Character Selection Screen Needs Attention

It’s been bugging me for a while now that we can’t see character backpacks, auras, and especially weapons on the character selection screen. Anyone else want to see this implemented?

I wish they would overhaul the character select screen, I would like to see my characters set further back so that their feet are always visible, and also I would like to see the weapons they have equipped on them showing, and preferably a choice of background also.

I totally agree. Overall, the character screen is simply so boring!! It could really need a new fresh make-over rather some darker effect and purple PoF stuff here and there...

We also need a smarter system to access our characters, just like GW1 had.

• alphabetical order
• highest level <-> lowest level
• oldest character <-> newest character
• per professions (example; ordering all professions such as, All Warriors first, Guardian characters second, Revenant characters third etc.)
• per race (all human characters first, norns second, sylvari third etc..

@"Alga.6498" said:I totally agree. Overall, the character screen is simply so boring!! It could really need a new fresh make-over rather some darker effect and purple PoF stuff here and there...

We also need a smarter system to access our characters, just like GW1 had.

• alphabetical order
• highest level <-> lowest level
• oldest character <-> newest character
• per professions (example; ordering all professions such as, All Warriors first, Guardian characters after, Revenant characters after etc.)
• per race (all human characters first, norns after, sylvari etc..

In addition to those you've noted, without an entire redesign (which I feel it needs), I would also desire:

• Move To Beginning / Move To End
• No Sorting / Manual Sorting(with a 'Lock' on a per character basis that would prevent that character from being positioned other than where it is at if a sort style were to be activated)

I personally feel that an entirely different organization of character portrait/character rendering presentation, cycling and selection is needed and that almost anything would be better than what it currently is.

I recall several players (including at least one professional UI designer) put quite a bit of effort into redesigning the character select screen and sharing their concepts on the old forums. Even though some only repositioned and scaled various elements, they were absolutely fantastic.

I'll likely go take a look at the archived forums and run a search to revisit them (I need to prepare myself for the sighs I am sure to generate, much like when I re-read ShrikeTalon's beautifully-crafted story and content concepts).

Of course, if a redesign is implemented, I feel that the current should be retained as an option for those that find it to be their ideal and who are happy with it - perhaps as a ['Classic Design' <|> 'Enhanced Design'] toggle somewhere in the new layout.

Agreed on all the above. I'd like a little more character info as well like telling me what order they joined. I have 12 characters and trying to remember which one can go buy that one piece of Priory armor I want without digging thru their personal story panel is a pain. Granted, a minor one, but still....

With 38 80s and a few mules, I"d love to see the character selection screen updated.

I'd just like the number of characters that is displayed scale a bit better - on larger screens, a lot more characters could be displayed on the screen at one time - for me, only about the middle third of the screen is actually in use, so could fit many more characters without needing to scroll through them.

@Solvar.7953 said:I'd just like the number of characters that is displayed scale a bit better - on larger screens, a lot more characters could be displayed on the screen at one time - for me, only about the middle third of the screen is actually in use, so could fit many more characters without needing to scroll through them.

I second this, the login screen needs to scale better base on display resolution, can you image it still display the same number of slots on a Samsung C49HG90DME

I wouldnt mind having the character portraits running across 2 rows

Thumbs Up for an overhaul. It's long overdue.

I will always :+1: this. With the number of characters possible to buy-in on, the bottom scroll can be agonizing to deal with, in addition to the stuff noted above.

was about make a new post, but did a search and this one came up as the latest.

Let's do some wireframe of the character selection changes

here's mine ;)

• the PVP and WvW stats can come out from the account stats section into their own individual panels, which you can "favourite" a toon to each game mode for quick access.Base on availablity of screen real estate, probably 1 or 2 toons can be added to the quick access slot; a toon can only be marked with WvW/PvP/Unmarked, cannot be marked with multiple.Once a character is marked for quick slot it is hidden from the bottom scrollable slot.

• bottom toon slot carousel, make it increase/decrease the number of character slots base on screen width:height ratio and the interface size

• the account stats can move across to the left hand side of the screen above PvP and WvW section to increase the room for Online Friends Window.

reading this thread, nodding at all the suggestions

Agreed entirely. Lighting also needs a little bit of work there, all my characters look funny.Tall characters get cropped indeed, that needs to get worked out as well >>

Here's to hoping ANet hears us and fixes the character selection screen! You have my full support!

The random hair flip whenever I select a character that looks like my character's hair just grows out in a second should probably also be fixed.

I’m still longing for a background drop with all my characters displayed on it.Much like the 5 races character selection screen.I understand some people have maxed out acounts, so i suppose it should show up to 15 characters you play a lot

This is one of the few times when i agree with everything said so far.

This is one of the few times when i agree with everything said so far.

@"crepuscular.9047" said:was about make a new post, but did a search and this one came up as the latest.

Let's do some wireframe of the character selection changes

here's mine ;)

• the PVP and WvW stats can come out from the account stats section into their own individual panels, which you can "favourite" a toon to each game mode for quick access.Base on availablity of screen real estate, probably 1 or 2 toons can be added to the quick access slot; a toon can only be marked with WvW/PvP/Unmarked, cannot be marked with multiple.Once a character is marked for quick slot it is hidden from the bottom scrollable slot.

• bottom toon slot carousel, make it increase/decrease the number of character slots base on screen width:height ratio and the interface size

• the account stats can move across to the left hand side of the screen above PvP and WvW section to increase the room for Online Friends Window.

That is way too much junk on the screen

@Brother.1504 said:It’s been bugging me for a while now that we can’t see character backpacks, auras, and especially weapons on the character selection screen.

What's bugging me more is the awful purple/orange lighting of the current CSS as well as the covered feet. Or that the character display size is being calculated in a terrible way (namely by characters' width instead of height), making Charr almost fall out of your screen. Others are complaining about the lack of sorting options and customization in general.

There have been dozens of threads about the CSS within the past couple of years (I myself created at least two), but so far we have to assume they have been ignored by ANet since there has not been a single reaction or statement on their end regarding this. :/ The only update we received this year has been a change of location backgrounds in the character icons (like that was a number one priority).

@crepuscular.9047 said:was about make a new post, but did a search and this one came up as the latest.

Thank you for using the search function!!!!!!!!!!!!

On-Topic, I see where you're going, but I think that I would prefer a sort-able matrix of characters in some kind of grid.

Am I wrong or did it used to be that you could see each of your characters "standing" in whichever zone they were in at the time? Or was that in GW1?

@"Cevlakohn.2165" said:Am I wrong or did it used to be that you could see each of your characters "standing" in whichever zone they were in at the time? Or was that in GW1?

GW1.

Yes, Charr must be shrunk down to fit. They could all be shrunk down (perhaps to actual in-game proportions so Norns are still appropriately big and Asura small) and placed above the selection icons to avoid hiding the feet.

@Poormany.4507 said:The random hair flip whenever I select a character that looks like my character's hair just grows out in a second should probably also be fixed.

Reminds me of pulling out my jackal-- looks default for a sec before the skin pops in. It's not game breaking, but a bit distracting.

We need to ability to select between the original GW2, HoT and PoF screens plus one with a custom background image and music of our choice. It could also double as a staging area to take profile pictures of our characters. Unless you have a 4K monitor setup it's the highest resolution image you can capture of the characters. It'd be nice if we could change lighting level, weapon draw and rotate the stance to pose the character on the select screen.

@Brother.1504 said:It’s been bugging me for a while now that we can’t see character backpacks, auras, and especially weapons on the character selection screen. Anyone else want to see this implemented?

Ummm..... no! I just want the absolute LEAST amount of processor and loading requirements out of the character select screen.All I want is to get in and get out. It's not their to stare at my characters doing bleeping nothing.