BAR + Chili WIP

BAR + Chili WIP

Balanced Annihilation with remade Units

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Funkencool
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BAR + Chili WIP

Post by Funkencool »

http://youtu.be/3ntGODW9juA

A short crappy video showing off some of the things I've been working on, and (since I think I'm the only one working on the UI right now) what BAR will more than likely, generally look like.
I started out just borrowing most widgets from other games, but ended up rewriting or writing from scratch a number of the widgets.

This is just a peak into whats happening with BAR and most definitely not a finished product.
dansan
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by dansan »

WOW! Looks amazing!

One thing I noticed is, that the toggle buttons (for example for water settings) don't indicate which one is active (or I can't see it in youtube video).

Players will love the few/normal/lots trees settings.
gajop
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by gajop »

Looks nice, keep up the good work.
Do you want us to give critics yet?
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Funkencool
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by Funkencool »

dansan wrote:WOW! Looks amazing!

One thing I noticed is, that the toggle buttons (for example for water settings) don't indicate which one is active (or I can't see it in youtube video).

Players will love the few/normal/lots trees settings.
Thanks, though that happens to be one of the widgets I can't take credit for. However, I do plan on making some adjustment to it and I'll keep that in mind for when I do. I might even end up rewriting my own menu system to replace it, if I find the time.
gajop wrote:Looks nice, keep up the good work.
Do you want us to give critics yet?
I plan on it :-) and although I'm not necessarily looking for it, since I still have plenty of my own ideas to realize, I most definitely wouldn't turn it away.
gajop
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by gajop »

OK, then :)
1. To add on what dansan mentioned (settings):
Change most of those (multiple choice) options to use the Chili.ComboBox.
Remove the option of setting a key binding for them (I guess that's what the None part means).

2. Modify the music control a bit:
Move the music volume control from the epicmenu and put it in your music control widget-thingy. Put a music icon (from the epicmenu) so people know that it's a music control immediately: (initially I thought I was watching a replay).

3. Colorize the order tab:
The gray-colored order buttons suggest that things are disabled. Add order-specific coloring (move is green, attack is red.. etc.), or at least use a brighter monochrome. Notice how other buttons in the epicmenu are a bright white, and if two things are enabled they should use consistent coloring.

4. (Minor) Select an end game graph by default initially.
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Funkencool
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by Funkencool »

gajop wrote:OK, then :)
1. To add on what dansan mentioned (settings):
Change most of those (multiple choice) options to use the Chili.ComboBox.
Remove the option of setting a key binding for them (I guess that's what the None part means).
ComboBox would indeed work nicely, and I agree that most options probably don't need a key binding or at least a configurable one. But I do like the idea of ingame hotkey customization.
gajop wrote:2. Modify the music control a bit:
Move the music volume control from the epicmenu and put it in your music control widget-thingy. Put a music icon (from the epicmenu) so people know that it's a music control immediately: (initially I thought I was watching a replay).
duly noted
gajop wrote:3. Colorize the order tab:
The gray-colored order buttons suggest that things are disabled. Add order-specific coloring (move is green, attack is red.. etc.), or at least use a brighter monochrome. Notice how other buttons in the epicmenu are a bright white, and if two things are enabled they should use consistent coloring.
My thoughts exactly, I just haven't had quality time to spend on icons, so I'm using ZK's at the moment. I could go either way, but I'll probably make it glowy monochrome with an option to add color, which is easy thanks to cmdcolors.txt and chili being able to color textures.
gajop wrote:4. (Minor) Select an end game graph by default initially.
As easy as that would be, I'll probably just do that right now.
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Anarchid
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by Anarchid »

2. Modify the music control a bit:
Haha disregard that and tell me instead what's the track playing! :0

In other words, is BAR going to be the first Spring game with an actually nice soundtrack?
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Funkencool
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by Funkencool »

Well that's what I'm aiming for :-)
and the track playing was terribly named crazy guitar 2 (you can see it in game) with no tags but luckily after a lot of digging I found where the hell I got it from originally
https://soundcloud.com/vicenzobosa/eyesofrevelation

My web history on one of the days I searched for good music
Image
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CarRepairer
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by CarRepairer »

Hi, I have two suggestions. You can finally drop advancedplayerlist and use one of the two chili playerlists in ZK (I am told some people have lag issues with chili deluxe playerlist, you can try both that one and crudeplayerlist). They have the same functionality and icons.

Also, you can swap out the defenserange with the one in ZK which uses menu buttons, and free up the space those buttons use. Even if someone wants to quickly change the defense ranges, it's just a matter of hotbinding a hotkey to the menu that has those buttons (or even hotbinding hotkey(s) to each individual defenserange setting!).
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Silentwings
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by Silentwings »

You can finally drop advancedplayerlist...
BrainDamage has written a new standlaone playerlist, which is worth a look for BAR (its also on my list of things to try for plain BA).
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NeonStorm
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by NeonStorm »

1. The build/command-menu tabs could be at the screen edge.

And enable the submenu just by moving the mouse over them
(: for the players who want it :)
That would allow a much faster selection.


2. The buttons on the map could be on top/left/right of it too, so that you avoid accidentally clicking them if you want to build something.


3. And just got three nice ideas for chat:

If the chat's writing line would be on the screen edge, the chat can expand/shrink without moving the textbox around.

If it would be like a table with 2 columns(sender, message) where the text in first flows to right edge, it could be easier to visually differentiate between player name and message or system messages (no name) and player messages.

Sometimes you write something and just need to give one command during writing - esc could let you finish it later and close chat without sending the message.
klapmongool
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by klapmongool »

CarRepairer wrote:Also, you can swap out the defenserange with the one in ZK which uses menu buttons, and free up the space those buttons use. Even if someone wants to quickly change the defense ranges, it's just a matter of hotbinding a hotkey to the menu that has those buttons (or even hotbinding hotkey(s) to each individual defenserange setting!).
I happen to like those buttons.
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Johannes
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by Johannes »

I don't like the separate tabs for order/econ/tactical. There's quite enough room to display all at once, so the player doesn't have to go through extra work to reach them.
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Funkencool
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by Funkencool »

CarRepairer wrote:Hi, I have two suggestions. You can finally drop advancedplayerlist and use one of the two chili playerlists in ZK
I think I actually did grab those. I just for some reason didn't have either enabled when I recorded that..
CarRepairer wrote:Also, you can swap out the defenserange with the one in ZK which uses menu buttons, and free up the space those buttons use. Even if someone wants to quickly change the defense ranges, it's just a matter of hotbinding a hotkey to the menu that has those buttons (or even hotbinding hotkey(s) to each individual defenserange setting!).
I'll look into that but right now I'm mostly just ironing out the bugs/adding more features in my new widgets.
NeonStorm wrote:1. The build/command-menu tabs could be at the screen edge.
I thought about it but that can be annoying if you overshoot and move the camera.
NeonStorm wrote:And enable the submenu just by moving the mouse over them
(: for the players who want it :)
That would allow a much faster selection.
I actually did that, I just disabled it. I plan on adding it as an option in Epic menu.
Johannes wrote:I don't like the separate tabs for order/econ/tactical. There's quite enough room to display all at once, so the player doesn't have to go through extra work to reach them.
like using the scroll wheel on his mouse? As opposed to using the 'next and 'prev' buttons, which are also obvious proof there is not always enough room to fit everything. Either way that's the way my widget will work, and it can be disabled if you don't like it.
luckywaldo7
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by luckywaldo7 »

Solid, keep improving, UI is a huge part of user experience and ever bit you improve makes a huge difference.
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albator
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by albator »

Johannes wrote:I don't like the separate tabs for order/econ/tactical. There's quite enough room to display all at once, so the player doesn't have to go through extra work to reach them.
+1

It is mandatory, clicking arrow to browse your option is action_per_minute killer.
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Funkencool
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by Funkencool »

luckywaldo7 wrote:Solid, keep improving, UI is a huge part of user experience and ever bit you improve makes a huge difference.
Thanks :-) and for that reason I'm just glad I have some time before BAR is actually released.
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Funkencool
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by Funkencool »

albator wrote: It is mandatory, clicking arrow to browse your option is action_per_minute killer.
There are no arrows...
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NeonStorm
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by NeonStorm »

-1
Because if only rare stuff is on the second page it isn't such a action-per minute killer.

Chaos is.
And pros use hotkeys.

The best option would be to mix easy-to-remember hotkeys with buttons.
Last edited by NeonStorm on 13 Apr 2013, 19:29, edited 1 time in total.
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Funkencool
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Re: BAR + Chili WIP

Post by Funkencool »

NeonStorm wrote:-1

Because if only rare stuff is on the second page it isn't such a action-per minute killer.

Chaos is.

And pros use hotkeys.
Exactly, I would have less apm if it takes me longer to find what the hell I'm trying to find.
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