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07-04-17, 11:12 AM   #1
SushiAce
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[Help/Request] How to stay happy with your UI - and creating an unintrusive UI

Hey folks!

Like the title says, I need some tips on how to stay content with an UI. Over and over again I've redone my UI - and most of the time i change from ultra minimal back to a more graphical, rpg-like (Blizzard) style of UI (like ls:UI etc.). But i never ever stay content with it. Threre is ALWAYS something that irks me and more then often I can't really say what it is. So I usually check /r/WoWUi, the UI-Forum on MMO-C and ofc the threads/UIs here to get some inspiration and see how people with similar UIs have done it.

Afterwards I mostly discard the UI and do something entirely different. That happens all of the time and I'm really sick of it.

I already can see the question: "What does this UI need to be?" or something akin to it and I have something in mind: A non-intrusive UI, which still has that rpg-esque feeling (Artwork), isn't too big nor too small and still provides me with enough information to raid Heroic/Mythic. So basically a good mix; I already got some tips to "just make it functional and screw the pretty", but like I said: It should feel like it is part of the game, and not plastered on the screen.

Of course I did create some, like the WarStar UI I posted under a different name (simply didn't like the old name anymore). And I created some ultra minimal ones like I said - with and without ElvUI.

Also before you ask if I used Improved Blizzard UI: Yes, I did and whilst i liked it, it lacked something i couldn't pin down.

I really appreciate your inputs and thoughts and thank you already for reading and spending some of your valuable life/play time for my funy questions If you surf around MMO-C, I also posted it there, but some of you might spend more time here

P.S: Could I potentially suffer from UI-BurnOut?
P.P.S: If it is the wrong place for this, just move it
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07-04-17, 11:32 AM   #2
jeffy162
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I'd stick with ElvUI.



It's my old UI from before my computer fried (in late August of last year [2016]) and it is based on ElvUI. But you can see that it is not "stock" ElvUI. I did use several "quality-of-life" addons and some that helped to give it that particular look.
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07-04-17, 11:46 AM   #3
SushiAce
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Originally Posted by jeffy162 View Post
I'd stick with ElvUI.

[snip]

It's my old UI from before my computer fried (in late August of last year [2016]) and it is based on ElvUI. But you can see that it is not "stock" ElvUI. I did use several "quality-of-life" addons and some that helped to give it that particular look.
See, your UI is looking great, but: Like every other ElvUI(-esque) it feels just unnaturally plastered on the game screen for me :/ What I meant is maybe more in the direction of the Vanilla UI or even offline RPG-like UIs (e.g. ls: UI [I used it also once, but something I couldn't describe was irking me :/])

Regardless, thanks for your input
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07-05-17, 05:02 PM   #4
JDoubleU00
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There are a lot of UIs out there. I find that at some point, I have an issue with whatever UI I am using. If you want a UI more similar to the standard UI, look at https://www.wowinterface.com/downloa...52-ZorkUI.html and https://www.wowinterface.com/downloa...81-NeavUI.html to name a couple.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot come up with a clean an organized UI. Sure I have the addons I want, but laying a UI out efficiently is not in my skill set.
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07-05-17, 06:07 PM   #5
myrroddin
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I have the same issue, and the only solution that works longer than a few months is to build my own UI. The first thing I always get is a viewport addon, usually Sunn, although there are others.

I enable the top and bottom bars in the viewport. The top bar is where I put my Broker display, which I use ChocolateBar, but whatever works for you. On the bottom, I put my minimap which is dead centre of the bottom. Your eyes are more naturally drawn to the bottom rather than the top right.

Around the minimap I put my action bars, left and right in pairs. Above those, still in the viewport, I put my player and pet frames to the left and target with focus to the right of the minimap above the action bars.

My chat frame is right where it is at default, although I use Prat so I can customize the fonts used in the chat windows. On the far right of the bottom viewport I put my damage and healing meters.

That fills the viewport. I then replace the quest list with an addon that allows me font control, in this case Sorha Quest Log, and I leave it more or less in the default position. However, since my minimap is not at the top right, I move the buff and debuff frames right into the top right corner, and snug the quest list below those.

On the top left below the top viewport, I have my tank frames, and below those my raid frames. My party frames I have laid out horizontally and they are above the bottom viewport. To the left of the party frames are my boss frames. Arena and battleground frames share the same space as the raid frames, because usually you don't activate them all simultaneously.

I use Quartz as my cast bars and move those as close to the related frames as possible. I have resized both the unit frames and the cast bars so they are a bit smaller in scale.

The final touch is standardizing one font across all my addons. Currently I am using ADF which comes with Skada, but sometimes I get fancy.

When it is all done, it looks clean, out of the way, and gives me the most worldview space possible.

To see it, view the thread here: http://www.wowinterface.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=55015
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07-05-17, 07:20 PM   #6
Kkthnx
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I gotta say building your own UI is a thousand times more rewarding and lasts a lot longer than work off a prebuilt UI. Anyone can build a UI if they take some time to learn a bit of code. Ever since I started work on KkthnxUI I have noticed it be more rewarding and last way longer with being happy about it. ElvUI is indeed a good UI though not everyone is a fan either.

We have a lot of users who prefer the Blizz look too. Nothing wrong with this at all. Everyone their own.

I have been happy with my UI for years now and I am always improving upon it.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...517_153246.jpg
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07-06-17, 06:41 AM   #7
SushiAce
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Thanks for all your replies, never thought I would get so much input

I have been thinking again, and it seems that my UI problem is more of a design/UX one, then a straight Addon problem. Like all of you, I used not only ElvUI but also made some UIs myself.

Maybe I should compare good UIs in video games (especially RPGs, not just MMOs) and note what I like and dislike; could be a strategy that helps.
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07-06-17, 08:57 AM   #8
MunkDev
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Originally Posted by SushiAce View Post
Maybe I should compare good UIs in video games (especially RPGs, not just MMOs) and note what I like and dislike; could be a strategy that helps.
I wish there was more of this around the community. All that API can be used in a lot of different ways, but I generally feel like UIs are just skins with varying degrees of informational features. I guess you shouldn't fix it if it isn't broken, but the UI hasn't really changed much from vanilla in terms of UX.

I was kinda forced into dealing with UX because my ideas were completely alien, but what's to say the UX in WoW is optimal? The game menu and micro button bar were things I didn't like, so I made my own:
http://imgur.com/GGcT7gA

Also the quest / gossip frames:
https://youtu.be/hwe0yZ4xdGM

It would be cool to see someone completely overhaul it to something modern that still fits the game.
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07-06-17, 09:52 AM   #9
SushiAce
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Originally Posted by MunkDev View Post
I wish there was more of this around the community. All that API can be used in a lot of different ways, but I generally feel like UIs are just skins with varying degrees of informational features. I guess you shouldn't fix it if it isn't broken, but the UI hasn't really changed much from vanilla in terms of UX.

I was kinda forced into dealing with UX because my ideas were completely alien, but what's to say the UX in WoW is optimal? The game menu and micro button bar were things I didn't like, so I made my own:
http://imgur.com/GGcT7gA

Also the quest / gossip frames:
https://youtu.be/hwe0yZ4xdGM

It would be cool to see someone completely overhaul it to something modern that still fits the game.
I really have to agree with you. Whilst certain game mechanics have evolved, they just kept the 12+ year old UI and tucked new things on to it. The team involved with the UI/UX must be really small and is just maintaining the old thing and only makes changes to protect certain functions or to make some parts more moddable - I mean in the end it's people like you, who make really amazing AddOns, that are using fresh ideas and assets to make some old parts of the game exiting again (Immersion) or even open up new ways of playing the game (ConsolePort), so from a company pov they have somewhat outsourced their UI/UX departement to their users, which pay them, not the other way around.

ls:UI from lightspark could be the closest approach to make the classic UI more modern - with or without the recent update to include more traditional unitframes. And it is amazing, but I'd like to build something like that on my own since I really enjoy the journey from a mockup or an idea to the "finished" product.

Also: I really, REALLY love your Addons MunkDev Whilst I hadn't have that much time to incorporate ConsolePort, I certainly use Immersion every time I build a UI - no matter the style
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07-07-17, 03:11 AM   #10
Aftermathhqt
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I've always been happy with my UI.

Because i've always pretty much coded it myself, this is way more fun than just downloading something and then setup some settings while they are 1000 more options when you're making it yourself!

My UI is very inspired by Muqq's UI from Ensidia and Elv/Tukui but with a lot of own ideas.

Anyways here's my UI:



Here's my UI just a few weeks off Legion:



My UI during Cata:



As you can see i've made big progress with my UI, and its very fun!
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07-07-17, 03:41 AM   #11
lightspark
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Originally Posted by SushiAce View Post
I really have to agree with you. Whilst certain game mechanics have evolved, they just kept the 12+ year old UI and tucked new things on to it. The team involved with the UI/UX must be really small and is just maintaining the old thing and only makes changes to protect certain functions or to make some parts more moddable - I mean in the end it's people like you, who make really amazing AddOns, that are using fresh ideas and assets to make some old parts of the game exiting again (Immersion) or even open up new ways of playing the game (ConsolePort), so from a company pov they have somewhat outsourced their UI/UX departement to their users, which pay them, not the other way around.

ls:UI from lightspark could be the closest approach to make the classic UI more modern - with or without the recent update to include more traditional unitframes. And it is amazing, but I'd like to build something like that on my own since I really enjoy the journey from a mockup or an idea to the "finished" product.

Also: I really, REALLY love your Addons MunkDev Whilst I hadn't have that much time to incorporate ConsolePort, I certainly use Immersion every time I build a UI - no matter the style
TY But I have a lot more to do T_T

As for Blizz UI UX, TBQH, I don't think that default UI is THAT out of date, it's kinda optimised for kb+mouse users and clickers in particular. It defo doesn't work for controller users, hence MunkDev's remarks about micromenu and other things.

My biggest gripe w/ default UI is inconsistency in their design decisions: shapes, transitions, style of UI elements. Some of newer additions to their UI are made in so-called "flat" style (nameplates, although it's halfassed flat style), others rock classic RPG-ish theme. Some elements fade/slide in and out, others are just shown and hidden instantaneously, etc.

These things are REALLY bad/sad/annoying.

But yeah, creating your own UI for any product (WoW, your own game, someone else's project, etc) is an awesome journey.

-- edit #1

As for your question in the title: "how to stay happy w/ your UI", just do what you want. It's your own project, it's a hobby, don't let others to dictate what you have to add/remove, suggestions are fine and welcome, demands are not. If your UI is a publicly available project, learn to say no, it's really important and will help you a lot
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07-07-17, 08:09 AM   #12
SushiAce
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Originally Posted by lightspark View Post
TY But I have a lot more to do T_T

As for Blizz UI UX, TBQH, I don't think that default UI is THAT out of date, it's kinda optimised for kb+mouse users and clickers in particular. It defo doesn't work for controller users, hence MunkDev's remarks about micromenu and other things.

My biggest gripe w/ default UI is inconsistency in their design decisions: shapes, transitions, style of UI elements. Some of newer additions to their UI are made in so-called "flat" style (nameplates, although it's halfassed flat style), others rock classic RPG-ish theme. Some elements fade/slide in and out, others are just shown and hidden instantaneously, etc.

These things are REALLY bad/sad/annoying.

But yeah, creating your own UI for any product (WoW, your own game, someone else's project, etc) is an awesome journey.

-- edit #1

As for your question in the title: "how to stay happy w/ your UI", just do what you want. It's your own project, it's a hobby, don't let others to dictate what you have to add/remove, suggestions are fine and welcome, demands are not. If your UI is a publicly available project, learn to say no, it's really important and will help you a lot
Thanks for your input

But sadly I won't use this knowledge - at least in WoW anymore, as I won't be playing for a long time :/

So basically this thread can be closed - thanks for all of your replies again!
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WoWInterface » AddOns, Compilations, Macros » AddOn Search/Requests » [Help/Request] How to stay happy with your UI - and creating an unintrusive UI

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