New GUI: Design & Features Discussion

[WhiteTreePaladin]

I don't mind a horizontal or a vertical experience bar, but there are some complications with a vertical one. For one, I would need a new shading graphic. Also, I don't know how to lay it out. The mockup shows the rank icon pushed to the side of it. This interferes with the unit portrait more. When the unit reaches the highest rank, the experience bar disappears, leaving the rank icon stuck out there. A horizontal bar doesn't have those problems.

I've left it horizontal for now. If it is to be vertical, then we need to figure what's best.

[Shield Bearer]

It seems you used something else for the health stat bars in the panel. The ones I made are used by the units, as you can see in the picture Is it possible to add a cap at each end? So that the borders are defined nicely?

[Pureon]

It seems you used something else for the health stat bars in the panel. The ones I made are used by the units, as you can see in the picture Is it possible to add a cap at each end? So that the borders are defined nicely?

The GUI is using bars from the final GUI design, which are different to those used for the unit health bars. They're supposed to have a 1 pixel black line around them, but that hasn't been added yet. Also I think the bars have been stretched a bit - the final design shows them to be 7 pixels in height with the 1 pixel stroke all around. The ones on the svn now are 8 pixels height.

[Hazardoz]

can you guys make the GUI a little bit more compact/small ? or with a option to minimize and move?

[WhiteTreePaladin]

Images must be powers of two. I extended the images up to the nearest power of two. Then I "carved" out the actual image when it is used which is seven high as you said. However, it is then stretched to ten high. I can make it appear as actual size, but seven seemed small.

If you could round things close to a power of two up to a power of two, that would make things a lot easier. Unless of course it's critical to the design to have seven instead of eight.

[Shield Bearer]

The GUI is using bars from the final GUI design, which are different to those used for the unit health bars. They're supposed to have a 1 pixel black line around them, but that hasn't been added yet. Also I think the bars have been stretched a bit - the final design shows them to be 7 pixels in height with the 1 pixel stroke all around. The ones on the svn now are 8 pixels height.

Oh, I thought I copied those only I made these for the GUI, not the units and it does have a 1px stroke around it These just don't look like the ones in the GUI mockup

[WhiteTreePaladin]

Ok, made the bars smaller and put the border around them.

[Shield Bearer]

Might I say the new GUI looks superb Great job Brian

[ribez]

screenshot, please

[Shield Bearer]

Of course

[zoot]

As a nitpick, the black buttons along the bottom would break the design less if they had the same dusty brownish background as the formation buttons.

[Shield Bearer]

Or no background at all

[WhiteTreePaladin]

I like that idea, but we would really need a new way to do the buttons otherwise we would lose all feedback (highlights and presses).

[Shield Bearer]

What do you mean? If you hover on the icon, it would enlarge and become lighter, if you press it, it would shrink and become darker

[WhiteTreePaladin]

What I meant was that it hasn't been implemented yet. It might not be hard, just haven't looked at it. (Could potentially be as simple as some sprite settings.)

[Shield Bearer]

What I meant was that it hasn't been implemented yet. It might not be hard, just haven't looked at it. (Could potentially be as simple as some sprite settings.)

Ah, that's what I though

Hey, another thing. Where do you get the texture for the border around the build icons? Think you can change that to match the portrait icon? Also, do you think u can add a black border around the unit health bar(which hovers above the unit, not in the panel)?

[Sonarpulse]

Eh, I like having the consistent border for icons.

Also, to harken back to the debate a couple pages ago, I think a tech tree like AoK's, but interactive, would be a perfect additional way to research tech. Obviously for skilled players it just slows things down, but for new players, it allows them to get a feel for the civilization they are playing with, and the choices they will face.

[Deiz]

As currently implemented:

We've now got a few more stroked fonts to play with (12-14 pt, bold and regular). Originally the specific name was 14 pt bold with a stroke, and the generic name was 13 pt bold, with no stroke.

In the screenshot, both names are 13pt bold, stroked. I'm partial to using non-bold 13pt for the generic name, but Brian feels it's less readable.

Edit: Here's the newest version, with an unbolded generic name:

Edited June 24, 2012 by Deiz

[WhiteTreePaladin]

I've removed the bold from the generic name, so people should be able to compare them now.

[Mythos_Ruler]

IMHO, the player color behind the production queue is overkill. I also think the civ logo behind the player name should be centered. Only seeing the top section of the emblem leaves off a lot of identifying material.

I've removed the bold from the generic name, so people should be able to compare them now.

I think the text looks a lot sharper, actually, so looks good.

The in-game UI is starting to look really polished!

[wraitii]

If I may chip in: the player color behind the production queue is okay to me: it balances the color of the "You" banner. I wouldn't completely center the logo, but its center could be a bit higher.

The parenthesis around the generic name seem unnecessary for me. It makes it harder to read (for some reason, my inner voice reads that in a quieter voice, which is annoying. But that may be just me.) and there's already a difference: the lack of bolding.

About the GUI, taken from SVN: I've red-ed two irks: I feel like the "bar" is unnecessary and looks weird. The other icons are placed in a different order (but perhaps that's already been fixed).

BTW: if you're showing unit stats by hovering over the icon... There probably should be no latency.

Edited June 24, 2012 by wraitii

[wraitii]

For the record, I think it would be nice to have a more "crammed" GUI option for players who absolutely want to see unit stats, something like this:

.

(I 'm showing the stamina bar for the record, and the A/D mean Attack/Defense, and should, if implemented, be replaced by two small icons.)

Edited June 24, 2012 by wraitii

[ribez]

For the record, I think it would be nice to have a more "crammed" GUI option for players who absolutely want to see unit stats, something like this:

.

(I 'm showing the stamina bar for the record, and the A/D mean Attack/Defense, and should, if implemented, be replaced by two small icons.)

i agree with you

[howlingflute]

I agree, I thought the whole point of this gui revamp was to show more stats. I like what has been changed in the meantime, but I would like it even better if the stats were viewable. I liked it when the stats were visible as in earlier iterations or as wraitii proposes. Keep up the good work! I am impressed at the changes made so far.

[wraitii]

Reading from previous post, the problem was that too many informations had to be shown and that the decision was to cut it all-together. This setup should be able to show even charge bonuses, if dealt with properly. Alternatively, those could be displayed only when the unit is actually charging (in a different color perhaps). Since it's "static", as HistoricBruno said, it's merely a useful reminder for players.