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Topic: New main menu item - Where?

I've been asked to post some topics where we ask your opinion on proposed features, so here we go.

We'd like to add another button to the top right row of the main menu bar. It would be the place where you exchange energy credits into goodies (yes, it's coming).

The problem is, adding another one would make it already too wide and interfere with the deploy button, in the minimum required resolution of 1024x768. So we have to make space somehow.

In the past we solved this by narrowing down the margin between buttons, but there is a point where that isn't a solution anymore.

This is pretty much a simple usability/gui issue, but since I believe you're using those buttons quite often, I wouldn't want to go against any habits of yours.

My suggestions:

1. Move over the private storage and corporation storage buttons over to the left bunch of buttons, right next to agent profile and corp management. In this case, we would be obviously f***ed again if we wanted to put in another 2 buttons in the future.

2. Forget the separation of the left and right sections, and simply align the deploy button on the left and all the menu buttons together on the right (or vice versa).

3. Gather all industry-related buttons on the right under one dropdown menu, just like the terrain windows menu when outside. This would free up 4-5 button spaces, but would slightly slow down the access of industrial facilities (even though you can also use hotkeys).

Thoughts?

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

3 sounds pretty good, but i don't do much in  the way of production/industry myself so i'm not sure how annoying that would be to people who do.

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

3 sounds viable.  So hello Kitty Paint schemes next patch right?

  • CIR
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Re: New main menu item - Where?

As long as the drop-down menu was activated with a rollover, that would be fine.

How about implementing a dockable/undockable favorites bar?

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

Ville wrote:

3 sounds viable.  So hello Kitty Paint schemes next patch right?

No not yet, but let's try to stay on topic smile

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

A possible long-term solution would be to implement unlockable/lockable buttons, and let players create their own little drop-down menu's and put whichever buttons they want in whichever menu. That way you dont have to reinvent the wheel and figure out what goes where every time you decide to add a new button.

Don't know how "feasible" that is with the engine you're working with, but then again you've already done this with the chat channels if I'm not mistaken/confusing apples&oranges.

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

I personally think that combining all of the industrial buttons into one drop-down menu similar to the terrain window would be the most GUI Space Efficient option. Also as you stated, you need to think long term, so if you guys ever need to add more buttons (for what ever reason) the space for them would be there.

Although it may take a little while for our current industrialists to get used to the change, I think that in the long run they would be happy with the change, as it would localize all of their buttons into one central location.

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

IMO #3, but make sure it does what Arga said (drops down on mouse over) and has hotkeys bindable for it.

Looking forward to new players and new conflicts.

9 Reply by Robophiliac (edited by Robophiliac 2011-09-23 20:11:04)

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

Agree with most here, number 3 seems to make the most sense as they are all directly related anyway.


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Re: New main menu item - Where?

3 Sounds like a good approach.

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

I would like to see #3, but something more improved. Firstly i don't like that we have all buttons in a row. Obviously, this all buttons are connected with different functions, and could be grouped by this functions. I would propose next approach:

1. Group all buttons by their usage (military, financial, manufacturing etc.).
2. Add a drop-down-menu button what will drop a list of all groups.
    2.1 If user will click on desired group, all buttons on the top will be changed according to this group. I.E.: if you pressed "industrial" group, only industrial functions will appear.
3. Add a functionality to create custom group.

I can bring in example a windows 7/vista start menu, where each program can have its own sub-functions, what showed only if you rolled over a program icon. http://origin.arstechnica.com/images/wi … 0Lists.png

This approach will be handy, unless we will have to many buttons in a category.

I hope it will help.

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12 Reply by Alexander (edited by Alexander 2011-09-23 20:53:44)

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

yarr

Arga wrote:

As long as the drop-down menu was activated with a rollover, that would be fine.

How about implementing a dockable/undockable favorites bar?

+1

Drop downs work nicely and later on more drop downs can be created and then submenu drop downs off those..

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

3 works for me!

Now... more info on the energy credit deal.... Please for the love of god tell me it isn't a cash for advantage shop.....

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  • MORTE
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Re: New main menu item - Where?

I bever use several of the buttons on the left, News, Options, Help, and hardy ever use Corp Management or search. Reduceing their space would be better.

  • BKK
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Re: New main menu item - Where?

combine all industrial windows into one window with 1 button access - or is there any reason to have all of them seperated?

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

Annihilator wrote:

combine all industrial windows into one window with 1 button access - or is there any reason to have all of them seperated?

Hm I'd say yes, double-level tabs and general gui complexitiy come to mind. I think you don't want to see a window with all industry options when you only need to refine something. Not to mention that all the windows would have to be uniform in that case, which is difficult due to the varying amount of content.

17 Reply by Dan

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

I think that idea no. 3 is good. Also, in the future you could combine new and old buttons of similar type/purpose.

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

Idea numba three for sure.

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

Yep number 3 with rollover is the way to go I think

20 Reply by Gremrod (edited by Gremrod 2011-09-24 07:35:24)

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

#3

Could you reuse the landmark/overview window when in an outpost or terminal?

That way you can give a floating window with buttons on it like some have suggested.

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

Make a dropdown menu of indy facilities. Long dropdowns are hard to use, buf if you keep it short (4-5 entries) it should be ok.

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

Alexadar wrote:

I would like to see #3, but something more improved. Firstly i don't like that we have all buttons in a row. Obviously, this all buttons are connected with different functions, and could be grouped by this functions. I would propose next approach:

1. Group all buttons by their usage (military, financial, manufacturing etc.).
2. Add a drop-down-menu button what will drop a list of all groups.
    2.1 If user will click on desired group, all buttons on the top will be changed according to this group. I.E.: if you pressed "industrial" group, only industrial functions will appear.
3. Add a functionality to create custom group.

I can bring in example a windows 7/vista start menu, where each program can have its own sub-functions, what showed only if you rolled over a program icon. http://origin.arstechnica.com/images/wi … 0Lists.png

This approach will be handy, unless we will have to many buttons in a category.

I hope it will help.

This sums it up good, group all similar buttons in one group with a drop down. Extend on number 3.

Also the deploy button could made a bit smaller, and or let players chose how to organize the buttons on their top bar themselves? Including hiding some buttons they don't want to see and putting them in a group custom made (in a later stage).

Next it would also be nice if the player can move that bar around to the bottom/edge if they want, and perhaps more bars. This would solve your problem with buttons and give the players more options to customize their UI. Of course this is for a later stage.

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

The game suffers (again and ongoing) from disconnects/crashes, a lot of players are fu**ed about the crappy new dynamic spawns and you care about where to place a stupid button?

Now that's a priority.

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

Error wrote:

The game suffers (again and ongoing) from disconnects/crashes, a lot of players are fu**ed about the crappy new dynamic spawns and you care about where to place a stupid button?

Now that's a priority.

yes, please, let the 2D-grafics artist and GUI-DEV stop their work because theres a bug the client coder DEVs have to fix.
And please, stop your cleaning personal cleaning the office, and let them repair broken codes

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Re: New main menu item - Where?

This is what I was thinking to help with button space. I know it is a bit like stEVE. But is is just an example. It could be used to display different info like the news too.


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