The New Interface (Please read this post before posting any reply)

You're right a person that is totally blind can't play a visually graphic desinged game like doom or GW. It would be impossible to design these type of games for blind persons. But this is not the case, the ADA requireas that companies make reasonable accomadations to persons with legal defined disabilities. Now can GW fall under that, I'm not a lawyer, but the old interface did not cause problems for visually impaired, the new one does.

Did they change it maliciously? No. Do they know about it? Yes. Therefore it could be concluded that they designed a product that specifically and unnecessarily excludes persons with certain visual impairments. And they have the ability to correct it, but don't. That could fall under the ADA. Besides that's what legal precedent is for.

Frankly I think that we should give them more time. The new interface is only a week old, let them tweek it.

But, the develiopers need to think about this.

Will the going back to the old interface cost them customers, probably not.

Will the new interface cost thenm customers, definitely yes.

From a pure marketing stand point it is better to go back.

Me personally I don't care either way about the new ui. As much as I hate to see people leave over this issue, this will not cause me to not buy chapter 3; although it is on the list of reason not to.

This is an unpopular change that serves no porpuse, and can and should be removed

1. The ADA does not apply to Digital Entertainment like Video Games.

2. Yes, the New changes will take a while for some to get used to.

3. Marketing won't suffer from not targeting 0.5% of certain game players.

The Video Game Industry regulates itself when it comes to Accessibility. They don't have to do it though.

Actually the ADA is so vauge that it applies to what ever the judges says it applies to, that is one of the major aguments against the ADA. No one wants to fix it because no one want to be label as anti disble persons.

I deal with ADA issues every day, that's part of my job, so I cordinate with our legal department all the time. Which means I have enough knowledge to be dangerous, but not enough to be useful.

GW will survive this, many companies survive when they decide a certain percentage of their customer base has to go, mine did.

Back on topic, the new interface pysically hurts some people, I doubt that was the intention. So it shuold be fixed.

You are nitpicking, just like I did with your spelling. The ADA does NOT cover Video Games. ITs Software that is NOT used by the Federal Government and Its not a Public Place and its not Information Technology.

Anyone can "TRY" to sue, but they will argue that the game is too visually intensive to make it 100% compatible with visually impaired patrons. Which is true.

Once again if its hurting your eyes, go to the doctor.

I think this thread derailed 5 pages ago.. close it..

Also does anyone know if the new UI is to blame for the lag?

i have had no difference in lag with either UI.

i do not lag at all

My post do not seem to show up all the time anymore.

Well... I do not live in America, and I do not think I would bother with anything like that anyway... to many friends play Guild wars, thats why I want to play... to be with them. I would never hurt that game, I love the people on it way to much and I know that would hurt them... If I could or was that is.

I think all Gaile Gray should do is appologise for the way she has acted. I am gone as of Sunday but, lots of people ot say bye to. Or I would be gone now.
stay safe everyone. I will keep checking back here till sunday anyhow, incase something does come up which can change the situation.

~ }å{ ~

~Jenias Perta Ectara

NOOO
dont leave me


i told u i didnt want to say goodbye...

I think you’ll also need to borrow her eyes to see how it appears to someone with visual impairments, slight flaw in your plan.

I think Jenias has overreacted slightly to gails post, but then gaile is good at getting a bad reaction from people, and in essence has said, deal with it.

Guild Wars support suggested that I leave the world of Guild Wars, about 5 minutes ago a friend of mine got a response.

'We're certainly sorry to hear that you feel that your only option is to leave the world of Guild Wars. However, we are unable to change the interface in any way.'

does this mean they can only ever change the interface once? Just because they changed it once doesnt mean we can ever change it again?

I find this sad but understandable. I just dislike they think I posted this message because of my personal taste. Infact it sickens me.

~Jenias Perta Ectara

please note one important item.

the first response to a new support ticket is always an auto response to what was asked and helps thin out the more complicated problems.

their response that they cannot change the interface is correct since they are technical problem people and changes come from the development team.

that would be the same as calling a mechanic and asking him to change the design of the car model.

it simply is not his department or within his power to influence

Then they should not speak on behalf of them. Actually my friend was asking on if he should leave or not, what was their advice on the situation. He got it, but I do not see why they had the little blurb on behalf of them.

I am going to be in game a little bit till sunday, just checking on a few, though I am leaving this post to it's own. I am moving on-

Goodbye to all my angels, may you rest in peace and I wish you luck upon your journey into the next. May you be protected now and protect others in your lives to come.

~ }å{ ~
Thank you everyone

Sealed with all my heart and love.

~Jenias Perta Ectara

Online gaming = serious business

sorry to hear the colors hurt your eyes :'( was the old one decent? Maybe they could just make use be able to change it back

nice
i hope u find a really good guild that u can play nightfall and stuff in and make a big guild to win games and stuff like that

good luck and light speed

.... Did I miss somthing? Are you replying to a messege from before or did you not read the topic? Sorry but that post seemed really random.

I agree, the new interface kinda sucked. I swear, when I played on my monk, I couldn't even tell who was poisoned or bleeding on the party window because everything was flashing and lighting up when I moused over it...gave me a headache within a minute or so...

crap I finally get on here and hear she's leaving? dang it...was gonna see if I could help her out...see everytime an enemy cassts a spell and the little spell Icon flashes it well....hurts....the colors on the bars are too much for me too.

infact I agree tere should be a feature to change to an older interface if wanted...
I sign no only for myself, but for those who are having the same problem and are unable to sign themselves!

and before I forget, if you do have to find a new game, may it be what you've been looking for. May the ppl be as nice to you as they were on GW and may your char's coffers never run dry and you alway have the stuff you need!

Just got done reading the topic in its entirity. Sorry to hear about your problems with the UI Jenias. Hope things work out for you.

I'm a graphic designer with UI design exerience and I'm not fond of the new UI either. To my eyes its a little overblown and not terribly attractive. The color use is more distracting than informative. I'd rather have the UI of a more consistent perceptual level so I could focus more on the action at hand, glancing at the UI when I choose. I know what I am looking for in the UI after 1000+ hours of play. I dont need to be hit on the head with it, especially when some parts of it also dont really make color sense. Some do seem to like it though, so my comments are of course simply subjective. Everyone is different. Can I get used to the new UI? Yeah I suppose, though I fail to look at that as an improvement per se. At its best its simply different with some shortcomings that have been pointed out (dead party members vs disconnects, interrupts, readability on the purple bars).

It'd be nice to see customization options for the UI in the future or, at the very least, the ability to switch back either to the original UI or a new one in line with the new coding protocols that approximates the "classic" look. Maybe the backend can be modified such that themes can be implemented, if it isnt already set up that way. It'd be a nice touch.

Please do not turn this thread into a "Goodbye" thread. Such threads are not allowed and are subject to closure and/or deletion.

Please get back on topic.


Swampgirl

In the event that the UI gets any worse, or GW does one more update/nerf than I can't stand, I've been looking at 2 games called 9 Dragons and Carpe Diem. CD has a really interesting feature, the main baddie is a real person and can throw a few curve balls in an area if you are steamrolling it.

9 Dragons is based in China durring the Ming Dynasty and claims to use authentic martial arts moves. The graphics aren't quite as good as GW but better that others, it is schedule to come out sometime this years. CD is still in developement.

You can look at mmorpg.com for more games.

I would say give it time, considering how many people are having problems, I believe that they will have to change it to something different.

Jenias, excellent post. I for one have no problems with this new interface (I actually enjoy it more) but I completely disagree that Anet does not let people choose which to use. There should be a new option in the F11 window that would let you switch back and forth between the two settings. I am sure that once Anet learns of the many people suffering because of the update they will change it. (Hopefully they will let people keep it if they so choose! =P) I have never contacted Anet before, and for a company so strongly dedicated to customer support I find it difficult to believe that it could be so complicated.

Good luck in all that you do


Rurik

I'm glad I saw this thread, I too have had some eye straining problems with the new color setup, when it first occured I had made a topic on gamefaqs about the new interface and how it was causing me eye strain. I was hoping at first that the new color scheme was for the nightfall PVP event only, which seemed logical to me since it came so close to the nightfall preview event. When the colors were not reset after the event ended I hoped that there would be an option to change the colors figuring this new color setup would be called "nightfall" and the old colors would be "classic" or something similar. I think it's an obvious statement the new color scheme is not exactly pleasing" to the eyes unfortunately. I'm a fan of the saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it", although I don't mind change going from the classic and accepted style to one that is straining is one of those things that should be left alone. Anyway I hope for your sake, my sake, and anyone else having to strain playing a game they love that we can get some "style selection".

He means the health bar turns pink when suffering from bleeding, like when it turns green when poisoned......this is a good improvement IMO.
But the point about distinguishing between a dead ally & a quitter/dropout ally is a point I agree with 100%. In game we need to know the difference quickly, or we are rezzing an ally who has left the game instead of fighting a foe. This can make all the difference between success & failure of a fight sometimes. Please look at distinguishing these two.

sigh...Its so sad to see so many bastards in the world....And i dont mean the people debating, nor the Realists, I mean the bastards who post on this topic with the intent of hurting peoples feelings....

Still Im sorry to hear this didnt work out, and i feel kinda guilty (for a reason im not quite sure about) that ill still be able to play....

I wish you the best of luck in all things...and dont forget, in a year or even a couple of months (knowing how fickle anet can be, and i dont mean that in a bad way) the interface could have changed again. Im sorry to have never met you but I wish I had, gd luck

you'll have 2 excuse the spelling im tired and annoyed.....

It's pink?

Wow, I always thought it was gray.

Check your color settings.

Its funny how people never have problems with color until something really colorful is on screen.

Can I check my deuteranopia at the door, too?

You can try.

Just because you have a problem, that you already know there could be difficulties, doesn't mean they have to scrap all their hard work and start over.

If you really can't play anymore then ask for a refund and move on. Whining about it does nothing.

although i do like most of the new changes we could be given a choise, in the options menu for example, if you wanted to use the new or the old skin, not saying it's possible, just a suggestion
since with the new skin my frame rated dropped more frequently than before. Although my pc is not recent it's fairly okay and it was fine before, i'm not the only one with this problem, some of my guild mates have it as well.

need to do some updates now =\

I wasn't whining. I was being a smartass when Omega told me to adjust my colour settings. Even if they weren't set well (and believe me, I've asked numerous people), colour settings don't mean sh*t when your eyes are physically unable to distinguish certain shades.

I never said I couldn't play - that's you embellishment, and it isn't what I'd call true. I've enjoyed this game for 14 months and presumably will continue to enjoy it indefinately.

people have commented that they like some of the functional changes which seems to me that it was more than just a cosmetic skin change.

if more than just a visual change of the old code it would be hard to try to flip back and forth.

Gaile said they were not scrapping months of work spent on this and i dont see a art department skin change eating up that much time

The only 'functional change' I've noticed is a delay on skill activation.

What Gaile can't tell you plainly, but what is true and stated by Trance several times, is that this is at the end of the day a business. It is not only a business, but it must be first and foremost. Servers take money to run, and developers need a steady stream of income to feed their families.

This thread is a microcosm of how insurgencies start. A sizable number of people have a minor or moderate problem with a change in the game. No one is compelled to affect change in their own right, however, because the change is not so damaging as to rob the experience of its enjoyment. However, a single instance of extraordinary circumstance occurs, and the formerly listless group of people springs into action. In reality only a few people have legitimately dire issues, or even issues that seriously threaten their enjoyment. Still, we all want to "sign" because we care. That's fine. I don't want anyone to leave the game. The problem is the momentum of emotions causes us to overreact. People end up encouraging lawsuits and calling ArenaNet heartless, even accusing the company of wanting players to stop playing, against all logic.

Look, AreneNet cares, and without making assumptions as to the programming limitations of the code itself, they want to help. If they could accommodate the OP easily, they would I believe. Fact is, someone at the company thinks there's greater appeal with the new GUI, and abandoning it because a few people have a major problem is not just inconvenient, it's bad policy. I started playing the game with Factions, and I enjoyed it so much I went back and bought Prophecies. I would have never bought Prophecies otherwise. Maybe the updated look will attract players that otherwise would not have given the game a look...who knows. ArenaNet is looking to grow membership to support the other types of enhancements and expansions its greater player base wants.

Any company that assuages the outlying few at the expense of the masses is a company that does not stick around. That's how it should be, as well. As a matter of policy, businesses must listen to the majority, or the majority goes elsewhere. There's no lack of MMORPGs out there. Another way to view this is that if ArenaNet decided to start making exceptions to the vast minority as many of you are suggesting here, who is to say when they should do so? Why make an exception on the GUI, but not on some other subject? Unfortunately, you can't please everyone, but it's much more manageable as a business to alienate the few as opposed to the many.

What irks me is the implicit declaration that ANet doesn't care. They are a business. They are here to make money. More than that though, I'm sure they have respect for their fan base. It is for that reason partially that they want to follow a path of decision-making that will garner more subscribers and please the masses. By doing this they are helping the community out directly, and indirectly, as only financial success ensure further support for the GW community down the road.

Again, I like the GUI, and I think that as time passes the community will further embrace the change. Sorry to inject some pragmatism into the thread, but though we all play in a fantastical world...we live in a real one.

IDK about every one else... but i liek it all new as it is.. it looks cleaner and smoother.. maby the option to go from this one to last maby even the 1st ones can u remember guys?

I agree, the colours are odd and the transitions between colours are too sharp and/or pixelated. Please ANet fix!

Ok, if you are easily offended please skip my post. I really don't want to offend people, but I have to comment on the post quoted above.

I have seen tons of posts this thought out on GWGuru, so what makes this one different? I don't think that just because someone states they have disabilities and that Guild Wars is their "home," should change anyones minds about what the post is saying. If you remove all of that stuff then the post is really just "I might have to quit GW because of recent interface changes."

I think it is unfair to others who have made posts where all of the text is relevant to have someone who posts like this get what they want for the sole reason that they are disabled, and the fact that they are disabled should have no consequence on changes.

I am in no way saying anything against disabled people. I am only saying that it is unfair to others who have had well thought out posts for someone to come in and type a few lines of complaint, and then rely on sympathy to get what they want. I also feel that if this thread gets marked 5 stars, so should a lot of other threads I have seen.

The new UI sucks especially to us veterans.

Opinions LOL. I've been playing since release for over 2000 actual hours and I like the interface. But I also play about 15 minutes a day now, so it doesn't matter much, but the few hours I played with the new interface didn't bother me a bit.

the big + sign annoy me, you dont need a BIG BIG button just for adding people to the group