Visual effect for centering the ships wheel (accessibility setting)

@galactic-geek

Almost every accessibility feature is off by default. I see no reason why this would be on unless required.

@galactic-geek said in Visual effect for centering the ships wheel (accessibility setting):

@bekkbloodaxe96 said:

'When you are at the helm, especially in battle, you should never be looking at the wheel. You should be watching where shots are going, making slight adjustments to help your gunner out, watching for boarding attempts, basically anything other than the wheel.'

Peripheral vision - use it! Or sit further back from your screen!

You say this like you can see the wheel while looking further to the left or right. You can not.

An on screen notifier is to replicate the benefit the sound makes. That way when you are adjusting to the left and to the right while watching shots or looking for the angle you get the same benefit as those of us than can hesr clearly.

Having arrows or something on the wheel does not solve this, neither does having a gauge that shows the leftness or rightness of the wheel.

@galactic-geek said in Visual effect for centering the ships wheel (accessibility setting):

@bekkbloodaxe96 said:

I will say it again, I don't want to have to look at the wheel for the indicator...

But why would you look anywhere else? It's for the wheel, so that makes the most sense where to put it!

I re-read your initial post - and the request isn't even for you; it's for a friend. Why hasn't your friend made this request themselves? 🤔

This whole idea just screams redundant and unnecessary to me. Your friend may not be able to hear well, but they still have eyes. They get visual (x2 - the top peg, and turning of the ship), audio (x2 - center audio input, and the recent clicking addition with each peg), and haptic feedback (limited by device). That's 5 kinds of feedback for a single function! And you still want more!?

At this point, I think your friend should just get their own haptic feedback device...

I dunno man, maybe their friend doesn't feel like dealing with these kinds of response.

It's really simple. You don't have to be facing the wheel for the sound to happen, it makes the sound regardless of where you're looking. The request is for a visual indicator which functions in the same way - it pops up regardless of where you're looking - to level the playing field for those who cannot hear the sound. A bit like when you get a specific noise and ALSO little crosshairs when you land a hit on an enemy ship, yes? A sound AND a visual. Belts and braces.

As for redundant and unnecessary, I'll point you to the post from @meroviel

@meroviel said in Visual effect for centering the ships wheel (accessibility setting):

Hi all,

Just popping in to say that i have picked up with our Support team and will also be passing this onto the accessibility team for review. We have multiple ways we try to make helmig approachable to all players but we also understand that there may still be work to do in this area and we appreciate EVERY bit of feedback when it comes to getting more players on the seas.

A gentle reminder that just because you don't need a feature or understand the request, it doesn't mean that others are as privileged and many have to consider aspects of the game in ways a lot of us don't. The seas are better with more people on them and we will continually strive to make it so.

Thanks,
j0toro

@galactic-geek said in Visual effect for centering the ships wheel (accessibility setting):

@captain-coel said:

You say this like you can see the wheel while looking further to the left or right. You can not.

Actually, you can - it's just dependent on your screen size, resolution, and distance from said screen.

Spot the Wheel Challenge 2022 (standard 16:9 display)

@galactic-geek

Great. Well problem solved, we'll tell all the hard of hearing folk to get a VR set up? I don't see the relevance.

I really fail to grasp why you are so fervently against adding an accessibility feature that works for those who need it but is entirely optional for those who don't.

@galactic-geek said in Visual effect for centering the ships wheel (accessibility setting):

@captain-coel said:

You say this like you can see the wheel while looking further to the left or right. You can not.

Actually, you can - it's just dependent on your screen size, resolution, and distance from said screen. It's harder to focus on everything at once on larger screens, whereas the opposite is true for smaller screens, where it's easier to do. So, if anything it's contextually-based on the individual and their setup. For example, I currently set sail using a 19 inch monitor, where I have no trouble seeing everything on-screen at once. Prior to that, I used to set sail using a 60 inch TV - something that was large enough that I had to sit some distance away from it to be able to take it all in, unless I wanted to give my neck a workout.

If you're referring to the in-game camera's movement to look to the sides or back of the ship, then it's simply a matter of counting - while looking at the wheel count how long, in seconds, it takes to do a full turn. Then simply count that many again as you turn the wheel while "looking" away. Easy!

Let me ask you this - how do you turn the wheel of a car and look behind you as you make the turn, but know how far you've turned the wheel? You get a "feel" for it over time. Counting will help with this.

Screen Size, resolution, and distance from the screen don't matter here, you can literally turn far enough to the left and to the right that you can not see the wheel, its just not possible, its not on the edge of your view, its actually off screen. And when my car is turning I can feel the turn in my hands, I don't need to see it I have the ability to feel it. I'm not sure why you care so much about trying to argue against a possible accessibility feature being added that you will likely be able to toggle, like all the rest. Just because you do not feel the need, does not mean others might not be able to truly benefit from this. I can hear the knock when I turn the wheel and am facing away. Isn't it fair that other people be given that same oppurtunity?

Ok guys, let me clear a few things up here.

Firstly, @CaptBlue made this post because he knows this is something that I am struggling with. Plot twist, (although not that unlikely) I am the friend he is trying to help. He made the post because he, like a lot of you who have contributed thoughtfully and constructively to this thread, wants to make this game a more inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone. That means regardless of any disability or system set-up.

Thank you very much so far for the contribution of everyone who has participated in this thread with constructive feedback that has been presented in a positive and helpful manner.

To those of you who feel such a feature is unnecessary, may I politely suggest you raise your anchor, you drop your sails and you sail merrily into the shroud where I no longer have to listen to your childish counter arguments. If you do not need an accessibility setting, then it is not aimed at you and you have absolutely no need to toggle it on, regardless of your level of (dis)ability. If you do need it, then you can toggle it on and happily go about your pirating. Simple as that.

@Galactic-Geek I would now like to address your contribution directly. Frankly, you have veered wildly between saying this feature is entirely unnecessary to advocating for only your solutions as you seem to think that this thread is a good place to win some kind of argument. The only good this has done the thread is cause people to sensibly respond with far more supportive and useful feedback in response to you. So I thank you for this but please stop treating this thread as some sort of battleground with your combative responses and your scathing remarks about peoples set-ups, peripheral vision and adaptations, to name just a few. It got tiring very quickly and your opposition to this proposed feature has, I am certain, long since been noted…

@galactic-geek let me get this straight, because @realstyli didn’t show in his single video, the pirate looking fully to the left or the right, this makes it a poor example? This now feels like you are so deep into this debate that you are nit-picking on the details for lack of better options.

Effort was made to make a video to show others this solution/concept and now you are attacking even this? I fail to believe that if another video was made with the pirate looking full right or left you are going to back down on this line of argument.

If I recall, you have told us you don’t need this feature, and I am happy that you already find yourself freely able to enjoy the game without limitation, so please stop breaking down other people’s genuine efforts to help find a solution.

@galactic-geek said in Visual effect for centering the ships wheel (accessibility setting):

Why does everyone think I'm against it when I have repeatedly said that I'm not? I just don't like any of the ideas presented thus far. The circle example was too overt, IMO, and didn't accurately show the pirate looking to the far left or right, so it was a poor example.

Ok, we have all noted that you don't like the suggested idea. But you do repeatedly fail to understand what this request is actually about. It is -NOT- a request about a visual that is static in any form. All your suggestions go completely off the line with what this original request of me is for. You repeatedly fail to realize, that this request is very specifically to mimic the sound effect of the helm being centred, just as a visual effect. Like the sound, that you can hear regardless of where you look, this visual should be visible as well, regardless of where you look.

If you can't accept this kind of suggestion, then I may ask you kindly to leave this thread - as it is apparently not intended for you. If this feature would make it into this game, it is highly likely that you won't agree with the solution and have this optional in-game setting turned off.

Given the somewhat negative spiral that this thread found itself in, I just wanted to revive the original discussion in a positive manner!

I have been really impressed with people’s engagement with this topic and I wanted to give a shout out to @realstyli for his creativity and video editing skills! This is a problem I have been facing for some time now and for me the solution presented in the video felt like a really natural and intuitive fix - certainly not one I would have arrived at myself!

This has been something I’ve been dealing with/compensating for, for some time now and hopefully by speaking of this issue we have a chance to continue to make this game a welcoming place for everyone! I would love to see people continue to offer suggestions or share how they might currently be dealing with not being able to hear certain audio cues on their sailing adventures!

@bekkbloodaxe96
We'll figure this thing out. I'm positive Rare is already experimenting with solutions, whether they be from this thread or from their own ideas. I hope whenever this update does come out, it alleviates all of your hearing problems! Happy sailing!

@galactic-geek said in Visual effect for centering the ships wheel (accessibility setting):

Effort? He specifically stated it only took him a few minutes... IMO, that's hardly effort.

To clarify: the actual time spent was around 20 mins. I hopped into the game, recorded a clip of me messing with the wheel. Edited that down to about 10 seconds where the wheel was turning a couple of times, transferred it to my old MacBook laptop. Created a Motion project with the clip, added a circle to the timeline, tweaked it to make it outline-only, and put a basic "grow/shrink" behaviour effect on it, synced it manually with the audio track where the wheel "clunked", copied it to the second time that happens. Exported it and uploaded it to YouTube.

Yes, it was relatively quick, but that seems like a decent amount of effort to demonstrate it. If I hadn't known in advance how I wanted it to look or the steps to do it, it could have taken a lot longer. Plus I know the basics of how to use Motion, despite VFX not being my field. My actual area of expertise is audio engineering, that's my professional, but some skills can transfer when dealing with timelines and editing.

@realstyli I appreciate you @RealStyli!

@amyzing-girl it was YOU! I remember that post and commented on it at the time but I couldn't find it when looking for it in response to this one. You've changed your name - it's cute!

@amyzing-girl said in Visual effect for centering the ships wheel (accessibility setting):

Text display above the wheel when turning which shows wheel degrees would be good, so when the text reads 0° we know the wheel is centre and if its slightly to port it would be -30° and to starboard would be 30° without the minus. That would be the best way I feel for it to be implemented where it is nice and simple and you know exactly the angle of your wheel.

Also If you have not already seen my suggestion from months ago for subtitled sound, please have a look https://www.seaofthieves.com/community/forums/topic/141603/accessibility-support-for-deaf-players-subtitled-sound-option/26

That's a pretty good suggestion! My only thought on it is that to me it goes against the nature of the request: something to imitate the "Wheel centered" sound for people who are deaf/hard of hearing. Your suggestion about having the wheel turn in degrees is added functionality for everyone. Not that that's bad, just perhaps beyond what the original point was. It also seems like that would be tied to the wheel, when one of the points was something off the wheel would be nice for when the helmsperson is looking left or right and the wheel isn't in sight.

Personally I would use something like that. I solo-sloop, and there's a lot of drifting off-course that happens depending on what direction you are facing. It would be nice for me to be able to note "I need the wheel 15 degrees to the right to stay on course) so if I need to turn to avoid something or whatever I don't have to go back to trial and error to dial in the steering.

@maximusarael020 Yes, having a visual cue that isn't tied to the wheel in any way and can be see regardless of the wheel being in the FOV would be ideal!

I fully support any suggestions that will help those of us that can't hear the many audio cues within the game. This will not be a simple task unfortunately, careful consideration of how this would affect gameplay will of course be at the forefront of the dev's minds when it comes to this but I wholeheartedly encourage any useful discussion on this topic! The more we all work together to create useful feedback, the easier it will be to implement these kinds of features and support. Perhaps this can lead to a much broader range of useful cues across the game to help us navigate the Seas!

@mr-ugly-joe until you try sailing through a storm... and then it just vibrates constantly...