A Zwift newbie here with only 2 1/2 hours or so in my legs, but I wanted to share some thoughts regarding the interface. I know Zwift is still in Beta, but there do seem to be a few obvious things missing (or perhaps I am just missing them - please point out if I am).
Firstly, there does not appear to be any obvious way of changing settings after the initial screen. I can’t see a settings button or anything like that?
Second, I don’t understand why I am forced to ride the London course Monday - Thursday. I tried out the Watopia course for the first time last night and road the ‘Hilly Route’, which I loved (I love climbing). I bought a trainer for use in the evenings during the week (and when it is raining) when it is simply not practical to go out after work. If I’m riding at the weekend, I will be outside on my bike not indoors on a trainer! Please give us the option to change the course.
Finally, when just going on a ride, there is an option to select what ‘route’ you want to do. Why is there no information about these routes when scrolling through? It seems like a pretty obvious oversight that would not occur with any regular game company. The first time I loaded up Zwift, I had to faff around trying to look at Zwift’s website on my mobile to decipher what ‘London 8’ and ‘Classique’ were. Is there a plan to implement an information window which tells you basic information about the routes you are selecting (i.e. length of lap, elevation gain, maybe even a small 2D course diagram with a gradient heat map?). Something like that would add a lot to the experience in my view.
Generally, taking the above into account as a whole, the user interface is quite ‘flashy’ with its bright colours and swanky music, but there appears to be little of substance to it at the moment. Is there a plan to improve the interface throughout the beta?
Once past the initial screen, you can easily change your settings any time while you are in game. Just come to a stop, and you’ll see a menu button pop up on the bottom left side of the screen. Press that and it will take you to all the settings options including avatar customization, achievements, in game settings and much more.
The course calendar changes every month which will give you the opportunity to ride a variety of courses on different days. We like to keep everyone together on the same world so that you don’t get lonely while riding. We always want you to have someone to chat with or draft off of. As our population grows, we may consider the option to choose which world you are riding in, so encourage your friends to join you on Zwift
We are in the process of creating route maps and descriptions. In the meantime you can find route information in some of the game update posts and among the Zwift forums, also there have been a handful of great non-official Zwift community created guides with detailed route maps like Zwift Blog http://zwiftblog.com/route-details/
Zwift is not in beta, however new features may be subject to a beta testing phase as they roll out. Zwift will continue to evolve and grow with no end in sight. If you have a specific suggestion of how the user interface can be improved, we would love to hear it.
UI Question; What is that pale circle shape in the upper left section of the screen when riding? It’s between the power window and the middle rider info. I can’t tell what it’s for, not really showing any kind of interaction(?) I thought it might be a radar? Overall though I love the experience and can’t wait for future improvements!
