I've designed a GUI for my game, No Magic Required, but i just can't quite get it right. I would like to keep it with the castle theme. As you can see, it is a fixed GUI, in keeping with the Simon the Sorcerer 1 and 2 GUIs.Ã, The window to the right displays any item that you currently have selected as a cursor. Any suggestions you have are greatly apreciated. Thanks.
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/Gui.jpg)
I always enjoy a good custom GUI. But you're not here for praise but comments, well I do have a few.
It's really big, it takes up something like 40% of your screen? A bit smaller GUI would work just as well, but leaving more screenroom for the BG's.
Also, I see your inventory screen has no distinguisable borders, you might want to add that (maybe in the form of something like an window).
And last but not least, your actionbuttons look like they sometimes are written without a space, you might want to add a bit of extra space there. For example between "walk" and "look" and between "talk" and "inspect".
(on a little side note, is it really necesary to have look and inspect?)
Hope this helps a bit
Thanks for the comments. I'm ok with the size, for now at least, i'm going for the simon the sorcerer style GUI. The look button gives a detailed description from the characters point of view, while the inspect brings up a mouse over description, for example "Window" or "Door".
However i do agree with you on the cramped text-buttons and the inv window. I'll post the updated Screen shot when i have made some alterations.
Thanks again for the comments and advice. :)
Hmm, I also think that the Inspect action is utterly unnecessary. The mouse-over description should appear regardless of whether or not you have the Inspect action selected. I hate having to click 500 times to do something - make your interface as friendly and streamlined as possible.
Other than that, the interface seems fine and functionally sound to me. You could always consider dedicating less space to the item currently selected (the right-most slot) and more space to the inventory (middle slot). But that's just a minor thing.
Here is a screen shot showing the newly organised GUI.
(http://www.2dadventure.com/ags/Kitchen6.JPG)
There are only small function differences, but i think it just looks less crowded and confusing to look at. I also incorporated Aboris' idea with a distinguisable border around the Inv screen and Jasons idea with less room devoted to the current item tool. I will keep inspect for now, purely until I learn to use Ags more. The problem i have is that every time i mouse over something, it loads the description, slowing down movement across the screen. This means the mouse action is not smooth and can be very annoying to play. But i do plan to alter this at a later date. Thanks for the comments, and please do the same for the new GUI. Thanks.Ã, :)
Looks much, much better!
If you refer to the definitions of "look" and "inspect", I think "look" implies more of a cursory glance than "inspect" does. If anything, "inspect" is more of a perusal, and it would make more sense if that action brought up a detailed description of a hotspot.
If you really must keep both, I would suggest you switch the functions. But I must side with Jason on this point. It's a big hassle if you can't automatically see the hotspot name by moving your cursor over it.
Text adventures often had LOOK and EXAMINE as separate verbs. LOOK gave you a general description of the thing, while EXAMINE meant giving it a much closer look. That's how I would expect LOOK and INSPECT to work, too.
I have settled (providing you lot agree) on swapping the examine action for a scan one. What do you lot reckon? ???
scan? As far as I can see your character is not a robot so I think that you should stick with what you got.
I agree with viktor, I think you such leave it as it was. "Scan" is something for a futuristic type of game.
*edit*
a typo :)
That is true. Glance perhaps? ???
"Scan" is an ancient word (first recorded before 1398) with primary definition "to examine closely," which is how it's commonly used. The idea of scanning with instruments is derived by analogy, but has hardly superseded the original usage. You guys should watch less sci fi.
A bigger problem is that "scan" can also mean to look over or leaf through hastily or superficially: "I scanned the headlines while getting ready to leave." This could potentially confuse people.
Why don't you follow people's advice and just make the mouse-over names appear automatically, without the need for a special verb?
The problem i have is that every time i mouse over something, it loads the description, slowing down movement across the screen. This means the mouse action is not smooth and can be very annoying to play. But i do plan to alter this at a later date.
I had already answered your question! ;D
Quote from: Snarky on Sat 03/09/2005 14:44:46
"Scan" is an ancient word (first recorded before 1398) with primary definition "to examine closely," which is how it's commonly used.
That might be true, but the general audience would not automaticly think "gee where did that word originate from?" Instead they automaticly associate it with something they know of their lifetime.
If he chooses to keep that action 9 out of 10 people would find "examine" a more logical choise for a medieval setting game then the word "Scan"
just my two cents tho..
I would say nine out of ten people know the word to mean "look closely" or "glance quickly," and have rarely heard it in its science fiction meaning. Some may think ofÃ, it primarily as the verb for using a scanner, but how many people own scanners or talk about them frequently?
Edit: Forgot about virus scanners. That might be many people's main exposure to the word, actually. It is definitely an overloaded word, but I still don't agree that it is out of place in a medieval setting.
Quote from: Moneytalks on Sat 03/09/2005 14:52:47
The problem i have is that every time i mouse over something, it loads the description, slowing down movement across the screen. This means the mouse action is not smooth and can be very annoying to play.
That doesn't sound right... what sort of machine do you have? "Loading" a description should be instant.
[EDIT] Might be worth posting your code to load the description in the beginners' tech forum.
My machine is decent enough, it can run new games, i think it's more a case of me not knowing the AGS engine well enough yet... :-[