SE5: GUI design discussion..

Instar · #1 February 21st, 2003, 06:30 AM

SJ: Dynamically creating the ship model based on components would be cool, but depending on how you want done, it could prove hard to do. If you have 200 component types, then you will be making a ton of 3D models, all of which have to be loaded in memory. However, at the same time, a lot of components are in fact redundant, (make all weapons look alike, and stuff like that) so it could be possible. But the way it is (the models are already done for Starfury as it is) Maybe SE6.... (now youve got me thinking on how it could be done without much overhead)

For the GUI, definitely implement mouse wheels. I dont know if you have played any SimCity 4, but the GUI for that gives it accessibility to many complex operations but at the same time keeps it simple. (I mean the actual city building mode GUI)
Also, the multiple skins would be nice, just like StarCraft did it.
The techtree you desribe sounds like Civ2 or Civ3's way of doing it. I liked it for Civ, but I dunno about SE5

Suicide Junkie · #2 February 21st, 2003, 06:57 AM

Instar:
I didn't mean on the level of components, but rather overall ship shape.
Take a Norak Dreadnaught, for example. Each of the wings could be a hull piece, and if the design of your ship has a block of components (no matter what they are) that are arranged in a similar shape (3 square components in a row, forming a 6x2 block, for example) then the model used for rendering that ship gets a Wing Piece in that position.

Probably still not practical to actually do, but fun to imagine.

Will · #3 February 21st, 2003, 07:29 AM

What I would really like to see in SEV GUI is a completely skinnable, XML based GUI. This just extends even further the ability for the gaming community to modify the look of the game. So someone could design a UI that resembles a ship's bridge, with the system map/area/whatever it's going to be in the center, an expandable galaxy map at the bottom center that overlaps the system map when expanded, information screens on the sides (perhaps even an info1 and info2... left click loads into the left screen, right click loads into the right screen), and command buttons along the top.

Or, somebody could create a UI that looks remarkably like a bachelor's living room from the view of the couch. TV has the system map, the poster of the swimsuit model changes to an info screen when something's selected, galaxy map can be toggled on screen with the remote, or you could put it in picture-in-picture... clicking the beer and pizza on the table inputs a cheat code for you.

So, in short, don't lock the GUI down to something specific. Allow fans to change the very layout of the interface, not just the colors/bitmapped graphics.

David, I know not very much ideas for you there, but if you get the contract, be sure to bug Aaron about the skinnability

Ruatha · #4 February 21st, 2003, 09:52 AM

I'd like somekind of 3D map. A grid instead of a 2d map.
As in Elite II Frontier. (I think it was that game)

David E. Gervais · #5 February 22nd, 2003, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Will:
David, I know not very much ideas for you there, but if you get the contract, be sure to bug Aaron about the skinnability

I never 'bug' Aaron, but I will mention it. Having the GUI 'skinnable' would be a nice feature. As to weather the actual shape and placement of the different GUI parts can be user defined, I'm not the one to answer that!

Cheers!

[ February 21, 2003, 12:48: Message edited by: David E. Gervais ]

Lemmy · #6 February 22nd, 2003, 02:25 AM

Quote:

quote:
For one example, I'm designing a new 'visual tech-tree' for the 'Research' window. I'm aiming along the lines of a flow-chart type layout, but also have a few 'different' things that I might try. Do you think this might be a good thing?

That would be a bad idea. It would not incorporate tech levels very well, unless it was extremeley long.

Quote:

I am not sure how usefull a graphical tech tree would be, there would be lots of crossing lines, since it is moddable and will have to be generated on the fly based on whatever techtree people want to load in.

*jumps excitedly*
Look at my sig!! Look at my sig!! Look at my sig!! Look at my sig!! Look at my sig!!

The screenshot link!

[ February 22, 2003, 00:25: Message edited by: Lemmy ]

Ed Kolis · #7 February 22nd, 2003, 03:41 AM

Looks nice, but maybe some of those long "strings" could be condensed - i.e. instead of

shields 1 -> shields 2 -> shields 3 -> shields 4 -> shields 5 and shield depleting weapons

you could have

shields 1-3 -> shields 4 -> shields 5 and shield depleting weapons

in other words, any time you have a linear progression with no branches, just compress it into one box