interface proposal

[elio]

check out this here! how do you like it?
with evilguru's betawidged library (in development but already impressive) this is no problem
it'll fit to your screen size and even the icons will be clear and sharp

post your ideas and opinions..

PS: this isn't an ingame screenshot just a "fake"

[ratarf]

That's awesome. I really like the new icons and improved power bar. Only downside: I could be wrong, but it looks like it takes a lot more place than the old HUD...

[elio]

thx
ah, just edited the post

it'll fit to screen size

[elio]

updated proposal, look right up, this would be the new status message thingy. it will slide out on mouse hover and (in this case) move to scene

[doom3r]

That's indeed a great HUD organization, with units classification, energy management, and a decent minimap. But, it somehow reminds me too much of a flash game, maybe buttons are too "clean", or the blue background hasn't enough transparency on it.

Anything else rocks xD

And just a question, will HUD dimensions be adapted to current resolution or will dimensions be the same in every resolution?

[Tiberian]

i'd say make it darker looking, its a bit light against the original HUD

EDIT: also, that warning is a good idea (click on the warning, take us to the indicated building)

[Per]

Buttons around the minimap... good idea.

Status buttons on the right hand side (like in C&C series)... very good idea.

I'd second that about it looking too "clean". Warzone is grim, sad, dark and dirty

But more generally, I love the way Warzone's UI is totally out of the way when you don't use it. Just a small reticule in the corner, and a minimap. Just the way I like it. I wouldn't want a HUD that hides a lot of the map and attracts attention while playing. It can pop up a lot more stuff when you choose to, but the default configuration should be really lean, IMHO. Status buttons on the right hand side can be there always, though.

[doom3r]

But more generally, I love the way Warzone's UI is totally out of the way when you don't use it. Just a small reticule in the corner, and a minimap. Just the way I like it. I wouldn't want a HUD that hides a lot of the map and attracts attention while playing. It can pop up a lot more stuff when you choose to, but the default configuration should be really lean, IMHO. Status buttons on the right hand side can be there always, though.

I'd say I agree with that, scrolling hidden menus FTW.

(Yeah, I'm a minimalist.)

[fisk0]

I think it looks great, though I hope you can make it disappear when you don't need it (as you could with the old gui). My personal preference is of course Total Annihilation or C&C (or even better, Red Alert 2) style sidebars (minimap at top, then minimap buttons, then a new section with building/unit types, then the list of items you could construct, and at the bottom the selection hexagon thing), not the bottom unit menus like in WZ2100 and StarCraft, but that is my opinion only, and I think that might be a too big change to the game. It should keep the visual style of the retail version, and I think your version does that perfectly while still making it a lot better.
As other's have said, I think it could use more transparency and maybe a bit more gradients in the background or something (especially the big buttons for building stuff, with the circle might use some more gradient, and being much darker than now).

[fisk0]

by the way, I liked the "Under attack" things to the right.
Another way of making an interesting GUI might be to look at the old post-apocalyptic RTS game KKND.
It had a vertical button list to the right of the screen, where your factories appeared, and when you click the button, a horizontal list appeared with what you could construct.
To not clog up this thread with images I put them up here as links: http://karantan.org/images/gallery/10/7464/resized.jpeg http://karantan.org/images/gallery/10/7465/resized.jpeg http://karantan.org/images/gallery/10/7466/resized.jpeg

I don't think that is a perfect GUI, but an interesting one you might look at for inspiration?

[Zarel]

I agree with the others. Darken it and up the transparency, at the very least. And desaturate it heavily.

Maybe have less diagonal lines, too. I don't really like how the bottom left area is flat on the left and semi-octagonal on the right. I agree with others; the power bar should be smaller.

I like the ideas, of course. Keep it up.

[elio]

yeah, now it's coming to be serious

or the blue background hasn't enough transparency on i

i'd say make it darker looking, its a bit light against the original HUD

agreed

I'd second that about it looking too "clean". Warzone is grim, sad, dark and dirty

agreed

svg / cairo is somewhat limited in "pixel-effects", afaik you can't add noise or cloud-effects, perhaps loading a png image and then overlay it
play with any vector graphics editor and you'll see what i mean

I love the way Warzone's UI is totally out of the way when you don't use it. Just a small reticule in the corner, and a minimap.

of course it's hidden when not used (click the green project icon ("close button") to close it) (additionally there are some arrows on the left and right side, click and menu / map is hidden too)

with the circle might use some more gradient, and being much darker than now

ups of course

Maybe have less diagonal lines, too.

it looked better on paper+pencil

ok thanks for the input i try to include them

[jaakan]

updated proposal, look right up, this would be the new status message thingy. it will slide out on mouse hover and (in this case) move to scene

Honestly,
I like the idea of the new status message to the right of the screen for which you can click on and go right to the attack. I know you can already technically do that if you click on the map but I think not everyone would have thought to click on the map.

The buttons next to the map remind me of the old Simcity.
--- What kinds of different map type/views do you have in mind?

...but my first impression is that I don't like the Proposal UI over all
I'd like to see something closer to whats currently being used.

[elio]

What kinds of different map type/views do you have in mind?

- relief on / off
- enemy (red) friend (white / green?)
afaik these two modes have already been implemented and are accessible with hotkeys

- fog of war / entire map open = so you can see where you've been exploring and where not

- loupe: opens download/file.php?id=2413&mode=view the detailed map window
with detailed informations (watch sensor ranges, where your commanders/transporters etc.. are, where you have oil wells/pumps, vtol groups (i call it platoons), where you've been attacked/attacking. and some tools to paint over the map with arrows and text and place beacons to discuss strategy

well these are only ideas

but my first impression is that I don't like the Proposal UI over all
I'd like to see something closer to whats currently being used.

this helps nobody, please do constructive critiscism

[Zarel]

but my first impression is that I don't like the Proposal UI over all
I'd like to see something closer to whats currently being used.

this helps nobody, please do constructive critiscism

"Something closer to what's currently being used" is constructive enough.