Gift of Aldora GUI

[Kinoko]

This is nothing new, it's probably one of the first things I designed in the game. I've been looking at it for the past half an hour wondering if there's a simply way or two I can improve it, aesthetically. I actually really like it, but it's been a long time and I reckon there's room for improvement there.

I'm at work so this is the best screenshot I can offer, but it's very low res so use your imagination for a bit;



Now, I don't want an overhaul, and I don't want any drastic changes. I don't want the functionality changed because it really works exactly the way I like (you can't see it but you use the direction keys to move a little cursor around. Clicking on one of the 5 buttons at the top changes the menu, but the shape for each menu is the same so only the contents and colour change).

I do wonder what people -think- of it, and if anything bugs you about it, or if you　think you know what it might need.

I'm basically sitting here with the outline drawn on a piece of paper, hoping perhaps the have the diamond/rectangle shapes a little more interesting while still being kept simple and not too "busy".

EDIT: I guess I'm thinking more of the outline of those shapes. I may just leave them as they are but... I don't know.

EDIT: Okay, new image is up with Discard instead of Delete

EDIT: New image up, redesigned.

[Nikolas]

The only thing I don't like, design wise, is the single blue colour you have for the background of the gui.

You have designed such a beautifull grass and BGs, yet the gui is 1 single colour. Couldn't you do something to... texturise it, make it interesting, make it 3d, or anyway something? Maybe me make it semi (20-30%) transparent?

Just an idea.

[Kinoko]

I agree with you, I could do better than that big blue bit. I don't want to use a texture though, or 3D... I like the plain, single coloured look. But, I'm gonna try out your transparency suggestion.

[Alun]

I know you were asking for feedback on the aesthetics of the GUI, and this probably isn't the sort of comment you're looking for, but..."Delete" strikes me as an odd word to use there.  I assume that button is for getting rid of unwanted inventory items?  If so, "Drop" or "Discard" would seem to me to make much more sense..."deleting" an inventory item just seems really strange to me...

Sorry if this is a bit off topic; that's just something that jumped out at me...

[Kinoko]

Holy shit, you know I never considered that @_@ THANK YOU!

[Babar]

Hmmm...this looks very familiar.

Perhaps you can darken the blue of the the inventory box? Perhaps it is just me, but I'd think a darker blue would be more suitable for "We are setting out on an adventure!", than the lighter, greenish blue of "Happy times!". I don't really know anything about you're game, so I might be way off mark (and slightly loony) with this, though.

Another idea is darkening the whole screen behing the inventory box, so that it is not distracting when someone opens the inventory.

[nihilyst]

I really like it the way it is. It seems very terranigmaish in functionality, the colors fit, the wings are simple, yet great. But I would also suggest to darken the background screen, while the GUI is viewed.

cheers
nihilyst

[The Ivy]

Instead of trying to texturize the blue area, why not make it look like polished marble or something?Ã,  Some lighter wavy lines going through, highlights to make it look shiny...I think it could add a lot of visual interest without making it too complicated.Ã, 

Here's a small example:


Also, you could make the item slots look more like little divots, not just shadows.Ã,  Kinda like in a game of marbles (heh, I must be in some kind of board game mindset today):


Not the greatest picture, but you get the idea.

Hope it helps!

[Afflict]

I like ivys idea, I think.

Well if what she meant is give that little hexagon more perspective than yeah were on the same page.

The texture thing... umm I dont know. I think it will clash with the wings. Maybe just a little highlights.

[A�rendyll (formerly Yurina)]

I love this GUI, it looks very good. I love the wings and diamond theme, it's not very standard, so that's a real plus!

What I don't really like is the sloppy way the wings are shaped. Sometimes the wings don't seem to look like a finished details of the picture picture, but more like a sketchy detail which isn't fully worked out yet.

[scourge]

I know you were asking for feedback on the aesthetics of the GUI, and this probably isn't the sort of comment you're looking for, but..."Delete" strikes me as an odd word to use there.Ã,  I assume that button is for getting rid of unwanted inventory items?Ã,  If so, "Drop" or "Discard" would seem to me to make much more sense..."deleting" an inventory item just seems really strange to me...

Sorry if this is a bit off topic; that's just something that jumped out at me...

I use discard and remove for mine as well.

Kinoko, where can i sign up to be your number one fan? I'll discard all oposition who wish to take the position from me 

[LilBlueSmurf]

Here some ideas as well as some things others suggested in a quick paintover.Ã,  It kind of hides the end of the wings so it's not great, but hopefully it will give you some ideas.  One thing I think you really need to change is the bottom boxes.  They are totally off center which makes it look like a quickly thrown together piece of work.

[Kinoko]

Oh, oh, lilbluesmurf (and Ivy!), that's -just- the kind of help I was after! I didn't realise it would make such a difference to add a bit of black/shadow to the "diamond"... it REALLY looks several levels better. I'll come back with another re-draw at the end of the day.

The reason there's no 'use' box there already is because that functionality is already handled in the button presses. You can either use an item or equip an item. Discard is a seperate box because I think it's a more dangerous thing, and I want it to take just a little more effort to delete an item.

I don't want to stretch the description box out either, because I need all the space for descriptions I currently have. Still, it's a very valid point about the off-centredness... does anyone else think the boxes at the bottom should be more symmetrical? Of course, I'll shift the whole lot of them over so the grouping is centred, but is the fact that the space between them isn't centred a problem?

Yurina - I agree, the wings need reworking. I think I'lll do that tonight too. (They were indeed a quickie job)

[LilBlueSmurf]

I don't think your box layout on the bottom will look odd if centered.  I kind of figured you would keep it, but I was messing with the image already so I thought I would throw in more variations to things.  Oh, and I don't know if it was just the image you posted (you said it was all you had atm), but the armor button was pixelized quite weird.

[Kinoko]

Yep, it's just the image. Saving the screenshot as a gif screwed some of the colours up, but I just left it since it didn't seem to matter much.

[biothlebop]

The HP/MP/LVL text if far too difficult to read. Either move it somewhere else, do'nt show it in that items screen thing, or give it a background so it contrasts better. Same goes for the number in the lower right corner.

[Kinoko]

Okay, the new one is done now. I copied a lot of your improvements almost exactly, lilbluesmurf, hope you don't mind... if so, I can change them.

Thanks so much for your help everyone! I'm really, really happy with the way it looks now.

[biothlebop]

I looked at a random picture of a bird and noticed that the feathers in the wingtips curve outwards. So I tried to do a little edit with feathers that do that.


The picture I reffed:
http://birdsofsanibel.free.fr/Images/2001-2002/Roseate%20Wings%20of%20Harps%202001-2002.jpg

[LilBlueSmurf]

I think the wings are supposed to be kind of wrapping around the dialoge, similar to wings wrapping protectively around a winged figure like an angel, which I think looks fine how it is.

[nihilyst]

I would swap the "Discard"-label with the label of the object's name.

cheers
nihilyst