Game News Wasteland 2 Kickstarter Update #43: New UI, Grid Inventory!

[hiver]

When there is no space limit, different sizes are cluttersome. Nobody wants to play inventory Tetris.

When there is no space limit - there is no Tetris.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Definitely looks a whole lot better, but it still doesn't feel right. Maybe there's a bit more they can do to improve it - CSS gradients or whatever, just to make it feel more smooth and less harsh on the eyes.

 

[Roguey]

All right, now I have something to examine for sexism and racism over the weekend.

Novella completed.

It's HHR-bait. It's an anti-televangelist/organized religion story written by a smug atheist (was completely unsurprised by the author's picture in the back), which is odd considering how televangelists rose and fell in the 80s and the one in this story made it big until the mid-late 90s somehow. It's an aspect that isn't relevant today, so this story ends up feeling like something that would have been written/published in the 80s/early 90s.

Lesi would hate it too considering its depiction of women, one Asian woman in particular (why is this gross person the only one whose non-whiteness is explicitly defined..?) , and its particularly absurd handling of mental illness (though tbh every person in this book is awful). It's also obviously written from a (fauxgressive) white heterosexual male perspective.

The climax/ending is ham-handed and keeps stretching credibility again and again and again. He had a particular ending in mind and damn anything that would stop it from happening.

I can't believe inXile is charging $10 for this. I wouldn't pay anything for it, even though technically I already did.

 

[Infinitron]

How'd you get the novella, Roguey?

so this story ends up feeling like something that would have been written/published in the 80s/early 90s.

Wasteland 2 is supposed to be going for a bit of a retro-80s/early 90s vibe so that is appropriate.

 

[mindx2]

Self-parody?

All right, now I have something to examine for sexism and racism over the weekend.

Novella completed.

It's HHR-bait. It's an anti-televangelist/organized religion story written by a smug atheist (was completely unsurprised by the author's picture in the back), which is odd considering how televangelists rose and fell in the 80s and the one in this story made it big until the mid-late 90s somehow. It's an aspect that isn't relevant today, so this story ends up feeling like something that would have been written/published in the 80s/early 90s.

Lesi would hate it too considering its depiction of women, one Asian woman in particular (why is this gross person the only one whose non-whiteness is explicitly defined..?) , and its particularly absurd handling of mental illness (though tbh every person in this book is awful). It's also obviously written from a (fauxgressive) white heterosexual male perspective.

The climax/ending is ham-handed and keeps stretching credibility again and again and again. He had a particular ending in mind and damn anything that would stop it from happening.

I can't believe inXile is charging $10 for this. I wouldn't pay anything for it, even though technically I already did.

You just knew it was coming......

 

[Roguey]

How'd you get the novella, Roguey?

Ranger Center, rewards, coupon code with link to the site at the bottom.

 

[Wizfall]

Instead of spending time and money improving the UI and above all implementing the apparently very costly grid inventory, i would rather like they fix the corridor maps and enhance the exploration part of the game.

 

[cherry blossom]

When there is no space limit - there is no Tetris.

Negates the entire point of going with a limitless grid.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

I wonder how much there will be of a new reactivity. Reactivity strangely become smaller and less optimistic part of this update than it was in the previous one...

"With your help, we’ve killed over 200 bugs in this update and implemented some great reactivity and conversation suggestions that we received from the community."

It was the exact sentence that made me think the way I think. In previous update and on the steam, reactivity improvements were quite strongly emphasized, now when much of it should be already implemented in internal beta, they are becoming less enthusiastic about it, instead of more. It's what worries me.

I am not so much deep into the whole UI design philosophy like many seems to be, but I always though that the grid inventory was preferred by many exactly because it forced player to play tetris and micromanage his junk. What's the point of limitless space grid?

Also I don't worry about the overall aesthetic feel of new UI. It's quite obvious, InXile is now more interested in players reaction to the change of the type of UI than to details.

 

[Infinitron]

It was the exact sentence that made me think the way I think. In previous update and on the steam, reactivity improvements were quite strongly emphasized, now when much of it should be already implemented in internal beta, they are becoming less enthusiastic about it, instead of more. It's what worries me.

The update is about the UI updates. That's why they're emphasizing the UI updates.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

It really seems much more minimalistic than in the last update. Maybe because they used now the word "some" instead of "significant" like the last time. I am paranoid?

 

[jagged-jimmy]

People complain about lack of combat fun and mediocre gameplay/quests?

Iterate on GUI and make it super awesome!

 

[Roguey]

Instead of spending time and money improving the UI and above all implementing the apparently very costly grid inventory, i would rather like they fix the corridor maps and enhance the exploration part of the game.

Re-creating levels is significantly more costly than UI changes. It's likely completely unfeasible at this point.

 

[Durante]

The UI seems much better than their first N tries, particularly in terms of functionality, but aesthetically it still looks very amateur. I don't know what about it it is exactly (I'm not a designer), but e.g. M&M X, Divinity: OS or even the Eternity alpha mockup look far more professional and internally consistent.

 

[Dr Schultz]

When there is no space limit - there is no Tetris.

Negates the entire point of going with a limitless grid.

I guess "2 squares" weapons occupy also two weapon slots (instead of one) once equipped. Just a visual reference.

 

[Xeon]

Kinda reminds me with the ToEE UI

 

[tuluse]

BTW I was wrong, the novella hadn't downloaded yet. W2 seems to have some issues with its Steam updates.

There's a link and coupon code in rangercenter to some online book store you can get it from.

 

[Seerix]

Considering how they're not spending much money and effort on 3D characters I wonder why they insist on having one rendered inside inventory menu and with its own level for background. That is a performance rape no matter how you gonna do it and is pointless if they won't improve character's looks significantly. And it is made worse by new inventory setup with pretty pictures for all items, do they look the same in-game*? There were like only few different sprites for all the guns in Fallout 1/2 and it was fine, you never got to see them up close. If the 3D characters are supposed to be symbolic, keep them so, don't shove them in player's face like in some sandbox dress up game.

*durr, of course not. The screenshot shows character holding a carbine or something yet either icon is for assault rifle

 

[Grotesque]

Instead of spending time and money improving the UI and above all implementing the apparently very costly grid inventory, i would rather like they fix the corridor maps and enhance the exploration part of the game.

not gonna happen.

If the 3D characters are supposed to be symbolic, keep them so, don't shove them in player's face like in some sandbox dress up game.

Whats your opinion on this Brother None?

 

[Nik_man]

Definitely looks a whole lot better, but it still doesn't feel right. Maybe there's a bit more they can do to improve it - CSS gradients or whatever, just to make it feel more smooth and less harsh on the eyes.

Good point.

 

[Jasede]

First we hate all AAA stuff...

Then we get Kickstarter...

And now hate this for looking cheap.



But-- and I know this sucks--
But I gotta tell you, the screenshot on the left especially- it all just looks so... so cheap. So iPhone-y. I've seen indie games that seem less... sterile. It's so... soulless. Pour some soul into it. Give some guy with vision creative control and try to infuse some heart, some grit, some spirit into the menus, interfaces, screens. You must know what I mean. If you don't, I doubt I could explain it.

It just lacks... love. It seems like a rush-job, designed by many people at once. I don't know.

Sorry.

 

[Excidium]

There is something special about getting to see all the items you own in one spot.

Yeah, like when you implement a list that doesn't suck.

Grid Inventory>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>List Inventory. Period.

When you suck at GUI design like InXile, I guess that's true.

 

[FeelTheRads]

You admitted there's no good list inventory. So I guess everybody sucks at doing them?

 

[Excidium]

The only people I know who tried to do it on a modern CRPG was InXile and they really do suck.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

But-- and I know this sucks--
But I gotta tell you, the screenshot on the left especially- it all just looks so... so cheap. So iPhone-y. I've seen indie games that seem less... sterile. It's so... soulless. Pour some soul into it. Give some guy with vision creative control and try to infuse some heart, some grit, some spirit into the menus, interfaces, screens. You must know what I mean. If you don't, I doubt I could explain it.

It just lacks... love. It seems like a rush-job, designed by many people at once. I don't know.

Sorry.

I like you Jasede, but...in the future, just say "it's shit and it fucking sucks" instead of making me read that gamejourno drivel.