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Re: Node Based Interface

#16
Hey there,

I just watched the UI and command interface videos and first of all it looks simply amazing. Better than anything I've seen so far in a game. (I'm really curious about usability, can't wait to get my hands on it)
One thing I'd really like to see, though, is the possibility for the user to create his own groups and sub-groups. not just like shortcuts, but like a unix/windows system hierachical folder structure type.
For example so you could create a subfolder in your assets like fleetxyz wich can contain a number of ships and you only give commands to your fleet not individual ships. One thing I always thought is really annoing about the X games is manageing your assets when you have a large fleet.You really end up just using menus all the time and watching at spreadsheets. (It got better over time but still...)

Well Mr Josh probably has something like this in mind already, after all I've seen I have no doubt it's gonna be good...Big ups to you!


Edit:
Some other stuff that came to mind regarding the player interaction with the game (might have been suggested elsewhere idk):
- Context menus for your ship HUD (Example: Right click on one of your weapons symbols and directly enter the hardpoint node) Probably already noted and/or in development.
- CLI - I'd really like to see a game with some sort of CLI, maybe with autocompletion (Example: "group1 goto playership | selfdefend", where group1 is a fleet of ships. 'group1' go to 'playership', only defend your self if enemys attack.)
- quick filter/sort/search function for nodes with wildcards for advanced searches^^ (For example a search for * in /assets/*/inventory/ would give you the whole list of all your ships and stations storage :) (Also available from CLI (I like CLIs :P))
Last edited by schnief on Sat Dec 28, 2013 9:00 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Node Based Interface

#17
schnief wrote:Hey there,

I just watched the UI and command interface videos and first of all it looks simply amazing. Better than anything I've seen so far in a game. (I'm really curious about usability, can't wait to get my hands on it)
One thing I'd really like to see, though, is the possibility for the user to create his own groups and sub-groups. not just like shortcuts, but like a unix/windows system hierachical folder structure type.
For example so you could create a subfolder in your assets like fleetxyz wich can contain a number of ships and you only give commands to your fleet not individual ships. One thing I always thought is really annoing about the X games is manageing your assets when you have a large fleet.You really end up just using menus all the time and watching at spreadsheets. (It got better over time but still...)

Well Mr Josh probably has something like this in mind already, after all I've seen I have no doubt it's gonna be good...Big ups to you!
Joint Node Editing and
Ship Roles UI
very much solve the problem with the x interfaces you have (everyone has with the x interfaces...)

But im confident in josh that we wont need any manual foldering ^^
It would still be nice to have ^^
Post

Re: Node Based Interface

#18
Cornflakes_91 wrote: But im confident in josh that we wont need any manual foldering ^^
It would still be nice to have ^^
Even better if we won't need it ^^ Would be nice to have anyway and I think not too hard to implement. Could be wrong tho...
PS.: now reading the topics you have linked.
The Joint node editing really does sound like a good idea, if done right. This should not only apply to ships but all assets
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Re: Node Based Interface

#19
Hey there,
Now first off: I just watched the "Limit Theory Development Update #11" on Youtube and this is pretty much ALL information i got so far on this game, but it looks promising and the node-system grabbed my attention. After completing this post here i will most likely start getting some more on this game, so bear with me if i am talking in weird, cloudy terms like "regional map", "own finances". I really have no idea yet, what this game is all about and what will be in and what not.
That beeing said, in the following text words bracketed like this: *word* means that its supposed to be a node. Also when i am talking about you i am talking to the developer(s ?) of this game. Enough of the pre-talk, lets get to my comments:

(1)
I am a big fan of customizability and thus a way to change the position of the nodes onscreen (e.g. via pressing ctrl-shift and dragging them around) would be nice. Maybe i like the map better on the left side rather that the right. Maybe i like the save-button (or rather save-node) on the left side and the load-node on the right side.
(2)
Furthermore being able to create a custom-Node-selection would be a plus; not just for selecting multiple ships, as described before by other people here, but rather for collections of submenus.
One person might prefer having *Regional Map*,*one specific ship, you tend to interact with often*,*own cargo*,*own finances* as subnodes of one node, while another one might prefer having *galaxy map*,*own weapon fitting*,*Fleet commands*,*Trading screen* in a custom node. Or you want only 3 specific *regional maps* in one node, because you have all your assets in this 3 regions.
Also these custom created notes should be reachable via specified hotkeys.
(3)
Another way of doing this would be to not just enable changing the positioning of the nodes, as described by me in (1), but also their structuring. This would most likely require an extra node-editor, since i cant see a convenient way of doing that within the Node-tree itself.
There would obviousely be quite some constraints for that (you cant instantly choose *weapons* if you haven't chosen a specific *ship* beforehand) but other than that you would be free to do wahtever you like. Maybe you want the *Regional map* in the *ship selection* screen, since you tend to jump between them regularely, or maybe you want to have the *trading screen* there as well. Maybe you DON'T want to see all ships in your ship-list, you might be able to cut a few out so you wont get to see them anymore. Maybe you dont need a trading-node at all, since you are just into fighting.
Being able to temporarily revert all these changes to find an option, you accidentaly or intentionally have hidden would be neccessary as well.
This would also help with the possible cluttering that might occur, once you have too many subnodes to one node. Just cut out the ones you rarely use and only show them on a button-press.
(4)
These shortcuts - and possibly all sorts of shortcut-nodes, you might implement at some point - have a common issue: Where do you go, when you go upwards after choosing a shortcut? Do you go back to where the shortcut sits, or do you go to one node higher, than where the shortcutted node originaly sits? (e.g. when you have a shortcut to the *map-node*, and you choose it, and then go back outside of the map again. Do you switch back to the place of the shortcut-node or to the main-menu, where the map is normally accessed from?)
Either you (Josh) just choose one of these two ways (but consider my (5)), or the user gets a choice in the settings or you implement a way of choose inside the node where you want to go to, when going upwards. (only in these special cases obviousely and only on demand, there should always be a quick standart action on right click (i guess that's going upwards in the tree right now?))
(5)
This last thing is just one hint - or rather request - overall: If you have to make a tough decition between two (easy to programm!) UI-matters in some way whatsoever, thinking that both would be liked by the community; implement both and let the user make his choice, on what to use :=)
Well actually that doesn't just go for ui-matters, as long as its not taking up too much time for you to implement both.

Cheers, Oan
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Re: Node Based Interface

#20
From the Dev Log Sunday, January 5, 2014
JoshParnell wrote:PS ~ Another interesting tidbit: I played around with square / rounded square nodes today rather than circular. Kind of an interesting effect..not sure which shape I prefer yet :)
Why not both? It's because of a technical limitation? I'd like the dots for everything but items (I mean objects, like weapons, shields, blueprints, etc.), where the square or rounded square ones would look better IMHO. Maybe you could use different forms for different kind of nodes. For example:

- Dots: everything but,
- Squares/rounded squares: items/hardpoints
- Ovals: contracts
- Diamonds: ...
- Circles: ...

You get the idea. Possibly somebody had talked about it already... :lol:
I have been - and always shall be - your friend.
Post

Re: Node Based Interface

#21
Lum wrote:From the Dev Log Sunday, January 5, 2014
JoshParnell wrote:PS ~ Another interesting tidbit: I played around with square / rounded square nodes today rather than circular. Kind of an interesting effect..not sure which shape I prefer yet :)
Why not both? It's because of a technical limitation? I'd like the dots for everything but items (I mean objects, like weapons, shields, blueprints, etc.), where the square or rounded square ones would look better IMHO. Maybe you could use different forms for different kind of nodes. For example:

- Dots: everything but,
- Squares/rounded squares: items/hardpoints
- Ovals: contracts
- Diamonds: ...
- Circles: ...

You get the idea. Possibly somebody had talked about it already... :lol:
depending on where you are in the interface:
  • dots:
    • radar: unknown
    • inventory: general goods that dont fit into other categories
  • squares:
    • radar: stations, planets, (everything thats stationary, large, artificial and not travel related)
    • inventory: generators , research/ production units, structural items like armor and shields
  • triangles:
    • radar: military ships
    • inventory: weapons
  • diamonds:
    • radar: flying ammunition
    • inventory: ammunition
  • hexagons:
    • radar: asteroids
    • inventory: ore
  • diamonds:
    • radar: jumpgates, jumpholes
    • inventory: engines, jumpdrives
  • circles:
    • radar: civilian ships
    • inventory: cargo/hangar equipment, sensors
the symbols from inventory could also used for research screen

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