This thread is generally about the bugs and interface issues I have encountered so far. There are also things I feel that can be improved as well.
Please click on the image-links below and view the pictures at full size. In them I have added text and pointers to point out problems.
![\"Problems](\"http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i190/Sabin_Stargem/Spacehead.jpg\")
![\"Skill](\"http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i190/Sabin_Stargem/SkillDesc.png\")
Below is an list of bugs and errors.
BUGS
1)
When looking at mecha in shops, long descriptions get cut out. There should be a way to scroll down or to expand the description box so that the player could look at the full information available.
2)
The Power Cell 100 has no item description in-game.
3)
When entering buildings, the character should face one specific direction I think. More often then not I find my character to be facing the exit.
4)
Blue groups can go on the same squares as blue buildings. Is this intentional, or buggy?
5)
The 'Do Repairs' option in the right-click menu leads to the skills menu. It either should be renamed, or lead to a different or altered menu more specific to the purpose of the button.
6) In the Personal History menu, the bottom section overlaps with the notification texts, which makes it harder to use.
EDIT: Found another bug, or maybe it is just an incomplete part of Gearhead 2. It is as follows...
> Plot deadend in Core Story #W +Pun +T-- +F-- +B-- +G-- C:ADVEN !Ne
E:++ E:AEGIS E:FRIEND E:ENEMY F:++ F:mil F:gov F:ENEMY P:-- N:-- T:--
S:meta S:++ L:perm L:++ L:CSNSP L:spc L:MAQUI I:--
Also note that when the encounter took place, there was no battle involved, and in my Personal History it said that I have won the battle.
Below are the suggestions. Most of them are probably not too good or unlikely to happen, though I think a few of them will be useful. Hopefully they will.
SUGGESTIONS
1)
There should be an hotkey for getting items, or an documentation file with a listing of hotkeys. Perhaps both.
EDIT: I just found the 'help' key, which has allowed me to figure some things out. Still, an way to get to help from the advanced menu would be an good idea, for those who would be kind of lost.
2)
When changes are made in 'options', they should persist after shutting off Gearhead, so that the player doesn't have to reconfigure each time.
3)
When walking over items, the player should be told what is on that location. If the cursor is put over an item or an item pile, details or listings should be given.
4)
There probably should be an indicator for the character whether or not the character is wearing an complete set of 'sealed' clothing.
5)
When in space, the player's mecha probably should have an colored outline. (Black mechas and space doesn't mix.)
6)
When entering buildings, the character should face one specific direction I think. More often then not I find my character to be facing the exit.
7)
In the right-click menu, the items listed are difficult to make out. There should be an background box or the like, so that the text be read more easily. Same goes for the skills menu.
Character names should appear under NPCs after talking to them, and they are color-coded as according to their station. Shopkeepers, guards, civilians, and so on each have their own respective color-codes. This is to make it more simple for the player to find someone specific.
9)
Shops should have different-colored tiles, and each shop type has an specific tile color as according to what goods and services are provided. That, or perhaps each tile has an picture. (Coffee cup for restruants, wrench for repair shops, ect.)
10)
When equipping items that may come in a set, and that there are at least two different pieces that form a set, allow a character to equip them simultaneously with an 'Equip (Item Name) set' button. It might also be nice to allow a player to 'create' sets, so that a player could have customized configurations for quick switching. Neither idea is good for mecha customization for the most part, due to the skill checks and such involved.
11)
Doors should be easily identified for their purpose and state. I suggest that the 'lines' of an door should be colored red if a door is locked, and that some doors look different from others. Like Airlocks, wooden doors, elevators, and so on.
12)
When the player is selecting the color scheme for his mecha, each color choice should have the text to be in the same color, so that the player can have an idea of what each color looks like. Having an view-box of the mecha during the editing of the scheme would be good, so that the player can see what fits and what doesn't.
13)
There is plenty of space in the Personal History area for more content, like
reputation and faction information, number of kills, and so on.
14)
When using a vending machine, the player's current amount of money should be shown.
15)
Full-screen functionality, save for where the Windows toolbar would be. This is to make background objects to not be distracting the player. This should be optional.
16)
I think that the DOS window shouldn't appear because it is ugly and serves little purpose for the player.
17)
The corners of the screen should do diagonal scrolling, I think, and there probably should be arrows at the border of the screen, at the left, top, right, bottom, and corners as well, to make the player curious and try putting their cursors near the arrows, so that they can get the idea.
18)
The old-style portriats probably should be phased out or remade. They currently tend to clash with the newer portriats, which isn't good because this makes the player become aware of the differences.
19)
With the mini-map, the player and NPCs should be color-coded. Hostiles probably should be red, the player an white or neutral color, neutrals to have an yellow or white color, and friendlies to be blue or green.
20)
Near where the date and day is indicated for the player, there should be indicators of the player's current position, like so.
-Planet/Colony
-City/Building/Dungeon Level/Area (When in the city, the city or sector name is present, but when in a building, the building name is present.)
21)
When NPCs mention a person, they should also say where that person can be found. On a similar note, memoes and e-mails should also do this as well.
