As we sit and anticipate the release of SW:TOR, there are many things we are pondering as gamers. One big question in the minds of many is what the user interface (UI) will be like. To me, this is really important. It’s how you interact with the game and it can really make or break a game if it gets screwed up.
So far from early impressions of the UI, does it look good? Do you think it flows well? Will there be addons?
SWTOR community forums had this to say about early released information on the UI:
- The first look at an early Companion UI seen (Check out the image, not the videos) – Bioware
- The UI we are currently seeing is not the final product, there are big changes coming – AskAJedi
- Some settings seen while at PAX: Enable Color Blind Mode, Map fade while moving, map flashes red when attacked. – Darth Hater
- When you hover over yourself on the minimap you are given X, Y, and Z coordinate location. – Darth Hater
- If the map is open and you’re moving, it becomes translucent – SWTOR-Station
- There is no customisation Tab for apperance in TOR at this present time (2.50) – MMORPG
- Quote from Darth Hater: The character creation screen was very similar to Dragon Age: Origins – Darth Hater
- Basic 12 Button UI with built in Radar, XP Bar, Player and Target Portraits – Developer Video
- During the recent Dev. Dispatch you could see extra toolbars being used by the game testers on top of the standard 12 (4.14) – Developer Video
- Buffs and current applied abilities show above the Health Bar of the Player – Developer Video
- Player made UI Supported – Goha
- Current available equipment slots are: Ear, Implant, two Relic slots, Waist, Wrists, Head, Chest, Legs, Feet, Main Weapon, and Secondary Weapon – Darth Hater
- Quote: There are two tabs of inventory space; the first item tab yields 48 slots, and the second item tab has 32 inventory slots plus one slot that is placed outside the grid without a label – Darth Hater
- Built in Quest Helper System, similar to Warhammer, in game. Points you in right direction for quests and indicates progress. – Darth Hater
Some of the things we’ve heard about the UI indicate that it will be similar to other popular MMOs of today but with its own personal touch. The most important thing to me as a gamer is functionality. I don’t want to have to have addons and mods to do what I need to do. I’m not mod-shy, however, and if a game’s basic UI doesn’t offer it, you can bet that I will search for what I need. However, I’m hoping to see a “vanilla” SWTOR release with a fully functioning and all-encompassing UI. A gamer can wish, right?