Why care about Skyrim's menus?

[Atmos Duality]

funnily enough, dropping items is just a butten click now lol

Glad to see they remembered to tell the player what that fucking button is this time. 1 point to Skyrim.
But seriously: There's something horribly wrong with the UI design when I have to look up what one of the BASIC CONTROLS are online for a game that came out in 2006.

 

[ThisJustin]

"I hate having to use the compass to go to my items" guess what, you don't have to. Want items press "i", want spells press "p", the map "m". Don't think there's 1-8 hotkeys, there is. Haven't been using the favorites menu "q" you're missing out. These are all thing there for you to use, and it seems a lot of people don't realize it. Using WASD to navigate the menus and "e" to select flows quite nice. Don't like any of those keys, ahh that's the wonderful thing about PC in controls you can change them to whatever you like.

 

[AWAR]

I do like how they've basically gone "Fuck PC gamers. We're not even going to attempt to address this issue. We'll just let them fix it themselves."

I completely disagree. A modder's job isn't to fix the game, that's the developer's job, but to make new content and provide a different game experience. There is literally no excuse for such a broken menu.

 

[Atmos Duality]

I do like how they've basically gone "Fuck PC gamers. We're not even going to attempt to address this issue. We'll just let them fix it themselves."

I completely disagree. A modder's job isn't to fix the game, that's the developer's job, but to make new content and provide a different game experience. There is literally no excuse for such a broken menu.

Sorry. The tone of that quote was meant to imply sarcasm. I agree completely with your statement otherwise; modders should add to a finished product, not play amateur tech support.

I found it ludicrous and somewhat appalling when I discovered the Unofficial Oblivion Patch.
The bug-fix list in that mod alone is enormous, and indicative of how little Bethesda cares about the PC market (or any market other than the Xbox 360, if I'm to believe that the PS3 ports are just as buggy).

This issue with the interface is just further proof of how little they care.

 

[Pinstar]

Can I get some hotkeys? Yeah the favorites menu is all well and good, but how about you let me set up specific left-right hand configurations and then just switch to them when I hit that hotkey.

Like
1: Bow
2: Shield + Mace
3: Shield + Fast Heal
4: Dual Cast Summon
5: Clairvoyance + Candle Light

Then just bring those up without interrupting the action.

 

[Elsarild]

"I hate having to use the compass to go to my items" guess what, you don't have to. Want items press "i", want spells press "p", the map "m". Don't think there's 1-8 hotkeys, there is. Haven't been using the favorites menu "q" you're missing out. These are all thing there for you to use, and it seems a lot of people don't realize it. Using WASD to navigate the menus and "e" to select flows quite nice. Don't like any of those keys, ahh that's the wonderful thing about PC in controls you can change them to whatever you like.

You are still running into what the worst thing about this whole UI mess is, too much scrolling, too little information on screen.

I'll use myself as an example, I've got: a Bow, a few most used shouts, let's be generous and say around 5 (properly closer to 8-10) that I use alot, I have no less than 6 diffrent kinds of arrows, depending on my needs, then I have a shield, and a mace for close quater, and, while I don't do that, a mage or a melee fighter, might want some spells and a few potions, and I have a few spells in my favorite as well.

So, while downplaying my own favorite screen alot, I now have between 15-20 items in that screen, and it will only display, what, 6? and I'm running 1680:1050 so it only takes up 1/10 of my screen, so I'll be scrolling back and fourth half the time, while it could easily have been bigger, showing me even my entire list, and only taking up maybe ½ of my screen.

And assigning numbers to them dosen't do anything for me, I still have to have them in my favorites menu, so I still have to scroll past them, if I place 3 shouts and all my arrows on numbers, fine they are even faster to use, but they still clutter up my favorite list.

and I have to use 2 hotkeys for a mace and shield combo, I can't just hotkey both to 1 key, so it would be easier.

The Menus are a scrolling mess, face it.

 

[dashiz94]

I've been seeing numerous threads and articles complaining about Skyrim's interface and menu and what I just can't understand is...why? Why does it matter if the menu is slightly worse than it was in Oblivion? Does it still work for you? Can you still get to your items? Is at least partially organized? Yes, yes, and yes. So why make a big fuss over it? Judging from the tone of many of the comments regarding it, they almost make it out to be a total gamebreaker, when it's not.

Basic point, if you're going to complain about a game, make it so with decent points. Not because the menu doesn't look purrty.

Dear Dashiz

Thank you for your contribution to the mounting pile of threads decrying opinions that differ to your own. Your opinion is very important to us and the escapist community will from now on check with you before posting opinions to ensure that you agree with what's being posted so other opinions wont have to inconvenience you.

Thank you for your patience.

And thank you for your unnecessary and kind of offensive sarcasm. First off, I rarely saw threads promoting the interface, most of the time it was about why the interface sucks. Second, I asked why people are so upset with it. In turn, I received intelligent messages about why they dislike it and now I can understand the issues. As a PS3 player, I haven't experienced many of the issues the PC crowd has been facing with obvious reason. For me, the menus work fine. Noentheless, I got my answer and can understand why people dislike the new menus.

 

[Epona]

This was a big problem for me in Oblivion, but Skyrim's interface is WORSE than Oblivion?
I'm glad I don't have to deal with it.

But seriously: Trying to manage Inventory in Oblivion was like trying to operate a Rolodex with just your toes. Technically possible, but maddeningly irritating.

Dropping items wasn't intuitive, and in a game where weight/burden management is critical, having a few sorting options would have made things far easier.
I do like how they've basically gone "Fuck PC gamers. We're not even going to attempt to address this issue. We'll just let them fix it themselves."

What? Oblivion had sorting options and you could drop things at the push of a button (Square on PS3 and similar on the 360 I imagine).

 

[Atmos Duality]

What? Oblivion had sorting options and you could drop things at the push of a button (Square on PS3 and similar on the 360 I imagine).

Yes, and it sucked ass on PC.
I had to look up how to drop stuff because it wasn't in th emenu or in the controls list.

 

[Epona]

What? Oblivion had sorting options and you could drop things at the push of a button (Square on PS3 and similar on the 360 I imagine).

Yes, and it sucked ass on PC.
I had to look up how to drop stuff because it wasn't in th emenu or in the controls list.

Well, I think on the PC you have to drag it out of the inventory window. If there was a hotkey then I don't know about it. Yeah, it was also easier to sell stuff on the console too rather than having to drag the cursor down to the slider window all the time you could just hit X or A over and over again rapidly.

Anyway, yeah there were sorting options for weight, value, health and offensive/defensive value.

 

[Elsarild]

What? Oblivion had sorting options and you could drop things at the push of a button (Square on PS3 and similar on the 360 I imagine).

Yes, and it sucked ass on PC.
I had to look up how to drop stuff because it wasn't in th emenu or in the controls list.

Well, I think on the PC you have to drag it out of the inventory window. If there was a hotkey then I don't know about it. Yeah, it was also easier to sell stuff on the console too rather than having to drag the cursor down to the slider window all the time you could just hit X or A over and over again rapidly.

Anyway, yeah there were sorting options for weight, value, health and offensive/defensive value.

In oblivion you had to Shift click on an item, and it isn't listed anywhere, not in [my] manuel, not in the control list, I had to google it.

 

[Epona]

hmm.. people are complaining about this? i find the new menus very intuitive and user friendly.

This; They're clean, minimalistic (as to keep immersion), and as organized as one could really get in a game like Skyrim.

I'm on the PS3 though so don't mind me.

Well, how is it that this is the best you could do for a game like Skyrim while Oblivion managed to do better for a game like Skyrim?

 

[GrimGrimoire]

.....I like Skyrim's menu.....

Does that mean I am special?

 

[Epona]

hmm.. people are complaining about this? i find the new menus very intuitive and user friendly.

This; They're clean, minimalistic (as to keep immersion), and as organized as one could really get in a game like Skyrim.

I'm on the PS3 though so don't mind me.

Well, how is it that this is the best you could do for a game like Skyrim while Oblivion managed to do better for a game like Skyrim?

You're not even stating why Skyrim has a worse menu than Oblivion.

Skyrim has a better menu than Oblivion, Oblivion had just sort options of magic, misc, and weapons/armor.

Skyrim has sorting options for all types of items.

Skyrim is a better menu system entirely.

.....I like Skyrim's menu.....

Does that mean I am special?

We can be special together.

But I might eat you.

Uh no, what you are talking about are filtering options. Skyrim has no sorting options. Filtering = separating items based on type. Sorting = putting items in a meaningful order. That is why Skyrim has a worse menu. Also that Bethesda though it more important to show a 3D view of a sword instead of seeing your character in the menu makes it worse. It has been established that the menu is not quick and easy (ie, too many clicks to do what you need to do, too much scrolling for no reaon, etc..).

 

[Epona]

hmm.. people are complaining about this? i find the new menus very intuitive and user friendly.

This; They're clean, minimalistic (as to keep immersion), and as organized as one could really get in a game like Skyrim.

I'm on the PS3 though so don't mind me.

Well, how is it that this is the best you could do for a game like Skyrim while Oblivion managed to do better for a game like Skyrim?

You're not even stating why Skyrim has a worse menu than Oblivion.

Skyrim has a better menu than Oblivion, Oblivion had just sort options of magic, misc, and weapons/armor.

Skyrim has sorting options for all types of items.

Skyrim is a better menu system entirely.

.....I like Skyrim's menu.....

Does that mean I am special?

We can be special together.

But I might eat you.

Uh no, what you are talking about are filtering options. Skyrim has no sorting options. Filtering = separating items based on type. Sorting = putting items in a meaningful order. That is why Skyrim has a worse menu. Also that Bethesda though it more important to show a 3D view of a sword instead of seeing your character in the menu makes it worse. It has been established that the menu is not quick and easy (ie, too many clicks to do what you need to do, too much scrolling for no reaon, etc..).

Once again, I'm on the Ps3, and have no issues.

And it filters better than Oblivion anyway still.

Skyrim filters better but it does not sort. I am not sure what your PS3 comment meant. You have no issues with what? It doesn't sort in any version of the game.

 

[Farther than stars]

The UI's actually prett important in a game. With a bad UI you might spend a lot of time looking at it, while frustrated that you can't continue playing the game until you've done whatever you're supposed to be doing. For this reason alone I didn't even bother efficiently sorting out my armour and weapons in Mass-Effect 1 from about the half-way point.
Now, I haven't played Skyrim (yet), but I hated Oblivion's interface and it could be really unimmersive at times, so I can only shudder to think how bad Skyrim's has become, hearing you describe it this way.
Bottom line: if a complaint is valid, leave it be.