More help with Badge Selection

Putchuco · February 2018

I believe we have all been overwhelmed with the selection of badges for our survivors/heroes lately.
Badges are a great way to boost our toons, one you wouldnt want to miss.
But, it is quite daunting to scroll through MASSIVE amounts of badges.

This is what the current screen for badge selection for a survivor looks like:

So, how would you go about selecting a terrific set of badges now?
You could preview what is available in the badge screen, to see if certain badge type are available in a certain badge set.
Going back and forth can easily drive you crazy, plus you need more help, let's face it.

Putchuco · February 2018

Now, how about if the badge assignment screen (as shown in the previous post) would help us in the selection process?

What if we could get a set of selection criteria that we can continuously check/uncheck to zoom into the set of 6 badges we deem most helpful?

@Shteevie this is where I call upon you to see if this idea holds any water and if it could be implemented with reasonable effort.

OK, the proposal is:
- add a set of check boxes on the badge assignment tab
- 1) select if you want to see unassigned badges only, or also already assigned badges
- 2) Badge Set: you want to see only the available badges for a certain type (A, B, C, D, E)
- 3) Badge Type: select which badges are most important for you on this survivor
- -- CC - Critical Chance
- -- CD - Critical Damage (either flat +value or %)
- -- D - Damage (either flat +value or %)
- -- H - Health
- -- DR - Damage Reduction
- 4) Badge Rarity: select the rarity you want to consider. If rarity 1/2/3 is not of interest to you, deselect them, pronto.

This is what it could look like (and yes, I know, the first comment will be about 'screen real estate': 'it won't fit on a smartphone screen!' Well, let's consider it, think about it, possibly have the selection criteria on a third tab. Tab 1: Traits, Tab 2: Badges, Tab 3: Badge Selection Criteria)

The above screen shows the standard selection criteria as we have them currently.
Which is:
- show only unassigned badges
- all sets
- all types
- all rarities

What if we could select these now, and drill down into a good set of available (or generally available ie even assigned) badges?

Putchuco · February 2018

Let's say we want to equip some terrific Health and Damage Reduction badges to our beloved Bruiser.

I could select:
- show me only H and DR badges
- only for rarity 4 and 5
- only for one set (in this case A)

The numbers of the resulting badges is shown (exemplary) in the bottom view.
I can now go through set by set and see if there is one set that would give me at least 1 badge H/DR in each position.

Pls note: the selection works not only on the small green 'result' numbers, but also on the badges I see when I click on a badge position. That means if I click on the top left position I am presented with TWO badges that fit the search (and not 50+ like now).

Putchuco · February 2018

Another example: I want to find a good set for my Shooter, so I look for CD%, D%, H, DR (just an example)

This time I want to see ALL badges, unassigned or not.

The resulting badges can be selected in the positions, and automatically removed from the current bearer if they were already assigned! Of course we would see the small warning that a reassignment costs us 15g.

Furthermore, I would like to suggest that any and all badge assignments, combos, playing through possibilities are FREE as long as we are in this screen. This can help us to finetune, play around, try various combos without incurring huge amounts of gold payments.

Please feel free to chime in, comment, agree or possibly even disagree (with a reason if possible

)

Pic · February 2018

Man.. That would make things a heck of a lot easier

Clan · February 2018

Fully agree. The badges section currently is a nightmare and unhelpful. Just having the ability to sort out the assigned and unassigned would be a step forward. Sorting the badge interface as suggested above would be very beneficial to the players.
In addition NG really need to sort the unfair crafting system. If you have entered all leg parts then you should get a leg badge. Same applies with all levels all epic = epic badg

sasmd · February 2018

Adding filters is a great suggestion and would reduce wasted time scrolling through long lists of badges one is not interested in. Thanks @Putchuco for illustrating what it could look like!

I would add a crafting suggestion that has been made before...using 100% legendary fragment and components should guarantee a legendary badge, 100% epic fragment and components should guarantee an epic badge, etc. If you mix fragment and component types, then sure, it makes sense that the outcome could be at the lower rarity level.

Shteevie · February 2018

This is, sadly, another case where playing on a tablet makes it _seem_ like there's a lot of empty space on the screen, but on other devices [the vast majority of devices our players use], that space doesn't exist.

This is also a concern when it comes to "learning curve" and the ease of getting into a new system. Perhaps you remember when Components and Badges launched, a number of players came to the forums to state their confusion and frustration at a new system that they felt was too complicated.

Being presented with a set of 20 checkboxes would only add to that, I'm afraid, and the expandability of those options [were a new Badge effect to be introduced] would require additional re-workings to that filter system.

HOWEVER, all of that said, I absolutely, 100% see where you are coming from on this point. If you have 100 badges in each of 6 shapes, it can be extremely confusing to sift out the ones you want.

I might prefer a sorting system that is automatically applied to the list. Say, the rarest available badges float to the top of the list, then within a rarity, those that match a set you already have equipped would be next [to help you complete sets for the bonus].

I'll show this thread to one our UX designers and maybe something great will be sparked by it.

Thanks for the suggestions, the hard work on the mockups, and caring for the game and it's community of players!

Putchuco · February 2018

@Shteevie, when something good and useful to the players comes from it, it was all worth the trouble!

Putchuco · February 2018

@Shteevie in case you didnt know it already, I dont give up easily..

Here's a screenshot from my smartphone of the badge assignment screen:

And here's the suggestion from above (ie create a third tab for the selection) put into life:

"If you say it can't be done, you will just be outdone by someone who just did it."

Someone said that, not me!

Shteevie · February 2018

If we were to do a feature like this, implementing it in this fashion would be a more likely path. The complicated options are not on the same screen, at the top, and therefore would be found eventually by players exploring the system and menus.

I say that not as a UX specialist, however. They are able to put things into a level of clarity that surpass my own expectations time and again.

TJS · February 2018

There's been many suggestions regarding this subject but no one has gone into so much detail.

Nice work @Putchuco

Even if the examples can't be applied due to screen size etc. Hopefully something useful can be taken from your examples.

Having a filter or filters would make things much easier.

Great effort!
- TJS

nadecir · February 2018

@Putchuco @Shteevie
I think we'd be ok without the "+" and "%" designations, so only "D", "H", "CC", "CD" and "DR" would be necessary. Use the colors for the badge rarity instead of the number, and the shapes with the letters in them for the set in the filter process.

You'd somehow want a "select all filters" and "deselect all filters" option too.

Come to think of it, I'd be happy with just a "FILTER BY FUNCTION" to the left of the current "FILTER BY SET" on the BADGES tab. There are five functions, so it could work like the "FILTER BY SET" buttons there now. There's plenty of room to the left of the "FILTER BY SET" selections. Allow a multiple select there for both groups to combine the features properly. Maybe you could even add a "FILTER BY RARITY" button set if you took the badge wording out on the far left of the "BADGES" tab.

This fits everything on one screen.

AmBush · February 2018

Putchuco said:
@Shteevie in case you didnt know it already, I dont give up easily..

Here's a screenshot from my smartphone of the badge assignment screen:

And here's the suggestion from above (ie create a third tab for the selection) put into life:

"If you say it can't be done, you will just be outdone by someone who just did it."

Someone said that, not me!

I Totally agree with your suggestions, having a large poole of survivors and being relatively new to the game Playing Daily since January 2017 I find it daunting finding a group of 4 badges for a set.
Another space saving idea is get rid of the weapon and equipment images on the left side, just have words

Putchuco · February 2018

@nadecir I would want to have CD+, CD%, D+, D% separately because the difference is quite significant depending on the survivor class.
BTW, I forgot to split Health, so there should be a H+ and H%.

I'm not sure sure I understood your suggestion in terms of the FILTER, can you elaborate on that?

nadecir · February 2018

@Putchuco I'd like to have the + and %'s separately too, but I think available screen space limits it. We are up to 8 different badge functions/modifiers, 9 if you include All. That's a lot to fit on one screen. The 5 function/modifier filters (CC, CD, D, H, DR) along with All are good enough IMO. Certainly better than is currently available. We have 6 set modifier buttons now, so 6 function filters is consistent and clean.

Take a look at the badge tab. We have buttons that allow us to "FILTER BY SET" now. I suggest we just add more columns of buttons to the left of the current column. The first additional column would be titled "Filter by Function", with 6 buttons labeled "All, CC, CD, D, H, and DR"

Then we could even add a third column of 6 buttons to the far left for "FILTER BY RARITY", The buttons could have labels "All, Leg, Epic, Rare, Unc, Com" with the appropriate colors.

There is plenty of room to the left in the Badges tab if you eliminate the BADGES wording at the upper left of the frame. There is also some additional blank space in the Badges tab on the right of the badges themselves to use if necessary. Allow all these new and existing buttons to multi-select. In this way, the 3 column filters can be applied in any combination you desire. You could eliminate the column title word "Filter" to save space if needed. Just use "SET", "FUNCTION" and "RARITY" at the top of each column.

So - three columns of filter buttons, modeled after the current "FILTER BY SET" column - One column is "FILTER BY SET" like exists now, the second column is "FILTER BY FUNCTION" with another 6 buttons, and the third is "FILTER BY RARITY" with another 6 buttons. All this follows the current UI for the Badges tab now, just 2 more additional columns of buttons. It can all fit on one screen with little modification. Add an "i" button to the frame to add back in the "Filter you badges.." wording and the total number of badges (330/340) you have.

Got it now?

Putchuco · February 2018

Ah, you are referring to the Badge View in the Craftman 'house'!
I see, yes, it would help there too.

BUT... if we could only select there and not in the hero badge tab, we would have to take notes so we remember what we just selected in one, and want to select in the other view... at least I would have to! LOL
I imagine myself having to go back and forth between Craftsman Badge View and Survivor badge tab...arggghhhhh

nadecir · February 2018

I don't find the Survivor view of the tabs that daunting because we can only look at one set of unequipped badges at one time. The survivor view of the badges is sorted by rarity, so I can usually find what I am looking for there pretty easily.

I do think it would be helpful if the Craftsman view of badges let you unequip a badge that is already on a survivor. Perhaps if you click on an equipped badge in the Craftsman section the software gives you the option to unequip it?

Putchuco · February 2018

Maybe it's just me, but I need selection capabilities in the survivor badge view.
That's where I select them on the toon. And I have to go in circles this gets old very, very quickly.

After the last free unequip event, I only equipped badges on my top 6 survivors. Everything else was just much of a daunting task.

And we haven't even talked about looking/selecting badges with certain conditions.
In my excel sheet I can search for explicitly deselect badges for a toon if the conditions are not desired,
e.g. Carol boost on a ranged survivor.

Well, if @Shteevie will have a look at this and find a way to simplify the badge selection process, i'm already happy (...happier...)

nadecir · February 2018

Most of my survivors are fully equipped with badges, so I think we are looking at this problem from a slightly different perspective.

When you equip a survivor with a badge, you have to do it by badge location (1-6 in a circle). I do care most about finding unequipped badges for the location that I want to fill, and the current UI does that well. I might want to look at equipped badges for that location too, and that's more cumbersome. Maybe it's just me, but at that time I don't see much value in looking at badges outside of the location (1-6) that I want to fill.

I do see a lot of value in trying to find badges to create a set bonus. IMO, that's where the current badge selection system has a major shortcoming. For a survivor, I think an autofill badge button would be a good addition. This button would recommend the best set of unequipped badges available to create a set bonus for a survivor. An autofill badge selection button in the survivor trait tab would certainly make badge equipping easier for a novice player.

Another UI area that could use improvement is the placement of a newly crafted badge. After you craft a new badge, it's difficult to remember the shape and location badge when you go back to place it on a survivor. Perhaps the survivor badge placement UI should sort newest to oldest badge instead of badge rarity to make it easier to equip new badges. Maybe you or someone else has a better idea to fix the problem of equipping new badges.

Putchuco · February 2018

A little 'star' or 'orange marked corner' on new badges that havent been used?
Star is taken away as soon as a badge is equipped for the first time.

nadecir · February 2018

Reasonable idea. However, I have quite a few badges that I have never equipped and would have a star. And I still have to remember the badges location (1-6) to be able to find it again to equip the badge in the survivor badge tab.

I think I want something that allows me to immediately equip a newly crafted badge from the craft tab. I need to think a bit on how that would work.

Putchuco · February 2018

Maybe we can browse and pre-select badges in the craftman hut, (with more powerful selection tools), and MARK certain badges manually right there.
Maybe something like 1, 2, 3, which also appears in the corner of a badge.
Then it is a sh*tload easier to select and assign them on our survivors once we are in that screen.

THEN I would be with you @nadecir that we could move part of the selection criteria from survivor screen to craftman hut screen.

nadecir · February 2018

Marking with stars or numbers in the craftsman hut helps. However, I still have the problem remembering what location I need to put that new badge in when I go back to the survivor tab.

When I craft a new badge, the process to equip it works like this for me:

I. I go to each member of my "A" team to see if the new badge is an upgrade for any of their equipped badges. The first members of my A team I look for upgrades are ones that have a set match of the new badge. So I would like to remember the set of the new badge
2. Then if I remember the location (1-6) of the new badge, I start looking at those locations on my A team to compare the new badge with the existing badge in the same location.
3. If I can't find a fit for the new badge on my A team, I will repeat the process for my B and C teams. If I can't find a good fit there, I will replace a 1 or 2 star badge on any survivor or put the new badge on a survivor with no badges yet.

So I really want to remember the location (1-6) and set (A-E) of the new badge.

I am thinking something like cut and paste for the new badge. And it works for an existing badge also. It would work like this, I craft a new badge or find an existing upequipped badge through the filters. I click on the badge I am interested in equipping somewhere, and this puts it in a "badge selected" buffer for me. This badge selected buffer means I am interested in putting this badge on a survivor somewhere.

When I go to the survivor badges tabs, the badge that I previously put in badge selected buffer is automatically put in a spot on the frame somewhere where I can see an image of the selected badge. If I want to equip that buffered badge to that survivor I am looking at, perhaps all I have to do is click it and it magically puts it in the right spot for me. (after first picking scrap or pay the gold for the already equipped badge if the badge spot is not empty)

As long as I can see my selected badge on the survivor badges tab, I have all the information handy that I need to decide to equip it.

Putchuco · February 2018

How about this:
- after we craft a new badge, you have three options:
- — scrap it right then and there
- — mark it as ‘new’ and desirable
- — do nothing and just move on (badge will not be marked)

In the survivor badge tab:
- we get a new number for fitting badges on each poition based on the number of marked badges for each position
- We can quickly go into those badge positions that have a mark number and see if the marked badges might be a good fit

If we could pre-select only one badge set here, it would speed this up even more.

nadecir · February 2018

Your idea is ok, but I like mine better. :-) I tend to work on equipping one badge at a time unless I have a survivor with no badges at all. Your suggestion might be better for equipping multiple badges to the survivor with no badges at all; mine is better for the common scenario of "I have one badge I want to equip now".

Both scenarios could be improved from the current system. For the scenario with a new survivor with few or no badges at all that I'd like to badge up, I do think an autofill option that suggests the best badges available to complete a set is a good way to get started filling in badges. It might just be me, but I spend a fair amount of time trying to find a good badge set for a survivor with no badges at all. I like the software to recommend a good start to finding a set for me, please.

For the second scenario where I have one good badge that I know I want to put somewhere, I just want to focus on that badge only. Put that badge of interest that I have just crafted or selected from the Craftsman hut in a special "Badge of Interest" container, and display that special badge on the display when I select the BADGES tab on a survivor. I'd put that Badge of Interest on the left-hand side of the window of the BADGES tab for the survivor - temporarily removing the weapon and armor from the display. As long as I can see that special badge there, I can easily decide if I want to equip it to that survivor. If you want to make this even easier, perhaps this one badge of interest is just the last badge I have crafted or the last badge I have found through the filter and purposefully marked with a highlight.

Equipping one badge at a time is just easier for me to think about and easier to design a UI to support, IMO.

You mentioned a new badge only in your last post, but I think your suggestion could work for any badge that I find through the filter too.

I hope @Shteevie is reading our ideas and passing them on his UI expert.

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