Forum Announcement, Click Here to Read More From EA_Cade.
The UI Is Not User Friendly
![[Deleted User]](https://us.v-cdn.net/6022043/uploads/defaultavatar/n3XS60CSRA9RX.jpg)
[Deleted User]
Posts: 0 New Member
I find the User Interface (UI) to be neither user friendly nor intuitive. What do you all think?
1. What time is it?
Why choose white lettering and numbering on a white background? A “clean look” is not more important than legibility. Even adding an option to toggle the transparency wouldn’t help this.
2. The UI is too tiny on some screens, making not only reading the text but clicking on buttons difficult:
And too big on others, interfering with gameplay:
Why is there no adjustment to resolution/screen size?
3. The UI is an organizational mess. You have bounce all over the screen to perform simple functions. You have to mouse click on the bottom in Build Mode to select room options. You have to go up in the right corner to change stories or the wall cutout. You have to go back to the bottom of the screen for more build items. Then up to the top of the middle of the screen to undo options or get the eyedropper. And, back down to the bottom to select the next item. Even after giving some time to adjust and let the feel of the new UI sink in, it still feels awkward and clumsy. It was much more convenient having everything at the bottom of the screen in a condensed format as before.
4. Placement of controls is also inconsistent. For example, in CAS “Save to Library” is in the upper right corner of the screen, but in build mode it’s in the middle. If the upper right portion of the screen is for system-wide controls like game options, saving and using the Gallery, why include the camera, which is disabled in CAS? And, why not include “Save to Library”, which is more a system control than a specific Build Mode function?
5. Some basic options are hidden. It took me a couple of days to find that there was actually a rotate screen option under camera controls since I do use the rotate screen arrows, but not the camera when building. Why do I need camera controls for building? Using the UI isn’t even a good option for camera controls since the movement is jerky instead of smooth.
6. Other features are just absent. There are no buttons for adjusting the camera angle in Live or Build modes. There’s no option to take pictures in CAS. In fact, the UI in CAS is missing many features that would help in creating Sims and custom content like buttons to:
• keep the Sim still
• hide the UI
• strike a pose for taking CAS shots for Sim and CC sharing
• rotate the Sim about in space, particularly useful in creating CC
• choose different lighting options to test speculars, etc.
• view the Sim from game distance or in a furnished environment
7. The UI fails to give some basic information like Sim age, wealth, and job.
When at work, I can’t seen anything. I can’t see how the needs are holding up to tell if I can push my Sim to “Work Hard” or see if he needs more socialization. I can’t even see what time my Sim gets home from work. Why?
8. The UI doesn’t show the baby meters at all. It would be good to know when they’re hungry or need attention. (Also, the baby asleep color looks like sad Sim color.)
9. I can’t play entirely by mouse or entirely by keyboard. Having to jump back and forth between keyboard controls and mouse controls just adds to the disjointed feel and doesn’t take into account accessibility issues, which may make using either the mouse or the keyboard difficult for some people.
10. Back edge scrolling is disabled (especially in Build Mode) because of the UI. This is too basic a function to be disabled. People who use edge scrolling for navigation should be able to use it consistently from screen to screen.
11. There is no menu for hotkeys, keyboard controls, or cheats. Since this new game seems to rely rather heavily on keyboard shortcuts, why not actually include a list of controls in the “Options” or a button right in the UI to access the list? Many games do this these days because the controls do vary between games and take time to get used to. It also alerts players to the ‘hidden’ features that weren’t worth the time and effort to put in if no one can find them.
12. There is no family tree. I know you’re well aware that Legacy style play is popular even among those not playing along with Pinstar’s Legacy Challenge. The absence of the family tree is baffling and sorely felt.
13. There is also no option to sort relationships by family.
14. You added a page of Sim stats, but didn’t include useful information like number of books read, number of pictures painted, number of chess games won, or number of best sellers written.
15. A problem carried over from Sims 3 is the UI doesn’t allow the division of stacks. I can move individual items one by one, or I can move a whole stack, but how do I split off 50 items from a hundred so I can sell them or move them elsewhere?
Also, is there even a way to move stacks once things go into Household inventory? Do I have to move out all 22 date baskets or all 139 apples out one by one?
16. The UI in CAS sits over part of the Sim, so I can’t get the full effect of what I’m trying to do, and there is button or hotkey to hide it.
17. Since the UI is divided into discrete units, why isn’t there a way to move these around the screen like in Photoshop or some other games? It would help alleviate the discomfort of the current UI to be able to do this to user preference.
18. In general, having so many controls shoved in the lower right corner is not ideal. There is a considerable amount of micromanagement in the Sims no matter how you play. It’s how we interact with the game. Meters and controls shouldn’t be shoved in the corner as an aside.
84
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Taking a family from your gallery to the game takes so long through many hoops with a loading screens that felt unneeded. The gallery also doesnt need to default to the Maxis library. When people use it they most likely want to search for All submission.
Also, why is the load save command hiding at a corner only accessible through the main screen?
1. There might not be buttons for adjusting the camera angle in Live or Build Modes, but you can do it by having the Sims 3 Camera enabled and right clicking and moving, I believe (I use the new camera mode, so I forgot if it's right click or the scrolling wheel of the mouse).
2. You can rotate Sims with the arrows at the bottom or with the , and . keys. (Unless I'm not understanding what you mean by "rotate the Sim about in space".)
3. While at work, you can see what time your Sim gets home by hovering over the briefcase icon.
4. Back in TS2 you couldn't see babies' needs either, I (personally) think it goes well because in real life you never really know what a baby needs—they just cry. And the Asleep color is a darker blue, while the Sad color is lighter and brighter.
I do agree with the fact that not being able to see needs or anything while a Sim is not on the lot is pretty frustrating. I would like to leave Sims at home "Taking Care of Selves" and then when their needs are full I can make them skill up or something and not waste time when they're already fine.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post and the helpful response.
1. Adjusting camera angle by mouse hasn't been working for me or some others. So, that adds to the frustration of not having a UI button.
2. I think I might not have been clear on this. By rotate Sim around I mean a 360 like we had in Sims 2 Bodyshop. We could look upskirt, see the bottom of the soles, check the top of the heads when customizing hair, etc.
3. Thanks for this. I had not been able to find it.
4. Not being able to see a babies need might be like real life, but it's not very Sim. If we can see adult needs, why not the baby needs? In real life we wouldn't be able to see adult needs either. The blues of asleep and sad are different, but appear similar when not side by side.
> When at work, I can’t seen anything. I can’t see how the needs are holding up to tell if I can push my Sim to “Work Hard” or see if he needs more socialization. I can’t even see what time my Sim gets home from work. Why?
If you hover over the career icon I believe something pops up saying your career and finish time :)
Yes, but it would be nice if the briefcase item on the sim icon also stated the return time, so that I don't also have to go over to the career icon to check. Especially because all that pop-up message says is that your sim is at work, and the other icon says your sim is at work and lists the return time. They could have both icons just say the exact same message.
The UI is either covering some parts of what a person is looking at, or out of the way to the point of extreme annoyance. I thought I was the only one who really dislikes this clunky UI.
If a person can't easily use a user interface they won't play much or do anything much.
It was in the way in CAS, I had to turn the Sims and work on the other side of the face due to the UI icons covering up one side of the head, to having to look up, look down, hit a key on the keyboard, open the hidden camera control back and forth etc. (while in game).. It was a pain in the rear end.
It's more like someone never actually played The Sims series and had no idea why things were on the bottom where they belong because that is where the eyes rest 90% of the time. It's got a big F from me concerning the UI. And the camera controls and the missing head btw.
ETA: for clarity my paragraphs were a mess. lol
It's copypasted from Sims 3/Sims Medieval and while I could bare it there, I've expected a better inventory system in Sims 4.
Not saying other things can't be better, for example why traits can't be sorted alphabetically? But I just wish the inventory wasn't such a mess.
Yeah, transparency does that sort of thing. I had problems when just wanting to pick up something in the houses and just move the object, like couch. Think on this awhile when you are playing. Where are your eyes resting? Are you looking up at the top of the screen or is your head slightly bent and you are looking downward slightly when playing. Now, move your eyes to the top right, is that comfortable? I doubt it, because most games the eyes rest in a downward position while playing Or straight forward. It's easier on the eye and hand to be honest, to look down or to the left when using a UI. This is why the camera controls and the build/buy icons needed to stay in the left hand corner or at least near the avatar somewhere.
I agree. I quite like it. I rarely have the needs panel or any of the others open for very long. I do a quick check and see what each Sim needs and then close it back down again.
I do like this as well - hotkey the needs open to check, close down and carry on. The little yellow/red highlights in the corner are enough of a warning for me to know to check again if I haven't done it on my own.
What a surprise.
ROFL
The Winters family Tree --- My Mods
You know, it never even occurred to me that someone creating the game might not have played it very much. But, now that you mention it, I was rather surprised to hear @SimGuruAzure admit to not being a Sim player in the Live Stream. I didn't expect that most of them would have played much, but I did think they all would have at least logged in quite a few hours of 'product research'.
Although some people will, of course, like the new UI, you're definitely not the only one who doesn't like the change. The Sims 4 overall feels rather uneven -- like there are areas they spent lots of time honing and some that were overlooked for whatever reason. The UI feels like an area that didn't get much polish. I understand a desire to go for a cleaner, slicker look, but the way it is now sacrifices a lot of function for that look.