GRAPHICS: Call to Artists!

[J Bytheway]

In Locutus's setup, we could add an "expand" button for the build queue which would stretch it down over the top of the pollution/happiness lists and give you much more space to look at what's available, and that would solve OnePresent's dilemma.

[Gilgamensch]

Originally posted by OnePresent


I like more info too, especially a city view. I'd also like the buy box to be much deeper. I don't like to have to scroll to purchase units. Both of these require more screen real estate which I don't see us getting unless folks like the idea of dumping 800x600 resolution. (Though that's probably not a good idea, lots of old machines out there.) Next stage is more input from the real CTPII players out there. Then I can tighten this sketch.

Thanks for the feedback.

I completely agree, I don't like scrolling either when building my queues. (And no, I can't always use the default queue)

And as usual, the unit/building you are looking for, is at the bottom of the list

In Locutus's setup, we could add an "expand" button for the build queue which would stretch it down over the top of the pollution/happiness lists and give you much more space to look at what's available, and that would solve OnePresent's dilemma.

Actually can't we check for the mouse-position and if you enter the field for > 1 second or click in there expand? Similar for the other once (if needed)? Would make it maybe easier, than clicking always a button...................

[J Bytheway]

Originally posted by Gilgamensch
Actually can't we check for the mouse-position and if you enter the field for > 1 second or click in there expand? Similar for the other once (if needed)? Would make it maybe easier, than clicking always a button...................

Personally I wouldn't like that, but I'm sure we can make it an option .

[Gilgamensch]

Originally posted by J Bytheway

Personally I wouldn't like that, but I'm sure we can make it an option .

The reason why I thought about this option: If you don't want to wait, you just click in this window and it will open up, or after one second if you are too lazy to click. Actually on like SUN-Solaris that is how you can configure the window behaviour. You move over another window and it will jump to the front. Fairly easy to navigate.

[OnePresent]

Thanks folks! Great feedback.

Locutus, I like where this is headed. Very innovative combining parts of build and inventory. The main map view you show is somewhat reduced. Is that feasible? Does it need to be 100% size? Looks like there is room.

I see you've shrunk the units icons. Is that possible without reworking every graphic? If so, those could really be reduced and help tremendously with space issues. I could even see all the units stretched in one line across the bottom of the window with the activate and disband button on the same line! Big space savings there.

I'm interested in opinions on the extremely small mini-city in the upper left corner. Has anyone EVER found that usable? I haven't. Where does that image come from?. I suspect the program has to generate it when the city window is open.

J Bytheway and Gig, good ideas, keep 'em coming. I'll give this more thought too. Maybe an idea can come from the design here, instead of the reverse. Maybe the next sketch will germinate some ideas.

I suggest we move the crime statistic to the far left with the happiness/growth/and efficiency statistics. Also the build, inventory, and pollution scroll boxes are wider than needed, maybe some space can be gained there.

[J Bytheway]

Originally posted by OnePresent
I see you've shrunk the units icons. Is that possible without reworking every graphic? If so, those could really be reduced and help tremendously with space issues. I could even see all the units stretched in one line across the bottom of the window with the activate and disband button on the same line! Big space savings there.

IIRC, the unit graphics come in two sizes - you might want to make those on this screen the same size as those on the army manager screen, for example (I believe that's the smaller size).

[J Bytheway]

Originally posted by OnePresent
I'm interested in opinions on the extremely small mini-city in the upper left corner. Has anyone EVER found that usable? I haven't. Where does that image come from?. I suspect the program has to generate it when the city window is open.

Nope, I've never found it useful. If there's going to be space in the centre to look at the map, then just having a "centre view on this city" button would be just as good, if not better, and take up much less space...

[Solver]

Locutus's setup is fine, but I remember that the original idea, made by Hex, was great, too - can't remember the differences though without finding Hex's version first.

Some extra space can always be made. For instance, the citizen, worker and slave count can be crammed into one line, etc.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by OnePresent
I'm interested in opinions on the extremely small mini-city in the upper left corner. Has anyone EVER found that usable? I haven't. Where does that image come from?. I suspect the program has to generate it when the city window is open.

I have never used it or at least I don't remember having learned valuable informations from it.

The "all-in-one" city screen is a good idea but as far as I am concerned I prefer the current interface because I can scroll through all my cities while filtering the information (example: checking the happiness of my cities) and because I can see in the background where is the city concerned. I have always found the reduced map of the area around the city to be pretty cumbersome. When I have 30+ cities, this map is not enough for me, I don't remember where the latest conquered cities are.

May be a zoomed out map of the area around the city would be more efficient... at least for me.

[OnePresent]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
The "all-in-one" city screen is a good idea but as far as I am concerned I prefer the current interface because I can scroll through all my cities while filtering the information (example: checking the happiness of my cities) and because I can see in the background where is the city concerned. I have always found the reduced map of the area around the city to be pretty cumbersome. When I have 30+ cities, this map is not enough for me, I don't remember where the latest conquered cities are.

Not sure I'm following you completely here, and it may be my lack of game experience. When you are scrolling through the cities, checking happiness, is that not possible with these rough layouts?

You say you can see the cities in the background. My compaint is I can't see the cities in the background because the map doesn't autocenter to them. I understand this screen will take up more real estate and make it harder/impossible to view outside of it. I often have to take the screens all the way to the edge anyway. And wouldn't the city view proposed take care of this issue anyway?

Originally posted by Tamerlin
May be a zoomed out map of the area around the city would be more efficient... at least for me.

How is this different from the city view shown in the sketches. I really want to be clear on these concerns so the final design works better than the current setup.

[Solver]

For reference, here's another proposal, by Hexagonian - IMO, that one is great. All items in place, plus some additional info, easily accessible, and the city surroundings can be seen. A double from me to that.

[OnePresent]

Original working concept...

[OnePresent]

The above screen is based on a large resolution, maybe the max.

Solver!, looks like we were thinking the same thing at the same time.

[Solver]

Oww now that's a crosspost if I've ever seen one . Can't get the image in my post to work properly though anyway.

Yeah, think it's based on at least 1024, if not 1280, but I'm all for 800x600 .

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by OnePresent
Not sure I'm following you completely here, and it may be my lack of game experience. When you are scrolling through the cities, checking happiness, is that not possible with these rough layouts?

I agree, but in an all-in-one city screen, the happiness information is displayed with a great quantity of unrelated informations whereas in the current interface I can scroll through the cities through the city screen with the happiness and the specialists view only...

All in all I think that this is just a matter of being used to the all-in-one interface, once I test it I am sure I will like it to the point I will not start a game without it.

You say you can see the cities in the background. My compaint is I can't see the cities in the background because the map doesn't autocenter to them.

I guess this is something that can be easily corrected now the coders have the sourcecode.

I understand this screen will take up more real estate and make it harder/impossible to view outside of it. I often have to take the screens all the way to the edge anyway. And wouldn't the city view proposed take care of this issue anyway?

If you zoom out the map at the center of the all-in-one city screen, you have a broader view of the surrounding area and you can more easily identify the city (when I own something like 40 cities I sometimes have some troubles to remember what city is what and what are its needs if I don't see the map).

Note: the latest all-in-one city screen is very pretty, if the center map could be a bit zoomed out...