Wartbed:User interface
From Dark Omen Wiki
(→The Total War games) |
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* Friends and foes are presented with the same interface | * Friends and foes are presented with the same interface | ||
* Blends for increased immersion with a tactical setting, especially for pre-modern warfare games. | * Blends for increased immersion with a tactical setting, especially for pre-modern warfare games. | ||
+ | * Requires less screen real estate | ||
+ | * On average fast to work with for unit-map interactions since mouse does not have to be constantly moved to and from a unit icon area. | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
<div style="padding:1em; background:rgb(225,215,210);">'''Disadvantages:''' | <div style="padding:1em; background:rgb(225,215,210);">'''Disadvantages:''' | ||
- | * | + | * Arguably slower to work with by requiring more mouse movements (mouse must potentially move all over the screen to select units, especially when multi-selecting) |
* More restrictive a container for incorporating additional status information | * More restrictive a container for incorporating additional status information | ||
* If icons are allowed to overlap they may clutter. If they are kept apart they may be disassociated with their unit. (Note that icons aligned to the screen edge should never be allowed to overlap.) | * If icons are allowed to overlap they may clutter. If they are kept apart they may be disassociated with their unit. (Note that icons aligned to the screen edge should never be allowed to overlap.) | ||
+ | * High-speed units' icons may move fast enough to be difficult to click. | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
</div> | </div> |
Revision as of 22:04, 27 April 2009
Stub for detailing what WARTBED's GUI can and do look like.
Contents |
Unit icons
Sources of inspiration for the WARTBED 'unit and regiments identification and usage interface.
The Total War games
Total War titles have a very conventional RTT interface design with all units being presented in a Poker or Domino hand layout: each unit has its card (or brick) and these are lined up at the bottom of the screen. These bricks contain additional information, like unit strength and ammo left.
| The Card Hand interface Advantages:
Disadvantages:
|
Dark Omen
In Dark Omen the user interface is minimal with units being represented and identified by their regimental banners. The banners have two purposes: on the one hand they're hiding the UI buttons by letting them masquerading as regimental banners, thus increasing immersion. Secondly, they are regimental-specific dashboards acting as container for additional information.
The Dark Omen banners also includes information about
| The Banner interface Advantages:
Disadvantages:
|
Dark Omen Notice spread of unit icons | Dark Omen Icons not at the edges are allowed to overlap |
WARTBED
There are several motivations for using either style of interface. One is for fidelity with the original game when designing a module. Another is that the interfaces may be argued to lend better or worse to different types of games; f.i a banner interface can be argued better for a terrain RTT while a card hand interface is better for a space game. And a third argument is simply personal preferences. The ultimate would be if both these styles were supported and selectable both as a module setting and as a user preference.