user interface

user interface

A dynamic game undergoing constant development and refinement, that attempts to balance playability with fresh and innovative features.

Moderator: Content Developer

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knorke
Posts: 7971
Joined: 22 Feb 2006, 01:02

user interface

Post by knorke »

sorry for being an ass about it, but what are the plans for this?

at the moment, the default settings kill the game for me and i cba to reconfigure every time until i end up with something that looks like spring 3 years ago.
Also wont anybody please think of the noobs!

Maybe include different options like:
[]newest stable interface <- this should then be really stable and without bugs
[]newest test interface (might have bugs)
[]basic interface
[]very basic interface
SirMaverick
Posts: 834
Joined: 19 May 2009, 21:10

Re: user interface

Post by SirMaverick »

Most players will complain that their favorite option is not the default one and they have to configure the UI before playing. We would need to maintain 4 interfaces instead of just one.
I don't see any advantage.
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knorke
Posts: 7971
Joined: 22 Feb 2006, 01:02

Re: user interface

Post by knorke »

well, then at least have one working and one experimental interface.
like a chat that doesnt work...that just shouldnt happen.
pintle
Posts: 1763
Joined: 19 Dec 2005, 16:01

Re: user interface

Post by pintle »

I tried CA twice after a break from spring of several months. I elected not to play it again until the interface is "fixed".

In it's current form it completely ruins the game experience for me. I followed Licho's instructions in game on how to disable it, and was left with no interface at all. Not cool.
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Jazcash
Posts: 5309
Joined: 08 Dec 2007, 17:39

Re: user interface

Post by Jazcash »

Yeh, this was one of the main reasons I never wanted to play CA.
R-TEAM
Posts: 177
Joined: 22 Jan 2009, 19:25

Re: user interface

Post by R-TEAM »

Hi,

Agree 100% .
Have after 2 month tryed CA latest test again.
To the not soooo good things that hold me back play CA more frequently,
the flat tech tree - i dont like this much but from time to time it may give a nice different gameplay and the bad behavor of the springdownloader - the old version generate one mod file and if i DL a newer version i can easy delete the old version or share the mod file with friend to play LAN, come now AGAIN the very bad UI thing.
It is not the UI sucks in general - it is only a little bit different to my prefered IceUI (rounded edges,light other resource bars design) - but it is not so flexible AND easy to configure as IceUI.But the main poroblem is still the problems with local widgets that "I" like to have in spring and that work in ALL other games and the same problems as pintle say, after a little trying i end up with no UI - so the little fun to play CA is heavy killed from the UI that not give any visible advantage over IceUI for me and make play spring for me only much work that it is running, with no benefits ....
So i end up playing mods that work out of the box.(maybe one time config the widgets and then every time only load and play !AND have fun! )
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Licho
Zero-K Developer
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Joined: 19 May 2006, 19:13

Re: user interface

Post by Licho »

CA actually works out of box and you can easily share downloaded CA with friends (but its of course simpler to tell them to use SD :)

Don't expect your interface to be same in all games - its like demanding interface to be same for all unreal engine games or all source engine games.

You don't want interface to be same in Gundam or P.U.R.E. do you?
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Pxtl
Posts: 6112
Joined: 23 Oct 2004, 01:43

Re: user interface

Post by Pxtl »

iirc, the problem that remains with the CA interface is the layout, not the features. I think the CA interface is presently quite nice _after_ you drag all the UI elements into appropriate places.
Google_Frog
Moderator
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Joined: 12 Oct 2007, 09:24

Re: user interface

Post by Google_Frog »

Part of the issue is that many Spring players have their 'own' UI and may not know how to enable local widgets. Even if they do know it takes a while to setup and occasionally Licho resets widget data(so that people can test new UI) and they've got to set it all up again.

Basically the UI is in new to Spring mode but we don't yet have new to Spring players.
R-TEAM
Posts: 177
Joined: 22 Jan 2009, 19:25

Re: user interface

Post by R-TEAM »

Hi,

@Licho

mhhh .. sorry to say this - but this is not true ...
If i DL the first time with SD THEN it is possible to share it easy with friends or delete the mod (copy or delete the SD folders pool).
But if you have downloaded a couple of versions it is not possible to different the versions from each other.
So it is way more work for the user to handle the CA mod ATM at file level.

And on the UI side i disagree too ...
Even the ChilliUI have the map on the left upper corner - the buttons on left side middle - tooltips left down - the resource bars on top and other elements (defence range/adv-player) right sides ..
So the UI is on all the same - it is the best for an RTS.
(maybe tho one or other like it on another position or different sizes - but this can all managed by IceUI easy and not so easy by chilliUI)

And i have no problem if i have the same UI on XTA/P.U.R.E. and Gundam ...
The only difference i see is that in Gundam i have a different technologie handling and a additional resource.
So for gundam i need only 3 and not 2 resource baars on top to be happy and an additional button for the upgrade of the tech tree.
In P.U.R.E. (if i remember correct from the last pre-commercial version)
the only difference is the UI have not transparent buttons and other mouse pointer.I prefere in an RTS always transparent panels, this give more view range.So i am more happy with my IceUI.

@Pxtl
This is a part of the problem - have not managed to scale the tooltipe window to the right size as example.

@Google_Frog
Yes - this is realy anoying ...
Have in the past the trouble with the funy "iknowwhatiamdoing" files to use local widgets, then with the new UI i have managed to have all as i like and now it is again resetet and i musst doing the same AGAIN .. sorry - but if i musst spend more time in the AGAIN config of the UI than in playing the Game then i give up and play a game who i config one time, maybe with new widget config this and play it.

Have testet the test version - can only play if i delete the widget config file, then i can play with the default setup.If i quit and play again -. come allways LuaUi is not loaded error - even with reloadluaui.
Have then by hand editing of the config file managed to load the LuaUI after first playing - but with no UI in big parts, only the buttons present,no cheat - no map no other UI elements - so i give up.
To much work (all couple of months again ...) by to little play time ..
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Jazcash
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Joined: 08 Dec 2007, 17:39

Re: user interface

Post by Jazcash »

Ice UI does a lot more too.
Kenku
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Joined: 26 Feb 2010, 06:19

Re: user interface

Post by Kenku »

JAZCASH wrote:Ice UI does a lot more too.
Outside of not loading up in half the mods now, what "more" does it do?
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manolo_
Posts: 1370
Joined: 01 Jul 2008, 00:08

Re: user interface

Post by manolo_ »

best ui (as far as i can say and think), a lot o configure and personalize, also save your settings is possible. other widgets could interact with it. maybe there is a faster and "better" ui, but im a real old man with real old attitudes - i want my stuff where i expect it :mrgreen: (btw didnt played ca for a long time, so i couldnt say how it looks now and how it will look after i personalized it ;) )
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knorke
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Joined: 22 Feb 2006, 01:02

Re: user interface

Post by knorke »

You don't want interface to be same in Gundam or P.U.R.E. do you?
for *a games (=mods with builders, e+m, etc) i wouldnt mind if they have one interface.
for many widgets there is just no need to include them in the download.
newbies are either confused by them or are too busy with other stuff to really bother.
and experienced players just dl the widgets they want anyway.
but if you tell a noob "press f11, click blabla" and he has to scroll through so many stuff and cant find it, thats a huge turn off.
CA actually works out of box
no. like the broken chat or stuff is on top of each other at some resolutions (1024x768) etc.
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MidKnight
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Joined: 10 Sep 2008, 03:11

Re: user interface

Post by MidKnight »

On my 1920x1200 resolution display connected to my $800 computer, CA's interface is attractive, intuitive, and easy to use.

Perhaps presenting more specific complaints and citing your resolution/hardware will make fixing things easier. :wink:

The last section of knorke's last post was an improvement.

PS: Keep in mind that CA is not (or does not want to be) part of the *A.
Regret
Posts: 2086
Joined: 18 Aug 2007, 19:04

Re: user interface

Post by Regret »

MidKnight wrote:On my 1920x1200 resolution display connected to my $800 computer, CA's interface is attractive, intuitive, and easy to use.

Perhaps presenting more specific complaints and citing your resolution/hardware will make fixing things easier. :wink:

The last section of knorke's last post was an improvement.

PS: Keep in mind that CA is not (or does not want to be) part of the *A.
Try to see it from an outsiders point of view, you're developing CA. You're used to CA, used to the UI and used to all the hassle with the dozens of widgets.

PS: CA is part of *A and will be until it renames at which point it will not be CA.
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Pxtl
Posts: 6112
Joined: 23 Oct 2004, 01:43

Re: user interface

Post by Pxtl »

Yep, I actually really like CA's ui, but the default layout is a complete trainwreck at 1024x768.

Yes, it's not *A-style. That's because part of the point of CA is to move away from being *A. I really miss the radial menu when I play *A.
luckywaldo7
Posts: 1398
Joined: 17 Sep 2008, 04:36

Re: user interface

Post by luckywaldo7 »

Regret wrote:Try to see it from an outsiders point of view, you're developing CA. You're used to CA, used to the UI and used to all the hassle with the dozens of widgets.
Regret speaks truth, which is why its incredibly important for people to be specific, post screenshots, and provide suggestions rather than say things like "omg ui sucks, revert!"

For example, you can compare ca's control panel compared to what people are used to in ba:

ImageImage
(screenshots at 1440x900 resolution)

There you can see that ca's control panel is overlapped by the chili slelections tooltip, the buttons are larger than they need to be, and the buttons could really be organized better.

Of course, I already know that there is an intention to replace the spring control panel with something chili, but if possible it might be a good idea to provide a ctrlpanel.txt to make it look a bit better in the meantime.

My control panel, for example, looks like this:
Image
Kenku
Posts: 134
Joined: 26 Feb 2010, 06:19

Re: user interface

Post by Kenku »

Knorke: In my opinion, the whole *A term needs to be thrown out when it comes to UI. I mean, even each of the currently running *A mods(except maybe SA) has or may be planning to alter AI to their needs(ie, NOTA uses Red, CA uses Chili, Trib has talked about Blade for XTA(although it came to a buncha geers)). Besides as Licho says, thats like asking Valve to make the UIs of TF2, HL2, and DOD:Source the same.
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Licho
Zero-K Developer
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Joined: 19 May 2006, 19:13

Re: user interface

Post by Licho »

Command menu rewrite has been on the plate for at least a year. CA just lacks manpower to code it. There are no simple solutions.

Same with console problems and other things. We just need more active devs.

If you use third party GUI like ICE - you won't get even basics right, because we have to hack lots of things in CA.

So you wont get:
- correct resbar data
- correct tooltip data
- correct m/e incomes on mexes
- correct commands

Chili gui has movable and resizable components with docking which remember position, unfortunately its not clear how to move items (drag top of the window) - its all simply unfinished.
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