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Xenonauts-2 UI/UX Feedback Thread


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Hello - we're currently looking for feedback on the game's UI/UX and it'd be ultra helpful if you could post that in this thread to keep things in one place.

Some questions for you (please do try and be as specific as possible when you answer - screenshots can be helpful if you have time):

- Are there any specific actions that you feel are hard to perform in the game?
- Is there anything which doesn't behave as expected?
- Is there anything you found really hard to grasp initially?
- Anything you're still confused about?
- Any information that you need which the game isn't giving you?
- Any general comments or thoughts on the UI?

Any feedback you have is HUGELY appreciated. X2 is a complex game with a huge number of UI elements, so anything you can give us to help improve the experience is really helpful - many thanks.

Reminder - if you don't currently have access to the beta then you can try the demo here during the Steam Festival - https://store.steampowered.com/app/538030/Xenonauts_2/

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1. Make it easier to access drop ship troop layout. Possible from troop equipment menu

2. Allow filtering out soldiers in barracks. For example if I right click on soldier he will be "grayed out" and next time I change filter he will be moved on the very bottom of the list.

3. Please remember my filters in the barracks until I exit to geoscape.

4. Allow me to switch in combat to see number of TUs I will use for movement. 

5. This might sound like a joke, which sort of is, but if it is possible then hey: Allow me not to interact with metric/imperial system in all sorts of descriptions ;) Use selected all the way through ;)

6. There are instances where enemies are in black undiscovered tiles, but the LOS says I can see them. Please allow me to shoot such enemies? Or maybe this needs tile removal fix. Alternatively have entire map revealed.

7. I had instance when my soldier went unconscious when ending turn inside smoke cloud. Well technically you can see he/she is out through the icons above, but during fight I was more occupied on the middle of the screen and didn't notice this until I cleared the area of the hostiles.  Maybe center on a soldier that lost consciousness with a message, same thing like you do with bleeding?

8. In soldier equipment screen there is a button which adds gas mask when wearing combat armor? Not a clue is it just visual or it does something. It also changes view of MARS vehicle.

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Check this video

It's a bit painful to see but it's interesting since he's a new player and I specially noticed something at the beggining: He didn't realize how to shoot an alien on the above height. I think that's not his fault, even when I never had a problem with this. Maybe the camera should raise a floor when the pointer is over the alien so he could aim properly? Probably there's a lot of solutions for this problem and I swear the aliens on an above floor didn't show if you don't raise the camera but maybe I'm remembering it wrong.

He eventually figured out how to do it properly, btw.

Edited by geno
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3 hours ago, silencer said:

1. Make it easier to access drop ship troop layout. Possible from troop equipment menu

Actually that's already implemented, click on "skyhawk" to do it. Maybe it isn't very noticeable but it's here.

Edited by geno
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Please allow us to bind 'cancel shot/targeting' to a mouse button, preferably right click. Its a bit of a hassle to click on the weapon or grenade again to cancel, especially since the weapon thats currrently selected isnt highlighted that well. I know that right mouse is currently bound to selecting shot accuracy, but I cancel shot targeting more often than I select accuracy.

Apart from that:

- Portrait sizes could be reduced a bit
- Targeting line should be a straight line by now cmon guys 
- I dont think Hidden Movement should be removed, but make it a bit smoother
- Placing the TU bar under the weapon is a bit weird. As a new X2 player I confused it with ammo, TUs to take a shot etc. Of course I'll get used to it very quickly but it doesnt feel right

Another thing is the grenade % to hit system. I'd hoped that this would have been changed from X1. So if it says 60% to hit, what if it misses, does that  mean it will be outside the green square area completely? Its a bit confusing for new players. Grenade misses in general look very goofy with soldiers missing by a mile. It just feels frustrating. But this is getting off topic

Edited by andy079
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The icons on bleeding, war mind need their own pop over message. Right now no one knows what War Mind does, how to "combat" this, what are the chance of panic, mind controll, resistance. If the general hint of HP bar interferes with this, then just move status icons somewhere else.

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19 hours ago, silencer said:

The icons on bleeding, war mind need their own pop over message

I agree. In addition, this information should be additionally displayed in the top menu of soldiers. This is important information for the battle, which the player must always see.

Interface.jpg

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On 2/4/2021 at 1:21 PM, nervous_testpilot said:

- Are there any specific actions that you feel are hard to perform in the game?
- Is there anything which doesn't behave as expected?
- Is there anything you found really hard to grasp initially?
- Anything you're still confused about?
- Any information that you need which the game isn't giving you?
- Any general comments or thoughts on the UI?

Hi. I am quite an experienced Xcom player but probably silly of me..  I found it really hard to understand where is the action points and hit points.. So my eyes tells me it's on right bottom but I mixed the action points and hit points quite a lot! 

I also found it hard to reserve action points for a reaction shot.. Again might be silly of me but it's double clicking on shot type right? 

Since game is 3D now, I thought I could rotate the view in any degree, was a bit surprised to see I can rotate only 90 degree angles.. 

Sometimes the things that are happening right in front my soldiers i.e. some alien popping up and getting shot at was not shown, oddly it was hidden movement.. 

Some aliens who are on watch, kept staring at same direction whether my soldiers are attacking from flanks, creeping to point blank range in their rear... They did not hear it... 

But other than above, a great update from X1 , I immediately found it refreshing and it felt good. The UI is clean and modern looking.  

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1 hour ago, gimli said:

 I found it really hard to understand where is the action points and hit points.. So my eyes tells me it's on right bottom but I mixed the action points and hit points quite a lot! 

I remember having this issue too at the beggining. Eventually I get used to it, but I guess it can led to confussion, maybe the organization of soldier info isn't the best.

1 hour ago, gimli said:

I also found it hard to reserve action points for a reaction shot.. Again might be silly of me but it's double clicking on shot type right? 

It's right click. I think the reserved time units needs more work. Fire modes need a hotkey, reserved TU should be displayed on the avatar at the top of the screen too, some key that can bypass the reserved TU and force your unit to perform actions that consume them. I think that's all

1 hour ago, gimli said:

Since game is 3D now, I thought I could rotate the view in any degree, was a bit surprised to see I can rotate only 90 degree angles.. 

Check the settings, you can configure it.

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Green means HP left and maxium Protection after a Wound is healed for the Mission.

Red shows how hard the Hit was. With Armor and the first hit it is lesser, without Armor it´s harder.

The Demo is good and have more implementations then we Testers have now.

Edited by Alienkiller
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Clicking a unit’s portrait in the bottom center of the screen should center on the unit.

Borderless windowed really should be an option instead of just full screen and windowed.

Doors should be visible on both sides when you see it on one side.  You should not be forced to rotate your camera to find out there is a door there.

The picture below is the same spot rotated. As you can see there are three doors, but you can only tell this from one perspective.  The doors should be highlighted.  Currently you can only tell if you rotate the screen or happen to mouse over where the door is and your cursor changes.

image.png.c82eddb97de80ec240b7e19c90064d07.pngimage.png.facf4b8bb4ecb2e77df03a1cdef51fed.png

image.png.671221c25c368c1e216efde4f5e40aa4.pngIn the old version if you saw it on one side you could see it no matter what 

 

There should be transparency around the mouse so you don’t have to rotate the camera to see on the other side of crates or objects. 
In the current version you can see there is a crate here in this shot.  But in the other three rotations you cannot see the crate at all.
image.png.4837f6f77e068e9a891a93e48efe51a7.pngimage.png.9778fd16a605c3e44f8100a0e91f52f1.pngimage.png.2a8050ad6867309ec467f710b7aa9026.pngimage.png.8a1b76a6c492447dade95d0fd51476a2.png

The old version had transparency around the cursor to see things.  I really think this should be included in the second game.  Its rather annoying to constantly have to rotate the camera around to make sure you don't miss something or to figure out why you can't move because there is a crate you can only see from one angle blocking the path.  

image.png.151c78e046d986404809d018d571c80a.png

Aliens need to have a transparency around them or a red outline like the xenonauts have green outlines (when in line of site).  Currently you could be standing right next to an alien and not even know it because you can only see them from one angle (like the crate I showed above).  

 

The mars weapon platform should not be able to move though a jersey barrier.

image.png.5f1d80be1632fe343611ede2404f5445.png

The green line makes it look like you should be able to move another tile or 2 but in reality you don’t have any movement left.

image.png.e0e6e597308cd5ea6bb58f5cd079adcb.png

Its inconsistent on what you can shoot around and what you cannot. It seems like when you are shooting to the right it lets you shoot but to the left blocks.

image.png.ddb73ea58b97719e49d6964292ed612b.png

The new range limitation is silly.  You used to have green yellow then red ranges with a penalty in the yellow ranges.  Now it just goes from green to red and the distances seem way to short.

The constant popup and down of the hidden movement screen is annoying.  Either do all the movement we can see at one time and hide it or just down have it popup.  It was better with text saying alien movement or friendly movement.

0% block chance should not show up.

image.png.0fe317e66e0b7d1d4107b5d101d96f4d.png

When you click the red alien head it should raise your cursor to the level the alien is on.  Currently when you click it it stays on whatever level you had it on.  This leads to easily clicking the alien and thinking you are firing on it when in fact you are shooting the crate below it. In the original game it would raise your ground height to match the alien level.  This also made it must easier to determine the height of flying units in the old game. Below is a picture of what happens when I click the red Alien Icon currently.  

image.png.3d1a8324d8b46085a78066b93a52b0e0.pngYou can see the selection bot is below the alien.

The following picture is what I feel should happen(just like the old game)

image.png.0fac5b3d8595c859b7d62c6725b06c8c.pngThe reticle is on the same level as the alien and I don't have to change the height to find the correct one.

I wish you could turn the grid on

I liked the old version of shields that had a 100% chance to block damage from the front with a % for sides.  Having only 80% for font significantly lowers the usefulness of shields.

image.png.6b283c8b04b4dd9f7268fa2011b0c4b3.png

I love that aliens stay visible even if the unit that spotted them turns or moves away and loses Line of sight.

 

You guys are doing a great job and I look forward to the new game.  I can't wait until its available on early access so I can go more in depth with it and stream it.

 

Edited by Krevesh
Forgot to add the last line.
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  • 2 months later...
On 2/8/2021 at 3:16 PM, geno said:

I think the reserved time units needs more work. Fire modes need a hotkey, reserved TU should be displayed on the avatar at the top of the screen too, some key that can bypass the reserved TU and force your unit to perform actions that consume them. I think that's all

I second this, I hotkey to bypass the reserve TU would be VERY useful.

I love the possibility to reserve TU, however, very often I need to get beyond the reserve (to move further and hide behind a wall/cover), and having a hotkey to do that quickly would really help as right now it feels like it breaks the rhythm of the game to have to go and right click again to remove the reserve. A hotkey to bypass it (and keep the reserve enabled) would be great !

Thanks

 

Edit: I just found out that you can actually bypass the reserve by pushing the Space key while clicking. I am not sure if that's an expected behavior, but it does allow to consume units in the reserve by doing so. So that's great ! Just let me know if that's a bug or a feature ! :)

Edited by Styx
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  • 1 month later...

RE: The placement of TU and Health bars: I guess they could be placed under the soldier portrait in the bottom centre, similarly to how they are at the top row of portraits. I can see how it can be confusing to have them seemingly be parts of the primary/secondary item slots.

And another note on the bars: I think some colour options would be great. I like the option of looking at the TU bars at the top row to see at a glance who can still act, but it's a little bit hard to make out on my screen, due to the dark blue colour of the bar. If I could make it a lighter colour - say, a bright teal - it would be easier on my eyes.

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  • 2 months later...
On 2/4/2021 at 5:36 PM, silencer said:

1. Make it easier to access drop ship troop layout. Possible from troop equipment menu. 

2. Allow filtering out soldiers in barracks. For example if I right click on soldier he will be "grayed out" and next time I change filter he will be moved on the very bottom of the list.

3. Please remember my filters in the barracks until I exit to geoscape.

4. Allow me to switch in combat to see number of TUs I will use for movement. 

5. This might sound like a joke, which sort of is, but if it is possible then hey: Allow me not to interact with metric/imperial system in all sorts of descriptions ;) Use selected all the way through ;)

6. There are instances where enemies are in black undiscovered tiles, but the LOS says I can see them. Please allow me to shoot such enemies? Or maybe this needs tile removal fix. Alternatively have entire map revealed.

7. I had instance when my soldier went unconscious when ending turn inside smoke cloud. Well technically you can see he/she is out through the icons above, but during fight I was more occupied on the middle of the screen and didn't notice this until I cleared the area of the hostiles.  Maybe center on a soldier that lost consciousness with a message, same thing like you do with bleeding?

8. In soldier equipment screen there is a button which adds gas mask when wearing combat armor? Not a clue is it just visual or it does something. It also changes view of MARS vehicle.

1. Yes, I fully agree with this one. I would also say that it would be better if there were clear icons of what the troop types are in the dropship screen for quick assignment. I usually have 2 snipers at the back door, then a rank of riflemen, and a GPMG on the back doors, with the assault team in the middle and another rifleman between the gunners at the back.

2. I'm not sure why you'd want to do that, but it would be useful to arrange them by type or stats or something. 

3. I'd prefer it stay until I changed it, rather than disappear if I accidentally click to the geoscape

4. I'm not sure what you mean with this one as the remaining TUs are shown already. You can set it so that you will always end the turn with enough TUs for a shot. 

I don't have any comments on the remaining points

 

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5 hours ago, Emily_F said:

2. I'm not sure why you'd want to do that, but it would be useful to arrange them by type or stats or something. 

Soldiers in the army are "sorted" by platoons, squads, branches of service (other). Why is the player not allowed to sort his soldiers into squads, platoons? Or like this? Selecting soldiers with a gray, red, green, blue (other) marker - and when sorting the general list - the colors of the groups in the list do not mix. Or the ability to view and sort the list of soldiers of only one color.

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