Update #54: Art Update - Work IS in Progress!

[Gumbercules]

I could live with that. Are you exploring a vertical option as well?

[IndiraLightfoot]

Josh: That sounds great! I can't wait to see what UI you have in store for us.

[Sensuki]

This mockup is not far from where we are going with our revisions.

Does the bar encompass the whole screen and if not are all the elements at least centered?

[J.E. Sawyer]

The elements are symmetrical by default, but we're designing with the goal of allowing you to disable segments (like the combat log) if you would like to.  I.e., there's a gap between the two "sides" of the UI, but the two sides will be equally-sized unless you start disabling elements.

[Lephys]

 

 

This mockup is not far from where we are going with our revisions.

 

So you guys are really... raising the bar for the UI?

 

(You see, because the hotbar is actually above the portrait frame, rather than within it. 8D)

 

Seriously, though, that's a good direction to be going. I actually really like Morgulon's, though, AND Karkarov's. I wonder if it would be horrendously infeasible to have some simple UI options along the lines of "Minimal" and "Fancy" or something. Fancy being more like Morgulon's mockup.

 

I mean, obviously 17 versions would probably be out of the question, but... I dunno, I mean, it's pretty much an aesthetic choice at that point. Namely, placing more important on aesthetics and less importance on the size of the game's viewable area (not covered by UI). But, I think maybe a handful of options along that line (probably 3, tops) could be quite nice, albeit not exactly integral.

[Sensuki]

That's fine, although I'd prefer if there was no visual gap between them but I'll wait and see what it looks like. I did notice a few people were requesting the middle of the screen be freed up and to be honest I find that very strange.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Sensuki

[Malekith]

The elements are symmetrical by default, but we're designing with the goal of allowing you to disable segments (like the combat log) if you would like to.  I.e., there's a gap between the two "sides" of the UI, but the two sides will be equally-sized unless you start disabling elements.

Can we have an option with no gaps? Even if it's a purely decorative part with no action buttons. Disablable of course.

Could have something like that be the 'minimal' version, then have an 'IE' version that is chunkier

Edited June 7, 2013 by Malekith

[rjshae]

I'll bet some duct tape would fix that...

[Sensuki]

He did say "sides" In inverted commas, there may not actually be any physical space missing between them.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Sensuki

[LadyCrimson]

This mockup is not far from where we are going with our revisions.

Well, that pleases me at least, since I also like that mockup quite a bit.

[curryinahurry]

The elements are symmetrical by default, but we're designing with the goal of allowing you to disable segments (like the combat log) if you would like to.  I.e., there's a gap between the two "sides" of the UI, but the two sides will be equally-sized unless you start disabling elements.

 

I also hope that you folks will allow us to change the portrait locations from along the bottom to right-justified.  The other elements are less important, but between the location of the portraits and the action bars above (plus status icons), bottom justified will remain an ungainly solution to me.

Edited June 7, 2013 by curryinahurry

[Rahelron]

The elements are symmetrical by default, but we're designing with the goal of allowing you to disable segments (like the combat log) if you would like to.  I.e., there's a gap between the two "sides" of the UI, but the two sides will be equally-sized unless you start disabling elements.

 

This is great.

 

Just please: create a conversation management system that is more than a simple log with text lines that follow one another. Baldur's gate was in the 90s, now we are in 2013.

 

Here's another example of how a dialogue could be handled (and remember that in my dreams the portraits are animated and/or change facial expression depending on what you say).

 

Edited June 7, 2013 by Rahelron

[C2B]

 

The elements are symmetrical by default, but we're designing with the goal of allowing you to disable segments (like the combat log) if you would like to.  I.e., there's a gap between the two "sides" of the UI, but the two sides will be equally-sized unless you start disabling elements.

 

This is great.

 

Just please: create a conversation management system that is more than a simple log with text lines that follow one another. Baldur's gate was in the 90s, now we are in 2013.

 

 

Yet, I haven't seen anything truly better so far. Can you point me to those glorious conversation management systems of new?

[curryinahurry]

 

 

Yet, I haven't seen anything truly better so far. Can you point me to those glorious conversation management systems of new?

 

 

 

I posted about this in another thread, but I really liked the way Storm of Zehir handled conversations, including the interface.

 

 

Of course the graphics should match PE, but something like this would be great.

Edited June 7, 2013 by curryinahurry

[Rahelron]

 

 

The elements are symmetrical by default, but we're designing with the goal of allowing you to disable segments (like the combat log) if you would like to.  I.e., there's a gap between the two "sides" of the UI, but the two sides will be equally-sized unless you start disabling elements.

 

This is great.

 

Just please: create a conversation management system that is more than a simple log with text lines that follow one another. Baldur's gate was in the 90s, now we are in 2013.

 

 

Yet, I haven't seen anything truly better so far. Can you point me to those glorious conversation management systems of new?

 

 

Look at my last post. I edited it and I put in another example of how conversations could be managed in a way better way than Baldur's Gate without loosing the Infinity Engine flavour, at least in my opinion.

[Jajo]

Look at my last post. I edited it and I put in another example of how conversations could be managed in a way better way than Baldur's Gate without loosing the Infinity Engine flavour, at least in my opinion.

 

Despite the GUI, how is that any different from IE?

Because of the GUI, how is that any better than IE?

[Rahelron]

 

Look at my last post. I edited it and I put in another example of how conversations could be managed in a way better way than Baldur's Gate without loosing the Infinity Engine flavour, at least in my opinion.

 

Despite the GUI, how is that any different from IE?

Because of the GUI, how is that any better than IE?

 

 

The worst thing about IE games (for those who cared) was the fact the player wasn't able to see his character in his face. The portraits were shown during dialogues, but they were too small to have an impact on the player's experience. Everything was contained into the log and so it was like reading a book. Somewhat immersion breaking I would say.

 

With the system I'm suggesting the player would be able to see much larger portraits and morover ones that would change facial expression depending on what dialogue options the player would choose. This would be a much better game experience, at least in my opinion. It would not be too difficoult to implement. Many japanese indie games already do that.

 

If the developers had time and money they could even create animated 3D avatars for all the main NPCs, something like the avatars in starcraft 2. This would be even better.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Rahelron

[Jajo]

Oh, so by conversation management system you actually mean conversation window. I thought you were asking them to reinvent the wheel.

[curryinahurry]

@ Rahelron

 

In a long conversation, how would you track who said what?  Would the dialog / combat log  track this and the large dialog screen your showing display the current speakers?  Or did you have something else in mind.  TBH, its a bit much for me; taking up that much space on the screen, but maybe if the size can be dragged lrger or smaller.

[Rahelron]

@ Rahelron

 

In a long conversation, how would you track who said what?  Would the dialog / combat log  track this and the large dialog screen your showing display the current speakers?  Or did you have something else in mind.  TBH, its a bit much for me; taking up that much space on the screen, but maybe if the size can be dragged lrger or smaller.

 

The conversation window would open up only during dialogues of course. Keep in mind that during conversations the game freezes and the player can't do anything other than selecting the dialogue options. The window would keep track of all the conversations the player did, even those before the one happening at the moment.

 

For those who wanted to read through every line of dialogue/combat a tab in the game's menu would be enough IMO. The general log would be would be just like the spellbook and the journal in BG 1 and 2.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Rahelron

[Infinitron]

 

Everything was contained into the log and so it was like reading a book.

 

 

You say that like it's a bad thing

[Rahelron]

 

 

Everything was contained into the log and so it was like reading a book.

 

 

You say that like it's a bad thing

 

 

It's not a bad thing, but if I wanted to read a book I would read one and not play a videogame. Videogames have all the powers of multimedia, why shouldn't they use them?

[curryinahurry]

Ok, so you just would like bigger portraits.

 

I think that's fine if there is also a mechanism, like the SOZ dialog box I posted, so that other party members can participate at the behest of the PC (if Obsidian is planning on something like that in game- not the same as three or four way conversations).  Maybe this can be handled with a little speech bubble icon above the character portrait of any potential participants.

Edited June 7, 2013 by curryinahurry

[IndiraLightfoot]

+1 for Obsidian considering using an updated version of the convo system in SoZ. It was fun, slender and efficient.

[Malekith]

 

 

 

Everything was contained into the log and so it was like reading a book.

 

 

You say that like it's a bad thing

 

 

It's not a bad thing, but if I wanted to read a book I would read one and not play a videogame. Videogames have all the powers of multimedia, why shouldn't they use them?

 

By the same logic, you can always go watch a movie...