ldtteam
Please, we gotta solve the Alert Fatigue problem
Prerequisites - [x] I am running the latest alpha version of MineColonies for my Minecraft version.
- [x] I checked the MineColonies/Structurize wiki and made sure that my issue is not covered there.
- [x] I made sure that this change request is not a duplicate of any existing change request.
Context - Minecraft Version: 1.21.1
- MineColonies Version: minecolonies-1.1.1197-1.21.1-snapshot
Is your feature request related to a problem?
Yes, the current UI causes severe Alert Fatigue. The red "Gear with Exclamation Mark" icon is currently used for two completely different categories of requests:
- Critical work stoppages (Missing tools, missing resources, inventory full).
- Happiness/Quality of Life complaints (Food variety requests, food level).
When looking at a colony, it is often a sea of red icons. Because the red icon is used for non-critical complaints (like food variety), I find myself ignoring them. This makes it incredibly difficult to spot the actual Builder or Crafter who has completely stopped working because they are missing a plank or a pickaxe.
Additionally, the button "Please don't mention it again!" in the complaint dialog does not function as the name implies. Citizens resume complaining about the exact same issue very shortly after clicking it. It currently behaves almost identically to "Please remind me later," creating a frustrating loop.
Enhancement or Change description
I suggest separating the request icons to reflect the urgency of the issue:
- Reserve the Red Icon: Keep the red gear icon strictly for "Work Stoppage" events (Missing item, inventory full, broken tool). This allows the player to instantly identify colonists who are not being productive.
- Downgrade Happiness Requests: Move food variety and general complaints to the existing Yellow/Orange icon tier (currently used for housing/homeless issues). These are issues that need attention, but they are not immediate errors impeding work.
Regarding the dialogue options: Please make the "Please don't mention it again!" button actually permanently silence that specific request type for that citizen. If permanent silencing is not intended, I suggest removing the button entirely as it is redundant alongside "Please remind me later."
Notes or related things
See attached screenshots demonstrating the lack of distinction between a critical work stoppage and a food preference complaint.
This is an ongoing effort to replace certain icons already. This can be seen more as a bug so it warrants being on here, not the features repository.
