TLDR: Screen readers used to announce all dynamic combat info in attack loaders (hits, damage, health changes). That functionality has stopped, leaving blind players effectively unable to attack, chain, or participate in RW events. This is a critical accessibility break, not a minor inconvenience.
Screen reader - NVDA/Microsoft Narrator
Windows 11
Microsoft Edge/Google Chrome
All up to date as of this morning.
What I tried:
Update stuff.
Exit browser, programs, restart everything.
Turn off tools and extensions.
Restart PC.
Try on another device (secondary laptop, Win 11)
WAI issue/Screen Reader
Yesterday I noticed that the attack loaders no longer read out the damage dealt and received when attacking.
Imagine this; You open a loader and begin clicking your weapon. You cannot see what is happening. No sound, nothing happens when you try to attack.
Are you hitting? Missing? Have you been hit? Are you dead? Dunno.
Sure, you can hit, shifttTab a few times sit there for 3 to 5 seconds while the reader reads out the dmg you have dealt, times you have hit, your current health. Then tab a few times to your weapon and hit again, shift+tab again and wait for the readout.
The other option is to sit there and click for ...I dunno, 10 seconds? 15 seconds? A minute? Are you hitting? Are you dead? Has someone else killed your target and you are there pressing enter on your weapon for nothing?
Imagine doing these things during a RW, during a chain, heck imagine it on a daily basis just doing missions!
The change is not subtle, it is not QOL, it is not something we can just get used to or find a work around, it is crippling.
I know because when I first started playing, the attack loaders were silent and let me tell you, attacking events of any fashion made me want to cry. Then suddenly one day, the actions were being read out, I could hear when I hit and how much, I knew when my health was low, when my opponent was dead. I could actually compete in RW! I could chain and do missions without spending/wasting countless clicks and minutes beating up dead people.
Imagine the feeling of sitting there in a RW and trying really hard, only to end up there hitting enter on a weapon when the opponent or you are already dead while your faction mates clear the board. Not once or twice, not sometimes, not it has been a rough one lol and happened a lot. No, I mean EVERY TIME for EVERY attacking event , big or small.
The feeling of spending your day(s) clicking on some loaders and clicking enter a bunch of times but because you were pressing buttons and getting NO FEEDBACK, all you got is wasted time.
Yes, I've repeated myself several times in this post but I beg you to understand how critical this issue is. Please revert the change that stopped the actions in attack loaders being read out by screen readers. Please do it soon.
I have been really enjoying joining NPC fights, not feeling like a pathetic loser when doing missions and sitting there hitting air like a dummy. I was looking forward to the Valentine's Day inevitable chain. Please don't leave me wanting to cry because I'm once again left in the void and being less than half productive as what I could be with only a simple revert.
Please do not put this 'on the table' to be fixed in the next 6 months. Please understand it is not a minor inconvenience.
Expected behavior:
All dynamic actions -
When I am in an attack loader and I press enter on a weapon, if I hit the opponent, the hit number is read out, damage dealt, and opponent's current health.
When someone else hits my opponent, the opponent's health is read out.
When I receive damage, my current health is read out.
These readouts are separate from the information that is read out when my focus is on my status or the opponents status in the attack loader.
When my focus is on one of these, the number of hits (hit counter), damage received, and current health is read out.
The missing readouts occur when I have my focus on a weapon, when I am actively attacking.
Current behavior:
nothing, dead silence
Only information read out is gathered from tabbing around.
Tabbing around to hear your dmg output, your health, tab more to hear your opponent's. While you do this, someone already killed you or your opponent. Sorry, try again.