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The
Graphic Issues of Poison
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Topic #1 -
Existing Component Graphics
When designing a MMORPG, there are certain truths/objectives that
are undeniable:
- Graphics take time to download and memory to store
- For efficiency's sake, certain graphics and/or icons must be
used for more than one item
- When deciding which graphics/icons are to be used for a particular
item, the selection should be made with the objective of causing
as little confusion as possible.
Now, if we take a look at the current graphic implementation of the
rogue's poison skill, we see that very little thought was given to
lessening the potential confusion of the player. Point in fact: the
graphics for poison vials and suspensions.
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Suspension
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Vials
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Lined Vials
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It should be obvious to anyone that these graphics are confusing.
Since all known poisons require a suspension and some sort of poison
vial in addition to the other components, anyone can see that the
mortar and pestle will need to contain two different items with the
exact same graphic. Try carrying around a backpack containing both
poison vials and suspension, and you'll have no trouble seeing my
point.
Please, Verant, give the vials unique icons! Suspension can remain
the same, but I don't think it is too much to ask for regular and
lined vials (and sealed, if they ever exist) to have unique graphics
that differ from one another. They need not be new graphics entirely,
since there are already numerous vial-type graphics in the game that
rogues are unlikely to confuse with poison vials. Even the icons used
for beer and wine would be a step up, but any of the potion/spell
component graphics listed below would be ideal.
  
  
   
For the most part, rogues never see these graphics. They may notice
the vials on a vendor or loot them off the odd MOB, but rogues are
unlikely to be carrying these sorts of items around. Please also note
that this is a small sampling of the graphics available.
If you have other examples, please email a complete screenshot (I'll
do the editing) to me at rocha@punchboard.com.
Along the same lines, take a look at the graphics used for poison
vial sketches, and unfired poison vials:
Every other pottery item that I have made has an icon for the unfired
product that is different from the generic sketch graphic. Any of
those icons (unfired bowl or whatever) would be preferable to the
current choice. It is VERY easy to screw up when making vials, since
unfired vials look just like the sketches you are using to make them.
ANY trade skill in which the finished product looks just like one
of the components is flawed, in my opinion.
Topic #2 -
Application Concepts and Graphics
Question: When you apply poison,
what are you doing?
Answer: You
are buffing yourself.
When you think about it, applying poison is a self-buff. You have
caused a buff to be applied to yourself much like a damage shield
or something similar. True, this buff will wear off after the first
successful hit on an opponent, but it is a buff, none the less. Have
you ever applied poison and then forgotten whether you had applied
it, or forgotten what type of poison you had applied? I know I have.
Why not give rogues an icon in their display like other buffs? An
appropriate graphic already exists, after all, and could easily be
reused with little chance of confusion. This icon would appear after
a successful buff, and holding down the right mouse button on the
icon would show the nature of the buff, just like all other buffs.
Something along the lines of "Applied Poison: Festering Nettle" seems
appropriate. Also, should a rogue wish to, he could left-click the
buff to remove it (although there is really no reason to under the
current poison system.) Such removal would be easily explained in
the context of role-playing by the rogue wiping off his blade. Once
the poison is used, of course, the icon would disappear. This sort
of feedback would become much more important if Verant ever allowed
rogues to apply different poisons to their primary and secondary weapon
slots.
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