Accessibility Suggestions

[Borderlad]

Visibility of (1) Targeting Circle, (2) Targeting Reticle, (3) Combat Special Effects.

Targeting:  I wish I could adjust color, size, and brightness of the targeting reticle and circle, and have outlines with a secondary color (black, if not adjustable).

Special Effects:  I wish I could tone-down the special effects enough to be able to see any of the fighters or the nifty outfits and animations y'all have taken the time and effort to code into the game.

My eyes are ageing.

In Ground Combat:
Once combat begins, I genuinely can't tell whether it's a KISS concert or the finale at Fourth of July.  With the special effects occluding the action, there is currently no possibility of seeing my target circle or my target reticle... and often even the fighters.

In Solo Space Missions:
Both planetary backgrounds and the KISS concert reliably hide my target reticle for 5-10 seconds at a time (long-freakin' time in a fight), multiple times each fight, many times each mission.  In these space missions this is particularly life threatening as there is no tab-targeting.

I'm sure the current settings are peachy-keen for most.  For me, though, once combat begins: depending upon the particular fight, I'm playing the game 50-100% blinded by all the flash & sizzle.

Edited March 13 by Borderlad

[Rohndogg]

On 3/7/2024 at 3:07 AM, phourbin said:

thanks for wasting my time

This feels like an inflammatory and unnecessary comment and you didn't even elaborate.

This is a discussion forum. We discuss things here.

On 3/7/2024 at 12:29 AM, phourbin said:

The maps can be confusing, so more detail in the maps so we know where to go bc topography levels aren't represented. if we are below the mark on the map, make the mark darker to indicate we are below, if we are above the mark, make it lighter/pale so we know we have to go down.

I 100% agree with this, I just was talking about it the other day.

On 3/7/2024 at 1:48 AM, Anhkriva said:

You have zero idea how the market works, right?

This was unnecessarily condescending, but ignoring that...

On 3/7/2024 at 1:48 AM, Anhkriva said:

Inflation and high prices are caused by players having too much money, increasing the rewards for quests will make everything even more expensive...

They can't cut prices on GTN because it's not them who set them, only the players.

Introducing a low selling price limit will cause people to sell more valuable items outside the GTN, which is irritating for both the seller and the buyer.

Let's also remember that recent changes in GTN have already reduced the prices of many things.

This is all correct and factual. The devs can't just magically reset the economy, it's a self driven entity at this point. The devs are already working in the direction of lowering prices.

On 3/7/2024 at 12:29 AM, phourbin said:

10) Give subscribers a 15% discount on all things in the Cartel market.

Why? They already give you 500 free coins every month and 100 more for having a security key. AND free coings on the galactic seasons. Like 1000+ every season.

On 3/7/2024 at 12:29 AM, phourbin said:

11) also, when we pick out 2nd combat style, let us pic from both lists and make a true cross-class. If this is too powerful/complicated when we pick our combat style, let us at least choose 3 abilities from the other list to make a cross class.

Way too complicated to allow picking abilities from other classes. We already get 2 styles which is more than most games give you. If I pick a class in most games I'm stuck in that class. There's too many differences between jedi roles and non-jedi and it can break cutscenes and stories if they include that and would be a ton of extra work on the devs. It's not worth it.

On 3/7/2024 at 12:29 AM, phourbin said:

5) If at all possible, update the graphics. some look great and some are "meh."

Already have done this on some planets, but the engine is 15ish years old iirc, there's only so much you can do without completely rebuilding the game.

On 3/7/2024 at 12:29 AM, phourbin said:

3) Let us design our own ships. Make it a "piece it together" type system. Get engines, cockpit, hull, cargo bay, ect. With enough options this would be fun and make great quest lines. Or just give us options to buy different ships like pvp.

Love this idea, but that's a TON of work and I want other things more. But I would REALLY love this. +1

On 3/7/2024 at 12:29 AM, phourbin said:

4) Dyes that last. One time use is annoying. Make the dye available/bound to the character so it can be used again. Maybe limit it to 3 uses?

Most dyes are craftable and easy to make. Cartel ones are meant to drive revenue so I'm fine with them being one time use.

I guess my point is you have some good points. You also have a demanding tone on some of these but let's move by that. Your reply of wasting time was unnecessary, rude, and undermines what was otherwise a decent suggestion entry. You had some non-starters that will never get off the ground, but there's some good stuff in there too. That unfortunately then was overshadowed by a poor attitude.

Nobody wants to work with a jerk.

But most importantly... You're in the wrong thread. Each of these needs to be their own thread. This is for accessibility issues. These are not that other than maybe the map one.

Edited March 26 by Rohndogg

[Rohndogg]

On 3/13/2024 at 7:04 AM, mirrordances said:

The main story was already painfully flashpoint-gated. Now the new Stronghold I was excited to explore is ALSO flashpoint-gated? Who thought it was a good idea to force FPs to complete GS??? I'm so demoralized now. I don't know if I'll have the energy/time/motivation to do much of GS 6 (after getting 100% completion on all the previous seasons - which at no point required me to do flashpoints!)

I posted about this earlier in the thread, but to summarize: flashpoints are very bad for my chronic pain and fatigue, because they're lengthy content that you can't pause or log off during. I suggested checkpoints at bosses, so that a disabled player like me could do a FP in sections, or quit after a boss if I'm too tired to continue without losing all progress. (And no, I don't do ops either. Way too physically stressful and I don't want other people to have to rely on me if I may need to flake at any time because of a symptom flareup.) (Also, please don't tell me FPs are fast and easy. Maybe they are for you. Not for me.)

I'm having even more health problems these days (fun times with Long Covid!) and I don't even do guild events I can't leave at a moment's notice anymore. I want to be able to play new SWTOR content without having it constantly shoved in my face that this game is meant for the able-bodied only.

You can run story modes and easily take breaks. The afk timer is 15 minutes and moving one step resets it. You can easily start it, do what you can and come back to it later. If you do afk, I believe it holds boss completion progress as long as it's not Tuesday, I think a patch will reset it but I'm not sure.

The big thing is I sympathize and understand the content is not something easy for you to complete. But I believe there's a way to complete it in story mode and at least get through the stronghold content without too much issue as you will be able to take breaks for the pain or other issues.

I do like the idea of a more defined checkpoint system in flashpoints. I think there's room to make it more accessible.

Unfortunately it's an MMO and group content is the focus. We're spoiled by the class stories and similar content that makes it feel more like a single player game with multiplayer options. But it's not that.

Maybe recruit a friend or two (people you know and understand your circumstance, not randoms) to join for the story mode to make it faster?

I'm not sure if I have any other suggestions. Have you tried running Solo/Story modes with breaks like that in the past? If so, is there a reason it didn't work out?

[LD_Little_Dragon]

1 hour ago, Rohndogg said:

Maybe recruit a friend or two (people you know and understand your circumstance, not randoms) to join for the story mode to make it faster?

 

You can't do that anymore.  Ever since the Traitor arc introduced solo/story (as opposed to the older story flashpoints) you have no way to get anyone to help you with advancing the story past the flashpoint.

It's the same as most UI/Graphics changes they make, they're made to look pretty and/or flashy with zero consideration paid to accessability.   The loss of the low shader graphics setting in particular make things that much harder to see, and there is pretty much a zero possiblity of the dev's doing squat all about it.

The actual combat difficult has been lowered so that accessability is much better than in the earlier years, but in a lot of other ways changes to the game in recent yeaers have led to it becoming LESS accessable, not more.

Edited March 26 by LD_Little_Dragon

[iShotTSheriff]

A feature that allows players to reset the camera angle to a pre-set default angle with a simple key press would be beneficial. There are instances where my camera angle goes haywire as I click on the screen during combat.

[Rohndogg]

1 hour ago, LD_Little_Dragon said:

You can't do that anymore.  Ever since the Traitor arc introduced solo/story (as opposed to the older story flashpoints) you have no way to get anyone to help you with advancing the story past the flashpoint.

It's the same as most UI/Graphics changes they make, they're made to look pretty and/or flashy with zero consideration paid to accessability.   The loss of the low shader graphics setting in particular make things that much harder to see, and there is pretty much a zero possiblity of the dev's doing squat all about it.

The actual combat difficult has been lowered so that accessibility is much better than in the earlier years, but in a lot of other ways changes to the game in recent yeaers have led to it becoming LESS accessable, not more.

I've definitely done story mode with multiple people since then. You had to each take the mission separately and then just walk in while grouped. You both get a GSI droid too if you only bring 2 people. Used to do it on Black Talon a ton. Haven't done it since 6.something so if it changed since then, but it definitely worked after the traitor arc as I remember doing it on Umbara before. (Note that was a long time ago, July 2020 so it definitely could've changed just later than you're saying)

I will agree on the reduction in accessibility in a lot of ways and it's very disappointing. It's something far too easy to overlook.

But ultimately I'm just looking for options to help people that do have issues have more ways to complete the content. The devs should still improve this and I agreed with the checkpoint thing at least for solo mode content, but we as players in the community can also do our best to aid each other and make up some of that difference.

And I'll reiterate the nice thing about solo modes is it does allow you to step away for up to 15 minutes between movement and be reset with a single key press.

Easiest answer I have is face a corner and set something on your w key and you'll never afk. Boom, instant "pause button" for your flashpoints or any other solo content

[LD_Little_Dragon]

48 minutes ago, Rohndogg said:

I've definitely done story mode with multiple people since then. You had to each take the mission separately and then just walk in while grouped. You both get a GSI droid too if you only bring 2 people. Used to do it on Black Talon a ton. Haven't done it since 6.something so if it changed since then, but it definitely worked after the traitor arc as I remember doing it on Umbara before. (Note that was a long time ago, July 2020 so it definitely could've changed just later than you're saying)

I

The pre kotfe/et flashpoints still let you group up to complete the story.

Post kotfe/et do not.  Umbara doesn't even have a combat support droid.  The solo version you can complete through activity finder (and group up for) is the version without proper cutscenes that does not advance the storyline.
 

To advance the storyline you have to complete the solo-story version, the one with full cutscenes that you cannot group for.

 

Your suggestion to just afk while running into a wall if you need break doing the solo-story is probably the best people can do for now. 

They did add the combat support droid back for the latest flashpoint (Shrine of Silence) which I forgot about, so that's actually a step in the right direction for accessability.

[Rohndogg]

13 minutes ago, LD_Little_Dragon said:

The pre kotfe/et flashpoints still let you group up to complete the story.

Post kotfe/et do not.  Umbara doesn't even have a combat support droid.  The solo version you can complete through activity finder (and group up for) is the version without proper cutscenes that does not advance the storyline.
 

Interesting. And baffling that they would change it. I guess for "narrative reasons?" They've added so many other quality of life changes that taking the grouping away makes zero sense. I do still say that 4.0 through 6.0 was the darkest time. (More like half way through fractured alliances) but things were rough for a while.

I'm trying to remain optimistic as Broadsword stretches their legs.

But add me to the allow grouping for faster story mode flashpoints supporters too since I didn't know that was gone.

[FreanSun]

I would like for my quickbars to be saved when switching combat styles so I don't have to sit there for 5 minutes rearranging my quickbars everytime I switch combat styles.

[SteveTheCynic]

8 hours ago, FreanSun said:

I would like for my quickbars to be saved when switching combat styles so I don't have to sit there for 5 minutes rearranging my quickbars everytime I switch combat styles.

That's what loadouts are for.  Set up one loadout for each style, and switch between the *loadouts* rather than between the styles.

[Strathkin]

On 4/9/2024 at 3:37 PM, FreanSun said:

I would like for my quickbars to be saved when switching combat styles so I don't have to sit there for 5 minutes rearranging my quickbars everytime I switch combat styles.

@FreanSun

Stay in your current Combat Style, then add a 2nd Loudout, then switch to the new Loudout before chaning Combat Styles!  That way if you switch back to your primary it will also remember those...

Call the first your Primary Combat Style, I often do that as "Loadout 1: Solo" for Single Target so for example I often do 4 Loudouts in Total:

• Loadout 1: Solo "Note your combat style & discipline, is show immediately below it"
• Loudout 1: Solo
• Loudout 2: Multi
• Loutout 2: Multi

1. Loudout 1: Solo (Single Target) with Sentinel | Combat
2. Loudout 1: Solo (Single Target) with Shadow | Infiltration
3. Loudout 2: Multi with Sentinel | Combat  --with variations to Ability Tree
4. Loudout 2: Multi with Sentinel | ...
5. Loudout 3: Solo / Multi with Sentinel | Concentration (depending on ability tree) choices.
6. Loutout 3: Solo / Multi with Shadow | Serenity (depending on ability tree) for single or multi.
7. Loudout 4: Tank or Healer (depending on Class) sort of thing, that way names are short.
8. etc...

...

That's just the format I use, but everybody has there own preference. 

Edited April 20 by Strathkin

[Jedi_Daviz]

 I would like to suggest a new mount idea. You kinda of already touched on it with the rocket boots mount combined with mandolarian armor. I would like to suggest a mount that turns any Mandolarian armor jet pack into a working mount that can be activated at will by the player where mounts are permitted. Granted this mount will only work when wearing mandolarian armor that already has a jet pack mounted on the armor.

[Jedi_Daviz]

I would also like to suggest a tech based melee combat style for non force players to do melee combat.

[Anhkriva]

8 hours ago, Jedi_Daviz said:

I would also like to suggest a tech based melee combat style for non force players to do melee combat.

Aren't scrapper and concealment non force melee?

[SteveTheCynic]

7 hours ago, Anhkriva said:

Aren't scrapper and concealment non force melee?

Don't you mean "Operative" rather than Concealment?  And yes, they are, along with PT and Vanguard, but I suspect that @Jedi_Daviz means a "tech hitting stick" melee style, using Techblades or Techstaffs.