Fullscreen Loading Screen Feedback

[A Midsummer Nightmare]

Maybe it's because I'm used to the original way the loading screens look, but I find the new update rather jarring. It jumps out at you when you're transitioning like actors in a "haunted house" and it's weird to see the area name in small print nearly hidden within the picture. The loading bar all the way at the top is a bit hard to see as well.

I think the old way is fine, but to improve the intent, I would recommend making the picture a bit smaller with black spaces between the name and loading bar so it's easier to see.

[Twohand]

It likely looks jarring because it is missing a fade in/fade out effect to smooth out the transition between game and loading screen, something the original loading screens had. Is it possible to bring that effect back?

On another note, I want to add that the area name floating around in the middle of the loading screen looks out of place, I think it'd be better to just outright remove it if possible.

[Straxus]

I don't see images, just a loading bar.. but it is loading faster.

[magistrasa]

i have one primary complaint about the loading screens

this is the original picture for one of the load images

this is how it actually looks in-game

i cannot overstate how much this bothers me

sort of like how others have suggested, framing the pictures so theyre not taking up the whole screen, thereby normalizing their aspect ratios and leaving some space for the area description text, would really help their appearance

i think it would also be amazing if as part of the loading screen, we had arelith-specific tips and tricks that explain simple helpful mechanics for people, like how you can set up auto-loot if you look in the rest menu, or how dropping a gem bag on the gem scale automatically trades off all but the most rare/useful gems, or warnings about the ultravision bug, or what some of our 800 different chat commands do. honestly, i've been playing here for a couple years now, and i'm still learning new stuff about the way arelith has changed the game for the better. the load screen project is the perfect opportunity to bring people up to speed in that regard.

[Irongron]

The stretched images aren't actually an issue with the load screen program, but how the paintings were prepped for it. A fix is already underway, but it might take a day or two more.

Specific tips will also certainly come later, but we are waiting on the development builds of NwN to go live.

[Drowboy]

Maybe I'm just not noticing, but it seems like a lot of UD areas have the same five load screens (I dont know the actual names for these so I'm describing them):
Andunor
Halfling? in cave with skeleton
Wide Sydney (she shows up as squashed and wide on my screen for whatever reason. just her. Landscapes are less obvious, I guess)
Drow Sitting
Dude with helmet and cool sword

Can we get more, if this is staying as is?

That and, well, can this just be an override?

[Irongron]

In the UD there is currently paintings for...

Andunor
Lowerdark (Beholder Image)
2 UD Caverns
2 Cave Images

In addition you will also see.

Sewers Painting
Kobold & Dragon painting
Crypt Painting
Steamworks Painting
Crystal Cave Screenshot
Mushroom Cave Screenshot
Devil's Table Screenshot
Sharps Screenshot

Various character portraits

(About 18)


And possibly a few others. More load screens will be added in time, and some may need to be changed/adjusted (I don't think Sydney should feature in UD really)

As for an override, absolutely not, that would basically eliminate the entire project save for the tiny percentage of players that use the workshop or forums.

[Nitro]

I think it'd look nicer if they were letterboxed in the same way the vanilla loading screens were. That makes them look alright on all resolutions, doesn't fill up the whole screen and leaves space for the area name on the black area underneath the image itself so it's legible.

[Kessarin]

I think it'd look nicer if they were letterboxed in the same way the vanilla loading screens were. That makes them look alright on all resolutions, doesn't fill up the whole screen and leaves space for the area name on the black area underneath the image itself so it's legible.

This here.

I like the artwork well enough, although the existing loading screens were just fine IMO.
I don't like the stretched look or having to squint at the tiny name of the area + small loading bar against a colorful background.

[ReverentBlade]

The stretched images aren't actually an issue with the load screen program, but how the paintings were prepped for it. A fix is already underway, but it might take a day or two more.

Specific tips will also certainly come later, but we are waiting on the development builds of NwN to go live.

Is there a good place to report loading screens that are thematically inappropriate for the area? Because a straight-up replacement method was used, some areas with fixed loading screens ended up with some weird ones.

[Skibbles]

Love the big screens. I think there are some valid ideas to enhance them, or at least make the font bigger or clearer for the destination.

I really like that the fade effect was removed. This is making area transitions much faster since there's no waiting for the effect first.

[A Midsummer Nightmare]

Whenever I go into interiors in the old areas, the only screen that pops up for me is the picture of Sydney Harrow. The commissions are nice but wouldn't it be better to have the loading screens be of the server and not old characters? There's an art museum in Guldorand that immortalizes them anyways

[Curve]

Whenever I go into interiors in the old areas, the only screen that pops up for me is the picture of Sydney Harrow. The commissions are nice but wouldn't it be better to have the loading screens be of the server and not old characters? There's an art museum in Guldorand that immortalizes them anyways

I just came across this load screen and I don't like it. Sydney or Lucia or whatever you want to call her was/is a great character and their player was/is a great player/Contributor/Area designer but it feels bad that this character is officially promoted. This is a character I see on the player list from time to time.

Or is it that paying for a portrait gets your character advertised to the rest of the server? I genuinely do not understand.

[Drowboy]

I've done a little testing and I'm like 99% sure every loading screen in the Boreal Keep area is the sitting drow portrait.

[magistrasa]

I've done a little testing and I'm like 99% sure every loading screen in the Boreal Keep area is the sitting drow portrait.

i find this hilarious because some load screen images in the Arcane Tower..... are of the Boreal Keep

[Irongron]

I just came across this load screen and I don't like it. Sydney or Lucia or whatever you want to call her was/is a great character and their player was/is a great player/Contributor/Area designer but it feels bad that this character is officially promoted. This is a character I see on the player list from time to time.

Or is it that paying for a portrait gets your character advertised to the rest of the server? I genuinely do not understand.

This has little to do with advertising characters, revisiting thousands of areas and assigning appropriate load screens takes time. We covered a great many, but due to a lack of proper interior images, existing character portraits were used as a placeholder in some of these.

Not to say they will all be removed. I think some of these look just excellent as load screens (or will when we send the fix for the stretch issues live tomorrow.

[A Midsummer Nightmare]

I just came across this load screen and I don't like it. Sydney or Lucia or whatever you want to call her was/is a great character and their player was/is a great player/Contributor/Area designer but it feels bad that this character is officially promoted. This is a character I see on the player list from time to time.

Or is it that paying for a portrait gets your character advertised to the rest of the server? I genuinely do not understand.

This has little to do with advertising characters, revisiting thousands of areas and assigning appropriate load screens takes time. We covered a great many, but due to a lack of proper interior images, existing character portraits were used as a placeholder in some of these.

Not to say they will all be removed. I think some of these look just excellent as load screens (or will when we send the fix for the stretch issues live tomorrow.

If it helps, I think the loading screens for Guldorand are really cool, where it's just an atmospheric screenshot of the area itself. There are also filters you could put on it to make it look painted or something, but that would take less time and might be easier to do than have art of all the areas.

The artists who have done the character commissions are skilled and the pictures look beautiful, it just feels weird to have them promoted in such a way. Similar to a commercial advertisement whereas the in game museum is a place for art and it makes sense to have that there

[Batrachophrenoboocosmomachia]

I just came across this load screen and I don't like it. Sydney or Lucia or whatever you want to call her was/is a great character and their player was/is a great player/Contributor/Area designer but it feels bad that this character is officially promoted. This is a character I see on the player list from time to time.

Or is it that paying for a portrait gets your character advertised to the rest of the server? I genuinely do not understand.

This has little to do with advertising characters, revisiting thousands of areas and assigning appropriate load screens takes time. We covered a great many, but due to a lack of proper interior images, existing character portraits were used as a placeholder in some of these.

Not to say they will all be removed. I think some of these look just excellent as load screens (or will when we send the fix for the stretch issues live tomorrow.

If it helps, I think the loading screens for Guldorand are really cool, where it's just an atmospheric screenshot of the area itself. There are also filters you could put on it to make it look painted or something, but that would take less time and might be easier to do than have art of all the areas.

The artists who have done the character commissions are skilled and the pictures look beautiful, it just feels weird to have them promoted in such a way. Similar to a commercial advertisement whereas the in game museum is a place for art and it makes sense to have that there

For what it's worth, I knew about the Syd pic becoming a painting but didn't know (or didn't realize) she was in the load screen rotation until after it was released- most likely simply because I haven't been very active lately and didn't notice! And in fairness, I did say that I was okay with the image being used in general, but again, at the time I was only aware it was in the running to be a painting! Just communication issues.

It's kind of weird that her mug is everywhere though yeah. I get that some placeholders are needed by dint of there just not being enough interior images yet, but I'd be okay with her image being removed from the collection entirely and replaced with something more fitting for interiors, once one is found! Or at least less frequently.

[Xerah]

Why are people so obsessed with these characters being "promoted". They're not being promoted. They are just art.

And so what if they were being promoted. I don't see how that would make anyone feel bad except with misplaced jealousy.

[Skibbles]

Can't even have completely untitled art without someone getting upset about it.

I don't even know why I expected better.

[Lexx]

If someone has gone to the effort to get a good quality portrait commissioned. I have zero issue with it being in the mix for loading screens. The frequency for them popping up will lessen over time as more portraits get added anyway. So I don't see an issue with the odd server character popping up in them.

[Curve]

I am glad to hear what IG and Bat have said about the portraits as load screens. Other than that, I think the screens are really pretty and set Arelith apart in a positive way.

Beyond that,

Why are people so obsessed with these characters being "promoted". They're not being promoted. They are just art.

And so what if they were being promoted. I don't see how that would make anyone feel bad except with misplaced jealousy.

When you find yourself saying that anyone who disagrees with you must have ulterior motives the argument is lost.

I will address your question though. Having a character who is actively played or once was played puts it in other players' minds that this character needs to be treated differently than any other character they meet. Humans tend to defer to power. And similar to the way player's actions start to change when they know a DM is present, having certain characters show up in loading screens gives the impression that those characters are close to power or hold some authority on an ooc level.

One of the things Arelith has done well is keeping IC achievements IC and making it so that your character is only respected so far as what they have earned in game. This changes that achievement in my mind. I hope that you can understand that, and not think so ill of me and other players that the only reason we could think otherwise would be jealousy.

[Xerah]

I am glad to hear what IG and Bat have said about the portraits as load screens. Other than that, I think the screens are really pretty and set Arelith apart in a positive way.

Beyond that,

Why are people so obsessed with these characters being "promoted". They're not being promoted. They are just art.

And so what if they were being promoted. I don't see how that would make anyone feel bad except with misplaced jealousy.

When you find yourself saying that anyone who disagrees with you must have ulterior motives the argument is lost.

I will address your question though. Having a character who is actively played or once was played puts it in other players' minds that this character needs to be treated differently than any other character they meet. Humans tend to defer to power. And similar to the way player's actions start to change when they know a DM is present, having certain characters show up in loading screens gives the impression that those characters are close to power or hold some authority on an ooc level.

One of the things Arelith has done well is keeping IC achievements IC and making it so that your character is only respected so far as what they have earned in game. This changes that achievement in my mind. I hope that you can understand that, and not think so ill of me and other players that the only reason we could think otherwise would be jealousy.

No, my argument isn't lost but thanks for saying that.

It still reads like jealousy to me. It doesn't even mention names. It seems like a really strange thing to get up in arms about. It's just art. Obviously, what happens on load screens isn't IC either.

[DM Rex]

Let's focus on feedback other than 'I would like my character's picture to be a loading screen'.

It's not funny, it's not really helpful in any way to fixate on it.

[A Midsummer Nightmare]

It appears my feedback has upset some people and I don't think there's much more to be said about it. It's already gone downhill, so would it be possible to lock this thread before it gets worse? Thank you