[NOT] Just Another UI

[OptimusShepard]

I have made a concept how the elements of the top panel could be placed. The idea was to place them static in the area of 4:3, also the elements are not depending to the borders, so that this GUI can be used for wider screens too. I also tryed to clean up and minimize the panel a little bit. The structure tree should be push into the main menu. I replaced the icons from the selections only with numbers. Illuminated number means this number is occupied.
Sorry if it isn't that beautiful, I'm not an artist..

[Nescio]

On 5/12/2018 at 11:35 AM, OptimusShepard said:

You seem to be assuming wider screens have more pixels, which is not necessarily true. If the resolution is kept the same, taller screens can display more (because a square is the most compact rectangle). A different way to visualize it would be by listing displays by height instead of width:

Anyway, let's discuss your design; missing or unspecified are:

• game build and version name
• hero and catafalque icons
• research in progress
• faction emblem

Furthermore, I'd recommend putting the mini-map at the right side of the bottom panels, rather than the left, because the majority of people are right-handed. Other than that, I like your concept :)

[Stan`]

Yeah it seems like a common place to put the mini map on the right these days. I can only think of old games where it was on the left side (Dungeon Keeper, The Settlers 5)

[Rolf Dew]

So if this UI is finished in time, will it be included in this build (alpha 23) or the next one?

Edited May 13, 2018 by Rolf Dew

[Stan`]

Just now, Rolf Dew said:

So if UI is finished in time, will it be included in this build (alpha 23) or the next one?

It's already too late for this release. We are currently waiting for the trailer to be put together, the release announcement to be completed using the trailer, and making sure the last release candidate for macOs works.

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

4 hours ago, Nescio said:

• game build and version name

Should this one be necessary? Probably best to just keep it in the main menu, and maybe elsewhere in some menu item [perhaps with the screenshot overlay too], but I don't think it's necessary to be a part of the in-game UI.

[Stan`]

Now we just have to wait for @Shiyn ^^
It's never too late for a mod though It would be kinda on point

[OptimusShepard]

6 hours ago, Nescio said:

You seem to be assuming wider screens have more pixels, which is not necessarily true. If the resolution is kept the same, taller screens can display more (because a square is the most compact rectangle). A different way to visualize it would be by listing displays by height instead of width:

The reason I've taken the wide is, that I want to show that the UI should placed to the middle. I'm a 21:9 user, and if the UI is placed to the corner like now, it's hard to use (see).

2 hours ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Should this one be necessary? Probably best to just keep it in the main menu, and maybe elsewhere in some menu item [perhaps with the screenshot overlay too], but I don't think it's necessary to be a part of the in-game UI.

I would agree with you.

The buttons game-speed, trade, diplomacy and objectives could be placed around the minimap (on pos. 6 like wowgetoffyourcellphone had showen on page one. I also registrated that the idle worker and the diplomacy-colour button are missing).

[Servo]

Putting the mini map away from center is imo a discomfort to most average players for MP games. In my case (I seldom use QWEASDZ camera control) it’s inefficient if located on any corner as pointing time and accuracy will be much less. 

I think unit interface and structure interfaces should have different locations even if they pop out one at a time right now. I guess UI to bottom right but not too far from the middle and structure on the bottom left not too far from the middle too. Both unit and structure interfaces could even stay on at the same time for a moment too. 

[Wijitmaker]

On 4/23/2018 at 1:32 PM, Shiyn said:

Hayo 0AD!

Here is a scrap for a not very simple UI. 
Adapted it from some previous design made for AOE3. 

 

Sadly for now i have no idea how to implement this, so its pretty much eye candy.
(Feels like this would fit well for 1000 AD thou).  

Any critizing and opinions are welcome!

I like your eye candy.  It reminds me of the original intent with the UI.  I was intended to be very circular and orb like.  We had planned to do lots of context sensitive commands that appeared around objects that we're clicked to minimize the mouse cursor travel all over the screen.  It was annoying at 1024x768... I can't get imagine what it's like in 4k.

Another:

 

[Lion.Kanzen]

3 minutes ago, Wijitmaker said:

I like your eye candy.  It reminds me of the original intent with the UI.  I was intended to be very circular and orb like.  We had planned to do lots of context sensitive commands that appeared around objects that we're clicked to minimize the mouse cursor travel all over the screen.  It was annoying at 1024x768... I can't get imagine what it's like in 4k.

 

We haven't permission "old timer"

[Wijitmaker]

Ooo, sorry.  Maybe someone can pull it out of archives so you can see it.

[Lion.Kanzen]

@feneur

[wowgetoffyourcellphone]

1 hour ago, Wijitmaker said:

We had planned to do lots of context sensitive commands that appeared around objects that we're clicked to minimize the mouse cursor travel all over the screen.  It was annoying at 1024x768... I can't get imagine what it's like in 4k.

Yep, similar to Battle for Middle Earth II. My favorite UI-style so far.

[feneur]

9 hours ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

@feneur

Moved

[WhiteTreePaladin]

@Shiyn

Very interesting design! Kind of looks like a boat. It leaves the lower right corner empty which makes it easier to make extra large selection rectangles (at least for right-handed users).

 

14 hours ago, wowgetoffyourcellphone said:

Yep, similar to Battle for Middle Earth II. My favorite UI-style so far. 

There is a lot to like about that GUI. They only had one resource to display though. Also, battalions / squads weren't displayed (but there was room).

 

On 5/13/2018 at 7:02 AM, Nescio said:

...I'd recommend putting the mini-map at the right side of the bottom panels...

Actually, I think it works better on the left for right-handed people. When making a large selection, a right-handed person will normally start at the top left and drag to lower right. If there is a large piece of the GUI there, then they would have to stop before they reached the GUI which makes for a smaller selection rectangle. You could allow dragging / release on top of the GUI, but that's not something most players would intuitively do. This only applies to large selections; smaller selections don't need the extra space.

[Lion.Kanzen]

38 minutes ago, WhiteTreePaladin said:

@Shiyn

Very interesting design! Kind of looks like a boat. It leaves the lower right corner empty which makes it easier to make extra large selection rectangles (at least for right-handed users).

 

There is a lot to like about that GUI. They only had one resource to display though. Also, battalions / squads weren't displayed (but there was room).

 

Actually, I think it works better on the left for right-handed people. When making a large selection, a right-handed person will normally start at the top left and drag to lower right. If there is a large piece of the GUI there, then they would have to stop before they reached the GUI which makes for a smaller selection rectangle. You could allow dragging / release on top of the GUI, but that's not something most players would intuitively do. This only applies to large selections; smaller selections don't need the extra space.

Interesting because I'm left-handed.

[sphyrth]

I'm still arguing that the mini-map should be as a top panel (top-right specifically). Maybe it's my playstyle, but having the mini-map up there is more comfy to glance from time to time.

[Nescio]

1 hour ago, WhiteTreePaladin said:

Actually, I think it works better on the left for right-handed people. When making a large selection, a right-handed person will normally start at the top left and drag to lower right. If there is a large piece of the GUI there, then they would have to stop before they reached the GUI which makes for a smaller selection rectangle. You could allow dragging / release on top of the GUI, but that's not something most players would intuitively do. This only applies to large selections; smaller selections don't need the extra space.

Interesting. I agree the median person would move the cursor from the top left to bottom right. The position of the mini-map does not block large selections, though:

16 minutes ago, sphyrth said:

I'm still arguing that the mini-map should be as a top panel (top-right specifically). Maybe it's my playstyle, but having the mini-map up there is more comfy to glance from time to time.

The position of the mini-map might be especially problematic because it can be viewed and used in different ways. I'm not entirely sure about my own preference either, which is why I've been trying out different positions myself; there are multiple conflicting aspects of it:

• it blocks your playing area view (therefore I want it to be small)
• it gives an overview of the whole game map (therefore I want it to be large)
• it is something to look at (therefore I want it at the left)
• it is something to click on (therefore I want it at the right)

Ideally every player would be able to customize the position under the game options or perhaps even drag it around and resize it. Realistically that would be very hard to implement (and redesigning the GUI is already frustrating enough). Perhaps we should organize a poll to get a vague idea at the prefered position of the minimap (top left corner, centre-left, centre, centre-right, right corner; bottom left corner, centre-left, centre, centre-right, right corner).

[WhiteTreePaladin]

50 minutes ago, Lion.Kanzen said:

Interesting because I'm left-handed.

The current GUI has empty space on the left and right (assuming a wider resolution than 1024x768), so it works left-handed or right-handed.

[WhiteTreePaladin]

2 minutes ago, Nescio said:

Perhaps we should organize a poll to get a vague idea at the prefered position of the minimap (top left corner, centre-left, centre, centre-right, right corner; bottom left corner, centre-left, centre, centre-right, right corner).

We tried demos of many options in the past when we were designing the current GUI. Honestly, bottom left for the minimap tends to work best. Our current layout isn't in the actual left corner, but it's close and works well.

[Nescio]

6 minutes ago, WhiteTreePaladin said:

We tried demos of many options in the past when we were designing the current GUI. Honestly, bottom left for the minimap tends to work best. Our current layout isn't in the actual left corner, but it's close and works well.

Yeah, it works, but does it work because it is intrinsically the best position or just because we're used to it? I'm probably biased since games I fondly remember put the mini-map at the top right (Caesar III, Heroes of Might and Magic IV, Patrician III) or bottom right (Cossacks, Empire Earth, Age of Mythology). Undoubtedly games exist which put it elsewhere and I guess all have good reasons for a specific position.

[Lion.Kanzen]

16 minutes ago, Nescio said:

Yeah, it works, but does it work because it is intrinsically the best position or just because we're used to it? I'm probably biased since games I fondly remember put the mini-map at the top right (Caesar III, Heroes of Might and Magic IV, Patrician III) or bottom right (Cossacks, Empire Earth, Age of Mythology). Undoubtedly games exist which put it elsewhere and I guess all have good reasons for a specific position.

First 3 games aren't RTS, the other group are RTS.

[Lion.Kanzen]

Spoiler

Patrician 3

Caesar 3

HM&M IV

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vs 

Spoiler

LoL

Battlefield (4)

TW: Arrena

 

 

Tip : the second have one thing in common.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Lion.Kanzen

[sphyrth]

I didn't know that Battlefield 4 is an RTS. But putting that aside, I noticed that the city building games have their controls all bunched together into one single control panel, while the action-packed games have them scattered all throughout.