Applying Graphic Design to the Info Bar

[khamul]

This, I am not so sure about, since arguably the most important text is the damage 7-3, and it could get knocked off the edge by a long attack name. How about

Code: Select all

7-3 Foo-strike
melee (impact)
bar-special

?

Yes. Absolutely.

[Jetrel]

let's start by implementing the color change business, and then possibly go on from there.

Indeed. We don't want another fiasco where we discuss what we want for a couple of months, come to no solid conclusion, but have lots of proposals that are rather complicated, and then no-one codes it.

/me tips hat to dFool and Eleazar for following through with this. Thanks.

[Eleazar]

Along similar lines the attack dialog could be cleaned up...
•I've moved the important info to the top,
•deleted meaningless statistics about a "none" attack.
•applied similar colors.

The color difference is the attack descriptions here are: RGB 250,188,155

[guest]

Hello!

•I've moved the important info to the top,

My two cents, having seen the comparison:
- This doesn't really work. The important information catches the eye better when it is where it used to be. That is because there is empty space beside it, which helps the eye to find what it's looking for. On the altered dialogue, even with the greying out of some text, you have to scan through to the middle of the text to find what you are looking for, which is, IMO, bad.
- The name of the unit is better identifiable also beside the profile, where it was.

So, a humble request: It would be kind of you not to change this.

•deleted meaningless statistics about a "none" attack.
•applied similar colors.

This, however, works.

Just me.

[JW]

•deleted meaningless statistics about a "none" attack.
•applied similar colors.

Thank you so much for this!! That info was so annoying to see everytime - it kindof looked like an attack.

Along similar lines the attack dialog could be cleaned up...
•I've moved the important info to the top,

I have to disagree with "Guest" on this one in saying that it is easier to see the important info before. The reason I think is because it is located closer to the other important information: the attacks. As you now have it there is relatively useless information inbetween the two important sections.

Also, I think the levels are important info as well, so I would like to see them not greyed. Thank you for the example!

[Eleazar]

Thank you so much for this!! That info was so annoying to see everytime - it kindof looked like an attack.

It's just a picture. Thank the coder when it's been programed.

....On the altered dialogue, even with the greying out of some text, you have to scan through to the middle of the text to find what you are looking for, which is, IMO, bad.

No, the vast majority of people will not scan through the middle of the text after using this dialog 3 or 4 times. I'ts obviously a different chunk of information, and can automatically be skipped over if the player wants to look at the various attacks.

[JW]

Thank you so much for this!! That info was so annoying to see everytime - it kindof looked like an attack.

It's just a picture. Thank the coder when it's been programed.

Yeah yeah, I know, but this graphic representation gives me high hopes of it being picked up.

Before every action there is a visualization.

[HenrikOxUK]

You seem to have made the labels (like XP) bright, while the actual information is dim. Perhaps it should be the other way around?

When playing the game you want to just quickly glance over and see the values. You get used to where the different pieces of information are.

The edits look very nice though

[Emmanovi]

I believe the info gets brighter as it is higher/closer to max. I think the type of info should be bright, as it was done.

[Darth Fool]

Ok, here is the status of the sidebar. Note that the colors now exactly match Elezear's suggestion (previously there was a bug on the first line.) Currently, in the trunk is the middle one, the one on the right most matches the previous version, and the one on the left is the version closest to E's orginial suggestion for formatting. Unless their is great objection, I will leave it at the current (middle) one, and look into changing the attack dialogue.

[Kestenvarn]

Both layouts left and center look pretty good.

I have a question regarding the name field and status effects using the same line... are the status effects aligned to the right side of the panel when they appear and the name takes up the rest of the line, or are each of them restricted to half of it?

Just wondering because I like seeing the actual names when hovering over the unit, and if it's the second way they wouldn't really have enough space for good ones.

[Woodwizzle]

I like the left one a tad better. I would like it a LOT better if "faerie touch" was left justified and 5-2 was right justified.

I'm also not a fan of the hearts. They're not up to par graphically with the other icons, but more importantly, they don't communicate their meaning clearly.

[Cuyo Quiz]

Agree on the hearts deal, but i don't have any good ideas to replace them too.

There are many ways to format the dialogs... is there something that can be applied to both sidebar and attack dialog, just for consistency?. Right now i also prefer the left one too, but i'm not sure about the justification, for i think it is easier for the brain to relate the numbers and attacks by having them close.

[Oreb]

i like it the old way this looks so weird

[Eleazar]

Ok, here is the status of the sidebar. Note that the colors now exactly match Elezear's suggestion (previously there was a bug on the first line.) Currently, in the trunk is the middle one, the one on the right most matches the previous version, and the one on the left is the version closest to E's orginial suggestion for formatting. Unless their is great objection, I will leave it at the current (middle) one, and look into changing the attack dialogue.

Thanks, DFool, It's cool when things come together quickly.

Don't worry too much about the hearts. They are part of DFool's optional theme.

Comments:

• Ok, the only difference between the left one and the middle one is weather the attack name comes first or second, right? I'm having a hard time prefering one over another. On the left one the first line of each attack is slightly indented. I don't know if that's a glitch or not, but i think it dilutes the indentation of the following lines, i.e. it's not good.

• Having the status icons on the same line as the unit's name is not ideal. DFool, what if we made the unit-picture-box 72+12 pixels high? It could then fit both unit image + status icons at once, without the dreaded overlaping, right?

• Is there a reasonably simple way to alter the space between lines of text?

• I don't understand the order and indentation that the unit's name, description, and attributes have been placed in. Well, i guess i can think of a reason, but IMHO, it would be clearer in this order:
Name
Unit Type
level (indented)
traits, alignement, and abilites (indented, each on it's own line)