Maze Room

[Dualnames]

I haven't like worked on my project for like 4 months. So some parts of the game felt really odd now that I caught up with them again.
You may find yourself lost in this topic, but it would be a real mess, if I just went and created many topics inside the CL.

ISSUE #1: CURSOR Fixed

Spoiler

Well, okay it's been constantly bugging me, and it is an issue for me. First it needs to stand out against the background, and secondly against the GUIs.

And that's what I've got for it.
First, yes it's about HHGTG, and indeed it doesn't give any feel that it's from that show/book or any other sci-fi.


Newest Version is


Wait Cursor: (I'm mostly happy with that, and it feels okay and all.)

[close]

ISSUE 2# GUIS Mostly Fixed.

So there follows:

Spoiler

GUI
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q53/JustLedZep/hitchcopy.png

I think it goes wayyy too much blue too. It used to be totally daft, but still remains rather too much.

[close]

ISSUE 3# Maze Room

There's this room in HHGTG, that well, nevermind how you actually get there, but anyway, there's this room, you need to find a way out. There's no time pressuring you, and you're supposed to be inside your brain, where all is artistic choice actually and you need to find a black particle, which if you examine it means that it's your common sense. A fact that I find totally funny. Now, I haven't gone much drawing it but the sketch. So it's mostly raw and I want to see how certain stuff would actually work in-game.

So here's a pic of the room.

And here's what you should actually get as a resource.

Download link below on this topic.

[Anian]

It kind of gets lost a bit on options screen, but you might wanna change the background to that darker shade of blue like you did on dialog font picture and it'll be fine then...I think.

[Dualnames]

It kind of gets lost a bit on options screen, but you might wanna change the background to that darker shade of blue like you did on dialog font picture and it'll be fine then...I think.

If it was more like white? And how does the shape feels? Is it like too much? The 'sensitive' part is at the edge of the pointy arrow, and I feel like it's not really obvious without actually figuring it out whilst hovering.

[GreenBoy]

If you gave it a white outline you would always be able to see it.

[Jim Reed]

You could make it bigger, give it a white outline (suggested), animate it or colour it in some colour that is contrasting to the GUIs. I like yellow on blue, but you should experiment. You could also make the game parser based =P.
Mouse trail and particles eminatimg from the cursor are also viable solutions.

[Jakerpot]

Out-out-out-outline!

[Captain Ricco]

Just make it either Green or Red. Id go for red since you use a little of it on the Speech font

[Dualnames]

If you gave it a white outline you would always be able to see it.

One request goes here:

You could make it bigger, give it a white outline (suggested), animate it or colour it in some colour that is contrasting to the GUIs. I like yellow on blue, but you should experiment. You could also make the game parser based =P.
Mouse trail and particles eminating from the cursor are also viable solutions.

I think it's quite big as it is in-game. White outline done. Yellow seems to be really eye-disturbing color by nature, so I'll skip with that. As for blue, I tried this:


Mouse trail is out of the question. There's no point adding another visual effect. And the game will stick to point and click, otherwise I wouldn't even bother..

Out-out-out-outline!

Chip=chip-chip and Dale..Also done.

Just make it either Green or Red. Id go for red since you use a little of it on the Speech font

Perhaps will do.
Any suggestions based on its shape? I think it reminds me a lot of Star Trek.

[deadsuperhero]

Why not just make the pointer red, to contrast with the main interface?

[Dualnames]

Why not just make the pointer red, to contrast with the main interface?

Like this?

EDIT:
or even better

[deadsuperhero]

Yeah, that looks good to me.

[Khris]

You could also animate the cursor, going from light blue to dark blue for example.

I'm also a big fan of the old LEC cross-hairs.

[Dualnames]

You could also animate the cursor, going from light blue to dark blue for example.

I'm also a big fan of the old LEC cross-hairs.

I'm thinking of using a small crosshair instead yes. I'm a fan too.

[Dualnames]

Sorry for the double post. Okay, here's a short of a compromise.



It animates really faster in AGS.
Here are the pics if anyone cares:

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I think you've got a lot of unexploited potential creativity-wise with the UI.  For instance, you could use the most famous logo character for the series as either a verbcoin or a cursor, like so:

As a basic pointer


His hand


or as a generic verbcoin reference to choose actions from


There's a lot to be said for plain icons and cursors in a common, uncomedic game, but this is Hitchhiker's Guide.  Think over the top and eye-catching and silly!  Also, don't double post!

[Bulbapuck]

I quite like that animating cursor! Just one small thing: it looks a bit odd when it goes from smooth transitions to that sudden transition in between red and blue. Maybe you should have it animate back and forth? Also, out of curiousity, are you going to have it animate like that all the time or when it's over a hotspot?

EDIT: Thank you for your PM ProgZ Deleted some text.

[Questionable]

I feel like that Menu is a bit TOO blue... it's overwhelming. I also like ProgZ idea but depending on you game that bit of "branding" may or may not fit in. Either way, I don't think I can add any suggestions about the icon that haven't been said but I really think that you need to develop that menu/GUI more-so than even the cursor.

[Dualnames]

I think I'm going to stick with the cursor as it is and have it animate over hotspots. There's a hotspot label. And yes, we do agree ProgZ, I really have yet to grasp the feel on some parts of the game. And that is a really letdown.

I'm going to think as totally silly indeed. I think I'm going terribly generic with the GUIs.

Progz: Is it okay if I start another topic, or is it better to just you know, rename this one and change the subject towards the GUIs?

I feel my verbcoin is fine as it is, it also has a babel fish, and it's rather silly. What bugs me most is the GUIs design. However great idea with the verbcoin Progz, might even end up using it.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I don't think you need to change anything, just post your new work and carry on.  It's all for the same project so I have no problem with it all being lumped together.  Like I said though, generic is fine for more mundane or serious games, and I have nothing against arrow cursors or whatnot.  I just think you're missing an opportunity to let your creativity produce something really weird and interesting for the game, and as long as it's user-friendly it can be as zany as you like.

[Dualnames]

I don't think you need to change anything, just post your new work and carry on.  It's all for the same project so I have no problem with it all being lumped together.  Like I said though, generic is fine for more mundane or serious games, and I have nothing against arrow cursors or whatnot.  I just think you're missing an opportunity to let your creativity produce something really weird and interesting for the game, and as long as it's user-friendly it can be as zany as you like.

I actually changed the verbcoin. Listen, if I thought your point was wrong, I wouldn't bother. I think the GUI is functional alright. But indeed there's a lot of space for creativity, and there's no point really letting it flash by.


I'm using the hands that get coloured when the mouse is over them, for look and use and the mouth (tongue in specific) gets coloured, and represents the talk interaction.
There's a label anyway, so it's not hard at all to get used to/figure out.