Hello Lumia Island Survivors!
In Season 8, we have seen challenges in maintaining the trust of our players. While the numbers show we have overcome even greater difficulties in the past, what concerns the development team more than any statistic is that even the fandom that trusted our communication and loved the game during its most difficult times is now feeling disappointed.
This loss of trust did not come from just one or two issues. The major updates in Season 8 fell short of player expectations, and multiple problems have built up over time, from the previous season’s extension to recent balance patches.
We have been reflecting deeply on why this crisis has occurred and how we can move forward to deliver a better game and rebuild the trust that has been lost. We believe it is time to take more fundamental steps to improve our processes.
One of those steps is changing how we communicate with you. Until now, we have shared updates mainly through patch notes or separate announcements such as “Season 8 Major Feedback and Update Notice,” but this has not been enough to gather sufficient feedback or create a shared understanding about the direction of the game.
Lumia Dev Journal
The Lumia Dev Journal is part of these preparations. From major gameplay changes we plan to introduce to the implementation of new systems, we will share a wide range of topics earlier than before and, when needed, use surveys to hear directly from our players.
The dev journal will include images and videos of features currently in development or ideas created in the past that were never implemented in the game. This will help you experience potential gameplay changes more vividly and intuitively than through text alone.
For today’s first entry, we will share the direction of future improvements for the Gadget Vault, which was introduced as a core feature in Season 8. We will present our analysis of the current system, show the alternatives we have been preparing, and then gather your valuable feedback through a survey.
Gadget Vault Issue Analysis
After reviewing your main feedback and opinions regarding the UI/UX of the Gadget Vault, we have identified the following two points as the core issues in its current state.
Difficulty with quick and responsive use
The hotkey for changing equipped Gadgets and the hotkey for using Gadgets are separate. This makes it extremely difficult to switch and use Gadgets quickly in urgent situations.
Shared functions with the Quick Slot
The Gadget change function is tied to the Quick Slot window. Even when trying to use only one of these functions, either ordering items from the Quick Slot or changing Gadgets, too much of the screen is blocked. In addition, players who do not use the Quick Slot or who use the Loadout to access items are forced to use an additional hotkey and the Quick Slot when they do not want to.
The Future and Direction of the Gadget Vault
Before introducing our improvement proposals, we would like to share our future plans for the Gadget system so you can keep them in mind when seeing changes.
As of the current live version, Gadgets fall into two main categories:
Strategic Gadget
Hunter's Pot
Mobile Kiosk
Mobile VLS
Tactical Gadget
Recon ORB
Explosion ORB
Safety ORB
Strategic Gadgets will remain available for a relatively long time, while Tactical Gadgets will rotate to bring variety, based on new Gadgets that will be added in the future. Once there are enough Tactical Gadgets available, we plan to introduce a rotation system consisting of the 3 Strategic Gadgets+ a rotating selection of Tactical Gadgets.
Core Values for Improvement and Proposed Alternatives
Our core values for improving the UI/UX are as follows:
Unified Gadget Change/Use Hotkey
Integrating the hotkeys for changing and using Gadgets into a single system, so it feels like one cohesive feature.
Scalability and Clarity
Designing the UX to make it easy to change Gadgets while ensuring a clearly defined limit on the number of Gadgets that can be active in-game, keeping future rotations in mind.
Immediacy
Ensuring Gadgets can be used instantly when needed.
To achieve these core values, we have prepared the following three alternative proposals.
Option 1: Gadget Vault Hold Method
UI Example
S8 Internal Testing UI
The first proposal is the “Hold Plate” method, which many players have suggested.
As shown in the reference image, this feature was actually fully implemented during the introduction of the Gadget Vault this season. It works like the Emote UI, where you hold a hotkey to bring up a menu and change your Gadget.
This method has many advantages, such as being easy to learn due to its similarity to the existing Emote selection, and it was considered the most promising alternative by the dev team for a long time. However, after extensive testing, we ultimately discarded it due to two main issues:
As shown in the right-side ORB section of the internal test UI, at that time we had separate “Main Gadget” and “Sub Gadget” slots. This made the clickable area for the Sub Gadget too small, hurting the UI’s usability.
The UI for opening the Gadget selection with a hold input was incompatible with the existing control system. While the same key could be used for both common casting and hold selection, it could not also be configured for quick casting on the same key. Adding a separate hotkey for quick casting would have solved this, but that hotkey would not be affected by existing control options in Settings → Input, such as “Enable Skill Cast Within Max Range” and “Show Quick Cast Range.” Since this kind of UX had no precedent, we believed it would be harder for players to adapt to.
However, now that the Main/Sub Gadget concept has been removed, and since players have continued to send us this suggestion (often with attached screenshots), we are presenting it again. We believe that if we can clearly communicate the need for a separate hotkey for quick casting, it could be a viable alternative.
Pros
Integrates Change/Use Gadget into a single hotkey
Clearly separates the Gadget System from the Quick Slot
Easy to learn and adapt to, as it works like the existing Emote selection method
Cons
Requires a separate hotkey for Quick Cast
Quick cast must activate immediately upon input, which is incompatible with the hold-to-select UX.
This means the primary Gadget cast hotkey cannot be switched to Quick cast, and Quick casting would require its own separate hotkey, which is unaffected by existing control options in Settings → Input.
Delay when switching Gadgets
The hold input requires a set amount of time (typically around 0.3–0.4 seconds to prevent misinputs) before it registers, making immediate Gadget switching difficult.
This drawback becomes more noticeable as the variety of Tactical Gadgets like ORBs increases and situations requiring quick swaps occur more often.
Option 2: Inventory Replacement UI Method
UI Example
The second method replaces the Inventory UI with a dedicated Gadget UI when the Gadget hotkey (G) is pressed. In this UI, each displayed Gadget is assigned its own hotkey (by default, the same as the Inventory hotkeys, 1 through 6 in the example image).
In other words, you press the Gadget hotkey (G) first, then press the number (1–6) for the desired Gadget to use it instantly.
Pros
Removes the concept of “equipping” a Gadget, allowing players to use any desired Gadget quickly.
Clearly separates the Gadget System from the Quick Slot.
No issues with Quick cast usage.
Can support up to 10 Gadgets, making it easy to accommodate future rotations.
Cons
Inventory usage restrictions
While the Gadget UI is open after pressing the Gadget hotkey (G), the number keys (1–6) cannot be used for Inventory items. For food, we are planning to add an auto-consumption option, but items like Cameras, Drones, and Traps may still be inconvenient to use.
Character-specific issues
For characters like Alex, whose mechanics rely heavily on Inventory usage, switching between the Gadget UI and the regular Inventory could cause discomfort or awkward inputs.
Option 3: Individual Hotkeys for Each Gadget in the Quick Slot Window
UI Example
The final method proposed keeps the current system unchanged, but adds the ability to assign an individual hotkey to each Gadget in the Quick Slot window, with full flexibility to assign any key.
Pros
Allows players to continue using the method they are already familiar with.
Among the three options, it offers the fastest responsiveness.
No issues with quick cast use.
Cons
Problems from adding a large number of hotkeys
Requires up to six additional hotkeys. While this can be convenient for experienced players, it can be a significant burden for those still learning the game.
As more Gadgets are added, the number of required hotkeys will also increase. Even for the same Gadget, the assigned hotkey may change depending on the season’s rotation.
No clear separation between Quick Slot and the Gadget System
Players who are not comfortable with individual hotkeys will still end up using the Quick Slot, meaning the issues of requiring extra hotkeys and being forced to use the Quick Slot remain unresolved.
Option 4: Keep the Current System
For the survey, we have also included the option to keep the current system as it is.
We have now shared the three alternative proposals we have been preparing to improve the Gadget Vault system. We chose this topic for the first entry of the Lumia Dev Journal because we fully recognize that, while the Gadget System is an important element directly tied to the flow of combat, its current usability has not met your expectations.
Our ultimate goal is to provide an environment where Gadgets can be used meaningfully without disrupting the flow of battle. However, since each of the proposed options has clear strengths and weaknesses, we believe it is essential to hear from you before making a final decision.
Based on your survey responses and feedback, we will carefully decide on an alternative. Even during the implementation process, we will refine it as much as possible so that the final version is something you can be satisfied with.
In the next edition of the Lumia Dev Journal, we will be covering character reworks. We hope you will look forward to it.
We promise to continue communicating sincerely in various ways and working to make Eternal Return better.
Thank you for always sticking with us.
