Status: Rankings progression unclear (%age and bar). Show rank position/number too.

[NeilF]

If you look around the game, you'll see very few numbers. I have no doubt this is absolutely intentional, and is a running theme of the game. This is not the usual - so it tends to make people freak out a little bit. But this really does change the player experience to a measurable degree. To remove this 'cheapens' the effect.

So showing "[7/9]" would cheapen the game... Even for such a significant thing of your progress towards "Elite", in many ways the primary goal of the game?

But showing "24%," along with a dedicated progress bar, for your progress to the next rank (what ever that rank means in the scheme of things), is OK? Think how much space/information has been dedicated to that alone...

Seems a little inconsistent no? Is progress important or not? Are we giving useful information about it or not?


OK - How about instead of "[7/9]" it showed a %age and bar chart of your overall progress to Elite? - This is what I thought the new %age and bar chart was first of all, as that's the more important information. Why tell you exactly where you are within your current Rank, if you have no idea where your Rank is in the bigger picture? Yes you're currently rank Blib, and 28% towards the next rank Blob. Is that good then?

Agree. I think it's a little gamey to show the progress to such an extent. The current method is a good update from what it was and is sufficient.

If you want to know where your rank is with regards all possible ranks then that's something you could just lookup (could be something in an in-ship encyclopaedia) - in reality we, as the pilot, would know that anyway so wouldn't need to be shown.

Putting an n/m on there just cheapens things. You wouldn't see a military rank alongside someone's name in real life with a n/m next to it.

(as above)

"You wouldn't see a military rank alongside someone's name in real life with a n/m next to it." - You rarely see a bar chart and a %age against them either to see when they might get promoted.

 

[Psycho Romeo]

So showing "[7/9]" would cheapen the game... Even for such a significant thing of your progress towards "Elite", in many ways the primary goal of the game?

But showing "24%," along with a dedicated progress bar, for your progress to the next rank (what ever that rank means in the scheme of things), is OK?

Seems a little inconsistent no? Is progress important or not? Are we giving useful information about it or not?

A little inconsistent. Personally I feel the % bar should be removed as well. We definitely don't need more changes in this direction.

 

[Magic Man]

So showing "[7/9]" would cheapen the game... Even for such a significant thing of your progress towards "Elite", in many ways the primary goal of the game?

Yes, I think it would. It then just becomes a number, no need for the rank label at all really. We just have 9 points on the ladder.

The different rank labels fit within the immersion of the game, they are part of it. You should know what the ranks are and where you are on the ladder whether the real you does or not. No need to dumb things down to the level of an arcade game by showing you the raw numbers behind things.

But showing "24%," along with a dedicated progress bar, for your progress to the next rank (what ever that rank means in the scheme of things), is OK?

I would have proffered just the bar without the numeric. No real need for it to be so precise.

 

[NeilF]

I would have proffered just the bar without the numeric. No real need for it to be so precise.

OK... So how about a bar indicating your progress within the rank (as currently)... and a bar indicating your progress through the ranks (to Elite)?

In the scheme of things which of the two position are more important? Yes one has loads of information (bar & %age), and one has none.

 

[NeilF]

OK... Take 2

Please ignore my poor Photoship skills, and the fact the progress bars for these ranks are wrong... But you get the idea?

So these progress bars (to the right) give a *rough* indication of where you are in in the bigger picture. ie: Where your rank is towards Elite.

 

[Magic Man]

OK... So how about a bar indicating your progress within the rank (as currently)... and a bar indicating your progress through the ranks (to Elite)?

Was thinking the same actually.

Do away with the percentage figure, not needed, the bar on it's own is enough.
Have a smaller bar underneath each which is your progress towards Elite in each rank. This second bar would be granular though so that it worked on the percentage gain of the larger bar rather than in just n steps.

Edit: Just noticed your vertical bars. Yep, they are good too and make more sense there alongside the rank symbol since they portray the same info. I'd want them fully granular though, not just in steps.

 

[Psycho Romeo]

OK... Take 2

Please ignore my poor Photoship skills, and the fact the progress bars for these ranks are wrong... But you get the idea?

So these progress bars (to the right) give a *rough* indication of where you are in in the bigger picture. ie: Where your rank is towards Elite.

Spoiler

View attachment 49342

Doesn't this already exist to a degree? Don't our wings get more decorated with each rank up?

 

[NeilF]

Doesn't this already exist to a degree? Don't our wings get more decorated with each rank up?

Indeed, but, like your rank title, it's no help in knowing where it lies in the bigger picture. Where does "Entrepreneur" lie in the ranks? Is it good? Bad? In the middle? One step away from Elite? So where do your "wings" sit in the bigger picture?

Hence my initial suggestion of the super clear "[7/9]" to let you know where your current Rank is. Or at least today's more vague suggestion of a bar chart down the right of the "wings" so at least give some idea of how well you're doing on your path to Elite.

 

[faluc]

These ideas are all nice and I like the little bar next to the winged figures, but frankly the Elite ranks are quite clearly showing your progress already as they are.

I'd rather see my progress in the naval ranks in some form, that part of the game is still a huge black box. You put in endless mission time and just hope for an ascension mission to drop out.

 

[Psycho Romeo]

Indeed, but, like your rank title, it's no help in knowing where it lies in the bigger picture. Where does "Entrepreneur" lie in the ranks? Is it good? Bad? In the middle? One step away from Elite? So where do your "wings" sit in the bigger picture?

Hence my initial suggestion of the super clear "[7/9]" to let you know where your current Rank is. Or at least today's more vague suggestion of a bar chart down the right of the "wings" so at least give some idea of how well you're doing on your path to Elite.

I'd take this over 7/9 any day.

 

[NeilF]

^ how / where would you get to that? another sub-pane off status? eg: The last one, so go "left" from "Reputation"?