and (as everything else) is subject to improve over time. Reading through your list I understand (most of) your points but think they are in no way deal breaker (just my opinion). Please see my answers below:

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

1. Lack of tooltips in player statistic screens.

Bug, fixed now (next update). Thanks for pointing it out!

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

2. Transaction screen needs to be functional like OOTP's. It gives you the ability to have an overview of your entire organization and to drag and drop players from one team/level to another.

Yes, and we talked about it a few times internally. But such a screen is quit some work and I don't know if we have the time to put it into the 2. part of the patch.

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

3. GET RID of the space that lies between a player's name and the first statistical column whatever it might be.. Please.. I beg you.. you know what I mean the one that also exists, for example, in the "standings" section of the League Home Page. How do you know what I mean? Because it has been pointed out over and over again in these forums. If "we agree to disagree" please explain to me the benefit of having almost a third of a screen taken up with empty, dead space in an area that is supposed to provide you with information.

One of my favorite topics. I agree with you, it does not look good but IMO (and thats personal taste) it looks even more strange when making all columns way to big (like in OOTP). If enough people think your way (and post it here) I will at least give it a try.

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

4. Color coded ratings depending on their level of rating. I can look at my roster screen on OOTP and get a good idea of the overall status of the team that I am fielding.

Good point, went on my todo-list. No timetable.

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

5. How about just some color at all outside of player screens. It's all so bland. I can only look at so many black and whites and grays and the occasional red or green value.

Our graphic artist decided the color scheme (and I'm happy with it). Looking at OOTP15 I'm pretty sure we will see changes in FHM 2.

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

6. Drop down filters like OOTP has. They are far more functional than the filter system in FHM which, while it might work for a search feature, is clunky when you're looking at your roster. You should be able to do EVERYTHING from one screen.

OOTP has almost the same filter system we have (dialog), only a position filter is outside (and I think that is kind of inconsequently). But I got a nice idea about "quick-filter", will work it out a bit more.

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

7. Some explanation (tool tip?) of the difference between, for example, your CONTRACT MAX and PROTECTED LIST.

Yes, your are absolutly right. We will add at least the most important wants quickly.

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

8. Logs? Hello? Its a column borrowed from OOTP to try and make it look like OOTP but its empty. Also, how about some sortable stats in team histories.

It is only empty at the beginning. The Drafts are listed there.

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

9. Tabs that match the selections in the team menu.

You are right, that is a bit chaotic. We will try to improve it.

Originally Posted by AlpineSK

10. A calendar view of the schedule making it easier to identify days off etc..

Yeah, at some point it would be a nice addition but tbh, I think it should be low-priority.

[jonnycosmic]

I have to say, I'm personally not as obsessed as some in the UI, but I do like how clean OOTP14 looks. There are so many more options and it is easier to navigate, so I would welcome some changes further down the line. I can't really understand people saying that the game is not enjoyable based on the UI.

[AlpineSK]

Thanks for your reply. For me it is a deal breaker because the way the game functions is just as important as the guts of the game, especially when dealing with a game that is so limited in its visual interface. I'm not expecting to see a nice 3D game like FM has. that is not important to a management game.

I do, however, believe in making the most out of what you CAN do with the game. The way the interface works and saves in most points is kind of clunky and could really be done better. To me, OOTP is the perfect balance. Its hard to describe exactly why, but the game is smooth. I can play day after day, game after game (and I have managed ENTIRE seasons.. see my 2013 Boston Red Sox thread in my sig) and the game is just so incredibly user friendly.

I understand that this is the first version of a game. I understand I understand I understand. But there are SO MANY lessons that OOTPB has already taught us about sports sims, and quality UI design is one of them. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel, especially when the information is already in house.

[AlpineSK]

To me its like playing an adventure game let's say, and the character you are controlling clips through objects that it shouldnt.. Or animations are not accurate. Sure, you might achieve the reaction of what you were trying to do with the character but its INCREDIBLY frustrating to look at, there in making the game frustrating.

I want something that operates smoothly and transitions smoothly from screen to screen and duty to duty. This game in my opinion does not. This balance is achieved, again, in my opinion with a functional user friendly UI. This game lacks that.

Originally Posted by jonnycosmic

I have to say, I'm personally not as obsessed as some in the UI, but I do like how clean OOTP14 looks. There are so many more options and it is easier to navigate, so I would welcome some changes further down the line. I can't really understand people saying that the game is not enjoyable based on the UI.

[thepete]

There's certainly too much clicking going on. I feel things like scores etc should be readily available from just about any screen. If I'm in the home screen, I have to click team/league menu -> scores -> another click or two to get boxscore for even my most recent game. It's shown at the top of the screen - make it clickable.

Also, when managing your roster there's too much clicking going on. Rightclick + click to do most anything. The most common actions should really be one-click actions, not two or three. Scratching/dressing comes to mind, not being able to select multiple players is another thing that eats up clicks.

When you're editing your lines the drag n drop needs to go in favor of a select-player-click where you want him-system.

Much more could be made of the rest of the keyboard, AFAIK we're only able to use mouse + space now?

[Bluenoser]

Bookmarks would be a nice addition.

[tcblcommish]

One of the minor things I would love to have like inn OOTP is right clicking to go back!

I also hate that dead space but it's live-able

[Sebastian Palkowski]

One thing you always have to keep in mind is (and tbh, it is something I totally underestimated): more then 2/3 of all FHM users are from outside the USA, so most likely no OOTP player. Take into account that from the 1/3 USA user not all are baseball fans, the number of FHM-non-OOTP player is even higher. So we don't build a "OOTP Hockey" but an game with it's own identity.

Of course it makes sense to get inspiration from OOTP (and FM or EHM) and we always look in OOTP first but in the end we (Malte, Jeff and I) want to make a game that as many people as possible like and not only OOTP user.

But I like how this thread evolves, it is so much better to talk game and get constructive feedback then the (mindless) bashing in other threads! So please everyone, keep it coming!

[Sebastian Palkowski]

You come from EHM not OOTP, right?

Originally Posted by thepete

There's certainly too much clicking going on. I feel things like scores etc should be readily available from just about any screen. If I'm in the home screen, I have to click team/league menu -> scores -> another click or two to get boxscore for even my most recent game. It's shown at the top of the screen - make it clickable.

Point taken, hope to add it soon!

[thepete]

Originally Posted by Sebastian Palkowski

You come from EHM not OOTP, right?



Point taken, hope to add it soon!

Yes and thanks.

[Bruins86]

one thing I would like to see is how in ehm I could look at all the players drafted year by year by one team. If you already can do that I have no idea where to view it lol

[Bruins86]

dbl post sorry.

[Sebastian Palkowski]

Originally Posted by thepete

Yes and thanks.

Thats exactly what I'm talking about: on one hand we have a (hardcore) OOTP user, he wants everything like OOTP. On the other hand we have a EHM player, he wants everything like in EHM. Please don't get me wrong, I understand that completely, just want to show our "problem".

[IvanIvanovich]

There are unnecessary steps involved when you try to do most anything in the game. Take trading as an example -

I have a few players on my roster that aren't really good enough to keep and I want to trade them. So how do I find something to trade them for?

In EHM I enter the "search Player" screen and fill out the filter so that it will return all players drafted by NHL teams and add other filters that I need (under 21 - waiver exempt, skills required etc.), I can then sort and browse all available assets and decide which ones to go after.

In FHM There is no such "player search" available, I have to look up every team one by one and then open every player one by one in different places (roster, rights).

What can be done in EHM with a dozen clicks in two minutes takes several thousand clicks and hours on end to achieve in FHM.

Another part where EHM is superior is its "organizational depth chart" It is easy to see at a glance where your players fit into your teams organization.

Ideally the best would be if this could be stolen and improved upon. I would love to be able to ask each of my coaches how he sees the "ranking order" of the players both regarding current ability, future ability, and secondary position ability.

I would love to be able to ask my Goaltending Coach to tell me how he looks upon my Goalies and ranks them regarding current ability then ask him how would that ranking change in the future (next year/5 years).

I would love to be able to ask each of my Defensive Coaches the same question with the addition of having them telling me that my fifth RD is actually better at playing LD than my third LD is. It would mean that I could make an informed decision as to whether going with 4 RD and 2 LD is a good thing or not.

I also second everyone that is mentioning the lack of multi-selections. It has been a standard in computing for 30 years that you click the top item then shift-click the bottom item and all in between gets selected. Same with ctrl-click. If I have 50 players on my roster after training camp and need to send half of them down to the farm why is it necessary to click each and every one in turn? It does not make sense at all!

I could probably go on for a few hours but that'll have to do for starters.

Ivan

[Puckhead]

First thing first, I never played OOTP and come from EHM, therefore I'm comparing most of the following "missing features" to the SI franchise

Basically, these are the things that I really miss in FHM so far (maybe I simply missed that the one or the other thing is already ingame?!):

1) A side-by-side compare screen where you can compare two players (this player doesn't have to be on your team), to be able to find a good player to trade for etc. I really loved that feature of EHM 2007, there you could compare the ratings AND the size, weight etc. Pretty cool I think.

2) An easy-to-use search function (on top of the screen that it's accessible from anywhere ingame) to find players with free configurable filters like size, skill (shot, checking etc.), weight, position etc. anywhere in the world or in specific leagues or teams. I liked how they did this in EHM, too.

3) It'd be great if the line-up screen could take some more space of the screen in the next version. It's good that it's possible to drag & drop now but it's sometimes a bit difficult because the position spots are very small.

Thank you guys that you're listening to your customers (unlike EA for example). That's why I'll most likely buy the next version of this series

[shawa666]

Originally Posted by IvanIvanovich

There are unnecessary steps involved when you try to do most anything in the game. Take trading as an example -

I have a few players on my roster that aren't really good enough to keep and I want to trade them. So how do I find something to trade them for?

In EHM I enter the "search Player" screen and fill out the filter so that it will return all players drafted by NHL teams and add other filters that I need (under 21 - waiver exempt, skills required etc.), I can then sort and browse all available assets and decide which ones to go after.

In FHM There is no such "player search" available, I have to look up every team one by one and then open every player one by one in different places (roster, rights).

What can be done in EHM with a dozen clicks in two minutes takes several thousand clicks and hours on end to achieve in FHM.

Another part where EHM is superior is its "organizational depth chart" It is easy to see at a glance where your players fit into your teams organization.

Ideally the best would be if this could be stolen and improved upon. I would love to be able to ask each of my coaches how he sees the "ranking order" of the players both regarding current ability, future ability, and secondary position ability.

I would love to be able to ask my Goaltending Coach to tell me how he looks upon my Goalies and ranks them regarding current ability then ask him how would that ranking change in the future (next year/5 years).

I would love to be able to ask each of my Defensive Coaches the same question with the addition of having them telling me that my fifth RD is actually better at playing LD than my third LD is. It would mean that I could make an informed decision as to whether going with 4 RD and 2 LD is a good thing or not.

I also second everyone that is mentioning the lack of multi-selections. It has been a standard in computing for 30 years that you click the top item then shift-click the bottom item and all in between gets selected. Same with ctrl-click. If I have 50 players on my roster after training camp and need to send half of them down to the farm why is it necessary to click each and every one in turn? It does not make sense at all!

I could probably go on for a few hours but that'll have to do for starters.

Ivan

Seb, Even OOTP has a graphical depth chart now.