Before making the graphics on my game I'd like to know what style GUIs you people all prefer. The Lucasarts style monster that sits on the bottom of the screen (think MI) was my personal favourite. There was also the Sam and Max one that allowed for an entire screen devoted to the room instead of the GUI. And there was the CMI one, which would probably be my favourite if I wasn't completely biased and loyal to the older games ;D
The problem being that if I make a load of full screen graphics without leaving room for the GUI should I decide on an MI1 style, I will have to redesign all the rooms I have designed :D
You could probably dig up quite a few threads that have discussed this recently if you have the time.
I think that you basically should do whatever you prefer, and not try to please as many people as possible. The player will still get used to your GUI in no time anyway
I prefer the Sierra, S&M, or CMI interfaces to the old big clunky Lucas-Arts interfaces. Having to select all the interactions from the big buttons (like in AGS's very own Just Another Point And Click Adventure) is so frustrating and really puts me off from playing a game. Although, I DID play both MI1 and MI2 start to finish and loved them. But my personal taste is the Sierra/S&M GUI , but the verb coin a la CMI is my second favorite.
- Bryan
Hehe, S&M...
Anyway, I like text parsers the best, although I don't like AGS games with them because they're harder (developers might not put as much time into them as professionals did).
Sierra style. The lucas chunky one is a bit uncomfortable for me with all their use this with that, pick up that...
Quotethe CMI one, which would probably be my favourite
yay! CMI baby!
And now for a little shameless self promotion
(http://www.tentimesnothing.com/smallcoin2.gif)
verb-coin!
I prefer the MI 1+2 GUI.
I think Kyrandia's GUI is the most innovative
What about the Feeble Files GUI.
Lure of the Temptress with a few tweaks becomes a very handy and smart gee you eye.
LOL Helm ;)
See FoA or Flight of the Amazon Queen for my favourite GUI's ^_^
m0ds
M0ds, it has TOO many verbs.
I also like GK3's gui for the many actions, of which only the possible ones appear.
Well, as Andail says, you get used to most GUI's after a while, and while both the classic LEC verb-box and verb-coin are great, my absolute favourite has always been the Discworld/Broken Sword one:
Left-click: Interact
Right-click: Look
Simple, effective and easy to learn. I'll definately use it for my next game... ;D
Well, I love the Sam n Max GUI, but I just love Sam 'n' Max anyway (but I was distraught when the sound didn't work). In terms of easability to draw, the DOTT style rocked. So did STS2, for that matter. Verb Coins == ick for me, cause I needed something solid to work from, not a popping up GUI type thing.
m0ds: Woo! Another person has played FOTAQ! I made several guis like the one in that game, you know :P
Rincewind: Yup. I loved the BS / DW style interface too. It's a shame you can't do the inventory things they had though... but... *doesn't want to be pernickety* it's double click for interaction in Discworld. Single click makes him walk. Hehe.
And thats my thirty three sense. ~MDragon
Hehe, I played FOTAQ too and loved it very much :)
As for the GUI, I don't know. I find the games with FoA GUI more challenging, because there are more actions that I can try and perform. The drawback with this GUI for me is too much clicking.
The S&M type GUI or Broken Sword are really enjoyable to be used but offer less satisfaction when playing, because many actions are automatically solved by the GUI.
Hmmm, maybe someone can come up with new & original GUI that will be compromise between the two.
If you ask me then it's the SCUMM GUI or the Verb coin, because the sierra GUI is used too often and it's quite stupid GUI. I mean, why do you need to go up to the screen to change action when you can click it with the mouse? It's very unnecessary indeed! Also, the term "Interact" is pretty stupid compaired with "Use" and you don't have to go through the GUI buttons for the iventory when you can do it directly in the SCUMM GUi and the Verb coin (click, click). And I think it's more exciting with the verbs than the few things in the Sierra games (Open, Push, Pull, you know what I mean). But actually, isn't the GUI for Sam & Max a copy of the Sierra system but changed it so you can both "pick up" and "use" and you only need to click through the stuff you do?
I didnt mind the Talk/Look/Speech Coin of MI3/Full Throttle , but for simple usabilty , and quickness i'd have to go for Beneath a steel sky..
I created a similar one in my mags game ages ago (click link in sig to see game)
Eventually i'm gonna put a few free Gui's and scripts on my site so people can grieve less over GUI's
i like Beneath A Steel Sky's GUI, i like GUIs that are out the way, verb coins can be annoying and i'm not too keen on the old LucasArts one, selecting actions takes too long...
Vel, yeah FoA had too many verbs I guess. We've simplified them for FoY, which is why FoY has my favourite GUI atm ^_^
m0ds
Anything that's easy to understand and not too clicky. I like both sierra and Lucasarts for good examples and a bad example would be The Curse of Enchantia.
The GUI used for The Legend of Leitor's Edge (until further changes) is only two clicks. Like a an inventory icon on the screen, you click it and it opens a menu consisting of Interact/Take, Open/Close, Search, Climb Up/Down, Speak to, Inventory, Pause Game, Options, About, Cancel.
I think more verbs than just look, talk, interact and speak make the game more involving.
--Snake
The good ol' MI 1 & 2.
Although I don't really like it as a GUI itself, I do like the fact you could cycle the cursor in Sierra (and AGS!) games with the right mouse button.
m0ds
You could cycle the cursor in Sam and Max too.