Dan Magaha FIRAXIS quote:
"Do you prefer standard Windows-based interfaces with standard types of controls (i.e., select/combo boxes, tree metaphors, etc.) or something more customized and specific to the game?"
I have posted below in "Civ-3 editing tools" thread, but perhaps above quote only was meant for the map-editor, i dont know. Anyway, what do you think of below idea? Good or bad?"For this particular game (main game + map-editor) i actually prefer standard MS Windows-style interface with standard Windows controls. Now, stop there! Are you serious, Ralf?? Are you talking about MS Office-graphics?
No! Like everybody else (i believe), i want some customized game interface-ATMOSPHERE.
But *why* not start out with "naked" 100% MS Windows-style - and then let the player have the free choice between different "clothes" (= custom Civ-skins). Nothing drastic; positions, screens and functions remains unchanged. Only superficial cosmetic changes, like colours, patterns, styles, shapes and such.
Could you guys imagine how artisticly talented people out there, really would LOVE to set their teeths into the project of designing the cosmetics around the existing positions, screens and functions in this true follow-up to the all-time classic?
Wood-buttons or shiny metallic ones? For some people, designing these frameworks could be a mini-hobby in iself. "I dont care for this superficial stuff" - OK, choose naked Windows, or some of the more sparse and functional skins then. Check out www.neoplanet.com for inspiration (remember though: if FIRAXIS chooses to implements such a function themselfes, the result is going to be much more integrated then Neoplanets third-party "shell" on top of MS Internet Explorer).
So much for the "cosmetics". What about the controls and functions? Here, i would like to see even more Windows design-mechanics then in SMAC. In addition to select/combo boxes, tree metaphors, radio- or toggle buttons, tabs-screens - also top-right dropdown-menys and (why not) customized toolbar ala simplified Ms Office.
What about principal guidelines how to present the ongoing game-information?
1/ Make one (yes one) big 640x480 multi-tabbed "city/empire/and-all-the-rest" manager-screen (any tab can be radio button-defaulted on fly). Please DONT split up the manager-info CTP-style, or even CTP-2 style.
Its all about *reducing* the amount of mouse-clicks - everything ONE click away on ONE multi-tabbed manager. I would have suggested 800x600 but this all-in-one manager should be nicely overviewable on laptops as well.
But what if i want to look at *several* screen-tabs at once? When you use the toolbar (or dropdown-menu) backup-screen alternative: you can look at several smaller simplified non-input data-only feedback-screens at once on your big high-res monitor. And they all remember their indevidually chosen screen-positions from game to game, of course.
2/ Dont be subtle when it comes to inform the player about cities and units without orders. Let then *flash* clearly and use automatic map-recentering. Also let above single mega-manager and all warnings-messages pop-up automatically in the users face if he wants it that way. If he *dont* want it that way, there should of course be options and tweaks for that as well.
3/ I loved the huge amount of info toggle-options in SMAC - do the same in Civ-3 as well. This or that warning-message or not? Automatic mega-manager popup, or not? And more!
In short; those who let the mayors control their huge 40-60+ city-empires, and primarily are interested in moving around armies, should not feel overwelmed by pop-up screens and popup-messages.
On the other hand: those who ENJOY micro-managing their smaller 15-20+ city-empires, and primarily are interested in nurturing these cities/city-areas for long parts of the game, should have every info/new order popped up in their faces, if they chooses that.
Flexible is the word!"
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