Hey Frosty(or any dev that works on the UI) any word on new art assets????

[Darej]

Your not the only one thinking this way.

On the skindefinition file and the skin directory file they do intend to expose those buttons code's and can be disable if some one was willing to tweak the code for every panel which I doubt.

But could be disable on the primary panels as in the character sheet.

This what I think that's why there reluctant to relase a skin pack at this moment.

well...nothing wrong with getting rid of the big coins and filigree...the button would still be there.

and while i can understand to a point their reluctance for this...

the fact remains.....we have been sending tells...and posting threads about this since update1

and all we are asking is....just let us know..are you gonna continue support...or not?

we just wanna know if we are wasting our time on a community feature thats no longer supported

[Faegwen]

I loved the idea of customizing my UI and seeing some my favorite user UIs like the hobbit shire one. I was even giving thought of creating one for my own kinship. I would love fr turbine to bring the art assests back to be able to make this possible so both my kin and my self can enjoy other people's beautiful and wonderful UIs as well as make our own.

[Peppermintt]

i really enjoyed using UIs and it would be wonderful if you could bring the art assests back so we can continue to use them

[rothdin]

I feel that everyone is different and that the UI should different for everyone too. I don't think its too much to ask for some individuality.

[Fredelas]

According to Frosty's profile on lotrointerface, he has visited and logged into that site as recently as February 8th, 2011.

So we know he's still out there keeping an eye on us, at least.

[slack_n_hash]

Even if it is too much work to get the whole set, I would love to just get the skin definition for the character panel.

In the meantime, I'll be playing around with the old one to see how many of the old panel components are still used.

Does anyone know whether there are any consistent naming conventions for the store buttons?

[CWood]

Even if it is too much work to get the whole set, I would love to just get the skin definition for the character panel.

Me, too:

<Mapping ArtAssetID="big_honkin_class_i con" FileName="invisible.tga"></Mapping>
<Mapping ArtAssetID="big_honkin_shield" FileName="invisible.tga"></Mapping>
<Mapping ArtAssetID="fugly_blue_backgro und" FileName="invisible.tga"></Mapping>
<Mapping ArtAssetID="fugly_blue_header" FileName="invisible.tga"></Mapping>

Does anyone know whether there are any consistent naming conventions for the store buttons?

There's no consistent naming conventions for anything. Why would the store buttons be any different?

Some of them do contain "MTX" in some form or another, but those were just coin icons, not the buttons themselves. I haven't found where (or if) they're used.

[DaimonUI]

Even if it is too much work to get the whole set, I would love to just get the skin definition for the character panel.

In the meantime, I'll be playing around with the old one to see how many of the old panel components are still used.

Does anyone know whether there are any consistent naming conventions for the store buttons?

Thinking with the picture I say we need them all, not just the new character panel. And it is probably easier for them to release it all and not starting to pick up a few parts here and there.

That's probably the reason why we haven't seen the new art asset pack as they are afraid we would remove the store buttons.

Must say now that I finally got my hands on the Update 2 the store button amount have sky-rocketed and with a vip account it is really starting to finally get to me. They are just everywhere now. I wouldn't probably mind them if they were smaller, like an small icon here and with all those huge buttons all around I'm really starting to dislike the UI.

If I had access to the buttons I wouldn't remove them completely as I can see their usefulness (being as Store itself is so annoying to browse - hardly can find anything there and it's so damn slow too) but I would make the buttons smaller and remove the unnecessary text from them (I mean really, do you really have to spell with a big text this is where you can buy a new outfit slot as it's pretty obvious what the link does even without the text - makes me think they think i'm completely idiot or something).

Seriously Turbine. Fix your UI more user-friendly and stop underestimating your customers. Hire some UI developers. The UI in MMO's is a very important part of the client. Blizzard knew this years ago and they knew how to take advantage of the free workforce they have in the form of the community. The game would have died long ago without that community.

Lua support in Lotro is a step to a better direction but it really isn't enough and looking how slow that project is moving along it will takes us years before we can make the UI we want it to be. Lotro was released 2007 and for 4 years we have had to stare the same damn old UI - and without the art assets we can't even skin it anymore.

Anyways. Back to the topic.

New Art Asset Pack. Please.

[slack_n_hash]

If I had access to the buttons I wouldn't remove them completely as I can see their usefulness (being as Store itself is so annoying to browse - hardly can find anything there and it's so damn slow too).

Same here. I much prefer to launch the store right into the item I want.

The first thing I would do would be increase the size of the panel (hi-res monitor) so that I can see all of my stats at once.

Then I would rearrange the avatar panel and slots, as I use a huge custom Dressing Room when I want to try things on. I could probably do the avatar now but there is bound to be something new that I don't know the name of and can't move.

[Gspawn26]

Turbine,
please address this skin asset issue as you have alot of po'ed customers who are only trying to enrich the community and you are choking off creativity that would do nothing but improve the looks and increase interest in this boring,blah thing you call a UI.
Again, please, release the assets so others can help.
Cheers

[Terranji]

+1

Give people the tools they need to work on the UI's.

[enemy2k7]

Please release the art assets, my current favorite UI is DaimonUI Mini, I love minimalist UIs. Please help out the UI skinning community and release them!

[Imayo]

We definitely need the new assets. My poor UI looks nasty with the new changes.

If they don't want to manually upload the new asset pack each time, then they should put a new folder in the patch downloads that includes the default skin assets and skin def files then we could just copy that folder each update to act as our template.

[aleczander]

There's probably a big, ongoing fight/debate between devs and marketing right now...about.. giving players the ability to get rid of all those strategically-placed store buttons..
You blame them?

Big Brother (WB marketing) doesn't like their billboards getting graffiti..

[Darej]

There's probably a big, ongoing fight/debate between devs and marketing right now...about.. giving players the ability to get rid of all those strategically-placed store buttons..
You blame them?

Big Brother (WB marketing) doesn't like their billboards getting graffiti..

i doubt it

there has been more then enough time for them to discuss this.....

[aleczander]

i doubt it

there has been more then enough time for them to discuss this.....

you're probably right. i was still hoping the devs didn't give up yet...

[liftedplane]

Pretty sad considering I can't stand the regular UI and haven't used it in almost 4 years since I found out you could skin it.

Turbine has had more than enough time to get up and release a pack, it's not that hard to do, I'm sure the UI files are all stored in one place...

It's just them being lazy or afraid we will remove the store buttons, well get over it, I'm sure even without the items people will know that the store is there, the LOADING SCREENS only tell me to go there all the time.

[Silverangel]

I have quit the game (two accounts) because of the new character panel and no new art assets (added to the barter wallet, task panel, crafting panel), added to the overwhelming and awful store presence as a whole. I mentioned this on my skin update, but also adding my voice here to this thread as more feedback and support for this issue.

The only thing that could bring me back would be a full reversal of the level of store intrusion into the game experience, including LI's, but there seems to be zero chance of that happening, or about the same chance as me paying for another Turbine MMO.

[Kirsche]

Please release new assets and definition files for the UI peeps so they can update their skins to the current standards. Let them at least reskin and move (not hide) the store buttons to 'look' less intrusive. Right now they look like "GIMMEH UR MONIES" billboards, which annoys me as a subscriber.

Who knows...maybe you'll see a design from an aspiring skinner that makes more sense to you than your current implementation, which you can then work into your next UI update.

[WayEm]

Please release the new pack! I need it for my Hobbit UI skin!

[Darej]

Please release the new pack! I need it for my Hobbit UI skin!

seriously...one of the best skins out there...(all me hobbits use it) and the character panel is unreadable with the ui updates

[Yula_the_Mighty]

There's probably a big, ongoing fight/debate between devs and marketing right now...about.. giving players the ability to get rid of all those strategically-placed store buttons.

I doubt it. Marketing would simply state do not release these assets. That would be the end of that.

I still think it is a resource issue. Making the pack and providing takes time. The UI folks are over whelmed with work.

It is a standard thing to come up with complicated reasons when you should be applying Occam's razor:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor

Which basically stats - choose the most simple reason that fits the behavior. In human actions - that would the one involving the fewest humans.

Of course constraints like - you must manually remove certain assets (e.g. store assets) from the pack increase the staff hours to generate the pack. Make it less likely for the pack to be made available.

[Darej]

I doubt it. Marketing would simply state do not release these assets. That would be the end of that.

I still think it is a resource issue. Making the pack and providing takes time. The UI folks are over whelmed with work.

It is a standard thing to come up with complicated reasons when you should be applying Occam's razor:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor

Which basically stats - choose the most simple reason that fits the behavior. In human actions - that would the one involving the fewest humans.

Of course constraints like - you must manually remove certain assets (e.g. store assets) from the pack increase the staff hours to generate the pack. Make it less likely for the pack to be made available.

you may be right, Yula....and if so thats pretty sad...

the last pak was released 6months ago yesterday....

Turbine has been hiring folks for pretty much everything since around may of last year...

this UI we see now and the UI changes we got with update 1 have been in the works for a looong time...if Palantir is being worked anything like Isengard was...
the UI changes from update 1 were on it last summer....and yet...they couldnt find the time to make an asset pak for those changes for the November update...

and the UI changes for update2 were on Palantir since dec/jan...and yet again...these poor UI devs couldnt find any time to make an asset pak yet again....

so i guess Turbine hasnt been able to find any new devs to hire or promote to help with the UI since they started hiring folks again...and the devs they got are working overtime on the UI...

well..i call shenanigans..... i cannot believe that in all this time..there was never any time to make an asset pak...

my use of occam's razor would state that the simplest reason they havent released anything in the last 6 months for the last 2 updates is that they simply do not want the skinners to remove the gold coins and filigree that pollute the ui.

Turbine wants the store to be in your face...thats why there are buttons everywhere and the beautiful artwork of loading screens past have been replaced with highway billboards signs for the store.

for all intents and purposes it seems as though they have abandoned this part of the community in the name of the almighty store..

with each further update...our wonderous skins will be come harder and harder to use until we are FORCED to use the vanilla, boring defualt ui

[Telemachus]

/signed

Please publish the Art Asset Pack the current version of the UI.
I am currently using a combination of UI skins from LotroInterface.com, and am trying to build my own, but it is hard to do without the new Art Assets.

[WayEm]

seriously...one of the best skins out there...(all me hobbits use it) and the character panel is unreadable with the ui updates

Why thank you for the compliment I'm will surely try to update the skin when I get the chance