With all the new ability consoles recently entering STO, I am now now finding that I cannot use them due to insufficient space GUI button slots to map them with. The base GUI only gives me 30 button areas to map, and I easily need about 35+ to use my ship effectively. At this pace, a 4th button row needs to be introduced to keep up with so many extra ship and BO abilities.

If there's already another thread on this issue, please link it here so that I may sign it.

I've been wanting them to make the buttons more customizable like City of Heroes currently has, o what Stargate worlds was going to have (I'm still very sad that Cheyenne studios didn't make it. Such an innovative game and company... needing development money in a rough time).

Just a quick list of items which add additional functions:

-fireworks
-MVAM Console -- 3 button mapping needed to fully use
-Photonic Shockwave torp console
-Thunderchild's point-defense turret
-Gladius Console's escort thruster module
-Borg Set tractor beam
-Breen Set power siphon

How about adding a 4th row of buttons, thereby expanding the available button grid from 3x10 to 4x10?

you do know that there are 10 rows of space GUI button available. Although only 3 can be shown at a time. This may slow down ability activating time a bit, however it is there.
Also recently there were some changes to the space GUI. A 4th option was added so you can show Icons of the BO's assigned to your stations, as well as 3 additional slots. THis may help solve the not enough GUI problem.

Just my thoughts.

Yes, well aware of it... tends to cause problems when I click the wrong spot during heavy combat. I already use the new display mode that shows BO's with their abilities in addition to the 3x10 main GUI, but it requires a lot more mouse cursor travel, which translates into delayed BO ability activations.

Cryptic, please address this GUI design flaw before F2P goes live. Thanks!

/deal with it.

honestly, i pvp with a lot of keybinds and i have 15 slots in the gui still empty, i really don't see how you'd POSSIBLY need 30 + 12 boff stations

what i use:

4 transwarps
diplo immunity
quantum slipstream
borg tractor
battery
6 captain skills - brace, evasives, alpha, tac initiative, FOMM, GDF, tac fleet
fleet support, ramming, self destruct

i rly don't think u'd need more...

add 3 mvam separation slots and 2 pay-to-win consoles...

thats still 8 or 7 free slots left...

@ OP: post a screenshot of your UI please

i always have empty buttons (and i use only 2 rows + BOff row)...
i am sure something can be done about that without cluttering the UI further

for example i have out of combat powers (transwarps / pets etc.) on row 10 and press the down arrow besides row 1 when i need any of that.



also IF more icons on the Power bar, i'd rather have them go left and right instead of further up into the field of view.

One thing I'd like to see is a pet command tab for space for carrier, mvam, saucer seperation and dk'yre users aswell as a fix for intercept and attack as pets eaither sit behind my carrier or take a while to start their attack runs.

I am sympathetic with the OP. I am one of those (most likely the same as the OP) that fly with my mouse and fire my abilities with my hotkeys.(I even have F1-F10 mapped to the second row for easy access). If you map your BO abilities to your hotkeys you do run out when your reach Vice Admiral.

Here are some tips:

Move your QSS, Transwarps, Fireworks and any not essential abilities to the 4th bar and go to it when you need it. (This includes worthless abilities like: Abandon Ship, Ramming Speed and Fleet Support.) Remove your weapons from your main bars, they have their own window, use it.

I hope this helps.

PS: Here is my setup on a Tac/Escort build: http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/5...1112417264.jpg

I can't post a screen shot at the moment, but here's what I typically use on my 3x10 button array:

Row-1: Dist Shields, Dampening Field, AP-Omega3, CRF2, CRF1, TSS2, HYT3, Red Matter Capacitor, BFI3, Tractor Beam

Row-2: EPS1, EPTS2, HE1, MVAM-A, MVAM-B. MVAM-G, Tac-Team1, Tac-Team1, Sci-Team2, Engine Battery

Row-3: Sensor Scan, Subnuc, Science Fleet, Photonic Fleet, Fleet Support, Evasive, Ramming Speed, Impulse Capacitor, Quantum SlipStream, Transwarp ESD

Currently not mapped: Borg Set Tractor Beam

I typically do not use the BO portrait button mappings due to the amount of extra mouse travel required to get to them. I prefer to simply hit buttons 3 -> 7 for quick alpha strike set-ups, and manual mouse clicks for rows 2 and 3. A 4th button row option, or extending the row length from 10 to 12, would definitely help. Yes, I could relocate the Officer Trays closer to the master 3x10 tray, but that still requires extra mouse movement that delays user reaction times.

Another viable option: create a new tray that automatically contains mappings for consoles, batteries, and set-powers.