GW2 and Accessibility for Disabled People

[nyah.7586]

Hey,

 

unless I completely missed it, there are no accessibility options in GW2 at all. I would like to know why not?

 

I think in 2021 we can expect games to become more inclusive.

 

I myself am legally blind with minimal remaining vision and I love video games. Guild Wars 2 in particular is a great game in my opinion, but unfortunately I keep coming up against limitations that prevent me from enjoying it.

I'm lucky enough to know able-bodied people who help me and carry me through the game, so I can enjoy it even with my disability - but honestly, I'd like to be able to play it on my own as well. And I know that many other people with various disabilities feel the same way.

 

So I ask you ArenaNet, have you thought about including accessibility options in your game? And if not, how do you justify it?

 

Voice acting for dialogue, for example, is great! That's something I'd like to see in a lot more games (or at least automatic voice over output) - it's what I really appreciate about GW2 and what makes the game special for me.

 

The ability to set a larger font would already help people with limited vision immensely. But your current option for large font is still way, way, way too small and has nothing to do with accessibility.

 

I have several ideas that would make the game more accessible, especially when it comes to visual things. I'd be very happy to share any of these ideas and you could consider what would be realistically achievable. What do you think?

If there are other people here who would share ideas for other accessibility options, please feel free to add them in this thread. Make yourselves heard.

 

One important thing: Accessibility is not about whether the game still looks good or gets too easy. It is only about making it playable for more people. Please stop excluding disabled people from gaming in general.

For example, if the colour contrasts are so strong that it burns your eyes, it may be exactly what another person needs to enjoy the game. Players who don't need this option don't have to select it. As simple as that.

 

An ideal model for accessibility in video games is Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part 2 - maybe you can take inspiration from that. I know it's a completely different kind of game and of course not everything can be implemented in the same way, in a game that has already been published, but it would be a good start to collect ideas.

 

Just imagine being one of the most accessible MMORPGs and how that could benefit you. The community of disabled gamers is huge and more and more gamers care about these things.

 

Just think about it.

 

Thank you for taking your time to read this. I really hope that I’ll get an answer from you.

Meanstin

[AgentMoore.9453]

Just stopping by to say a.) Yes, this would be nice and b.) This would be nice even for people without disabilities.

In particular, complaints about font and visual noise (overwhelming visuals and too-similar colors for enemy/ally effects) have abounded almost since launch. A big overhaul to the chat system and more visual settings would be well-received so long as changes were, as you suggest, optional. Color-blind mode and other common gaming accommodations would be great to have. I'm sure you'll find some people who will say 'alright, but wouldn't that take work and resources?' to which I'd say 'yeah, but investing in broadening the audience of your game seems like a decision with long-term benefits'.

If there's ever a GW3 on the horizon, I hope they go into it with things like accessibility in mind at the time they're designing rather than a decade in.

[ArchonWing.9480]

Accessibility options would benefit everyone,

Lots of things are harsh on the eyes, and sometimes it's just too hard to read things when all this other crap is happening.

And at the very least, having choices is good.

Edited September 25, 2021 by ArchonWing.9480

[Linken.6345]

OP maybe you should talk to Rogue.8235 they are also a blind player so maybe have some tips and tricks for you to try.

[Tiviana.2650]

This is where i think we need more customizable settings. The ability to make the ui larger or smaller the font bigger, be able to move the elements like your target the side panels the map the chat box where we need them and size them. It makes the game better for players to be able to set up their ui and settings to something comfortable for them. Other games have this or allow addons that you can use to do it.

Edited September 25, 2021 by Tiviana.2650

[nyah.7586]

2 hours ago, Linken.6345 said:

OP maybe you should talk to Rogue.8235 they are also a blind player so maybe have some tips and tricks for you to try.

Oh, thank you for the tip, I'll try to contact them!.

[Rogue.8235]

So I use JAWS 21 and have scripted it for limited use with video games.

 

Unfortunately, I ignore chat most of the time as my current workaround is screen capture -> OCR which is extremely time-consuming.  The obvious solution is in-game voice communication, but that is obviously not feasible (there's a reason why most development studios avoid this).

 

Playing GW2, in particular, is an extreme exercise in aural-cognitive processing.  

There are distinct sounds for when a skill hits, misses, is blocked, critically hits, et cetera.

There is distinct dialogue for when your character receives a boon or condition.  Problem, the engine doesn't render overlapping sounds.  If you get two boons simultaneously, only one audio cue will trigger.

 

Huge suggestion.  Invest in surround sound headset.  The game does use 3d sound, and so your ability to echolocate translates into the game.  This is how I find enemies.  

Different enemies make different sounds.  This is an exercise of aural memory and recall.

Different skills have different sounds.  You can identify enemy players and friendly players based on the sounds of skills going off.  If you are in a zerg, well your hearing what everyone is seeing, which is a big mess.

Following player zergs is gong to be the most difficult and frustrating experiences you'll have in the game.  If you have a surround sound heaset, you have a bit of continual echo location to help.  Do not expect to be able to keep up with every zerg.  You will lose track of them and not find them again.  This is okay.

 

Mouse:

Adjust the DPI of your mouse to exactly conform to your mouse pad.  That is, when your cursor is in each corner of the screen, your mouse is physically located on the corresponding corner.  That way, when your mouse is in the center of the pad, your cursor is centered on the screen.  do not pick up the mouse.  

This allows you to have a tactile way to track where your cursor is in the game.

 

In-game windows must be set up by you.  These things do not ever move once you set them up to your liking.  My inventory window is in the upper left quadrant, so I can navigate inventory by feel via my mouse pad and mouse.

To identify the item in a particular inventory slot, do the following.

Press enter.

Type backslash wiki

hold shift and click the item in question.

 

The result is that your browser opens up the guild wars 2 wiki page and you can use your screen reader from there.

 

 

One of the biggest things is to adjust expectations.  I don't know how long you've been blind, but as blind players we must accept that we cannot do everything in game.  There are just some things we will not be able to do, and that's okay.

 

 

If you get this far into the game, the skyscale mount is both a blessing and a curse.  I have, on many occasions, gotten lost in the middle of the air on my skyscale because I lost complete track of where I'm going.  Oh on the point of navigation.

 

When navigating, use the same life skills you've acquired in game.  You must constantly have that internal map going, keeping in mind the shape of the path you're taking so you can return to your original point.  

There is a distinct sound difference if you are running into an object and not actually moving.  Pay attention to that to track where walls are.  Unfortunately, this is all you have for tracking obstacles.  There is no reverb in game to track deadspace like in real life.

Mapping is going to be your longest task in game.  Familiarizing yourself with a map will take seemingly forever, but it's good cognitive exercise.  You will not be able to just rush off into random maps like other players.  We blind players need to be cognizant of our pathing.

 

That's all for now as I'm cooking dinner.  Please ask me all the questions you want.

 

 

 

 

[nyah.7586]

8 hours ago, Rogue.8235 said:

So I use JAWS 21 and have scripted it for limited use with video games.

 

Unfortunately, I ignore chat most of the time as my current workaround is screen capture -> OCR which is extremely time-consuming.  The obvious solution is in-game voice communication, but that is obviously not feasible (there's a reason why most development studios avoid this).

 

Playing GW2, in particular, is an extreme exercise in aural-cognitive processing.  

There are distinct sounds for when a skill hits, misses, is blocked, critically hits, et cetera.

There is distinct dialogue for when your character receives a boon or condition.  Problem, the engine doesn't render overlapping sounds.  If you get two boons simultaneously, only one audio cue will trigger.

 

Huge suggestion.  Invest in surround sound headset.  The game does use 3d sound, and so your ability to echolocate translates into the game.  This is how I find enemies.  

Different enemies make different sounds.  This is an exercise of aural memory and recall.

Different skills have different sounds.  You can identify enemy players and friendly players based on the sounds of skills going off.  If you are in a zerg, well your hearing what everyone is seeing, which is a big mess.

Following player zergs is gong to be the most difficult and frustrating experiences you'll have in the game.  If you have a surround sound heaset, you have a bit of continual echo location to help.  Do not expect to be able to keep up with every zerg.  You will lose track of them and not find them again.  This is okay.

 

Mouse:

Adjust the DPI of your mouse to exactly conform to your mouse pad.  That is, when your cursor is in each corner of the screen, your mouse is physically located on the corresponding corner.  That way, when your mouse is in the center of the pad, your cursor is centered on the screen.  do not pick up the mouse.  

This allows you to have a tactile way to track where your cursor is in the game.

 

In-game windows must be set up by you.  These things do not ever move once you set them up to your liking.  My inventory window is in the upper left quadrant, so I can navigate inventory by feel via my mouse pad and mouse.

To identify the item in a particular inventory slot, do the following.

Press enter.

Type backslash wiki

hold shift and click the item in question.

 

The result is that your browser opens up the guild wars 2 wiki page and you can use your screen reader from there.

 

 

One of the biggest things is to adjust expectations.  I don't know how long you've been blind, but as blind players we must accept that we cannot do everything in game.  There are just some things we will not be able to do, and that's okay.

 

 

If you get this far into the game, the skyscale mount is both a blessing and a curse.  I have, on many occasions, gotten lost in the middle of the air on my skyscale because I lost complete track of where I'm going.  Oh on the point of navigation.

 

When navigating, use the same life skills you've acquired in game.  You must constantly have that internal map going, keeping in mind the shape of the path you're taking so you can return to your original point.  

There is a distinct sound difference if you are running into an object and not actually moving.  Pay attention to that to track where walls are.  Unfortunately, this is all you have for tracking obstacles.  There is no reverb in game to track deadspace like in real life.

Mapping is going to be your longest task in game.  Familiarizing yourself with a map will take seemingly forever, but it's good cognitive exercise.  You will not be able to just rush off into random maps like other players.  We blind players need to be cognizant of our pathing.

 

That's all for now as I'm cooking dinner.  Please ask me all the questions you want.

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for this in depth answer. I really appreciate it!

 

I do not have experience with JAWS because I'm still used to screen magnifiers - but I've been thinking about starting to learn how to use screen readers some more.

The advice with the mouse pad is excellent, I'll try to figure out how to do that. Thank you!

 I've noticed that the game works a lot with sounds - which is great and quite helpful. I'm just a  highly visual learner by default  and paying attention to sounds is something that I still need to train a lot. It takes even more of my brain capacity than just trying to see something - so you can imagine why I wish for more options that affect visual things, like bigger fonts and higher contrasts or better highlighting. And seemingly even people with good sight wish for that - so I won't stop expressing my wishes for that. More editorial options for the chat box at least would benefit many gamers, so I'll keep asking for it until I get a reply from ArenaNet.

 

I'm aware that a game like GW2 can't be 100% accessible for blind gamers, but it can be more accessible than it is now.

 

However, I still want to play this game and make the best out of it, so your tips are a huge help and I'll try them out and figure out how they work for me. Probably can't afford a surround headset in the near future, but it's an investment to keep in mind.

I mean, it's good to know that other blind gamers play this game as well and learn about how they do it. It feels good to be told that getting lost on the map is fine and that it happens to others as well. Thank you so much again.

[Rogue.8235]

11 hours ago, nyah.7586 said:

Thank you so much for this in depth answer. I really appreciate it!

 

I do not have experience with JAWS because I'm still used to screen magnifiers - but I've been thinking about starting to learn how to use screen readers some more.

The advice with the mouse pad is excellent, I'll try to figure out how to do that. Thank you!

 I've noticed that the game works a lot with sounds - which is great and quite helpful. I'm just a  highly visual learner by default  and paying attention to sounds is something that I still need to train a lot. It takes even more of my brain capacity than just trying to see something - so you can imagine why I wish for more options that affect visual things, like bigger fonts and higher contrasts or better highlighting. And seemingly even people with good sight wish for that - so I won't stop expressing my wishes for that. More editorial options for the chat box at least would benefit many gamers, so I'll keep asking for it until I get a reply from ArenaNet.

 

I'm aware that a game like GW2 can't be 100% accessible for blind gamers, but it can be more accessible than it is now.

 

However, I still want to play this game and make the best out of it, so your tips are a huge help and I'll try them out and figure out how they work for me. Probably can't afford a surround headset in the near future, but it's an investment to keep in mind.

I mean, it's good to know that other blind gamers play this game as well and learn about how they do it. It feels good to be told that getting lost on the map is fine and that it happens to others as well. Thank you so much again.

 

I strongly advise you to learn to listen to sounds, and not just for playing video games.  If you're hearing is unimpaired, then you're able to pick up on the characteristics of sound well enough to get useful information without needing to rely on heavily-impaired vision.

These are things that a mobility instructor can teach you and help you practice.  They can teach you how to cross streets without needing to see the stret lights or walk signs.  They can teach you how to listen to patterns of deadspace.  And much more.

 

These same skills can be applied to Guild Wars 2.  I use these same skills for navigation (except patterns of deadspace as these things are not programmed into the game).  

 

For your particular case, playing in windowed mode allows for magnification of the game. 

 

[Veprovina.4876]

I think the only justification, at least for the graphical side of things is that the engine is barely capable of running the game as is, adding additional accesibility shaders and options would probably be too much for Anet. 🤣

So far at least, once they get DX11 up and running, they might actually have the tools and capabilities necessary to add some additional options, not just accessibility but other stuff like toggling player effects as well.

 

In the meantime, there's a lot of handy options out there for "modding" the game without actually modding it.

ReShade is a great tool to adjust your graphics in any game, but it has some interesting shaders that can make the game more contrasting, brighter, dimmer, accentuate one color, sharpen the image etc, or even change colors completely. It's a bit fiddly, so have someone else with you when you're trying it out, its interface is also not accesibility friendly, but it can help you tailor the game to your particular requirements. Fiddle with the shaders and see which one lets you see things better in game, i'm sure you can make it work. ReShade is completely free to use and won't get you banned.

 

Furthermore, YoloMouse is great for anyone playing GW2 as even able bodied people lose track of GW2's mouse pointer.

But YoloMouse can make the pointer bigger, brighter and look like you want it to, so you'll never lose sight of it. Something like bright magenta will probably be visible enough for you against the game's normal colors. It's a paid program but it costs like 3 bucks, that should be affordable for anyone. It also won't get you banned as i know a lot of people who use it. I honestly don't know why i haven't bought it myself yet lol. 

 

There's not much you can do about sound, but ReShade could probably be used to accentuate text more so you'll be able to read it with some effort. I mean, for the dialogue and text that isn't voice acted.

 

Once DX11 is sorted out and working, i'm sure they'll be adding more graphical options to the game. In the meantime, try using the tools i listed to improve your gaming experience. 

 

Good luck and happy gaming! 🙂 

[nyah.7586]

16 hours ago, Rogue.8235 said:

 

I strongly advise you to learn to listen to sounds, and not just for playing video games.  If you're hearing is unimpaired, then you're able to pick up on the characteristics of sound well enough to get useful information without needing to rely on heavily-impaired vision.

These are things that a mobility instructor can teach you and help you practice.  They can teach you how to cross streets without needing to see the stret lights or walk signs.  They can teach you how to listen to patterns of deadspace.  And much more.

 

These same skills can be applied to Guild Wars 2.  I use these same skills for navigation (except patterns of deadspace as these things are not programmed into the game).  

 

For your particular case, playing in windowed mode allows for magnification of the game. 

 

 

I will. Thank you so much! It's really kind of you to share your advice with me ❤️

Would be cool if there were options to toggle sounds as well, because I'm highly sensitive and too many noises at once make me feel overwhelmed and it usually ends up in me not hearing anything anymore. That's not specific to games, but to any situations like walking through a full street or sitting in a train and so on. But yeah, I see the point in how helpful this can be overall.

Yeah, I do use my magnifier in windowed mode to read things ingame. Just doesn't work with things you have to hover the mouse over - cause the magnifier follows the mouse, not the dropdown menu. But yeah it already is a big help anyway.

 

Thank you so much again.

[nyah.7586]

3 hours ago, Veprovina.4876 said:

I think the only justification, at least for the graphical side of things is that the engine is barely capable of running the game as is, adding additional accesibility shaders and options would probably be too much for Anet. 🤣

So far at least, once they get DX11 up and running, they might actually have the tools and capabilities necessary to add some additional options, not just accessibility but other stuff like toggling player effects as well.

 

In the meantime, there's a lot of handy options out there for "modding" the game without actually modding it.

ReShade is a great tool to adjust your graphics in any game, but it has some interesting shaders that can make the game more contrasting, brighter, dimmer, accentuate one color, sharpen the image etc, or even change colors completely. It's a bit fiddly, so have someone else with you when you're trying it out, its interface is also not accesibility friendly, but it can help you tailor the game to your particular requirements. Fiddle with the shaders and see which one lets you see things better in game, i'm sure you can make it work. ReShade is completely free to use and won't get you banned.

 

Furthermore, YoloMouse is great for anyone playing GW2 as even able bodied people lose track of GW2's mouse pointer.

But YoloMouse can make the pointer bigger, brighter and look like you want it to, so you'll never lose sight of it. Something like bright magenta will probably be visible enough for you against the game's normal colors. It's a paid program but it costs like 3 bucks, that should be affordable for anyone. It also won't get you banned as i know a lot of people who use it. I honestly don't know why i haven't bought it myself yet lol. 

 

There's not much you can do about sound, but ReShade could probably be used to accentuate text more so you'll be able to read it with some effort. I mean, for the dialogue and text that isn't voice acted.

 

Once DX11 is sorted out and working, i'm sure they'll be adding more graphical options to the game. In the meantime, try using the tools i listed to improve your gaming experience. 

 

Good luck and happy gaming! 🙂 

 

Yeah, I agree with you.

 

I mean realistically, I know that it would take lots of effort to update such an old game to new accessibility standards. But I do also believe that talking about these things can bring change anyway.  At least planting a seed in developers and gamers heads to just think  about it, can affect reality - that's what I believe. DX11 might actually help with that as well - the thought would not have occurred to me - it makes sense though. 

I am really happy that so many people reacted to this post and said that they would love to see these changes as well. It shows that there is a want and a need for these things.

Thanks so much for replying to this and sharing your opinion!

 

[nyah.7586]

On 9/25/2021 at 9:40 PM, Tiviana.2650 said:

This is where i think we need more customizable settings. The ability to make the ui larger or smaller the font bigger, be able to move the elements like your target the side panels the map the chat box where we need them and size them. It makes the game better for players to be able to set up their ui and settings to something comfortable for them. Other games have this or allow addons that you can use to do it.

Exactly. It would benefit everyone! Thanks for your suggestions ❤️

[Fuchslein.8639]

Oh yes please. I'm lucky enough that my eyesight isn't that bad yet that I don't have any problems with that.
But even for me as a normal glasses wearer, the font is often exhausting.

A reason why I see e.g. TS over chatting, although I am normally someone who prefers to write with people. But the fact that the whisper font for everyone is this nasty pink, without space between the paragraphs is so kittening exhausting.
Just the other week I said to my friends that I wish I could set the chat settings myself. Size, color, ect.
I wish you could set different colors, for different people ect.

Actually quite simple things that would make so much difference uu.

Edited September 27, 2021 by Fuchslein.8639

[Veprovina.4876]

1 hour ago, nyah.7586 said:

 

Yeah, I agree with you.

 

I mean realistically, I know that it would take lots of effort to update such an old game to new accessibility standards. But I do also believe that talking about these things can bring change anyway.  At least planting a seed in developers and gamers heads to just think  about it, can affect reality - that's what I believe. DX11 might actually help with that as well - the thought would not have occurred to me - it makes sense though. 

I am really happy that so many people reacted to this post and said that they would love to see these changes as well. It shows that there is a want and a need for these things.

Thanks so much for replying to this and sharing your opinion!

 

Well, they ARE updating the engine finally, so it stands to reason they probably won't stop at that. Don't lose hope, they might actually add some if not all the accesibility options. In the meantime, there's 3rd party tools to help you enjoy the game more. 🙂

[nyah.7586]

5 hours ago, Veprovina.4876 said:

Well, they ARE updating the engine finally, so it stands to reason they probably won't stop at that. Don't lose hope, they might actually add some if not all the accesibility options. In the meantime, there's 3rd party tools to help you enjoy the game more. 🙂

Yeah I'll look into figuring out ReShade - already installed it. Thank you for the tips!  I use the cross-fade option from TACO to keep track of the mouse, which also helps a lot, but I'll test how YoLoMouse works for me as well.

[Rogue.8235]

11 hours ago, Veprovina.4876 said:

ReShade is a great tool to adjust your graphics in any game, but it has some interesting shaders that can make the game more contrasting, brighter, dimmer, accentuate one color, sharpen the image etc, or even change colors completely. It's a bit fiddly, so have someone else with you when you're trying it out, its interface is also not accesibility friendly, but it can help you tailor the game to your particular requirements. Fiddle with the shaders and see which one lets you see things better in game, i'm sure you can make it work. ReShade is completely free to use and won't get you banned.

[]

11 hours ago, Veprovina.4876 said:

But YoloMouse can make the pointer bigger, brighter and look like you want it to, so you'll never lose sight of it. Something like bright magenta will probably be visible enough for you against the game's normal colors. It's a paid program but it costs like 3 bucks, that should be affordable for anyone. It also won't get you banned as i know a lot of people who use it. I honestly don't know why i haven't bought it myself yet lol. 

 

 

These are awesome things for those who are legally blind and not completely blind.  Quoting for emphasis.

 

8 hours ago, nyah.7586 said:

 

I will. Thank you so much! It's really kind of you to share your advice with me ❤️

Would be cool if there were options to toggle sounds as well, because I'm highly sensitive and too many noises at once make me feel overwhelmed and it usually ends up in me not hearing anything anymore. That's not specific to games, but to any situations like walking through a full street or sitting in a train and so on. But yeah, I see the point in how helpful this can be overall.
Yeah, I do use my magnifier in windowed mode to read things ingame. Just doesn't work with things you have to hover the mouse over - cause the magnifier follows the mouse, not the dropdown menu. But yeah it already is a big help anyway.

Thank you so much again.

 

Do you use the Microsoft magnifier or ZoomText?  Every blind rehabilitation therapist I know hates the Microsoft magnifier because it is so limiting.  

If you don't have ZoomText, it is available here.

There also exists actual hardware you can use to help you out.  Physical screen magnifiers or specially adapted monitors are out there.  To obtain these things, connect with your State's Department of Rehabilitation (or equivalent).  The important things is that these tools are necessary for professional and educational pursuits.  

Having physical magnification setups will save on your processing power.

 

The reason I emphasize solutions outside of ArenaNet modifying the game, is that external solutions work with every game, whereas ArenaNet can only help you with Guild Wars 2.

 

As for being able to handle multiple auditory stimuli simultaneously, that takes a lot of practice.  It's easier for me because I have no choice.  One thing I often hear is the suggestion of wearing a night mask or blindfold around the house and for walks around the neighborhood to practice listening.  

Don't do this outside on your own (at first).  Be safe and have someone with you!  Alternatively, mobility instructors are specially trained to help you with this.

 

Auditory awareness will really open the doors for video games.  There's a guy who plays Call of Duty totally blind.  He doesn't even have light perception.  I am nowhere close to that level, but it's proof that you can do it!

 

 

[nyah.7586]

13 hours ago, Rogue.8235 said:

 

These are awesome things for those who are legally blind and not completely blind.  Quoting for emphasis.

 

 

Do you use the Microsoft magnifier or ZoomText?  Every blind rehabilitation therapist I know hates the Microsoft magnifier because it is so limiting.  

If you don't have ZoomText, it is available here.

There also exists actual hardware you can use to help you out.  Physical screen magnifiers or specially adapted monitors are out there.  To obtain these things, connect with your State's Department of Rehabilitation (or equivalent).  The important things is that these tools are necessary for professional and educational pursuits.  

Having physical magnification setups will save on your processing power.

 

The reason I emphasize solutions outside of ArenaNet modifying the game, is that external solutions work with every game, whereas ArenaNet can only help you with Guild Wars 2.

 

As for being able to handle multiple auditory stimuli simultaneously, that takes a lot of practice.  It's easier for me because I have no choice.  One thing I often hear is the suggestion of wearing a night mask or blindfold around the house and for walks around the neighborhood to practice listening.  

Don't do this outside on your own (at first).  Be safe and have someone with you!  Alternatively, mobility instructors are specially trained to help you with this.

 

Auditory awareness will really open the doors for video games.  There's a guy who plays Call of Duty totally blind.  He doesn't even have light perception.  I am nowhere close to that level, but it's proof that you can do it!

 

 

You are extremely helpful here and your suggestions make total sense. I so much appreciate this!

 

I do have ZoomText, unfortunately it stopped working at some point and I haven't figured out how to fix it by myself yet. The whole pandemic situation and social anxiety and such kept me from asking my professional contact person. I'm going to take care of that while asking for the physical magnification setups (it should be easier now that I have a specific motivation for that in mind). I've actually never heard of physical magnification setups for the PC and I've been to a few aid consultations for visually impaired and legally blind people before. It's sad how much you can miss out on when you don't specifically ask for something - happened to me quite often.

 

The blindfold trick sounds great - I really want to do this at least a few minutes every day and see how much it helps with my auditory perception. I'm not sure how to find a mobility instructor, but it really sounds worth it.

All of your advice comes from lots of experience and I really appreciate it as I am not used to getting all of that knowledge.

I still hope that ArenaNet considers putting some effort into things because there are still many people who also wish for them, but it obviously can't be the only thing I rely on.

 

I still have to figure out ReShade - it takes some time to do so.

Thank you again for being so kind ❤️

[Mungrul.9358]

There's an option to use your system's DPI scaling for text and interface size which really helps me.

I'm partially sighted in my right eye (detached retina injury that I won't go in to here as it's a bit... icky 😄 ), and as I get older, the sight in my left eye isn't as grand as it used to be.

 

For the life of me, I can't remember the exact name of the setting off the top of my head nor exactly how it interacts with system settings, but I'll have a play around when I'm home from work and update with my findings.

[Leo.3428]

@Mungrul.9358 - This is set under the game's Graphics options: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Options

DPI Scaling - Enables additional scaling of the UI according to your system settings. Check-box, on or off.

 

There might be a reasonably simple way for ANet to make in-game text more accessible: An API (similar to the Mumble API) that outputs the text from the active tooltip, active chat tab, etc., making it possible for all kinds of external tools to turn it into speech, onto an electronic braille board, display an enlarged text, accessing the wiki...

[Rogue.8235]

@nyah.7586 

 

I just remembered this:

NUEyes

It's a headset that allows legally blind people to see regularly.  I can't use it as I'm completely blind and magnification doesn't help.  But the veteran's who were prescribed this swear by it.  

This could be something to bring up next time you speak or email your rehabilitation counselor.  

 

[Mungrul.9358]

8 hours ago, Leo.3428 said:

@Mungrul.9358 - This is set under the game's Graphics options: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Options

DPI Scaling - Enables additional scaling of the UI according to your system settings. Check-box, on or off.

 

Yup, thanks @Leo.3428!

Found it this morning digging around before coming to work.

I did also take some screenshots at 2560x1440 to illustrate the different interface and text sizes, but am I correct in saying we can't link or upload pictures on this new forum?

 

It would be nice if the UI was as customisable as the original game's, allowing repositioning of all UI element containers and independent resizing.

[Tekoneiric.6817]

I was thinking that if someone was using a headset and surround sound, a north marker sound at a distinct frequency would help in navigation. It doesn't seem like that feature would be hard to add.

I haven't looked much into the game's API but it would be nice if it allowed for interfacing haptic feedback devices. I remember years ago that someone in the maker community made a head mounted crown of sorts that had feedback motors in it. It would indicate north. I think there was a belt that did the same thing but I can't find the info on Google. Commercial haptic feedback devices dominate the searches now. I remember them saying that when someone used it for awhile then stopped it was like someone taking a sense away.

[Strider Pj.2193]

As someone who is NOT visually challenged, I find this thread fascinating.

 

It’s great to see all of the methods people are using to be able to play.  
 

I plan on book marking this thread, as others may ask about it.  
 

I wonder if any of the moderators @Moderator.2406 

Could maybe sticky this?  Maybe even under players helping players?

Edited September 29, 2021 by Strider Pj.2193

[nyah.7586]

17 hours ago, Rogue.8235 said:

@nyah.7586 

 

I just remembered this:

NUEyes

It's a headset that allows legally blind people to see regularly.  I can't use it as I'm completely blind and magnification doesn't help.  But the veteran's who were prescribed this swear by it.  

This could be something to bring up next time you speak or email your rehabilitation counselor.  

 

That looks interesting. But as well as many devices it's not easy to get where I live. Not impossible, though, I'll just need very good reasons for why I need it. From my experience, it always ends up in a legal dispute *sigh* not sure if it's worth it

So I fixed ZoomText and the game is incredibly laggy when running it - so I think I can't use it for that with my current setup. Sad, but that shows why you suggested physical magnifier setups.

Thanks for your help again!