I was pretty optimistic over the weekend after reading CCP Soundwave's posts as it seemed that CCP were going to be addressing my concerns and restoring the lost functionality.

Now, after seeing CCP Optimal's post, I'm getting the feeling that CCP may not be as committed as I had thought to sorting out the issues.

Can we get a concrete answer as to whether the following features are definitely going to be re-implemented?

1) - Persistent multiple windows that remeber their size, position and function over session changes and log-outs/log-ins

2) - Separate Ship Hangar & Item Hangar buttons on the Neocom by default (or the ability to add them if they are not default), that open said hangars in separate windows (without a tree), at the same size/position as when they were last open

3) - Having wrecks and cans open in individual windows (without a tree), all at the same size/position as when they were last open

4) - Having the Open Cargohold button on the in-space HUD open the ship's cargo hold in a separate window (without a tree), at the same size/position as when it was last open

5) - Restoration of the missing right-click functions (e.g. Open Drone Bay, Open Fuel Bay, etc...)

You may have noticed the subtle hints above that I hate using trees for navigation. I don't even use the tree in the Market window unless there's no other option to find what I'm looking for.

You know, the same goes for the only survey in which CCP asked the player base explicitly about the User Interface. And like CCP Optimal wrote, they based their decision to change the inventory part of the UI on that survey:
2400 (former) EvE players participated in that survey. 23% of them regarded 'Excessive number of windows required to perform a task' as the biggest defect of the EvE online User Interface.
That is a meagre 552 people. That is a very small number to base a mayor change in how players interact with the game on.
Especially of you take into account that that the possible answers to the question consisted of several (and only!) negative qualifications to choose from.

The survey in question can be found here: http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Surveying_UI

In my opinion you can not decide to make a change like this based on the feedback of a very small number of people (and defend that change by stating that 'surveys show that people want this), and at the same time dismiss legitimate feedback on the forums as coming from to few people.

Mind you, reading the forum posts about the new Inventory and talking to people in game has thought me one thing: a lot more players than 552 do NOT like the way this has been implemented. Including me.

That's not a problem if the sample is representative. It would actually an unusually large portion of the population (but then again, 2,400 people isn't 5% of the player population).

Link your survey or it doesn't exist... which 95% hate it? I personally enjoy it although it needs ironed out. I do find it somewhat easier to see things now when im in station.

We do need to seperate the corp hanger out of the general tab or have it so that it's not lumped in with our stuffs. I've already experienced dumping items i didn't mean to into the corp hanger. Not cool.

We do need the ability to open our cargo in space without opening the entire window (like the old way, that would be nice).

Overall, i give CCP a 93 on the job. It's not a 100, but no inventory system will ever make everyone happy. I think the starting players will find it a bit easier than those who have played awhile.

One thing i've noticed about eve players, they clamor for change right up until the time it's delivered and then commence to belly ache about the "good ole days". Good job CCP, so long as i can log in and play EVE i'm happy! Keep it up.

I neeeeed two seperate windows open everytime I dock automatically. One with station assets and one with my ships cargohold. I don't want to shift click every time.

I am a freighter pilot for Red Frog Freight who runs multiple freighters. I have accidentally not grabbed pakcages and flown empty freighters across New Eden more times in the last week than in the last year with the old inventory system. It really sucks not having seperate windows automatically open by default anymore.

The new system is a real PITA for someone who does about 1000 courier contracts a month.

This is one of the issues what should be dealt with Friday.

I've not been able to be very active on the forums for the last couple of days simple because my time is better spent fixing defects as it is.

First, on the SISI thing; it's true that we let a few issues slip us and that's regrettable, but it is simply a fact that not all issues surface on test servers. We certainly did fix a LOT of issues that we discovered through your feedback from SISI. But, not all of them sadly.

Revamping a fundamental system, used by every single player, such as the inventory system so that it will fit every player's needs and expectations from day one is a tall order to say the least. There is probably no other system within EVE that is as multidimensional as the inventory and the use cases seem to be endless. The old system had not changed much at all and most of you veterans could probably operate it at lightning speeds blindfolded. Having to waste time re-learning basic things is annoying as hell and I get it. I've been there myself. I would be pretty furious if someone forced me to use a different Python editor, and it would probably slow me down tremendously for the first couple of days or even weeks. A fitting punishment for my crimes maybe?

THE biggest complaint about the EVE UI, according to our surveys, is the number of windows needed to accomplish tasks. We identified the inventory as being one of the biggest violator and that's why we went on this journey (not because we like to spend Sunday afternoons on the EVE forums, lovely as they are, mind you!). A lot of things have changed in the world of user interfaces during the last 10 years, and I think it's safe to say that a game shipping with the old EVE inventory system EVE today would receive mixed reviews.

The old system had been brewing out in the wild for 9 years, but the new one for less than a week, so obviously it has not received the same amount of updates and fixes. We are, and will be working hard to make sure that no matter your profession in EVE, you will have an equally or faster way of doing what you need to do.

I beg you to honestly give the new system a try. If you still don't like it and you aren't able to find an equally good or better work flow for your tasks, tell us why. Many of you have already done so, and we will are already acting on that feedback, but keep it coming. Telling us that it sucks won't help anyone, and I must stretch what has already been stated that reverting the entire thing is not an option (It's also as good as technically impossible). Making it optional is also not optional (confusingly enough) as it would require us to maintain two systems side by side which would cause an exponential increase in code and interface complexity if we were to make a habit of it. It's not as simple or as good of an idea as it might seem at first.

One of the hardest part of EVE is dealing with the UI and we are constantly being asked to change it. When we do, people without exceptions ask for the old one back. Doing both is obviously impossible. There is still work to be done and work we shall.

Thanks for the last patch.



In station I already thought it was great. people complain that the client doesn't remember the position of windows, but it's not important now... Before it was the only to deal with the dozen of windows you had to keep open.

Thanks for the quick fixes :)