How should the UI look?

[Demoss]

With multiple windows visible at once, the main use I can see is that it might be nice to have two inventories open at once.

Otherwise I'm not sure it has much point.

 

But the minimap has no place in a top-down isometric-ish game with a panning camera. Press M for map and see the map. Minimap has absolutely no place. And there should absolutely not be compasses pointing out where to go for your quests and such.

 

Otherwise, I like the BG style UI, because it has thematic flavor. I don't really care if it's bulky or not that way, but please keep it thematic.

 

Agree with this, no need for a minimap highlighting everything and BG UI was nice, I'd like one similar but based on the style of world in Eternity.

[Scootaloo]

I don't know the thing I liked about BG compared to NWN was being able to click the Magic button and having all of my spells available to me. Unlike NWN we only had a task bar that needed to be shared with potions, main weapons, skills, and magic making it quite the hassle to organize everything... and the Shift and Ctrl options usually meant I would forget about my less used spells

[Terror K]

I'd like something closer to the DA:O style of UI myself (but definitely NOT like the generic DA2 one). A mix of DA:O and Baldur's Gate 2 would be nice.

[Tigranes]

One of the worst things about the NWN series was its UI. It felt like I was in a jewelry shop playing with cheap board-game miniatures on the countertop.

 

I do think minimaps are great, as long as they aren't full of huge markers and flashing lights telling you where to go. Just a mini-map, literally.

[nikolokolus]

I totally think mini-maps make sense in an FPS game or a close in 3rd person game, but how exactly do people envision a mini-map implementation in a game that uses a high oblique camera angle ... the screen will practically be a mini-map in and of itself won't it?

[ogrezilla]

I totally think mini-maps make sense in an FPS game or a close in 3rd person game, but how exactly do people envision a mini-map implementation in a game that uses a high oblique camera angle ... the screen will practically be a mini-map in and of itself won't it?

like every single RTS game ever I would think. or league of legends. Very different game, but pretty much the same camera.

 

It would fit pretty easily into either bottom corner of the icewind dale ui for example.

Edited September 26, 2012 by ogrezilla

[Lohi]

You missed a poll option: zero UI at all. That is, no borders, no icons, nothing but the game screen. Things pop up only when you want them to after you press a key or move the mouse to the bottom, something like that.

[Archmage Silver]

I'd like something solid like the BG/IWD series. I don't care about the ability to have multiple UI windows open simultaneously, nor do I want a minimap that can't be completely turned off. If you can do that though, then I won't mind one.

[Amentep]

I like the solid looking UI myself, but I also appreciated a game like Lionheart allowing you to turn off the UI (which in its case was kinda funky but cool too).

 

But I'll live with whatever as long as its a useable UI - function over form.

[Piccolo]

In cRPGs, I prefer a more solid UI, whereas in action-RPGs I prefer something much more minimal.

 

I hope they can come up with something a bit nicer looking than the BG UI though.

[Sick]

I'm ok with an UI similar to the IWD2's one, better if it come with multiple UI windows, such as those that were in NWN2 (es: the character window).

 

What I really hope for P.E. is a quick-cast window! The one in NWN2 was extremely practical!

 

A mix of both the UI, in my opinion, should be very good.

 

Edited October 10, 2012 by Sick

[IndiraLightfoot]

Bah, who needs graphics. The UI of text games back in the 80s were to the point and easy to use. Here's the one from "Neverending Story":

Here are the most commonly used words to get you started.

 

Look (or L)

To look around. This redisplays the description of the current location (it is

done automatically if you move to a new location).

North (or N)

North East (or NE)

East (E)

South East (or SE)

South (or S)

South West (or SW)

West (or W)

North West (or NW)

These are movement verbs that are used most often. You can type just the

direction or place the word "Go" in front (it makes no difference). Of course

the program will only let you move in a specified direction if it is possible.

Get/Drop

For picking up or dropping an object.

Inventory

This instruction displays in text format a list of the objects that you are

carrying (You can also reference this on the objects illustration display).

 

[Bos_hybrid]

Honestly I think something similar to DA:O would work best here, although I thought NWN2 was fine as well. BG UI by today's standards is poor.

 

I should be able to open and close multiple UI windows at will, rather than have some UI impacting my view of the field at all times.

[Amentep]

Bah, who needs graphics. The UI of text games back in the 80s were to the point and easy to use.

 

It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

 

> what is a grue?

 

The grue is a sinister, lurking presence in the dark places of the earth. Its favorite diet is adventurers, but its insatiable appetite is tempered by its fear of light. No grue has ever been seen by the light of day, and few have survived its fearsome jaws to tell the tale.

 

> frotz grue

 

There's a flash of light nearby, and you glimpse a horrible, multi-fanged creature, a sheer look of terror on its face. It charges away, gurgling in agony, tearing at its glowing fur.

[ogrezilla]

highly customizable.

[japol]

In my opinion IWD 2 aside from being the most beautiful Infinity Engine game ever released,it also had the best UI too.

It was informative,practical and visually appealing at the same time.The different vibrant spell colors of the different

schools of magic was great.A very good piece of design overall.I hope we will see something very similar in Project Eternity.

[agewisdom]

Whatever UI they're using, the most important thing to me is READABILITY.

 

I hope:

1. Fonts can be changed - in case they decide to use some crazy artistic font that's bare unreadable.

 

2. Size of the fonts can be changed - Err... it's no fun to look at a big ass screen with tiny fonts. I don't like squinting and I'm not a young'un anymore.

 

3. Please make sure the dialog window / codex / inventory screen can be ADJUSTED to make full use of our big screens. I'd like to see all of the details in glorious size.

 

Please, pretty please ...

[Lv99Wizard]

the DA:O and NWN UIs have a completely different feel to the IE games. The IE games had perfectly good UI's so I hope those are emulated, with the possible inclusion of a minimap, but I'm really on the fence about that. I really like the intricacy of the IWD2 interface with it's Greek motif.

 

The one thing that's really important is a resize-able dialogue window. I really want the ability to maximise that when necessary (and read back previous choices) and minimize it in combat (to 1 or 2 lines).

[Loranc]

I've never 'liked' any UI for any game I've ever played and I always download a UI mod. So it doesn't really matter to me what the UI is like cause there's a 99% probability that I'll be downloading a separate UI mod for the game (assuming one is available). If I 'had' to choose, I prefer a UI that is crisp, clear, and doesn't have useless information/buttons blocking parts of the screen. I'd love a full customization UI but, I don't foresee that happening.

[Rabain]

If they go with the IE BG style UI and include a minimap the game screen is going to be crowded. Of course the DAO and NWN UI's have a different feel, because they were designed for those games.

 

The layout though could be applied to any game and be fine. Imagine DAO layout done with PE textures and graphics etc, the portraits don't have to be circles, they don't even have to be in the upper left etc. Just that the layout itself leaves more of the screen for viewing the gameplay.

[Justinian]

The nice thing with the UI in the BG games was that it didn't intrude on the actual view of gameplay. You had the border around the gameplay window that had all your information and no minimaps or portraits obfuscating the actual gameplay.

 

This is an excellent point. Since every screen is going to be gorgeous prerendered graphics, I would like a UI that "frames" that rather than "intrude". Something like Icewind Dale's quickslots and portraits laid out on one bar but without the text log and rest of the UI taking up too space perhaps?

[Karranthain]

I hope that the UI will be visually pleasing, with little details here and there, some ornamentation (something akin to the Diablo I health and mana pools) etc. Functional doesn't have to necessarily mean minimalistic.

For an instance, I liked the interface in The Temple of the Elemental Evil, but it felt disconnected to me, due to its rather modern look.

[Jaesun]

I's love something similar to IWD II as well as making sure it is also MOD friendly. The community can come up with some amazing things.

[Parallax]

I'm yet another one who really liked the DA:O UI. Visually it fitted well with the setting, while not getting in the way of the gameplay.

[harhar!]

A minimap in an isometric RPG? Are you kidding me? Who needs that? Just have a map, that is accessible with one click.

 

Btw: Instead of minimaps you should have ingamedescriptions if there are places, that aren't easily navigated. For example nonamenpcs could have the dialogueoption "Where can I find...". (See Gothic 2 for example).That is a much more immersive solution and it's really bad if it is skipped in favor of an unimmersive minimap that is an unneccesary UI element.

Edited October 13, 2012 by harhar!