After the Q&A and the dev responses, I originally wanted to post in the suggestion board directly, but then figured that I should not just claim anything without checking with everyone else. Two polls!
I can only speak for myself, but my main problem with the particles is not the amount (that might be distracting, but is, in my eyes, not the main health issue). The real problem is, to me, the brightness. Bright flashes are what cause migraine or seizures. If things are of similiar brightness, they are much easier for the eyes to endure. Hence I feel like a lower brightness might already solve a lot of the particle issues - the particles in the loading screen before battle (rotating stars, top right corner) are, for example, much nicer to my eyes than the new status effects because of the higher brightness of the status effects.
Can you guys give me a yay or nay on this? I have such limited eyesight that I don’t want to just assume it’s true for most people. First poll!
The main problem is the particle brightness
The main problem is the particle amount
Both brightness and amount are equally health hazards
I have no issues with the particles
0voters
During the Q&A, the devs said that they cannot change the amount right now (and it will take time if anything happens there) but then responded to the idea of turning the brightness down that this would cause the damage numbers, which are linked with the effects, to be less bright/visible, too. From what I understood and assumed from that answer was that this is something that could be done.
I just checked the damage numbers flashing across the screen on 4x speed.
They appear for a fraction of a second. When the whole team is hit, I cannot even consciously read them all. What I really see is the result afterwards in my lacking armor/health numbers, not the short flash of a disappearing number.
Hence to me, a less visible damage number would be not much of a problem if in return the particles would be less bright. What do you guys think about that? I’m going to add a poll, but I would love a real discussion as well. Note that this was a suggestion for a hotfix of sorts (of course permanently less readable damage numbers would be sad).
I want less bright particles and damage numbers if that means a fast (temporary) fix
I want less bright particles, but not less bright damage numbers and would therefore rather wait for a fix for longer
I think they should put up a warning that this game may cause seizure from the bright flashing lights. All the games I have played with flashing lights always had a warning and this could cause a issue for someone who does not know about game brightness and flashing lights. Imho
That is a different topic in itself and I agree. If they already cannot change anything about the particles at the moment for whatever reason, a warning should be issued for player health and also legal reasons so that no one can sue them.
Alright, see, that’s why I wanted the discussion! It seems so many people only play on 4x speed these days that I had no idea how common lower speeds are and how they influence people’s gameplay.
I only play on 2x speed, and I don’t care about the damage numbers. I do care about the particle effects that prevent me from seeing stat numbers on my troop, so the second poll was an easy choice for me.
Brightness is probably a bigger issue as a direct migraine trigger. Brightness and amount combined obscure information, forcing me to focus intently to attempt to get that information, which is another potential trigger (eye strain). A global reduction of the brightness as a hotfix would be a marginal help for me, since right now I am getting through by simply attempting to ignore what is happening on the screen and this would make that easier.
What really needs to happen for the game to be 100% playable for me is that all relevant information needs to be easily discernible again - not just because it is a good idea to actually to react to new information and relevant decisions to have, you know, gameplay, but because trying to focus on barely visible information is a potential health hazard.
As I said in the other thread, though, at this point, if turning off animations meant all particles and damage numbers go with them as well, given the option, I’d turn them off completely as it stands now. I’d know more about what is going on with less potential for strain. Of course, that isn’t going to work even as a hot fix. Maybe just reducing the global brightness a bit would be an acceptable compromise.
It isn’t really realistic to expect them to knowingly make damage numbers unreadable. Temporarily fixing one problem while causing another isn’t a solution.
They’ll either have to scale back the particles. Or, they’ll have to decouple damage stat particle brightness from the other effects.
From my experience with Unity, you can describe the solution very simply — you just did. Actually implementing that solution is wildly more complicated. Even if the developers agree that this is the best solution, it may take a significant number of person-hours to make it happen.
I’ve done my share of coding in Unity, so I know it isn’t a trivial change. But, the best solution is actually making a long term fix that doesn’t break other parts of the game.
Not sure if I am on topic…
I could live without seeing the damage numbers.
What bothers me is that the particles make it difficult to read the stats of the troops when there are several effects.
LOL, no wonder the devs don’t know.
They tie particle brightness to damage dealt, and they don’t play ‘end game’ as much. And not as much against end game opponents that would make your troops seizure flash.