EQInterface Forums - View Single Post - What makes a Priest UI?

I agree and disagree with some things said here.

I play as my main a 65 druid with well over 100 aaxps. I often times also play a 65 cleric both in raids and in groups. So what I say are simply my opinions playing in both groups and end game raiding with both of those classes.

Also let me say that Ive been using my own UI (a mod of drakah) for months now and find it perfect for my needs.
link here
http://www.eqgui.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6112

1st. Percentile marks next to any health and mana bar. Not overlaying like the default UI but next too. Its key to have a % next to mana. There are times when im power medding and need to fire off that last heal the second i get the mana to do so.

2nd. I disagree that my health bar needs to be INSIDE the group window. However, it should logically be close to the group window. Frankly, end game raiding as a healer often times you CANT heal yourself as a cleric, and as a druid you should be aware of your life.

3rd. I also disagree about making the UI unobstructive. Currently my UI takes up a good solid one third of my screen and id have NO problems making it larger if i felt it warented it. The action in the game for healers isn't what our 3d toons are doing, its in the pixel movement of life bars, and the rapid action of the chat box.
For this same reason I also put my chat boxes at the top of the screen, not the bottom. My eyes naturally rest near the top of the screen when im playing, so it only made sense to me to have the most important information there.

4th. Notice on my UI theres a combonation box for player stats/pet window/clickies This was an ingenious idea, and actually the first one that drew me to drakah's work. I often don't need any of those 3 boxes, however its nice to have the stat window there as a reference, and clicking over to the other two boxes is simple and painless.

5th. you can't see my casting bar in my picture, but there are actually TWO gauges. One that appears below my target box, roughly where Ghesta Icepaw is floating. Another is simply a small pink line that runs through my mana bar whenever I cast.
OF the two, i prefer the pink line. It gives me a better guage of how much longer my spell will be casting because of the hash marks in the mana bar.
However, I disagree with others that the casting bar NEEDS to be big. I simply don't see it.

6th. Timers. Im sorry, I know a lot of people like timers, but I hate them. I dislike them for several reasons. most importantly, I feel that in most cases they are a crutch. A good cleric should know how long it will be till his heal lands. A shaman should know roughly when to reslow. etc etc etc. Another reason that I dislike timers is this. Every time Ive tried to use a timer, I find something new to time. Mez is X seconds, CH chain is Y seconds, Slow is Z seconds. Why, id need 45 different timers just to keep up. Finally, the other reason I don't like timers is the following. Especially later game, you need to be versitile, you need to adapt on the fly to conditions MUCH quicker than you did in earlier play. CH chain, someone dies, you need to adjust, and you have to adjust IMMEDIATLY or the raid dies. Mobs will dispell debuffs that you stack on them, or buffs on you. Timers, at end game, just don't work imho.

Well, thats about it i guess. hope my input helps, and im sorry if i offended anyone.

06-23-2003, 05:02 AM	#13
Ghesta A Snow Griffin Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 51	I agree and disagree with some things said here. I play as my main a 65 druid with well over 100 aaxps. I often times also play a 65 cleric both in raids and in groups. So what I say are simply my opinions playing in both groups and end game raiding with both of those classes. Also let me say that Ive been using my own UI (a mod of drakah) for months now and find it perfect for my needs. link here http://www.eqgui.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6112 1st. Percentile marks next to any health and mana bar. Not overlaying like the default UI but next too. Its key to have a % next to mana. There are times when im power medding and need to fire off that last heal the second i get the mana to do so. 2nd. I disagree that my health bar needs to be INSIDE the group window. However, it should logically be close to the group window. Frankly, end game raiding as a healer often times you CANT heal yourself as a cleric, and as a druid you should be aware of your life. 3rd. I also disagree about making the UI unobstructive. Currently my UI takes up a good solid one third of my screen and id have NO problems making it larger if i felt it warented it. The action in the game for healers isn't what our 3d toons are doing, its in the pixel movement of life bars, and the rapid action of the chat box. For this same reason I also put my chat boxes at the top of the screen, not the bottom. My eyes naturally rest near the top of the screen when im playing, so it only made sense to me to have the most important information there. 4th. Notice on my UI theres a combonation box for player stats/pet window/clickies This was an ingenious idea, and actually the first one that drew me to drakah's work. I often don't need any of those 3 boxes, however its nice to have the stat window there as a reference, and clicking over to the other two boxes is simple and painless. 5th. you can't see my casting bar in my picture, but there are actually TWO gauges. One that appears below my target box, roughly where Ghesta Icepaw is floating. Another is simply a small pink line that runs through my mana bar whenever I cast. OF the two, i prefer the pink line. It gives me a better guage of how much longer my spell will be casting because of the hash marks in the mana bar. However, I disagree with others that the casting bar NEEDS to be big. I simply don't see it. 6th. Timers. Im sorry, I know a lot of people like timers, but I hate them. I dislike them for several reasons. most importantly, I feel that in most cases they are a crutch. A good cleric should know how long it will be till his heal lands. A shaman should know roughly when to reslow. etc etc etc. Another reason that I dislike timers is this. Every time Ive tried to use a timer, I find something new to time. Mez is X seconds, CH chain is Y seconds, Slow is Z seconds. Why, id need 45 different timers just to keep up. Finally, the other reason I don't like timers is the following. Especially later game, you need to be versitile, you need to adapt on the fly to conditions MUCH quicker than you did in earlier play. CH chain, someone dies, you need to adjust, and you have to adjust IMMEDIATLY or the raid dies. Mobs will dispell debuffs that you stack on them, or buffs on you. Timers, at end game, just don't work imho. Well, thats about it i guess. hope my input helps, and im sorry if i offended anyone.