GUI improvments – more information less clicking more playing

[Sarissofoi]

Few suggestion about GUI improvements. The idea is to give more information with less clicking in clear simple way.

#1 Repair all, repair all armour, repair all weapons button for inventory screen.

#2 Take all, take all supplies, take all undamaged items for looting screen.

#3 More information on quest screen.
Example:

#4 Streamline contract taking(also allow to see other contracts even if you have one or allow more contracts be taken at once).
Example:

Pros:
-more than 3 contracts to choose(no more 3 delivery/escort contracts when orcs and bandits raid the town)
-easy to check what is available(no more clicking checking going back checking again, checking map, then checking another contract, all clear)
-all information in one screen

Flavour text is fine and all but not when its make game less enjoyable.

[Fallout]

Great idea!
Here is one thing I want to add to the contract tracking list: the name of the town u received the contract. Since the direction is to the town not to the player’s current position, it would be misleading if the name of the town is not provided.

[Sarissofoi]

Another one for weapons durability and easy access to bags.

I notice that weapons break faster now(especially swords) and you can’t repair them when they break(not like armour).
So something like that will give player more information and make switching weapons easier.

[Alesch]

I definitely like the idea of being able to take more than one contract at a time. If I’m in Bogenheim, and two people want me to take messages to Eisenwald while a third wants me to escort a caravan there, it seems counter-intuitive that I can only do one of those things.

Your mockups are also pretty neat, although I think that the actual quest stages should be highlighted a bit differently than the distance/cash information. I like the idea of their being displayed in shorthand like that, but the Quest Coin (I’m calling it that, no one can stop me, I am too powerful) should probably be limited to the bullet points that describe what you’re actually doing. It might not be likely to cause confusion, but there is a possibility that it could.

My photoshop prowess is nonexistant, so I won’t have fancy mockups, but I’m picturing something like this:

(Quest Coin) Raze the Cemetery of the Restless
(Quest Coin) Return to Dornheim
(Walking-Guy-Icon) Not Far North-East
(Not-Quest-Coin-Money-Indicator) 650 Crowns

Once the reputation stuff is implemented it might be important to have that information available as well. Just in case the name of the place you’re burning down isn’t enough to indicate whether it’s an orc camp or an orphanage.

[Sarissofoi]

Alesch as you wish.
Bow before my mighty paint skills! Soon the whole world will be amazed and terrified at once!

[Schopenhauer]

The UI could need some overhauling – nice suggestions and Pictures
– Contract Screen: I agree with the fact that long texts are getting tiresome really fast. There needs to be a short version
– also a direct integration of quick slots (2/4) in the combat UI (current way takes to much time) would really improve things

[Schopenhauer]

Hmm… Sorry for double Post… Is there a edited function?
One other thing I would love to see is customization for new games. I have something in mind like with the Continuous Game “Endlosspiel” in Anno 1404.
So you could define your own difficulty level at the start, with your own preferences.

Amount of starting funds (all within a reasonable range)
Quality of Background of founding members (one extra option I would like to see: extra damage reduction for founding members 25%, 50% options, to better keep them alive and reduce the amount of save game scumming)
Progress of enemy factions
Extra amount of enemies per encounter
Power of friendly AI
Quality of Items in shops
Chances for loot
And more….

I imagine some of these things might be relatively easy to implement while others could proof difficult.
Some basic things (funds, founding members) could really improve the personal acceptance of the difficulty (I love how hard the game is, my preference though would see a decent starting background with strong enemy ai)

Maybe after bugs and balance there is a focus on UI? :-) The game right now is really enjoyable. I could wait a bit longer for any new content in favor of UI stuff. I’m mostly bothered by the blocking UI while edge scrolling.

Cheers!

[Rap]

Save for an improvement here or there the UI will be one of the last things we’ll finish on this game. With much of the game still subject to change and much more still to come, I’m afraid it’s just not a good investment of time and resources to polish the UI when it may need to be scrapped and redone a few weeks later again.

Overhype Studios - follow us!
Facebook Youtube
Twitter

[Schopenhauer]

Makes sense. You talked about new content. That might screw up the UI on a regular basis. But the edge scrolling?
Starting adjustments wouldn’t count under finishing the UI, or would it :-) And shortcuts for the bags in combat?

:-)

[Sarissofoi]

Sure. I get it. Just throwing few ideas here and there. Sometimes small details hide themselves very well and it stranger pointing things can help. Anyway thanks for attention.

[Author]

Posts