Of course I expect many replies saying it "dumbs down" probing or makes it too easy.

That's actually quite a good idea. I'm still going to say "put it in Features and Ideas", but in a "that's a good idea and CCP should read it" way rather than a "get out of my GD you noob" way.

Of course I expect many replies saying it "dumbs down" probing or makes it too easy.

I don't think it's a bad idea. He's only asking for a more user friendly feature for the UI, not for the sites to be nerfed. Since when has it been a bad thing to create a more user-friendly interface?

I don't think it's a bad idea. He's only asking for a more user friendly feature for the UI, not for the sites to be nerfed. Since when has it been a bad thing to create a more user-friendly interface?

It really has nothing to do with UI. Having predefined formation mostly removes the challenge of actually finding a site.

It's not about making things faster. In my opinion there are things that need brain and skill and whatever and then there are things that are just monotone and dumb things that are annoying and waste your time. Putting probes into formation has nothing to to with creativity or being "better" than others. It's just annoying.

So it doesn't make it easier to find sites or ships. It just takes out a boring part of launching probes. If you fear that it makes probing too fast then add a timer and say the formation takes 5 or 10 seconds to finish.

It's just a waste of time to do it each time, especially when you scan systems for explo sites or whatever.

If you fear that it makes probing too fast then add a timer and say the formation takes 5 or 10 seconds to finish.

No, he's not.
He' asking for "effort" to be removed.

Ok you need to explain that. How does it remove the challenge to find a site? It's not like the probe automatically launches at the spot of the site. I think you dont understand what i'm asking for. The probes just launch where your ship is and put themself into formation as you would do it in a manually monotone way too. Then you have to adjust them and move them around to find your sites like you do it anyway

Ah ... so now it's not a "waste of time" anymore, but actually "effort".
.

Blubb

I think it's a good thing to have to position the probes manually. It's already been made really easy to get a warp-in on a signal once you found it by the ability to scale the probe-formation you set up with the alt key.

The manual positioning and how fast you are doing that, how good you are to quickly bring your probes in a good formation can make differences when you have to scan down ships. Being fast here, or being prepared by prearranging your probes, is a real advantage, and so it is one more way player-skill or foresight is rewarded.

Edit: I realize I'm talking about mere seconds here, but those can be important, too.

GREAT IDEA!!! Even better to just launch probes and just hit 'scan' button to scan down things! I mean, why do we need to pinpoint those pesky sigs manually every single time? It's just a waste of time.. LOL

Also when you scan down pilots, it would give them less time to spot the probes on the d scan, with predefined..so hippy hip hooray for predefined probe formations!

[...]
So the only argument you could have is that it might save you 5 seconds. Then just implement it the way that it takes 5 seconds for the probes to get into formation. So nothing has changed for your example
[...]

I'd instead like to see a way to avoid accidentally clicking on some celestial names instead of the probe when attempting to move it around.. without having to aim for that single right pixel.
(if there is already, please, for the love of god, tell me how!)

Why do i get the feeling that really no one here reads what i'm saying -.- You can make it exactly the same time. As i said you can launch the probes and then they move into formation which could take 5 or 10 seconds if you want. They would be on d-scan exactly the same time. And you still need to scan to find the sig, move probes to the sig, adjust range and so on. It's only the step i linked in the picture.

Next time please read the text before answering. But thanks for trying ....

I understood what you meant. But whether you make the formation you saved appear instantly upon clicking "load formation" or selecting it from a dropdown or whatever.. or whether you make it last 5 seconds.. it'll still make the difference between people who can arrange them in to their formation quickly and those who can't go away.

You never place probes in the EXACT same order as before. So it's up to every pilot how he will place probes. Will he be careful and patient every time when positioning probes, or will he just be sloppy about it and get worst results than the careful one?
.

[...]
I just think the current probe launching is a pure clickfest that needs no brain. You have to press the probe launcher 7 or 8 times and wait until each cycle is done, then drag*drop all probes where you want them to get the formation, size them and so on. If you check a full constellation for explo sites for example you will hate probes and when you jump into a system you think "oh no not again that clickfest". If you want make the probes take 30 seconds to get into formation vOv in the meanwhile i could have some chat or answer mails or do some other stuff.

And it shouldn't be mandatory, so if someone thinks he's faster manually he still can do it. See it like the autopilot. You can jump the route manually but you also can use the autopilot. It may take a bit more time but you can do other stuff in the meanwhile and you dont have to make the same monotone clicks again and again.
[...]

Would it be possible to give us pre-defined probe formations?

Like i launch my probes, put them in a formation and then press a save button and the next time i launch probes i can choose the formation without having to move the probes around. It's just a waste of time to do it each time, especially when you scan systems for explo sites or whatever.

I don't think it's a bad idea. He's only asking for a more user friendly feature for the UI, not for the sites to be nerfed. Since when has it been a bad thing to create a more user-friendly interface?

20-30 seconds until the probes are in formation can easily mean that your target sees your probes way before he's supposed to.

Also when thinking about the actual formation, and the possible problems you might get with it such as probes set to be in a specific formation around a gate or wormhole to uncloak boats easier, it could really end up causing more problems than it fixes.

The current system is already 100x easier then the old one. Having preformed locations would dumb down a already simple system. Might as well just remove probing and just click scan and get sites..

A good prober will always launch drones outside dscan range, move them way above/below the solar system plane, assemble his formation, narrow down the location of the target with dscan & F11 map and then drag the probes in for one scan that will get him the 100% hit.

20-30 seconds until the probes are in formation can easily mean that your target sees your probes way before he's supposed to. Also when thinking about the actual formation, and the possible problems you might get with it such as probes set to be in a specific formation around a gate or wormhole to uncloak boats easier, it could really end up causing more problems than it fixes. Sure the world map doesn't allow such presicion for probe formations, but what's there to stop a player in flying around a gate/hole and dropping probes in convenient locations and then saving that as a formation.

If anything, I'd welcome an option of having the probe launcher launch a set amount of probes on demand rather than having that clickfest. The positioning and formation part of probing is just fine currently.

Except that it makes it too easy for amateurs. Perhaps if the formation was saved by the user on an individual basis.

yk

That's exactly how I understood the idea: you can, for yourself, save a formation of probes you yourself set up before.

yes, lets make something easy easier.

/sarcasm

Figuring out a proper formation is part of learning how to probe, not only that people use different methods and formations based off of learning how to probe. Having them just plop out in a single formation would remove that learning curve as well as remove most thought needed in learning how to probe. It's already easy to set it up with being able to shift-click move/resize, I don't see why it would even be needed for those who already know how to probe to need predefined formations, actually I would see it as annoying.

It's just a waste of time to do it each time, especially when you scan systems for explo sites or whatever.

I would suggest to make it so manually arranging them is faster than auto-arrange, so that the person putting in more effort to be fast is actually faster. So if you want it easier, it takes longer.

It's the lack of challenge people get used to ... and suddenly they don't want challenge at all.

When I activate a mining laser, it should instantly fill up my ore-bay. Waiting for miner cycles is a waste of time.
When I accept a mission, I should be able to complete it without undocking. Killing those NPCs is a waste of time.
When I set my autopilot, I should instantly jump to my destination. Traveling is a waste of time.

Any idea that reduces tedious, boring tasks and the prevalence of carpal-tunnel syndrome is worthy of a thumbs up, a high five and a pat on the back. EVE Devs could do so much good for their game if they would focus on reducing or removing the silly little click fests that plague this game's terrible UI.

Name another module that can launch more than one "ammo" at once

I don't think launching all the ammo at once is the issue, but it seems there is a lack of an auto-repeat option so you only have to press the button once.

Would it be possible to give us pre-defined probe formations?

Like i launch my probes, put them in a formation and then press a save button and the next time i launch probes i can choose the formation without having to move the probes around. It's just a waste of time to do it each time, especially when you scan systems for explo sites or whatever.

Matter of fact, removing tedium makes things smarter as intelligent game and UI design makes mundane and repetitive tasks a non-issue.

No, just no.

My other char is an explorer, both high, low and null just to be clear.

Having pre defined probe formations, although a noble suggestion, is just another step towards dumbing EVE down for the tards.

I understand it gives no advantage to actually finding sites, but damnit people learning the best way to find stuff, the most efficient and the fastest is what eve is all about fundementaly.
It's where the joy comes from when you find that formation that works for you and finds you a site within 30 seconds of dropping, this idea to me, is dumbing down.

People can moan and say 'but its not dumbing down its just making it faster ect' and i'd reply, your right, but still, GTFO and learn to scan like everybody else instead of wanting an easy(er) butan.

Next we'll be seeing suggestions of 'hey, hows about when jumping through a gate, we all automatically get planted at our optimals to make taking on gate camps easier'. You can mock but i bet its been thought about by some idiots already even if it hadnt been posted.

Leave scanning as it is and dont fix what isnt broken.

Learn to play eve, instead of wanting to change eve to make it easier for yourself. EVE is hard, i knew this before making an account, and its the primary reason i bothered signing up, i dont want hand holding, i want to be punished for stupid mistakes, and i want to be proud of myself for my once bitten twice shy outlook regarding Eden when i dodge that camp/bubble whatever else.

for sure more players would get involved with probing and that I think is the real problem for some around.

No, just no.

My other char is an explorer, both high, low and null just to be clear.

Having pre defined probe formations, although a noble suggestion, is just another step towards dumbing EVE down for the tards.

No, just no.

My other char is an explorer, both high, low and null just to be clear.

Having pre defined probe formations, although a noble suggestion, is just another step towards dumbing EVE down for the tards.

I understand it gives no advantage to actually finding sites, but damnit people learning the best way to find stuff, the most efficient and the fastest is what eve is all about fundementaly.
It's where the joy comes from when you find that formation that works for you and finds you a site within 30 seconds of dropping, this idea to me, is dumbing down.

People can moan and say 'but its not dumbing down its just making it faster ect' and i'd reply, your right, but still, GTFO and learn to scan like everybody else instead of wanting an easy(er) butan.

Next we'll be seeing suggestions of 'hey, hows about when jumping through a gate, we all automatically get planted at our optimals to make taking on gate camps easier'. You can mock but i bet its been thought about by some idiots already even if it hadnt been posted.

Leave scanning as it is and dont fix what isnt broken.

Learn to play eve, instead of wanting to change eve to make it easier for yourself. EVE is hard, i knew this before making an account, and its the primary reason i bothered signing up, i dont want hand holding, i want to be punished for stupid mistakes, and i want to be proud of myself for my once bitten twice shy outlook regarding Eden when i dodge that camp/bubble whatever else.