Interface

The interface, sometimes called the user interface (UI) or graphical user interface (GUI), of Guild Wars is all the elements on the game screen that allow the player to interact with the game and allow the game to inform the player about events in the game.

To move or remove most elements of the interface, go to the interface tab of the options window. Some window elements in the interface can be freely moved and resized without going through the options.

Elements of the interface

 * Parts not removable from customization window
 * Drop Bundle Button
 * Menu
 * Parts removable from customization window
 * Mission status
 * Mission Progress
 * Mission Goal
 * Player status
 * Health
 * Energy
 * Experience Bar
 * Skill Bar
 * Skill Warmup
 * Damage Monitor
 * Effects Monitor
 * Upkeep Monitor
 * Weapon Bar
 * Hints
 * Location
 * Compass
 * District List
 * Communication
 * Chat
 * Trade Button
 * Target status
 * Target Display
 * Skill Monitor
 * Performance Monitor (outside of Observer Mode)


 * Windows that STAY open in town
 * Party Formation


 * Windows that open/close from keystrokes
 * Party Search (Press P in a town or outpost)
 * Party Members (Press P in an explorable area)
 * Hero Window (H)
 * Quest Log (L)
 * Map Area (U)
 * Inventory (I)
 * Inventory Bags (F5 - F8 for separate bags, F9 for every bag)
 * Skills and Attributes panel (K)
 * Guild Menu (G)
 * Friends List (N)
 * World Map (M)
 * Observer Mode (Press B inside a town or outpost)
 * Score Chart (Press O during a PvP/GvG/PvE game)
 * PvP Equipment (Press J On Battle Isles)


 * Windows that open from NPCs
 * Storage (Speak to a Xunlai Storage Agent)
 * Buy/Sell (Speak to a Merchant or Trader)
 * Collector (Speak to a Collector)


 * Other usefull keys
 * ALT Press and hold the ALT key in towns or explorable areas to display NPC names and locations. Henchmen will display dark green, while all other NPCs will display light green.
 * CTRL Press and hold the CTRL (Control) key in towns to display the names of other player characters. Players already in a group will display dark blue while solo players will display light blue. Pressing CTRL in explorable areas will reveal the names and locations of MOBs and BOSSes in red.
 * CTRL + SHIFT + H Press all three keys at the same time to completely hide all game interface opbjects. This is very helpfull when taking screen shots in the game. Press the three keys again to resume display of the game interface.
 * PRTSCN (Print Screen) Press print screen to capture a snapshot of that moment in the game. Files are stored in a folder called SCREENS in your Guild Wars game folder. (Usually C:\PROGRAM FILES\GUILD WARS\SCREENS (d:\path\GUILD WARS\SCREENS))

Arranging the interface
Many people choose to use the default set up provided by Guild Wars, but others move their displays around to fit how they play. If you find yourself looking at a particular side of the screen by habit, then it is likely most of your most important info should be listed there. If your cursor tends to be in one place more often than others, maybe the party list or chat menu should be there. Changing the interface to optimize your performance can be a difficult task but will make you in theory more responsive.