I know it would not be that hard to switch between Heroes as-is to level skills and check which skills need to be leveled, but it would be nice to have a preview of the skill levels when you swipe up on a Hero column. The purpose for this idea is a simple quality of life upgrade regarding how we can check for Heroes with skills that need to be leveled.
Example: when you swipe up Operator’s column, his image rises up to reveal four boxes - bronze, silver, gold, and platinum - and right next to each box is a number representing their level. If in the case the skill is locked, the number would instead be replaced by a generic lock symbol a la the symbol placed over locked Heroes.
I would also add that when you tap on one of the boxes, you are brought to the same skill preview page that details what the skill does and how powerful the skill is. We should also have the ability to level the skills right at the Hero columns and the skill previews so we can see how powerful each skill becomes per level.
Would this be too much to ask? Too clunky to code? I don’t know; I’m just a noob college coder.
From a UI perspective, I don’t know what problem this is meant to solve. In the current system, you’re one action away from seeing skill levels. In your proposed system, you’re also one action away. Furthermore, you run the risk of the ‘annoying factor’ if you’re trying to scroll through your hero list and you accidentally move too much vertically. It seems needlessly redundant to me.
On top of that though, consistency is extremely important when designing intuitive user interfaces. Nowhere in HH (correct me if I’m forgetting something) do you control the game via gestures, aside from traditional scrolling. To implement one instance where the game expects a gesture instead of a standard tap would be convoluted and unintuitive. Solidarity across the entire interface is key in tightly packed menu systems like that of HH.
Now that I think about it, I think the menu interfaces are what kept me in the game. Snappy and unobtrusive, the menu just brings me where I want to be, when I wanna be.
As for controls from gestures, does the in-game cover system count? Swipe down, take cover. Swipe left or right, move position.
The goal for my proposal was to enable a quick way to compare which Heroes need their skills to be leveled. I swipe up Ronin’s column and Min’s column and, oh snap, I gotta get Ronin’s Silver up from 55 to 80 and Min’s Gold up from 70 to 80.
What you’re referring to with taking cover doesn’t fall under the umbrella of menu interface, so that would probably be excluded from this conversation.
Regarding your ‘quick comparison’ request - I’d say my initial argument stands. In both scenarios, you need to do [Action > Scroll > Action] to compare the skills of the two heroes so I’m not sure what you’d be gaining. And like I said before, you’re introducing an entirely new, unexpected form of menu navigation, which is a pretty big no-no.
To keep my response productive though, I’ll offer what I think is a more fitting solution to the problem you’re trying to fix. Why not have a “view” option somewhere? You’d be able to swap between ‘default’ (the current view), ‘skills’ (what you’re describing), and then there could be others like ‘stats’, etc. By changing the view, you’d be able to see that information for ALL heroes at once for very quick comparison.
I do like the idea of a “Swipe” to reveal more information. I think it would server a “power user” who wants as much information at a high level as possible, and as few steps between them and an action. I’m not sure if this is something we’ll see in Hero Hunters, but it might be an interaction for our UX/UI designers to consider when they create a new experience.