Ivara's Quiver can be difficult to use fluidly. Here's some alternatives.

[user10000]

Problems:

• Quiver UI is in the corner of the screen
• Can't toggle in reverse - effectively punishment for going past the desired arrow
• Up to 4 keystrokes / arrow
• Press to switch, hold to activate slows the latter in order to distinguish between the two. The casting speed shoud be transparent, if not shorter entirely.

Some can be remedied without changing Quiver's activation, but I believe it could greatly benefit from alternatives anyways. Here's a few. I'm focusing on eliminating the need to switch between arrows, which could reduce casting delay. Unlike the current scheme, they're asymmetrical, so feel free to switch the arrows around. I'd hope you could do that ingame if either of these were implemented.

Double tap for Cloak, tap once/hold and tap other ability keys for others.

This ought to be faster to cast, but introducing other keys may be unnecessarily complex.

Tap for Cloak, tap+hold for Dashwire, hold for Noise, double tap for Sleep.

Slower than the previous, but only involves one key.

Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.

Edited July 14, 2017 by user10000

[tarfeef101]

I honestly like the way it is now better (coming from someone who has Ivara as their most used, so I have plenty of time using it to form that opinion)

[Agnes_Oblige]

Maybe you should just learn to use Ivara. She's my favorite frame and easy to use

[AXCrusnik]

Eh... having a cycling ability sounds easier and less complicated than remembering/executing a set of button combos for each arrow.

Edited July 14, 2017 by AXCrusnik

[yles9056]

7 minutes ago, Devourlord said:

Maybe you should just learn to use Ivara. She's my favorite frame and easy to use

Still, it's inconvenient that player have to look at the corner to see which arrow is being selected. This is annoying when you are busy fighting groups of enemies. Some UI changes are needed.

My suggestion would be: whenever player switches arrow, an UI indicator will briefly appear near crosshair to help player keep track on which arrow is being selected. That way, player don't have to look away from crosshair.

[-Okashira-]

i like the idea of an indicator appearing around the crosshair, even tho its less than a second usually looking away from the center of the screen to the corner to see which arrow is equipped is something i always wanted changed

[Acos]

A more visual change would be ideal so that I don't have to peel my face away from the middle of the screen to look at the rotating UI element. Have Ivara glow for a second or two the color of the arrow she has selected and the rest should just be a learning process. I wouldn't mind being able to bind separate hotkeys for each arrow either. 

[user10000]

13 minutes ago, Acos said:

 I wouldn't mind being able to bind separate hotkeys for each arrow either. 

I wanted to keep the alternatives console-agnostic. Of course, as a PC player, I wouldn't be opposed to that.

54 minutes ago, tarfeef101 said:

I honestly like the way it is now better (coming from someone who has Ivara as their most used, so I have plenty of time using it to form that opinion)

 

52 minutes ago, Devourlord said:

Maybe you should just learn to use Ivara. She's my favorite frame and easy to use

The alternatives I suggest aren't strictly advantageous, so an option could be provided for different setups.  Either of the alternatives would be faster after a slight learning curve, a fair trade-off. Feel free to argue over any part of the prior statement; appeals to your own authority aren't necessary.

Well, that being said, it seems that a UI change is uncontroversial.

[tarfeef101]

Seems to me like a lot of people have an issue with having to look in the bottom right for an indication of what arrow they have active. Maybe I have a better memory or am just used to looking at the entire HUD, but I've never really seen that as an issue. I remember what arrow I have on 99% of the time anyways, and if I don't I have no issues with looking there to get that information.

 

Also since I use the scroll wheel to select and cast abilities, and not a bunch of different hotkeys that may prevent me from moving at the same time (since I can do it all on my mouse), I like being able to use the ability without impeding my movement

[Varzy]

I think displaying the currently selected arrow under/near the crosshair would help the confusion.

Other than that, I disagree with the idea of inputing button combos to select arrows, for several reasons.

1) Ivara is stealth focused, and her playstyle involves preparation and caution. Needing to use different arrows fluidly in combat is counter to her kit -- the only arrows worth using in a pinch are Sleep and Cloak. If you're playing Ivara, you're playing someone who should have the time and wherewithal to prepare the right arrow.

2) There are 30+ warframes in the game. You can go a long time without playing one of them. If a warframe requires remembering button patterns and the like to use basic abilities, then it'll be complicated to pick that frame up after a period of disuse. Your proposal removes the player's opportunity to verify if they have the right arrow, and introduces the possibility of network lag or similar tech problem interfering with basic ability casting. It'd make using Ivara's Quiver as complicated as trying to use certain melee stance movesets.

[Azamagon]

As others have said, having the arrows (at least when cycling) appear closer to your crosshairs seems to be something that could be done, regardless of anything else.

That said, I too have some ideas which could become OPTIONS to the current tap/hold mechanic (following along the lines of OP's ideas). The options go like this:

OPTION 1 - Tapmenu, tapshoot (No hold button involved at all)

This option works rather simply:
Press 1 = Show the 4 arrows underneath your crosshair for a moment (time not defined). While this display is up, press a new button to fire one of your arrows, or not:

Press 1 = Shoot Cloak Arrow
Press 2 = Shoot Dashwire Arrow
Press 3 = Shoot Noise Arrow
Press 4 = Shoot Sleep Arrow
Press 5 = Remove the menu (Don't shoot anything)

If the 1-second arrow display goes away, the next button press will be your regular abilities again.

It's a REALLY rapid style, I'd say, at least for quick and varied arrow-useage. Only problem with this style is that it can be detrimental if you don't wanna shoot an arrow (but rather wanna use Navigator/Prowl/Artemis Bow instead) and you forget to cancel the menu first.

This is my preferred choice, if I had to redesign Quiver's casting mechanics. I see it having more benefits then detriments, and could become way faster to use than the current style.
Cycling is simply not a fast style, nor is it fast with the necessity to hold the button to take effect (Artemis secondary fire aside).

OPTION 2 - Tapmenu, holdshoot

Same as above, but the second "tap" is not instantly a shot of an arrow, but rather just CHOOSING the arrow. Holdcasting is how you shoot (similar to now)

It's basicly taking away the cycling-effect and replacing it with a choice-menu. This wouldn't be as fast as option 1, but it's also less risky if you use it wrong (maybe?). It also still goes well with Artemis secondary fire.

If you have reversed hold/tap in the options-menu, then hold would bring up the menu and tap will fire the arrow instead (fast to fire, slower to choose, worse synergy with Artemis Bow).

OPTION 3 - Gearwheel-esque holdmenu, tap to shoot

So, this option is very similar to the current reversed hold/tap casting, but with a twist:

Hold 1 = Get a gearwheel-like menu in front of you (or at least beneath your aim, as it could be a rather small gearwheel). Move your mouse up/right/left/down to choose your arrow
Tap 1 = Shoot the selected arrow

If you have reversed hold/tap, then tap would bring up the menu and hold will fire the arrow instead (very similar to now).
This one is potentially not as fluid as the current mechanics, but it can bring in more speed to your choices (as there is no "cycling", just a direct choice).

Edited July 15, 2017 by Azamagon