Is it possible to have a button that allows us to highlight items that we can interact with?

[BrendanDH]

Hi, I have just stared playing and this is a feature I have always relied on when playing CRPGs like this. I feel a little lost without it. Would it be possible to implement?

[Aurarion]

I missed the button at first, too, but now I rather enjoy not having it so I have to look around the area more thoroughly compared to rather mindlessly pressing a button to show me where everything is lying around.

[Jolly]

Eh, I don't consider hovering over every pixel on the screen constantly to be a challenge or fun. In this style of game you kind of need the highlighting (vs 1st person like Skyrim where things stand out more).

[Event Horizon]

We are still torn about that, doing that is not difficult, but it would make the game so different. We put a lot of effort into creating nice and different environment where some things are hidden - but visible - e.g. small treasure glisten with light when approached from certain angle.

In the past there was a big discussion about that - and most players actually preferred to have it as is now - look around and see, rather than click on tooltip names without thinking.

Perhaps we can do it as an option?

[BrendanDH]

Originally posted by Event Horizon:

We are still torn about that, doing that is not difficult, but it would make the game so different. We put a lot of effort into creating nice and different environment where some things are hidden - but visible - e.g. small treasure glisten with light when approached from certain angle.

In the past there was a big discussion about that - and most players actually preferred to have it as is now - look around and see, rather than click on tooltip names without thinking.

Perhaps we can do it as an option?

Sorry if this discussion has already been had and thanks for replying.

From my point of view I feel the game has a nice rhythm to it with the slow time instead of the pause and the environment.

Stopping to search around the screen kind of breaks that flow for me.

I know this is probably a disruptive idea in that it may take some development work but maybe a character having a passive search skill may let people like me sacrifice a combat skill to search while those who are happy to look around themselves get a bit of a benefit in combat.

[Terroni]

Having it available as an option seems like the best idea. If you want to pixel hunt you can, and if you don't you have the button.

[Event Horizon]

We are constantly torn about this - so far more votes are to keep it like it is now. Players comment that they like to watch for treasures or crystals in the dark places- that reflect the light when you move around. We will think about it. Giving the option - true - seems like the good choice.

[greenbrog]

I much perfer the way it is now.

[sonofanu]

I like it how it is. In games with highlighted pickups, you are doing an injustice to the world you have designed, because the entire world becomes nothing but the PC sprites and shiny things amongst randomness. There is no reason to focus on anything else on the screen, and you lose a lot of the ambience. It makes sense in an ARPG where the whole idea is kill kill kill loot loot loot power play, but I don't think it would be a good fit here to the overall slower burning story and journey around the world you have made.

[It´sAllAimAssist]

Aren´t most things that U can either use or pick up pretty easy to spot though with a distinct look and visual effect in some cases ?

I prefer it this way over the meta glow button..but that also relies on usable object being easy to spot and not like in some games where they look like part of the background..

I agree with the poster above me he said it well.

[Patola [Linux]]

I understand that some people prefer to hunt the detailed environments and objects, but I too would prefer to have it either as an option or as an in-game power (like the perception ability in Wasteland 2 and Sword Coast Legends). I think that is a feature of modern RPG games that just like micromanagement avoidance in strategy games, make the game more enjoyable. Yes -- there is even a genre of hidden object games, but on the other hand there are people who want to be as far from that as possible. So, please make it optional... Or a middle-ground like the perception ability.

[mcdatho]

Nooo pls, I like the way is now, this is a diferent game.
Players must get used to the mechanics of the game, not the game itself.

[Patola [Linux]]

Originally posted by mcdatho:

Nooo pls, I like the way is now, this is a diferent game.
Players must get used to the mechanics of the game, not the game itself.

In general, yes, but not to the point that the mechanics of the game become an obstacle for its intended players, and as I said, the "hidden objects" trope does not have an universal appeal. Alas, the game does not even favour noticing these hidden objects since it doesn't have camera zoom and angles to help. So it is a dissonant point to require the user to hunt pixels for a recognizable important object.

[Dogtown1]

I think the choice is obvious

give the player the choice
if you like the idea of pixel hunting for hidden objects...then please feel free
if you want a shortcut key to show items to interact with, then hit the button in options

make everybody happy and sell more games

[꧁I꧂The Stone Dildo ꧁I꧂]

Originally posted by Event Horizon:

We are constantly torn about this - so far more votes are to keep it like it is now. Players comment that they like to watch for treasures or crystals in the dark places- that reflect the light when you move around. We will think about it. Giving the option - true - seems like the good choice.

I'm a lazy and simple man. Id just make it where when the player ascends the throne in the beginning the attunement to the tower lets him sense hidden treasures lost to time. Put an icon in the UI that lights up or makes a small audio noise near said hidden treasure--then have a push to highlight button that DOES NOT have a toggle mode, and DOES NOT highlight the secret ones, but DOES highlights the obvious click-ables.

I get wanting to protect the integrity of your assets. I've just had the unfortunate experience of being a one eyed, partially color blind, huge bearded & homeless looking pirate. So I know what its like to think you see, but suck terribly at it. I'm still shocked I didn't hit anyone when driving a car.

PS
Your games sexy and fun so far.

[Torias]

Just starting the game. I really want a toggle to permanently highlight all interactable objects.

Beauty is nice. screwing up the pacing because everything takes longer to randomly mouse over the screen is not.

As a developer, you know where things are, you know the tip and tricks used to reveal stuff... you know the philosophy and style used when designing and placing stuff.... To be honest, as a developer, your perception of the experience playing the game is kind of worthless.

As a player, I have no knowledge of the tips / tricks / philosphy / style you use to reveal stuff. For me, I have to mouse over every thing that looks like a statue to see if it has some nice description.

For me, as a player, I want the choice of trading off between
* beauty
* not enduring tedious slow play.
* experiencing the game and it's nuances (eg, finding an "ancient scroll" next the waterfall in the starting area with the 2 characters).

so, yeah, feature request for me to sacrifice the beauty in exchange for getting rid of the tedium.