Pretti! Interface-graphics

[Elhoim]

Here is a version with a more "natural" feel.



The icons are still a WIP.

Any color suggestions?

 

[ixg]

If the slot's red, I'm guessing it means that you can wield a weapon in that slot.

 

[Elhoim]

Maybe VD can shed some light on the slots color. I made them yellow and red because they were that way in the original. I can make it more subtle, if you want.

 

[hiciacit]

The icons are still a WIP.

Any color suggestions?

Suggestions: I like the grey, but I do not like the brown, and to a lesser extent the yellow. How about using a lighter, more washed out version of the grey rock where you now have the darker grey and the yellow sansdish rock, and ditch the dark brown and replace it with the dark grey. Also, I like where you're trying to go with the info-text window, but the background there I don't like, what about trying a parchment/cloth texture there.

Also, the red and green indicators suck bigtime :wink:

Otherwise, nice work.

 

[Elhoim]

The icons are still a WIP.

Any color suggestions?

Suggestions: I like the grey, but I do not like the brown, and to a lesser extent the yellow. How about using a lighter, more washed out version of the grey rock where you now have the darker grey and the yellow sansdish rock, and ditch the dark brown and replace it with the dark grey. Also, I like where you're trying to go with the info-text window, but the background there I don't like, what about trying a parchment/cloth texture there.

Also, the red and green indicators suck bigtime :wink:

Otherwise, nice work.

Thanks!

I´ll try a greish version. The sand yellow is there because of the main page of AoD ( http://www.irontowerstudio.com/index.htm ), and I got the banner idea from there.

What colors do you recommend for the indicators? I know they are really bad, so any idea is welcome.

 

[Elhoim]

A less colorful version:

 

[hiciacit]

What colors do you recommend for the indicators? I know they are really bad, so any idea is welcome.

Don't know. Do you think it's possible to make it look like they are chisseled in the rock?

 

[Elhoim]

I might do it in PS, but I don´t think that it will be doable in game.

 

[suibhne]

@ Elhoim: I don't like the gray (in your previous example, not the most recent one), simply because it's much too dark to effectively see the graphics in those boxes. I'm also not a big fan of the font: sure, it looks nice in a one-off proof-of-concept screenshot, but long-term readability should be the highest priority; the font already used by Iron Tower works extremely well in this regard imo. I've seen a few people dis the current AOD font, but I find it highly legible and yet not blandly generic.

Otoh, I really like the light brown texture you used. My biggest gripe with the standard interface's color scheme is that it's too bright, grabbing attention from the main screen; if you let your eyes get out of focus for a moment, you'll always be drawn to the interface, and that's bad.

@ Mantra: I love the look (aside from the font, obviously). The outlined icons are gorgeous. Could you try a mock-up without the jagged border between interface and world screen? I'd be curious to see how it would look without that border, with only the existing framing (straight line) around the interface.

 

[Hazelnut]

Elohim, can you make the 'rock' texture more subtle, it grabs too much attention and blurrs the important info & icons to my eyes.

 

[Elhoim]

100th post!

Yes, of course.

 

[callehe]

elhoim, nice improvements, but could you make the different areas look less like buttons? the health and AP looks like you could click on them

 

[Vault Dweller]

Red means that the hand is busy (a two handed weapon).

 

[Nedrah]

I believe the text window would be better if it was more in line with the other parts of the ui - having a "cut" like this has a somwhat amateurish touch. May be just me, though.

 

[android]

Good work everyone, but I have some comments:

Mantra_n:
Your version looks pretty good, much better than the original. I like the style, especially the icons, but they would have need to be redone, because they're not readable anymore. Also the transition between interface and world is bad and wouldn't work in the game.

Elhoim:
Not bad, but that's almost no change. I mean the idea to take some photo background and apply some basic filters in photoshop is bad from the beginning.

I've made a rough version myself, based on an idea similar to the one mentioned by MountainWest earlier.

I like unobtrusive interfaces, that take as minimum of the screen-estate as possible. I've reduced the number of icons into 3 (their design is not done yet, they'll be instead of the squares) The rationale behind that is that most of the original icons are indicators for some actions and therefore can be grouped under one "action" icon, which would display a text-only list of actions when clicked on. Map and options icons stay. Also one would need to think about what really needs to be on the screen, action points could pop up only during combat together with a bar ala Fallout, weapon switching again as in Fallout (just one icon for one hand), text on transparent background works nice (Wizardry 8).

So yeah, that's my idea, comments are welcome.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Very interesting and stylish. I like it.

 

[galsiah]

I like unobtrusive interfaces...one "action" icon, which would display a text-only list of actions when clicked on...

I don't think requiring action selection from a list qualifies as "unobtrusive". A direct icon->action mapping will probably feel much more natural than doing the equivalent of opening a menu every time an action is required.
I don't think it's worth trading ease/simplicity-of-use for a little screen space.

If you're aiming at a minimalist interface, why not try separating the different components of the interface (e.g. the icons), then have a few levels of display from no interface to full interface - with a different section of interface introduced at each level.

What you have now would be fine for players who want information, but use hotkeys for actions. I don't think it's fine for player's who want to use the interface for actions - menus are just a needless layer of indirection. I think players who want to use the interface for actions should be able to toggle on a section of action icons, rather than be required to use a menu.

 

[The_Nameless_Prick]

Icons, android?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Could be mounted on those nice stone squares to the left.

 

[Jim Kata]

Why not put the icons into a radial format around the thing on the right?

 

[android]

I like unobtrusive interfaces...one "action" icon, which would display a text-only list of actions when clicked on...

I don't think requiring action selection from a list qualifies as "unobtrusive". A direct icon->action mapping will probably feel much more natural than doing the equivalent of opening a menu every time an action is required.
I don't think it's worth trading ease/simplicity-of-use for a little screen space.

Maybe you're right, but I still think there are too many icons. What do they read anyway and how much will you use them? Are they all really neccessary?

- Combat
- Look
- Stealth
- Pickpocket
- ???
- Traps
- Itemcrafting
- Alchemy
- ???
- Inventory
- Map

Yeah I missed Inventory, but my design can be easily adapted for a few more icons.
Btw Fallout also used the Skilldex...

 

[HanoverF]

I was going to ask if some of the icons could be done away with. I imagine you need a forge to do smithing, so is there really a need for the icon? Could double clicking a forge could open the appropriate window. For potions mortar and pestle in inventory, or workstation instead of the icon? And could you look at things with a right click instead of needing an icon? Could sneak be a key toggle? I for inventory, M for map, J for journal?

However one genric action icon opening up a text window is a bad idea. And text on a transparant background needs to be checked over every texture.

 

[Claw]

A less colorful version:

Pretty good overall. A few things I'd like to mention:

- I prefer the sand yellow background over the gray in the last version

- ditto for the brown borders

- maybe the Health and AP boxes could use the same background as the icons

- move the "banners" in the text box completely into the marble borders (on the top)

- I still prefer the background for the text box you used in this screenshot

- could you give the icons a relief look? Or maybe bring the shadows back

Very interesting and stylish. I like it.

I don't. I hate the floating text, the UI in the corner reminds me of Dark Forces or JK.

 

[Vault Dweller]

The files:
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/img/800x600gui.zip

- ???

Lockpick

I imagine you need a forge to do smithing, so is there really a need for the icon? Could double clicking a forge could open the appropriate window.

No, you don't need a forge for that. Just click on the icon, the crafting screen pops up, and that's pretty much it.
http://www.irontowerstudio.com/images/2.jpg

And could you look at things with a right click instead of needing an icon?

Right-clicking on an item gives you all available options (like in Fallout).

 

[bylam]

Love the font on the last screen, btw. Fucking awesome. What's the name?

Papyrus. Even the name fits perfectly!

Also appearing in Darksun : Shattered Lands