Pretti! Interface-graphics

[Fresh]

First off, apologies if this been posted/adressed before.

I was reading the preview and I really like what I see. One big turnoff though is the inteface-graphics. They are way too shiny and amateurish-looking. Your game deserves better. I'd like to see something more gritty and detailed... Something like the interfaces we've seen in games like FO, Planescape, JA, BGII:









EDIT: I don't remember what game (mock-up-FO3-screenie) the screen below is from, but look at them textures and detailwork in the interface panels. Beautiful!


EDIT. Oh yeah, the original:

With interfaces like these the game looks better yes?

Good luck on the project

 

[luckyb0y]

He has a point there
The interface looks kinda plain, considering player will be staring at it all the time you might spice things up a little bit.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Although the game was pretty lousy, I always enjoyed the style of Lionheart's interface. Another example.

Still, AoD's interface seems functional and that's pretty much what I'm going for. All the glitz in the world can't really hold my attention if it's poor to handle (see: KoTOR and Invisible War).

 

[Bah]

The interface is fine as it is.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Just darken it a bit.

 

[Vault Dweller]

First of all, thanks for the efforts. Second, nothing is sacred in the game, i.e. I'm willing to consider replacing anything with something better. The only problem is we don't have time. We are busy as it is, and I can't afford to lose a month playing with different interface concepts that may or may not work.

So, here is a deal. If someone thinks that he/she can improve our interface or make a new one, do it and we'll gladly consider it. We'll gladly work with someone who can redesign all interfaces and help us improve the game. Fair enough?

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Those are fighting words, mister!

Well, if we wanted to redesign the interface, how would we go about this? I'm asking because I could cough up some mock up piece of an interface but I have no idea of specifications, ie, type of interface, size and width, pixel depth, etc.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I'll get it for you.

Edit: A word of warning though. The interface would have to be approved by the Codex, and you know what the fucking savages are like.

 

[Wulfgar]

Although the game was pretty lousy, I always enjoyed the style of Lionheart's interface. Another example.

Still, AoD's interface seems functional and that's pretty much what I'm going for. All the glitz in the world can't really hold my attention if it's poor to handle (see: KoTOR and Invisible War).

KotoR's interface had glitz? Looked fugly to me...

EDIT: I don't remember what game (mock-up-FO3-screenie) the screen below is from, but look at them textures and detailwork in the interface panels. Beautiful!

IWD2.

 

[Jim Kata]

To me this is a bigger issue by far than the lighting. I had thought I was the only one who did not like it. If someone did take up vd, that would be great. I think some very minor changes would make it much better.

It needs more substance. Right now it looks flat as well as being bland.

The icons should all have some kind of border to them to make them look like they have substance and highlight their importance, or perhaps even make them look more like buttons.

More color variation is needed, too. Each of the larger boxes except the attack ones are the same color. Each separate interface part should LOOK like a separate innterface part,a nd probably have a different text color.

 

[Nicolai]

The interface looks pretty alright to me. No need to waste valuable dev time fixing something that's not broken.

A "hide the interface" button à la BG2 would be nice, though.

 

[aweigh]

Just darken it up a bit and it'll be fine.

Or how about no interface? Have the player learn the hotkeys. He can see what weapon he has equipped by looking at his characters hands; you can do almost anything you want to by context-sensitive clicking in these types of games. Just leave the text window and make it subtle and/or transparent/borderless.

 

[Dementia Praecox]

The interface looks pretty alright to me. No need to waste valuable dev time fixing something that's not broken.

A "hide the interface" button à la BG2 would be nice, though.

Seconded.
If anything:

Just darken it up a bit and it'll be fine.

Or how about no interface? Have the player learn the hotkeys. He can see what weapon he has equipped by looking at his characters hands; you can do almost anything you want to by context-sensitive clicking in these types of games. Just leave the text window and make it subtle and/or transparent/borderless.

Not so much into this one, though. BUT, it brings to mind one important issue. You do have remapable hotkeys for every imaginable action, right?
Sorry if it has been asked before.

Game looking good, VD. Game of the year, no doubt.
Now, get it done!

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I'll get it for you.

Thanks. Not sure if I'll be able to do anything good with it, but I enjoy having that option open to me.

Edit: A word of warning though. The interface would have to be approved by the Codex, and you know what the fucking savages are like.

Like the ones we saw yesterday? Awful creatures. I avoid them whenever I can

 

[Slylandro]

An interface can never be divorced from the gameplay. Hyperboy, you do know that AoD is not a party-based game right?

On a side note I think the interface is fine. Very reminiscent of Avernum except a bit more polished.

 

[Claw]

I like the interface. It's kinda plain, but the icons looks good and from the examples I've seen so does the item art, which is great compared to, say, any Gothic.

 

[Monolith]

I don't like the interface. It lacks art and style and is too bright. But it looks to be functional and when it comes to interfaces that's all that is important to me. In other words: I could care less. Still a more stylistic and darker attempt would be appreciated.

 

[Castanova]

The constant you see in most good interface designs is that the background is dark and the text (and objects of interest) are bright. The AoD interface falls into the "Word Processor" trap of having a bright background and dark text. That being said, the minimal effort of darkening the current interface background would help some.

 

[ixg]

I think I'll make a concept of one. Just tell me what limitations there are and it's good.

 

[Sovy Kurosei]

Wasn't there a dark skin that was made up? I remember posting a mock-up and VD commenting on it.

 

[Relien]

I think the reason why many people don't like the UI is that it didn't follow all the graphics improvements in the game world. When I look at those screenshots in the original post, the game's graphics is actually perfectly worthy of those pretty interfaces. The current AoD interface may not look good enough for the game.

But obviously there will always be something to improve and we'll always have something to bitch about.

 

[android]

The environment looks pretty good now with the shadows, but the interface is still quite ugly. Even the mockups at the beginning of this thread look much better than the current one. I understand that the interface is not one of the major points of the game, but I think that it still could ruin the game a bit, because it looks amateurish, while the rest doesn't.

Well, if we wanted to redesign the interface, how would we go about this? I'm asking because I could cough up some mock up piece of an interface but I have no idea of specifications, ie, type of interface, size and width, pixel depth, etc.

I would also be interested in the specifics, maybe you could post them here? Although i guess pretty anything is allowed regarding size/position? (i.e. icons on top, text on transparent background at the bottom)

 

[Severian Silk]

I have to agree. The current interface, while functional, looks kind of lousy.

 

[The_Pope]

I'd say go for a crumbling stone look rather than parchment.

 

[Elhoim]

If it is texture editing, I can give it a go. Also I have some experience in model texturing. If you want me to give you a hand, just PM me.