Weapons UI

[CJFlint 357]

After playing DayZ SA for a couple of weeks I noticed some things I really like about the SA UI and some things I think really need to be changed.

 

I love that you can drag items to the number icons and access them and quickly pick up item that are close to you. It can be a little laggy but I like the concept and think it works well for the Stand Alone. The tool bar is nice for non combat items. 

 

Some things I really think need to get changed.

 

-Quicker Access to weapons! Honestly this has gotten me shot a few times now in close quarters. I think it should go back to being like the AMRA 2 set up just when it come to weapons. Were secondary, primary and axe can accessed quickly and ready to use. I think weapons should be accessed different then the tool bar. There should be hot keys for primary, secondary or axe you can hit were it will stop any animation on the spot. Tool bar I only want to use for none weapon items. Unless I'm missing something.

 

-The weapons down position should be something you can chose to do, like sitting down but NOT THE DEFAULT when you pull your weapon out. Why is it like that? It helps nothing and just costs you time. In the heat of battle I want to have the least amount of steps to get my weapon out and ready to fire. Right now, you have to press the hot key, then space bar then right click to aim in. That's 3 steps! And if you press the wrong key you could pull out a pop can, and drink it. In DayZ SA current state I dont really think the weapon's down position serves any use, no one cares weather you gun is down or up. Pretty much if you have any weapon in your hand its KOS. It should be just an option that you can do if you really want to. 

 

-If your in animation say eating, drinking or healing, if you need to get to your weapon it should instantly cancel your animation.

 

In a nut shell I don't like fiddling around with a tool bar in the heat of battle, just to pull the wrong item and be stuck in an animation. Then to pull out the proper weapon and have it be in the downward position not aimed in. Its a good UI when there's no zombies around or bandits but its clunky in the heat of battle. Don't get me wrong, the animations are cool and having the weapons pointed down option is cool. But it needs to be adjusted. 

 

Honestly in the real world is its not tactical to create more steps for weapons use in a CQB. You want to get to your primary or secondary in a split second. Most CQB operators will say speed is key. In ARMA series, OFP series and Iron Front this was a none issue. These issues I noticed more an more over time with DayZ SA.

Edited February 17, 2014 by CJFlint

[Blades421 66]

i think WarZ might be your game of choice. you can scroll through all your hotbar items instantly (wich is unrealistic)

 

in this game you pretty much are the ''brain'' and you have to tell your body what to do. Its not going to make it simple for you, this is a simulator where everything tries to be real, you as a human WILL DO those ''3 steps'' everytime. Espicailly when you get cuaght off gaurd, you can panic and make mistakes....just be happy we don have to put the saftey on / off.

[CJFlint 357]

Emm, I agree with you on the keeping the realism part, but good realism. I respectfully dis-agree and think the current UI is clunky during battle. It just is. At the min I think that weapons should be its own hot key, and do not think it would harm realism. Also animations should cancel out when you draw a weapon. This dosn't add realism it just adds clunkyness. 

 

Purely hypothedical. If you were eating dinner and someone breaks into your house, would you drop everything and react or would you finish your meal? Then when you go for your gun, would instant your instant reaction be weapon pointed down at your side, taking second to get in the aimed position or would you be aimed in?

 

I totally get what the developers are trying to do. They going for realism. I respect that.

 

Don't get me wrong, there is much I like about DayZ so far. Its really is cool, and I have been enjoying it allot. But there are a few parts of it that needs to be ironed out some.

Edited February 17, 2014 by CJFlint

[Lady Kyrah 1109]

I kinda like that the default position of weapons is "not ready to fire". It means that raising your gun in a threatening pose is a deliberate action.

[TEST_SUBJECT_83 465]

I agree with everything except the weapon down position. I love that space lowers your weapon.

Maybe the default should change to your weapon raised when you pull it out, but removing the lower/raise function...No Way!

[CJFlint 357]

Well the biggest issue I have with it is with the weapons hot keys and animations not canceling in an emergency. I could live with the weapons being in the downward position, when the weapon is 1st drawn. Its a simple space bar to aim in.

 

One idea maybe having quicker draws with certain types of holsters or slings. Which would be realistic.  Say if you have to draw your pistol from your backpack, the time should take longer then if you have it in a chest holster. 

 

Yesterday player ran in front of me and was turned to the side and I was facing toward them. I quickly pressed a button to pull out my pistol, but instead it did something else then at point I pressed 2 to get the pistol out. I did not panic. The person had already turned and shot me. What first was a encounter I could have had an easy prefect side shot, turned into me getting shot due to slow animation and slow game response. There was about 3 or 4 seconds that took place when I 1st saw the person and when I was shot. I left that encounter thinking, "WTF well that was really lame, were was my gun when I really needed it". There few when I was looting or fetching water and a zombie comes out, due to animations I was stuck taking several hits before the animations wore off.   

 

I'm not trying to be a poor sport, it just seems that the UI and animations is abit clunky for combat encounters. Seeing that in DayZ you start completely over again when you die. There already is enough stuff that can kill out side of clunky UI.

Edited February 17, 2014 by CJFlint

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

Stopping an animation should have been integrated right from the first built. Simulator? Yes! -> but what world are you simulating where you prefer getting shot instead of just stopping to eat your catfood?

On the other hand: I never had a problem with the aiming down feature. Just stop running into CQB situation without an aimed weapon or at least a weapon in your hand!

[Nicko2580 398]

I don't think the animations should cancel.

If you've got a rifle slung across your back, you can't make it instantly appear in your hands no matter how much you wish you could. You need to drop what you're doing (yes I agree you should be able to cancel eating/drinking and the item should drop at your feet but it should not be instant), unsling your weapon and aim. 

I don't want that to change personally. I could live with a setting that allowed you to unsling and point the weapon by default, instead of having it pointed at the ground. That would be okay, but I think the animations and the time it takes to draw your weapon all need to stay.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Nicko2580

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

Remeber the launch trailer? [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWg1CCN-IC4&hd=1]
 

00:10 min -> interesting animation for walking while having a rifle inhand. Could be a handy way to solve your problem.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Cosmopolar

[CJFlint 357]

Well realism or no realism the game is pretty buggy currently. I get game crashes quite abit while playing in groups on packed servers.

 

As far as the animations goes I think it needs ironing out. Same with the tool bar and how you access your weapons. I really don't think it adds to any realism, just buggyness and clunkyness.

 

I have played combat sims for years and know the difference between realism and bad ui or animations. 

Edited February 17, 2014 by CJFlint

[minime1000 78]

 

-Quicker Access to weapons! Honestly this has gotten me shot a few times now in close quarters. I think it should go back to being like the AMRA 2 set up just when it come to weapons. Were secondary, primary and axe can accessed quickly and ready to use. I think weapons should be accessed different then the tool bar. There should be hot keys for primary, secondary or axe you can hit were it will stop any animation on the spot. Tool bar I only want to use for none weapon items. Unless I'm missing something.

 

This is an animations issue. Nothing to do with the toolbar.

 

I agree that the animations are way too slow but that is about it.

Edited February 17, 2014 by myshl0ng

[jonathan.rupp92@gmx.de 18]

As stated above (trailer, 00:10), the rifle in hand animation while walking would be cool!

[akafugitive 244]

Primary always on 1

Secondary always on 2

Melee always on 3

Bandages always on 4

Raise/lower on mouse 4

Weapon always at the ready in high contact areas

Weapon raised when clearing corners and entering buildings

This is why my regular character is still my original from the first day...

Edited February 18, 2014 by akafugitive

[Monkfish (DayZ) 339]

-The weapons down position should be something you can chose to do, like sitting down but NOT THE DEFAULT when you pull your weapon out. Why is it like that? It helps nothing and just costs you time. In the heat of battle I want to have the least amount of steps to get my weapon out and ready to fire. Right now, you have to press the hot key, then space bar then right click to aim in. That's 3 steps! And if you press the wrong key you could pull out a pop can, and drink it. In DayZ SA current state I dont really think the weapon's down position serves any use, no one cares weather you gun is down or up. Pretty much if you have any weapon in your hand its KOS. It should be just an option that you can do if you really want to. 

Uh-huh. Three steps, eh? What about 1) press hotkey for weapon you want 2) press right mouse button? This will equip the weapon and immediately raise it up and look down the iron sights. That's only two steps.

 

Also, if an issue you have is pressing a button for a weapon and getting a can of Pipsi instead, perhaps you shouldn't have cans of Pipsi in your hotbar next to your weapons? Jus' sayin' cause, you know, this is a simple fix for a simple problem. My hotbar is;

 

1 - Melee weapon

2 - Weapon 1 (Pistol/Revolver if I have one) 

3 - Weapon 2

4 - Empty

5 - Empty

6 - Empty

7 - Compass (if carried)

8 - Map (if carried)

9 - Rags/Bandages

 

So yeah, no errant cans of Pipsi there. At worst, I'll pull out a different weapon to the one I have or want. Woo.

Edited February 18, 2014 by Monkfish

[CJFlint 357]

Uh-huh. Three steps, eh? What about 1) press hotkey for weapon you want 2) press right mouse button? This will equip the weapon and immediately raise it up and look down the iron sights. That's only two steps.

 

Also, if an issue you have is pressing a button for a weapon and getting a can of Pipsi instead, perhaps you shouldn't have cans of Pipsi in your hotbar next to your weapons? Jus' sayin' cause, you know, this is a simple fix for a simple problem. My hotbar is;

 

1 - Melee weapon

2 - Weapon 1 (Pistol/Revolver if I have one) 

3 - Weapon 2

4 - Empty

5 - Empty

6 - Empty

7 - Compass (if carried)

8 - Map (if carried)

9 - Rags/Bandages

 

So yeah, no errant cans of Pipsi there. At worst, I'll pull out a different weapon to the one I have or want. Woo.

You have 3 slots not being used for the vary reason I'm talking about. It dosn't work all that good, and you know better then to put things in those slots. It's a good work around for the time being, but it still should be ironed out in a patch. The game is in alpha. So I'm simply started this thread in the hopes they in slim chance they might iron out the tool bar in the final release. Or at least have another second option hot key quick key to access your weapon weapons. 

 

Don't get me wrong either. I love having animations in any game. BUT they should be able to be canceled if needed. For realism sake maybe have it so you drop what ever item you were using if you have to cancel.  

Edited February 18, 2014 by CJFlint