Hello all,

It has come to my attention today, after finally updating about 1,200 scripts and figuring out what else GTA V didn't like about my LSPDFR setup post Stunts update, that playing LSPDFR is beginning to get a little....messy. It seems that nowadays, every callout pack, and every script, has to have it's own in depth menu. This is ok. I'm all in favor of functionality. However, it's starting to get, in my opinion, out of control. 

I start GTA V..... I load up LSPDFR.... I respond to a callout.... the callout suggests I hit F8 to end the callout via a menu. I hit F8...

Three overlapping menus pop up! I try to navigate through the muck to end what was a simple call, but oh no! Suddenly, I've sent out a code 99 and AI police are coming from every angle! My character model has changed to a hairless white guy in a different uniform, and I've placed a cone! Worst of all, the callout is STILL ONGOING!

Shit.

 

...I realize I'm being a bit ridiculous, but I think this is an experience that at least a few of us have shared on some level or another, and I'm sure you know as well as I do how frustrating such an experience can be. Now I know what you're thinking: "Why don't you just change the keymappings?" Well, consider just how tedious that is to do - to go in and manually change the key bindings for every script, and then again every time they update. One fat-fingered-flub could derail the whole script, wasting more time. Not to mention the obvious fact that... I'm running out of keys!

Now I'm not suggesting that we do away with menus altogether. I like the menus! Like I said, I'm pro-functionality! And if including a special menu for your script/callout(s) adds more depth then by all means, go for it! But realize, as time goes on, more and more of us are going to be releasing scripts/callouts, and that 100 or so keys on your keyboard is going to get very confusing and very limited on assignable space very quickly.

So friends, I propose to you an idea...

With most callouts and scripts playing nice and communicating with each other via custom API's, why couldn't we solve this inevitable problem by consolidating all of these menus/functions into one menu script? Call it "Unified Menu," or something. Instead of assigning wacky key combinations and trying to remember what's what, we would be able to access everything with one keystroke. Callouts and scripts would be plug and play via "Unified Menu's" API, and their own custom menus could be accessible by navigating left and right, not unlike how LSPDFR's default menus are set up. 

Now, I'll be honest with you, I've no experience with scripting whatsoever, so I'm not even sure if such a thing is possible. However, if it IS, I think this could make the world of LSPDFR a better, more user-friendly place. Hell, I'll take on the project myself if someone could hold my hand through it...

Just imagine...

 

Anyway, food for thought, guys. Discuss!

Edited July 21, 20169 yr by CG Blaze

i completely agree thats why i limit my callours XD i'm not going through that again

callouts*

Makes sense really. It would also help reduce the chance of the Game crashing, due to conflicting commands.

thats my problem with gta v scripts so far, way too many custom menus and settings required and they dont like each other.  now i know the pros for lack of a better term can sort it all out, but for the average lspdfr'er its just too much.

also kuddos for getting lspdfr to work after the new update. im still trying to figure out what exactly the problem is for me. everything is installed right but something doesnt like something else since the update, so the endless search goes on...

We plugin developers talk about this together frequently. Believe me, it gets annoying for us too, and we want to make the experience as enjoyable for you all as possible. There is a limit on how much we can do though with what's provided by the LSPDFR API. A unified menu right now would have to be yet another plugin for you to install, for us to create and integrate, and for everybody to constantly update. 

I have proposed some changes to the LSPDFR API which would help with these issues and make it easier for both developers and players. We don't know when LSPDFR 0.4 might be coming out, or what API changes it might bring. But changes to the API are the only practical way this mess can be resolved. 

I do believe this has been discussed in great detail over here; http://www.lcpdfr.com/forums/forum/894-api-development/