Glyph icon enhancements

I think the glyphs could be further enhanced with some minor visual tweaks to make them more useful and easier to identify.

With the current style, we have the following:
- Red background = damage to target
- Silver background = innate skill
- Blue background = neutral (not clear on its use except being an "other" or "misc")
- Green background = heal target
- Circle = active skill
- Hexagon = innate skill

I'm wondering if we can have some visual tweaks to show the following:
- Single vs. AoE
- Centered on target vs. centered on caster
- Instant vs. DoT
- Buff vs. Debuff
- Melee vs. Ranged

While the suggestion may seem like it would clutter the visual representation, I think it can be done with minor impact and would facilitate the identification of skills, given that we're expected to memorize several hundred unique icons that represent those skills.

Feel free to make suggestions on how to easily identify those categories of skills.

 

When glyps show up that can be combo'd they have a animated glow to them.. If you have multiple combos show up at same time glow could be different colors.

 

I was thinking of some less minor tweaks. Optional so people can turn them off if it bothers them.

Right now the combat bar is a single row, which means each slot has open space above it. In that space you can put an icon (or a 3d render) of the item or weapon that icon uses. I sword skill shows your currently equipped sword, shield skills your shield, etc. Each of these items are on transparent backgrounds so as to not hide more screen space. Sizing of these would need to be determined, but enough to know the difference between skills of various attack types. Slugs from equipment could likewise show the equipment that added that slug.

Other icons (square this time, not 3d renders) could be added just above the glyph, below the item render. These would cover AoE, Buff, Debuff, DoT info. Each category to be marked would have it's own icon and own position. For example if the glyph had an AoE component, then the AoE icon would appear above the glyph on the left side. And only AoE would appear there. Next to it could be DoT. Then Buffs, Debuffs, etc. Buffs and Debuffs could show different icons depending on the effect, but they would be similar and Buffs would always be in the same position from glyph to glyph. (I guess multiple Buffs could stack vertically, or rotate through the set of buffs in the same position.)

Visually you would see the current glyph, the set of smaller icons for effects above that, then the rendered item. A mace skill with AoE would obviously look different than a dagger skill, but it would also look different than a mace skill with a root or stun.

 

Good ideas. Color and pattern recognition seem to be important for a rotating glyph combat system. No time to hover the house over them to get popup tips.