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IDProjectCategoryLast Update
0019819AI War 2GUISep 5, 2018 8:13 pm
ReporterOvalcircle Assigned ToChris_McElligottPark  
Severityminor 
Status resolvedResolutionfixed 
Product Version0.754 Shifting That Furniture 
Fixed in Version0.759-0.760 Only The Start of Discovery 
Summary0019819: A few critiques of the New UI
Description1. The Sidebar: It functions as some sort of translucent window. It just takes up space. This isn't a critique of the position of the sidebar, just the presentation. I suggest (if possible) making it as long as it needs to be. So if there's 5 units, the bar reaches slightly lower than the 5 unit icons. If there's 50 unit icons, it stretches to accommodate them. When changing tabs, it would also shrink and enlarge depending on how much stuff is there. For some reason, there is a huge dead zone between Infrastructure and Quick Defenses.
Edit: I have received information that the space is for a minimap.

2. The Pause menu (not really because you can open it while the game is unpaused): It's really small. Please make it a little bigger. I don't need to see the planet because if I'm in the menu then whatever's happening is either unimportant or I'm paused so nothing is happening anyway.

3. The top of the UI: Why is the metal all the way on the left by itself? It doesn't need that much room. Move it next to the energy. Also, the sidebar is distracting when I'm trying to look at the Metal since the gray and the white look somewhat alike.
Edit: I read the patch notes and saw this space is for messages about said metal.

4. On a somewhat related note, if you have negative energy, as show in the screenshots, it puts a 0. in front of the energy. So instead of -602k , it shows 0.-602k.
TagsNo tags attached.

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Ovalcircle

Jul 20, 2018 9:52 pm

reporter  

AI War 2 Giant Sidebar (1).jpg (162,125 bytes)   
AI War 2 Giant Sidebar (1).jpg (162,125 bytes)   
AI War 2 Giant Sidebar (2).jpg (139,440 bytes)   
AI War 2 Giant Sidebar (2).jpg (139,440 bytes)   
AI War 2 Giant Sidebar (3).jpg (178,692 bytes)   
AI War 2 Giant Sidebar (3).jpg (178,692 bytes)   
AI War 2 Giant Sidebar.jpg (92,617 bytes)   
AI War 2 Giant Sidebar.jpg (92,617 bytes)   
AI War 2 Really Small Menu.jpg (206,287 bytes)   
AI War 2 Really Small Menu.jpg (206,287 bytes)   

BadgerBadger

Jul 21, 2018 12:03 am

manager   ~0048006

The long Metal section is there so it can display the metal rate of change next to the current value. I actually think this is an improvement.

I think a dynamically changing sidebar is a good idea in principle, but if it's a lot of effort I would suggest deferring it until after the Lobby.

Chris_McElligottPark

Jul 23, 2018 8:22 pm

administrator   ~0048047

The dynamically changing sidebar is one of those things that would be a fair bit of work just because it winds up taking more calculations than it's worth. I plan on adding sub-categories anyhow, so it will make more use of that space naturally pretty soon.

The pause menu is completely temp and will be replaced, don't worry on that. But good you didn't assume and mentioned it! :)

The metal is big enough to include it's maximum-sized message with when it's starving, etc. I'm not sure wholly how I feel about that. I plan on making some changes to the aesthetic in those areas in general, I think.

The negative numbers thing wasn't something I knew -- thanks on that!

RocketAssistedPuffin

Jul 23, 2018 9:00 pm

reporter   ~0048048

The one thing that bugs me about the UI, even before changes is units being at the top in construction...so whenever you add space docks, it shunts infrastructure waaay down, to the point of having to scroll to get to it. Maybe it makes more sense, but it means that part of the UI can be in different places on different planets.

So I wonder if switching it around would be nicer looking, i.e infrastructure at the top, ships at the bottom, which gets longer with more docks more cleanly than current.

As for the...dynamically changing sidebar, does it make any sense to just increase the transparency of it a little, so it's not as obstructive of the planet?

Chris_McElligottPark

Jul 24, 2018 9:23 am

administrator   ~0048050

More transparency tends to make it less readable. One of the things I'm considering is making it more like part of a cockpit, more thematic and more opaque. But then at the same time making it also something you can customize the scale of, so that it's not as wide and icons and whatnot are scaled down as well if it seems overlarge on your screen.

I definitely see what you mean about the infrastructure moving around a bunch, too. It's something that honestly bothers me a lot as well. I kind of feel like they should almost be on their own tabs, to be honest. It can get so cluttered and confusing right now, no matter what the order.

RocketAssistedPuffin

Jul 24, 2018 10:39 am

reporter   ~0048052

Is transparency a possible adjustable setting, or is it a fair bit harder than it'd seem?

The cockpit idea is interesting, but it would definitely need some customisation to it, as you said. I'd only be worried of causing visual overload, which I am *sometimes* subject to. Admittedly, I had no problem using Classics UI, so I imagine that'd not be a problem.

More tabs...I feel that lines up nicely with this post https://bugtracker.arcengames.com/view.php?id=19849 . Having the construction tabs and unit type separation somewhat line up would be a nice streamliner, if at all feasible. (By line up I mean the same units fit into each, not physical location). In fact this reminds me of the Command and Conquer games, Tiberium Wars being a good example, of separate tabs for buildings, infantry, vehicles and aircraft all together in a sidebar. Of course, you also have science, objectives and ship tabs to include too.

Chris_McElligottPark

Sep 5, 2018 8:13 pm

administrator   ~0048942

Things evolved a lot from here, so I think a fresh discussion would be in order if we're on that topic more.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
Jul 20, 2018 9:52 pm Ovalcircle New Issue
Jul 20, 2018 9:52 pm Ovalcircle File Added: AI War 2 Giant Sidebar (1).jpg
Jul 20, 2018 9:52 pm Ovalcircle File Added: AI War 2 Giant Sidebar (2).jpg
Jul 20, 2018 9:52 pm Ovalcircle File Added: AI War 2 Giant Sidebar (3).jpg
Jul 20, 2018 9:52 pm Ovalcircle File Added: AI War 2 Giant Sidebar.jpg
Jul 20, 2018 9:52 pm Ovalcircle File Added: AI War 2 Really Small Menu.jpg
Jul 20, 2018 10:38 pm Ovalcircle Description Updated
Jul 20, 2018 10:38 pm Ovalcircle Description Updated
Jul 20, 2018 10:38 pm Ovalcircle Description Updated
Jul 21, 2018 12:03 am BadgerBadger Note Added: 0048006
Jul 23, 2018 8:22 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0048047
Jul 23, 2018 9:00 pm RocketAssistedPuffin Note Added: 0048048
Jul 24, 2018 9:23 am Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0048050
Jul 24, 2018 10:39 am RocketAssistedPuffin Note Added: 0048052
Sep 5, 2018 8:12 pm Chris_McElligottPark Assigned To => Chris_McElligottPark
Sep 5, 2018 8:12 pm Chris_McElligottPark Status new => assigned
Sep 5, 2018 8:13 pm Chris_McElligottPark Status assigned => resolved
Sep 5, 2018 8:13 pm Chris_McElligottPark Resolution open => fixed
Sep 5, 2018 8:13 pm Chris_McElligottPark Fixed in Version => 0.759-0.760 Only The Start of Discovery
Sep 5, 2018 8:13 pm Chris_McElligottPark Note Added: 0048942