Todd doesnt like spreadsheety.

Stop using that word.

What is this in reference to?

What are you talking about?

Don't ask. He might tell you.

What....

Im really disapointed in all of you

In an interview before skyrim came out, Todd basically said that magic in past tes games were too spreadsheety and thats why magic is so dumbed down in skyrim.

Despite this, The perk menu and even skyrims UI is the most spreadsheety of them all.

Morrowind didnt even have text for its inventory it was just icons with pop up text if you held the mouse pointer over the item, Would of thought they would of went that route if they wanted it less "spreadsheety"

He just has no idea what he's saying is all. He's taking a term out of context, and using it in a negative light to make a point that he doesn't like how magic changed.

The whole point was a core action (Casting magic specifically) shouldn't be the result of a scroll-select system. They wanted magic to have a more kinetic feel to it. They largely succeeded. You can see how many players in Skyrim cast the same spells different, yet these are the same spell.

Doesn't excuse lack of variety, but it is a good jumping-off point to get Spellmaking in the game at some point. Given how OP melee is already, they shouldn't be too worried about balance.

Wow ... that's the first time I've ever received a report with the words "too spreadsheety" in them!

Just keep it on-topic and non-spammy and we won't have a problem.

Yes officer

I really hope for their last dlc they will improve skyrims UI.

Loving bethesda's valiant defenders


I too want for better systems

Keep dreaming!

Perk trees are "spreadsheety"?

This makes me wonder what spreadsheet software you have been using...

Apparently it's me who missed the memo. What's wrong with liking Skyrim and Bethesda's other products?

I personally love the menus in Skyrim - I honestly can't see why people have a problem with them. I've used FAR worse interfaces in games.

But there are better ways. Much better ways

Thus we complain

Do you want a quick hit on why the menus are terrible? OK.

1. Random detection zones for mouse-clicks. If I get the wrong PIXEL, the menu closes. Instantly.
2. Lack of a "back", so I need to enter the menu multiple times to, say, change my weapon AND my dragon shout.
3. Inconsistancy. They don't all function equally. Sometimes, the mouse is useless. Other times, the keyboard is either stupid broken, or less-than-functional.
4. Dialogue menu often selects something other than what I selected.
5. Perk navigation is bad with the mouse, and worse with the keyboard.
6. Why is my Journal over in my "system" menu, rather than with my character-related stuff?
7. Active magic effects are buried far deeper than they need to be.
8. Abyssmal usage of screen space.
9. The font. It's too freaking futuristic for MASS EFFECT. Let alone TES.
10. I'd prefer to use command-line UNIX to Skyrim's UI.

I wish my copy of Microsoft Excel had nebulae and stars in the background. It would make data entry at work far more interesting...

I on the other hand have a hard time even imagining worse UI than Skyrim's Like the above, i'd rather use command line. Actually, why don't i? player.equipitem 3C9FE

1. As a PS3 user, I've never had this problem.
2. On PS3 we just need to move the anolog stick to the left/press the left arrow. Or to the right if we're in the magic menu
3. Again, PS3 doesn't have this issue.
4. Have never once had this issue.
5. I'll agree that the perk navigation isn't the greatest, but surely one extra mouse click isn't the end of the world?
6. The magic/inventory menu is more for equipping things - armor, weapons, magic, shouts, assigning perks. The 'system' menu houses the journal and statistics together, and allows for a wider menu space and thus easier-to-read journal.
7. Perhaps active effects could be at the top, but then the actual spells are in a less convenient location. Oblivion also placed active effects at the end of the list.
8. My only problem with Oblivion's UI is that I CANNOT see what item I'm using - the text isn't always enough. Skyrim solves this extremely well.
9. Not all fantasy games need to have a 'ye olde England' font. I personally love Skyrim's font and sleek design.
10. Well then, that's just another area where you and I have different opinions.

Perhaps Skyrim's UI is less effective on PC. Fortunately you can just mod your UI to suit you.

Using a console myself (Xbox 360) and I particularly like the UI. I guess it was made for the consoles moreso than the PC. It sounds like it's broken for you. You should get mods or get a console.

I suppose some of my issues may have been fixed in the last 12 or so patches since I gave up on the game, but...

1. Does the PS3 even have a free cursor to have this problem? Look at PC users, and it's one of the more common complaints: one pixel too far left or right, and the menu just closes. Any other game, if I mis-judge which column text starts on by a pixel, I'm well inside the box, or at worst, nothing happens.

2. Never see any indications in the UI itself of what might be "back", and the traditional PC back keys don't do it.

3. Hmmm... the PS3 essentially has the controller and the controller. I can't see how you could possibly avoid a consistancy problem there. If the controller doesn't work right, you fall back to the controller, which does...?

4. Must be nice. Dialogue loves to center one option WITHOUT selecting it. Result? you ask a question other than the one that's in text two inches tall.

5. If they took the 800% zoom off, maybe. As it is, you're zoomed in far enough that you need to move and click. At least the perks svck bad enough that I stopped taking them, which remedied the navigation for me wonderfully.

6. The journal is crap anyway, but it still belongs with "play-related" stuff, not with "manage my global settings" stuff. That's all there is to it. If the journal wouldn't have been readable in the other menu, that's just proof the other menu svcks. I don't accept any "reasoning" here, because it's just poor organization to do what Bethesda did.

7. 2 clicks in Oblivion. I don't know how many in Skyrim, because it was enough that I quit checking. Ever.

8. My only problem with Skyrim's UI is "everything".

9. I'd hate Skyrim's font in Mass Effect. Or anywhere, really. A normal serif font would have been fine with me. Not even archaic-looking. Just... NOTHING LIKE THAT.

10. I *hate* command-lines. I just hate Skyrim's UI more.


1. I got fed up with a lot more than the UI before SkyUI really got usable. I'm done with Skyrim until we get some properly detailed mechanics mods.
2. Skyrim's not worth $200 for a console, $200 for a TV, and $60 for a console copy. Bethesda should just learn how to design and interface, and make Todd Howard try to use it without his 360 controller. Problem fixed, before release.

This. Not necessarily excusable on Beth's part, but this.

I think he just meant that manipulating a "spreadsheety" menu didn't give a good experience that felt like using magic or being a wizard. I don't necessarily agree with that, but it doesn't mean he dislikes spreadsheets in general.

For inventory menus, they're the perfect thing, and it doesn't really matter that it's a spreadsheet since they're not trying to be immersive. The biggest disadvantage of Skyrim's (and Morrowind's) was that they weren't spreadsheety enough, in my opinion. Showing item stats in columns and being able to sort them in Oblivion's (or SkyUI's) instead of only showing the one you're selecting or pointing over is a nice time saver.

If the perk menu's a spreadsheet, it's one from a SciFi movie to show how futuristic things are and probably controlled by giant glowing touchscreens.

If the perks menu was spreadsheety, it'd be easier to use. It wouldn't look as pretty, but it'd be more functional.

Buzzword's can't hide the fact that this game is casualized NEARLY beyond all repair there Todd, not to mention the menu's are terribly over complicated.