Do you prefer BTN or PAS in researching (learning) a skill?

[bi_a_op]

I have a design question for experienced map makers, and players. When a hero can learn a passive... By default, passive skills use BTN icon in research (learning) and PAS icon in the user interface. But in a custom map, it would be impossible for a new player to immediately tell the actives apart from the passives while choosing which new skill to learn. I've been thinking about 2 different solutions but I'd like to hear opinions.

1. Use PAS icon both places.
2. Put [Passive] in the title of the skill or something similar.

Default WC3

 

[deepstrasz]

I feel the original makes sense. Passive looking icons are only shown that way when they are in effect on the specific unit which has the ability. Upgrades to enable such abilities, learn ability menu abilities and buffs (such as from auras) are shown in the active/BTN form.

 

[bi_a_op]

I feel the original makes sense. Passive looking icons are only shown that way when they are in effect on the specific unit which has the ability. Upgrades to enable such abilities, learn ability menu abilities and buffs (such as from auras) are shown in the active/BTN form.

Thank you for your take. That makes sense when you put it that way.

Would you say the same for ATC? Black Arrow for example. I tried putting ATCBlackArrow in research (learning) and it definitely felt off. My eyes have probably never seen that before lol. But it does add more clarity for the player, while sacrificing some native wc3 feel.

 

[deepstrasz]

Yeah, I would say every kind of differentiation from BTN works the same way. While it might also be a thing that we're already adjusted to this, the sense made I was referring to is that when you expect to see an icon in that form on a unit whether PAS or ATC you expect it to be in its functional state. Since there's no other way in the original game to make researches than through buildings (which share the command card as units) and that some buildings could potentially have such abilities themselves, making such abilities have ATC and PAS icons even in their learn and research forms is confusing. For instance, a rare type example: you have a building which also contains a PAS/ATC (the latter if a tower or something) ability and its research. How do you visually differentiate then? Unless you just know that the ability is DISPAS before becoming PAS and that the PAS research icon will disappear after research completion.
There is no "solution". I think it might just take some adjusting if you want them generally to look the same.

 

[Yevhen Snizhko]

In theory, you could run the passive and autocast icon through icon creator or add the usual border manually, so you can see that this is research for passive or autocastable ability.
Although with autocastable abilities you may have to edit them a bit so the autocastable aspect is more visible.

 

[Panda]

I mean you could just keep it as a BTN border when you gain a hero point and just state in the description of the ability that this is indeed a (Passive) ability so when they click it they know that.
But i know not all games do this so its users choice.

 

[bi_a_op]

I mean you could just keep it as a BTN border when you gain a hero point and just state in the description of the ability that this is indeed a (Passive) ability so when they click it they know that.
But i know not all games do this so its users choice.

Yeah. I think this is a good way to do it.