Favorite GUI type: Mid-90s Sierra, old school LucasArts, MI3 era, etc.?

[chapter11studios]

This topic's probably been beaten to death here on the boards, but I couldn't find any RECENT beatings in the thread list, so I thought I'd pose the question again. What is your favorite adventure game GUI, and why? Let's stick with post-text editor games, i.e. KQV and beyond. What's the general feeling about Sierra vs LucasArts?

Personally, I am kind of partial to the LucasArts style, but still chose Sierra style for my game because I felt it gave me more control to do the game as I wanted to do it as a designer. I did go with LucasArts-style conversations, though.

I think the least intrusive GUI is probably the MI3-era games and the verb coin. Incidentally, I know there's one bouncing around here--does anyone have the link for the verb coin GUI for AGS games?

Cheers!
Josh

[Privateer Puddin']

Lucasarts followed closely by the LSL7 gui (mix of parser and verb selection)

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Not recent? In the past 2 weeks there's been 2 threads like this. :

I put LSL7 up there as the best.

DISCLAIMER: The GUI depends on the games. I don't think I would have liked KQ7 with any other interface.

[SSH]

*cough*
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=15845.0
*cough*

And look at Rui's skimbleshanks page for every GUI ever...

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

At least every GUI replicated in AGS. Though I do believe that encompasses nearly all of them...

<looks up> Amazing. Three smileys in two sentences. I must be going loony.

[Vel]

GK3-like-available-action-only GUI.

[prowler]

 i'm using a BASS-like interface for my game.. but it depends largely on the game, really....

if you have many possible actions for several objects in your game (or if you wanna make the game a little harder), i thing a multiverb gui is justifyable, otherwise the 2-click interface or the verb coin is the best option imo.

and you definately need to have the hotspot under the cursor displayed somewhere... well you don't _need_ to have it, but otherwise i won't play your game   

[Snarky]

I hate the verb coin interface. I can't understand why so many people have it as their favorite interaction style.

I think one of my problems with it is that you have to move the mouse cursor away from the hotspot in order to perform an action. With a Sierra or Scumm interface (using keyboard shortcuts) your mouse cursor isn't moved by performing an action. Grr! Bearly Sane had an interesting variation where the cursor stayed still while the verb coin moved, and I liked that much more once I got used to it. (I'm sure there are other games that do this too.) However, I still find that a huge dialog popping up whenever I'm doing something takes me out of the game.

[Radiant]

I second Snarky's notions.
Also the motion 'click-hold-drag-release' that is required for most verb coin GUIs is extremely annoying imo, not to mention an ergonomical hazard.

[HillBilly]

Classic lucas art GUI ala DOTT.

[prowler]

an ergonomical hazard?

when playing sierra games, i always right click like crazy, cos i sometimes don't stop at the right action. it annoys me that after almost each action i have to repeadedly right click..that's what i call an ergonomical hazard.

also, i don't find that dragging the mouse a little is less ergonomic than having to travel half the screen to select an action.. the verb coin becomes quite fun to use when it's immersive, like in full throttle or curse of m.i.

that being said, i still consider a bass-like interface the best for a not-too-complicated game.

in the end tho, it's probably just a question of taste...


also, another nice thing is the ability of quick navigation by double-clicking

[Haddas]

I absolutely love when rightclicking a hotspot  performs a default action. like open for doors and look at for paintings and notes. you know, like Zak MacKracken and the likes

[Radiant]

also, i don't find that dragging the mouse a little is less ergonomic than having to travel half the screen to select an action.. the verb coin becomes quite fun to use when it's immersive, like in full throttle or curse of m.i.

You are absolutely right that a classic LucasArts GUI is also ergonomically unsound... UNLESS it has keyboard support, which all classic LucasArts games do. However, many AGS games don't, even if it would only take fifteen minutes to implement it. I have given up on several otherwise good AGS games (including No-Action Jackson) because of precisely this issue.

I'm not kidding, either. RSI is a far too often overlooked problem, and user-friendliness of controls is a subtle thing that will turn gamers away if done improperly (read any gaming magazine and check for entries like 'it would have been a great game if not for the fact that the controls are unworkable').

[AGA]

...we make POINT and CLICK adventures. It's not possible to make games that won't induce RSI in the long run...

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

...what IS RSI?

[Radiant]

...we make POINT and CLICK adventures. It's not possible to make games that won't induce RSI in the long run...

No, but it IS possible to make games that won't induce RSI in the short run. Just because you can't entirely prevent something doesn't mean you shouldn't take it into account. I'm just saying people should take fifteen minutes to add keyboard support to the main GUI in their AGS game. I can't think of any good reason why so many people don't.

RSI = repetetive strain injury, commonly known as mouse-arm even though it is a much broader field.

[SSH]

The mouse-arm problem is properly known as carpal tunnel syndrome, and can be entierely avoided by a combination of a good mouse, by keeping your lower arm in a straight line with your wrist and hand and by making your seat height such that you can keep your lower arm in a straight line without getting your upper arm all tense. ...

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg36.pdf

[Bombadil]

It depends on the game. I like the best the old Lucas Arts style [lyke Monkey Island, and so], and as it is commented above, with keyboard support.
But it depends on the game...