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XCOMUFO & Xenocide

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Deimos

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Hey people,

 

As Rk suggested we need to be working on the options panels and the other pop up windows in the geoscape. Once that's done we can move onto baseview and battlescape.

 

New pic time with most of the suggestions RK gave in the other thread. I like the way the volume controls have turned out, speaking of which the interaction on the volume controls I envision will be a case of grabbing the slider with the mouse and moving to the desired location. Same with the others.

 

I think that load and save will bring up another panel similar in size to the one I've shown. That'll have similar saving and loading functions to the original. Maybe linking those screens to maybe F5 and F6 for loading and saving respectively as a quick option to them would be good?

 

For the texture detail and model detail numbers, I thought to increase the detail click the button the amount of times required.

 

The one thing I haven't included on this pic is a return to geoscape button or cancel button. I'd not forgotten, just didn't put it in this time :)

post-29-1047608843_thumb.jpg

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I'd prefer to have game options/video options/audio options to be in different windows.

 

Options (geoscape button)

--Save

--Load

--<seperator>

--Game options

-----blah

--Video options

-----blah

--Audio options

-----blah

--<seperator>

--Exit

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'quit' tends to be att the bottom together with 'return to game' (oops forgot that one :)) regardless of the buttions inbetween, at least with other games. (*arcraft games anyway)
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Guest stewart

Along with "Texture Detail" what about "Textures".

 

I'd like to be able to swap in the Nebula background. Others may want to, say, change the color of the UFO's.

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If I may suggest, it would be ok to use this options panel as the base panel can be used for any options you could think of. The buttons are a generic button tile and can be used with any text you like. The only specialized buttons are the sound buttons with the dragbar. They could be implimented for any number of things like texture detail, model detail and so on. If it becomes necesary then I can resize the main buttons so there can be 3 columns instead of 2 and use a smaller font.

 

Mainly this thread was to get everyone discussing what options we actually need to have in the game. The panel can pop up and another can pop up over it and so on. I'm going to put a generic close button in the top right corner so it won't take up much space.

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I've adjusted the sizes of the buttons and added a close button in the top left corner.

 

The pic in the screen is from my model collection. They're Verlinden models if anyone is interested. Modified of course as I don't like making a basic model.

post-29-1048076705_thumb.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
That popup menu looks very good. How's the contrast when there's several text entries on top of the background graphics? I used to teach the blind and visually impaired how to use computers, so I'm always considering that kind of stuff now. If it isn't easy to read I would suggest fading the background image a little, make it a little darker so the white text entries will stand out more.
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Guest stewart

I just thought of anouther option:

 

For Battlescape, an option for how play progresses:

 

either one entire side at-a-time (as in the real game) or

one person at-a-time alternating for each side.

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Alternating movement between sides is a very good idea for game balance, particularly when you go to a multiplayer system. Or you could base the order of movement of the units' reaction skill. When playing various miniature warfare games, whoever won initiative would move last and fire first, allowing them to react to the enemy's movement and get the first shot off. For Xenocide, you could who goes when on the reaction rating, and if they hold their fire they should be able to react as soon as a unit enters their field of view.
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I like the idea of having a more detailed turn based system.... Factor in reaction skill, TU's left, maybe even familiar teritory (IE: aliens in their ship move first, or Soldiers in their base for base defense) Having a setting to switch between the 3? (Side at a time, Unit at a time, ?complex?) modes would be good too. couple things to toss around.
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Guest drewid
I love the sidebar in the geoview. I wondered what the options etc panels would look like with some of the same elements. so have a squizz at these.

post-29-1049314288_thumb.jpg

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I really like having the green tint in the dialog box background, helps tie it in with the main display a lot. I would try some text entries in there to see how they stand out as well. It's looking really good!
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  • 1 month later...

I think just clicking at the point along the bar would work, but the up/down arrows might provide some clarity as well. Arrows for detail levesl would also be nice. Perhaps the arrows could sit between the text and the value for each button? Or left click increases and right click decreases the value when you click the number? But then you have to tell the user that somewhere, arrows are instinctive.

 

I agree that the main options window would include load/save/new game, sound options, video options, and exit game at the bottom. Then video options can have the different textures and detail levels, and audio options lets you adjust those settings. Video and audio have their own popup window over the main options window.

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When I thought about that, I actually prefer the layout described by Breunor:

 

Load Game

Save Game

Video Options

Sound Options

Gameplay Options

Exit Game

 

Each of the button will bring another dialog.

Looks similar what Warcraft III have though. We might look like copycats :(

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We dont copy, we just inspire on their work... if i were them i would be very pleased to know that everybody is being inspired by my game... ^_^

 

By the way: Breunor clasification sounds the most logical alternative.

 

Greetings

Red Knight

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Guest drewid

I have to say I was looking at how the slider would function and look next to other buttons rather than if there were the right buttons on the panel.

my bad :hammer:

 

I haven't looked at the menu flow yet so whatever seems logical to everyone else would be fine I'm sure.

 

Don't worry about looking like copycats. If the logic works and the fuctions are easy to see and get to then thats fine.

 

good design is good design.

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Can anyone mock up the options panel, after i finish porting the wintoolkit and implementing the slide bar i can do that in no time (as a concept -example- of course)...

 

Greetings

Red Knight

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That is right. I am the developer assigned to do that. (So, I am doing the scrollbar as well. All right. Not a problem)

 

Deimos, Drewid, Breunor,

Please email me any textures or other arts you have for this panel.

 

For now, I will design a layout of controls. I am planning to have multiwindow options, that is first panel will have a button 'Sound FX', which by clicking on it will present a panel with specific controls to change sounds. Thus we would be able to have first panel impelemented and stable and onle specific panels will be changed.

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Here are promised option panels.

 

The first phase of the assignment was completed and attached document contains overview of Geoscape options related dialogs as well as control layouts for some of the dialogs. This is a proposal and I would like to here your opinion about overall flow here. Please, take in mind that the implementation work is under way too, so provide your feedback as soon as you can. I will be accepting all feedback and make changes in the flow/layouts until the end of this week (May 31st, 2003). After that I will be asking for senior team voting on any changes.

 

But there is a catch. In my understanding, only 'Options', 'Load' and 'Save' panels have pretty much fixed control layout. All other windows, especially 'Sound FX Options', 'Video FX Options' and 'Geoscape Gameplay Options' are subject to change as there was no discussion on what options we are going to have there. I will start separate threads to discuss options for each of these 3 panels.

 

I plan to implement the 'Options' panel as well as mockups (that is if the final options will not be decided by that time) of 'Sound FX Options', 'Video FX Options' for our first milestone. Let me know if it should be changed.

 

To the artists

The next move in this play is yours. Could you please take my scribbles and convert it to beautiful pictures seen earlier in this thread? Thus we would be able to see how it would look like in the game. As soon as we agree on your images, then I would need an art work for implementation.

Here is what will be needed:

1 image for a panel background.

2 images for a button (pressed and unpressed)

3 images for a scroller (background, lit bar and unlit bar). See next post on that.

OptionsPanelFlow.pdf

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Here is a sample image of scroller control. The implementation of it is in process now.

The control is modeled after the proposed image posted in this thread earlier.

 

Note, that this is a digital control. The handle will have 21 positions with most left meaning 0%, and the most right meaning 100%. Each position is different from adjust one by 5%. That should give enough granularity. On the bottom of the screen there 3 different types on how the handle and filling could be displayed.

 

It is also possible to display the control vertically and with inverted direction (instead of left-to-right, display it right-to-left), but this is not being considered for first implemenation. We can have a analog scroller (with no set positions for handle), if there is a need for it.

 

To artists who will be providing art for such controls

Total of 3 images are needed (4th one is for handle, which not part of initial implementation, but can always be added if requested).

First image: background.

Second image: lit bar.

Third image: unlit bar.

The height of all images is the same. Background image's width is equal to 21 widts of bar image. The textures will be stretched of course.

 

 

P.S: I am not sure whether this post belongs to here or to Programmng or Artistic discussion forum, so feel free to move it into correct place.

ScrollerArt.pdf

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  • 5 weeks later...

Mamutas greets you.

 

Well, if you think I have been playing games all that time, you are only partially correct. :) I have done some programming too and I am at the point where I have something for your eyes.

 

(umm, I cannot figure out, how do I insert image in the post, so I will attach a zip then. Anyone knows how to insert images?)

 

So, attached archive has a two versions of options menu dialog mockups, the configuration files used for each version appropriately as well as used images.

 

As you have already guessed the configuration file allows you to specify coordinates, textures and captions of appropriate UI elements. Note, that the number, functionality and name (the repeating prefix for all keys of a particular element) of the element cannot be changed as they are hardcoded.

 

This mechanizm was primarily implemented to support multiple resolutions (the whole set of coordinates must be repeated for each supported resolution), but it also can be used by artists to finalize look and feel of UI (lets move button 2 pixels to the left... yeah, it looks great!).

 

Also, note that this is first implementation and it could be improved. I am looking here for your feedback on what other options you think could be useful to provide or any other comments you might have.

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You can post images by Browsing, selecting them, and clicking "Add Reply." If the file you select is an acceptable format of an image (gif,jpeg,jpg,png,bmp) it will be displayed at the bottom of the post.
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Looking good I like the 1st layout better; it seems to be more logical for reading than the second one. I would suggest that we change typefaces as that is a little weak. Also suggest that we spell out "effects" to make it look more professional. Edited by Vaaish
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Nope he is not, thats why in my box the buttons are too small for that button space (had to make the panel bigger)... and added left alignment (mamutas check your mail box sent lots of changes)...

 

By the way trying to address the fonts bug I discovered how to install fonts via code so I guess we will install them if not available on the machine on start up, so nobody forget to add them...

 

Greetings

Red Knight

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Oops! I never had them installed.

I though actually, that alpha will install them, but apparently it did not.

 

So, I will keep the vertical layout. I will fix the width of the buttons and add a label to the top of the dialog.

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Yes, the single column is much easier ot follow. That's looking very good Mamutas!
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