Vanden's Power Icon Fix updated
By
Arbegla,
Posted on: 2008-01-16 18:14 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
It doesn't look like it. They seem to be pointing at the exact same icon file. Sorry.
Issue 16 made me feel like this.
Warning: This poster likes to play Devil's Advocate.
Gah. Maybe I'll try Castle.
Right, so, all those gripes I listed out in my last post are still viable, plus one more, but I'm afraid it's another case of "pointing to same icon". Conditioning is a +dmg icon for some inate reason.
What shall claim a Sky Kings' Ransom?
PPD & Resistance Epic Archetypes
Ok, I realize this may not be the correct place to post this, but as Vanden seems to have a better idea of how the power icons work than the devs, and the whole Q/A system is currently bogged down with other I-12 problems, I decided to come here first.
Having said that, I have noticed in the past few days that some of my power icons for powers from the Mental Manipulation blaster secondary are showing a solid black square background behind the round icon. This is especially noticable now that we can have our windows faded out.
Link to Screenshot
Any thoughts?
Note, I do have the latest vidiotmap/vanden's patch installed.
Galactron - 48 Inv/SS, Samurai Gecko - 50 Kat/Reg, Moulinet - 50 DB/WP, Galactress - 50 Fire/Kin, Miss Mayhem - 50 Rad/Psi, PyroWulf - 50 WP/Fire, Solis Invicti 50 Fire/Fire, Utahraptor - 50 Claws/SR
"You can't fix stupid. Dumb people breed more than smart people. Idiocracy wasn't a comedy, it was prophecy." - Bill Z Bubba
Out of curiosity, why did the Tier 1 on Willpower get the Dull Pain icon? I don't mind it, but with a permanent HP increase, I would think that it would get the healing icon (cross) without the timer behind it.
[ QUOTE ]
Ok, I realize this may not be the correct place to post this, but as Vanden seems to have a better idea of how the power icons work than the devs, and the whole Q/A system is currently bogged down with other I-12 problems, I decided to come here first.
Having said that, I have noticed in the past few days that some of my power icons for powers from the Mental Manipulation blaster secondary are showing a solid black square background behind the round icon. This is especially noticable now that we can have our windows faded out.
Link to Screenshot
Any thoughts?
Note, I do have the latest vidiotmap/vanden's patch installed.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, that's a REAL bug. I'm pretty sure the devs are working on fixing that. Here's what I think happened: The icons for the powers in Mental Manipulation that weren't pulled directly from Psionic Assault are titled the same as the Mind Control icons (MentalControl_<something>.texture). Some well-intentioned but misinformed member of the staff saw that and said, "Hey, these icons are all in the same set, but they don't match!" and changed the colors of the Mental Manipulation icons to the Mind Control colors. In the process, they somehow messed up the alpha channel, causing that black box to appear around the icon. (I have that problem sometimes, too.) In any case, I expect the devs to fix that themselves, so I haven't been working on a fix for it.
[ QUOTE ]
Out of curiosity, why did the Tier 1 on Willpower get the Dull Pain icon? I don't mind it, but with a permanent HP increase, I would think that it would get the healing icon (cross) without the timer behind it.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, you could look at it another way: rather than the timer meaning that the effect is time-limited, it means that with extra HP makes you recover more HP over time with your natural (and buffed) regeneration. Anyway, that was a requested icon because the old one was the same as Mind Over Body. Willpower for Stalkers has a self-heal that uses the typical heal power icon, so I didn't think it made sense to replace one identical icon with another when it was requested that I make the icon not identical.
Issue 16 made me feel like this.
Warning: This poster likes to play Devil's Advocate.
<QR>
Just a question. Is there any way to change back to the regular icons without uninstalling Co*?
That's outlined in the OP. If you want to revert ALL of them, you can delete the entire Icons folder. I believe you could also go to the Control Panel and pick Add/Remove programs and remove the Power Icon Correction Pack.
Issue 16 made me feel like this.
Warning: This poster likes to play Devil's Advocate.
The pack is updated! Check the OP for details.
Issue 16 made me feel like this.
Warning: This poster likes to play Devil's Advocate.
Nice work!
OP has been updated please check for accuracy.
Ex
I made an Elusive Mind icon about a year ago. I don't want to try and make you change the one you used, but if you'd consider it, that'd be great. My version
Mmm, new portion of fixes, new portions of icons to remove.
Hey Vanden, is it planned/possible to diversify Crab Armor Upgrade and Fortification icons?
[edit]Also, Poisonous Ray isn't really a def debuff power. It's misleading, just like Claws/Slash. I really think it should get the "High damage short range burst" icon.
What shall claim a Sky Kings' Ransom?
PPD & Resistance Epic Archetypes
It is possible to differentiate Crab Spider Armor and Fortification, but I don't really see any reason to. Crab Spider Armor is an auto power, it can't be in the tray, so it can't be confused with Fortification.
Issue 16 made me feel like this.
Warning: This poster likes to play Devil's Advocate.
<.< Looking nice in the bar?
I mean, you differentiated High Pain Tolerance and Mind Over Body.
[edit]Also! Widow Training/Strike and Widow Training/Swipe, those icons look like they could stand to be changed.
What shall claim a Sky Kings' Ransom?
PPD & Resistance Epic Archetypes
[ QUOTE ]
<.< Looking nice in the bar?
I mean, you differentiated High Pain Tolerance and Mind Over Body.
[/ QUOTE ]
I did? *reads over change notes* I guess I did. I don't know if I'm more worried that I forgot about that or proud that even I couldn't tell that it was altered.
What would I change one of them too? I mean, they both do the same thing, more or less.
[ QUOTE ]
[edit]Also! Widow Training/Strike and Widow Training/Swipe, those icons look like they could stand to be changed.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm uh, not seeing a discrepancy in those icons. Other than the fact that Strike has a three-hit symbol and is one punch. Is that what you were getting at?
Issue 16 made me feel like this.
Warning: This poster likes to play Devil's Advocate.
Well, the three-strike icon is associated with (IME) lower-damage attacks. Until a build ago, Strike WAS a pair of attacks, so it made sense, but now you have Swipe with the lone attack icon and Strike with the triple. I might be wrong, of course.
As for the differentiation... umm. I'd personally go with the Patron/Godmode icon for Fort, but that's rather very me-centric. Hmm...
What shall claim a Sky Kings' Ransom?
PPD & Resistance Epic Archetypes
I got in the mood to figure stuff out about power icons after looking at your stuff Vanden. The borders of the power icons seem to be fairly consistent with only a few divergences, most or all of which I believe you've caught.
I started looking at the interior symbol of the power icons and reasoning out what each meant and the paradigm coh is using for power icon inner symbols. I started a paragonwiki page here. The more I keep looking at these symbols, the more I understand the paradigm and am able to see which icons are 'broken'.
Consider this a mini-guide to what I've been figuring out.
Icons Explained.
Control/Mez icons: Almost all of these you'll be familiar with as they are the same graphic used on a training enhancement. A few exceptions and some unique icons (Force Bubble, Telekinesis, Wormhole) are out there.
Buff and Debuff icons: Buff/debuffs have 2 types of symbols. One is an arc, the other is a triangle. Buff/debuffs with the triangle have an instant effect. For example, Healing Aura gives you hit points. Buffs/debuffs with an arc have persistant effects. For example, Recovery Aura increases your recovery rate for a period of time. A triangle or arc at the top of the icon means a buff. A triangle at the bottom of the icon means a debuff.
The exchange symbol is somewhat ambiguous. The way I conceive it, the exchange symbol is only used when the two things being affected are the same. For example, in Absorb Pain caster loses hit points, target gains hit points. Usage is correct. Dark Consumption target loses hit points, caster gains endurance. Usage incorrect.
Powers that buff/debuff multiple aspects should be using the icons found in Powers like Equip Thugs, Tactical Upgrade and Serum. Usage of which icon depends on the strength of the buff/debuff.
Resistance icons: The basic resist symbol is the icon used on the training enhancement. There are no resistance buffs used in the iconography. All resistance is assumed to have a buffing effect. Resistance debuff could certainly be a valid symbol, using the downward arc described above. Resistance icons have variations depending on what type of resistance they provide. Temp Invulnerability uses smashing/lethal, Resist Elements uses fire/cold, Resist Energy uses energy/negative energy and Minerals uses a psionic resistance symbol. The symbol for increased resistance to mez effects is used in powers like Unyeilding and Rooted.
Defense icons: The basic defense symbol is a shield. Flavors currently exsist for melee, ranged and AoE defense. Missing are icons for the different types of damage (smash/lethal/fire/cold/toxic/energy/negative energy/psionic). If we used the same symbology as resistance, we could have the flavor of defense on top of the shield symbol and it would be more clear how each defense power functions.
A boost to your current mez defense is the symbol used by Clarity.
Melee icons: Any power that does damage could use the icon found on the training enhancement. I consider it the default damage icon. Melee icons have three tiers depending on how much damage they do. Look at Brawl, Punch and Haymaker for examples of tiers 1, 2 and 3. Barrage uses the icon for melee damage over time. The extreme damage symbol used on Nova can also be added into this category. A few more icons exsist such as assassin's strike, elemental weapon, greater elemental weapon and chain-type powers that are used only in certain specific powers.
Ranged icons: Once again, any power that does damage could use the icon found on the training enhancement. The extreme damage symbol used on Nova is part of this category. There are four tiers of standard ranged damage. Only powers with a recharge time of "Very Fast" should use the tier 0 ranged icon as in the power Nuetrino Bolt. Small, medium and large powers use the other ranged icons that appear as skinny, normal and thick beams and I call them Tier 1, 2 and 3.
Sniper powers have a unique icon. Short range powers have a unique icon like the one found on the Power Burst icon.
Pet icons: Any power that is a pet or henchman, or effects only a pet or henchman should have a ring at the bottom. If a pet has a specific power effect (taunt or fear) that icon should replace the rising sphere on most of the pet icons. The number of pets summoned should be the number of rising spheres found on the power icon.
The pet power icons should be used only when the power summons something that can be killed. Voltaic Sentinal is not a pet, Gun Drone is.
Form icons: Icons should be used when you actually shift forms. Kheldian Nova and Dwarf powers use this icon. IMO, Granite should use this as well.
Hierarchy
Symbols have a hierarchy. For example, if a power does damage and has a mez effect, the mez icon will be used.
Mez trumps buff/debuff trumps resist/defense trumps damage.
If one effect of a power is much stronger than the other, the primary effects icon is used. Frozen Armor provides defense and resistance, but the primary effect of the power is to provide defense. Defense symbol is used.
There are a couple of specific things that trump one another in the same category. For example, increase recharge speed (Hasten) trumps increase run speed (Swift). Healing trumps endurance. Damage trumps accuracy if the power's effect is equal. Defense trumps resistance. Hold trumps disorient trumps sleep trumps immobilize. Knockback/up/down sometimes trumps other control powers even when it is not the strongest effect. Running trumps jumping trumps flying. Compound symbols (see below) trump standard icons.
Compound symbols
A few of the symbols used in power icons are combinations of two or more icon graphics. Some of the best examples of this are the power icons for Unchain Essense (defeated plus damage), Invincibility (defense plus accuracy/to hit plus buff) and Shiver (slow recharge plus slow movement). Many, many of the powers currently in the game could use compound icons to replace the current graphic. For example, Dark Extraction could use the defeated plus single pet summon icon. Stygian Circle could use the defeated plus heal buff icon.
New Icons Needed
In thinking about this, I found the game really, really needs some additional icons not currently used but are consistent with existing iconography. Flavored defense and resistance debuffs are desperately needed, imo.
Anyways, read this over, think about it, look at the power icons and give me some feedback. Every day I look at the symbols I refine my opinions of how the symbols work.
@Cannonfodder
Victory: The Hall of Justice Virtue: The Hall of Doom
Slash Commands, Binds and Macros, Oh My!, CoV Stat Booster Accolade Cheat-Sheet, Don't Let Me Make Money Off Your Ignorance!!!, Day Job Acquisition Guide, "Tricky" TA
And here's a list I made of what needs to be changed to follow the above paradigm. 
Ask me questions about things that are vague or point out inconsistencies.
Some proposed changes may not work because they would result in a power set having 2 or more identical power icons.
Snap Shot tier 1
Aimed Shot tier 2
fistful of arrows tier 1 with cone border
blazing arrow damage
burst tier 1
slug tier 2
flamethrower short range
ignite short range
charged bolts tier 1
lightning bolt tier 2
voltaic sentinal damage
power bolt tier 1
power blast tier 2
fire breath short range
frost breath short range
freeze ray alt hold icon?
psychic wail extreme
shriek tier 1
scream tier 2
howl tier 2
consume different border?
frozen fists tier 1
chilling embrace full slow
ice patch knockdown
mind probe tier 1
psychic scream tier 2
psychic shockwave extreme or disoirent?
earthquake knockdown
propel tier 3
ice slick knockdown
spectral wounds tier 3
spirit tree regen
fortitude power up?
adrenalin boost recovery
deflectiond field physical defense
insulation field multiple defense
detention field intanglible
siphon speed recharge
increase density resist
speed boost recharge
transferance end
accelerate metabbolism recharge
fallout defeated damage
sonic siphon resist debuff
sonic haven resist multiple
sonic cage intanglible
disruptiond field resist bebuff
sonic dispersion resist
liquify hold or knockdown
snow storm slow all
thermal shield resist
thaw clarity
heat exhaustion debuff multiple
glue arrow slow all
disruption arrow resist debuff
infrigidate defense debuff
ice shield defense smash lethal
glacial shield defense energy
arctic fog stealth
benumb power boost debuff
darkest night tohit debuff
howling twilight targeted aoe border?
night fall tier 2
electron haze short range
slice tier 2
swipe tier 1
spin tier 2
shockwave short range
vengeful slice knockdown?
soul drain boost damage
breath of fire short range
flashing steel tier 2
throw spines short range
dark embrace resist smash/lethal
murky cloud resist
soul transfer targeted border?
resiliance resist s/l
frozen armor defense s/l
chilling embrace slow all
hibernate intangible?
rock armor defense
crystal armor defense nrg/neg
granite morph
pendulum tier 3]
whirling hands tier 2?
frost short range
ice patch knockdown
fault disorient?
hurl bolder tier 3
jab tier 1
rage damage boost
hurl tier 3
shatter extreme damage
crowd control knockback?
gleaming bolt tier 0
glinting eye tier 1
gleaming blast tier 2
radiant strike tier 3
luminous detonation damage?
incandesent strike extreme?
solar flare extreme
photon seekers dmage
luminous aura resist s/l
light form power up
shadow bold tier 0
ebon eye tier 1
starless step tp foe
dark extraction defeated plus pet summon
gravity shield resist s/l
stygian circle defeated plus hp
jacob's ladder tier 3
breath of fire short range
lightning field damage
conductive shield resist
lightning reflexes recharge
kinetic shield defense s/l
damping field resist s/l
serum add summon ring to icon
smaoke flash summon ring plus placate
pistols tier 0
dual wield tier 1 or 2
neurotoxin breath slow all
antidote clarity
seeker drone 2 pet icon
incinerate tier 3
thorny darts tier 2
throntrops slow move
poison dart tier 1
strike tier 3
lunge tier 3
foresight boost multiple
single shot tier 1
venom grenade debuff resist
wolf spider armor resist
stimulant clarity
air superiority knock down
vengence defeated plus boost multiple
@Cannonfodder
Victory: The Hall of Justice Virtue: The Hall of Doom
Slash Commands, Binds and Macros, Oh My!, CoV Stat Booster Accolade Cheat-Sheet, Don't Let Me Make Money Off Your Ignorance!!!, Day Job Acquisition Guide, "Tricky" TA
wow
Yeah, I know. Sorry. Insomnia.
"Hi, my name's Storyteller. Here's a <bleep>load of work that I want you to do to improve City of Heroes for me. No, I'm not going to pay you. Yes, I want it done right away. No, it's not the devs job."
@Cannonfodder
Victory: The Hall of Justice Virtue: The Hall of Doom
Slash Commands, Binds and Macros, Oh My!, CoV Stat Booster Accolade Cheat-Sheet, Don't Let Me Make Money Off Your Ignorance!!!, Day Job Acquisition Guide, "Tricky" TA
[ QUOTE ]
Patch Notes: 6.17.08 Version 17.20080604.2T
* Blaster / Psionic Blast / Psionic Dart: This power will now have a unique icon, it should no longer be the same as Mental Blast
* Blaster / Fire Manipulation / Burn: This powerÂ’s icon should now match the color scheme of the other powers in the set.
* Dark Melee powers, Shadow Punch, Shadow Maul, and Smite have had power icons corrected for Brutes and Stalkers.
[/ QUOTE ]
Any icons have to be removed from the current assortment to adapt to these fixes?
Thanks,
@Cannonfodder
Victory: The Hall of Justice Virtue: The Hall of Doom
Slash Commands, Binds and Macros, Oh My!, CoV Stat Booster Accolade Cheat-Sheet, Don't Let Me Make Money Off Your Ignorance!!!, Day Job Acquisition Guide, "Tricky" TA
No, the icon pack still works fine. Future packs may be adjusted in response to changes, but the current one still doesn't break anything. (Except Galvanized, but who cares about that, right?)
Issue 16 made me feel like this.
Warning: This poster likes to play Devil's Advocate.
Will Psionic Dart for Blasters be getting a proper tier 1 blast icon? Currently it's the same as Mental Blast and all other tier 2 blasts but it's actually the 'Bolt' of Psi.