[H]ero Panel Blues (not fond of the new "functionality")

The March 27th update changed the way the Hero panel opens; it now returns to the screen last used.

I'm sure this was probably requested by some people, and those folks are deliriously happy now. More power to them.

It has already proven a source of frustration for me, though. Especially during combat, when I don't have time to hunt through the menus to get where I want to be. For me, it has to work the same way every time in a pressure situation in order to promote speed.

I'm one of the people who hated the Microsoft Windows menus that tried to reorganize themselves by putting my most-used or most recent commands at the top. This meant my menus were occasionally changing, and I would have to hunt for the thing I wanted. I always turned that "feature" off.

It is the same issue for me with the new Hero panel "functionality", but at least Microsoft gave me the OPTION to turn it off. Ever since GW1, ANet has been globally changing things without giving people the option to keep doing it the way they were accustomed to. That's what I want - stop making obligatory changes and start giving us options.

I would like the OPTION to keep the old Hero panel functionality, please. (If we do have that option, I'm not seeing it and I apologize).

I preferred the old function, as well. I'd really like it, at least, to open to the 'Equipment' panel, and not the 'Crafting' tab, or 'Masteries', or whatever I was last looking at on a completely different character.

Why would you be opening the hero panel during combat?

Like all changes, it takes time to get used to it. I am so used to starting from scratch each time I use the Hero panel that it feels as if I'm doing more work now. In fact, most of the time, I'm doing less.

What I like to do when ANet changes something is ask myself: what if this had been the behavior in the first place? Would I be making a suggestion for them to change it? In this case, I think it's more intuitive to keep the hero panel open to the same place I left it.

Then again, I'd actually prefer if they reorganized the UI. There have been some pretty good suggestions on how to do that in these very forums. Mostly, with the idea of separating out the gear, build, training into one panel (the Build window), the cosmetic stuff into another (Fashion), and everything else (achievements, journal, bestiary!?!, books?!?).

After doing whatever you need to do in the hero panel, open the tab you desire to be your default before closing the panel. That way the last used tab will be the one you desire as your opening tab.

@Ashen.2907 said:After doing whatever you need to do in the hero panel, open the tab you desire to be your default before closing the panel. That way the last used tab will be the one you desire as your opening tab.

Technically it helps, but it's something alike to OCD.

We all have preferences and that's why options are a good thing. For some people this is probably a small thing and they think "what's the big deal?" For others this can be a point of distraction or annoyance. Whether this issue or some other issue, I'm of the opinion that if something like this could be an option or a toggle it should be - rather than an enforced global change.

@Airdive.2613 said:

@Ashen.2907 said:After doing whatever you need to do in the hero panel, open the tab you desire to be your default before closing the panel. That way the last used tab will be the one you desire as your opening tab.

Not really, it's more like putting a tool back into a designated place after using it.

@"Orion Templar.4589" said:We all have preferences and that's why options are a good thing. For some people this is probably a small thing and they think "what's the big deal?" For others this can be a point of distraction or annoyance. Whether this issue or some other issue, I'm of the opinion that if something like this could be an option or a toggle it should be - rather than an enforced global change.

Rather than a toggle between old and new behaviour I think the ability to set one of the tabs as the default would be great. While I do use the Hero Panel quite a lot for things other than my equipment, the equipment tab is still probably the one that gets the most use and it's quite jarring to have something else show up. This is especially noticeable when doing dailies and I click on a JP/mini-dungeon achievement to get the closest waypoint,, as the panel closes automatically and it doesn't register with my brain that I've changed the tab that way.

Something like this, please, with settings on a per-character basis:

Being able to easily change traits on the go is great. I don't want to click through 3 menus and deal with lag from it loading all the time

Omg, I thought it was bugging out lol. This is a feature?? I'd like the option to revert, too, please!

@"Mewcifer.5198" said:Why would you be opening the hero panel during combat?

I'm a squishy Tempest. I was doing the "Hunt down Caudicus" stuff by myself... lotsa small rooms without any cover and lotsa AoE stuff to avoid. The AI has a tendency to pursue the Player Character over the NPCs, so I was going down a lot and restarting from a checkpoint. I wanted to see if it was about time for an Armor Repair canister. Needless to say, when I opened the Hero panel and found myself on the Minipet selection screen, I went down yet again by the time I finished scratching my head and locating the equipment tab. (Yeah, yeah... check for that stuff BEFORE returning to the fight. I know, I know). Anyhow, that was my first troubling encounter and there've been more since.

Doh!

I think this new system could have its uses (especially while changing traits on the fly), but changes like this tend to cause my muscle memory to work against me.

Was this a feature that was oft-requested? I don't remember reading about it much, if ever.

I just think there's way way too much happening in the "hero panel". Too many tabs and sub sections to tabs.

I'd like too see some stuff split away from it, character stats and trait/skills perhaps could be shifted out, leave all the fluff stuff separate from core character information.

@Hamfast.8719 said:

@"Mewcifer.5198" said:Why would you be opening the hero panel during combat?

You don't need to open the hero panel to see which armour pieces are broken though.

@"Mewcifer.5198" said:You don't need to open the hero panel to see which armour pieces are broken though.

Damaged armor isn't generally a big concern for me, so I've only ever paid attention to the obvious Hero panel notifications. I never knew you could hover your mouse over the "damaged armor" icon next to your health bubble to get that info. (I looked it up. I assume that is what you were referring to?)

That doesn't make me any less annoyed by the change, though. (See my comments on the MS Windows menus that had a life of their own). I still prefer to have my windows/menus open up the same way every time.

I just can't think of a scenario where a bit of delay doing something in your hero panel is that big of a deal.

I prefer the tab being saved. Occasionally it catches me off guard if I closed it on Achievements or Story or something like that, but far more often it's helpful for switching traits around, playing with dyes or hiding/showing outfits/armor pieces. That said, options are always nice. I'd actually like to be able to set hotkeys for each panel.

Dont quite understand how opening the last used tab is any more of a hassle than opening the hero pannel all the time.