From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (qmail 17192 invoked by alias); 21 Jul 2004 01:33:37 -0000 Mailing-List: contact xconq7-help@sources.redhat.com; run by ezmlm Precedence: bulk List-Subscribe: List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: , Sender: xconq7-owner@sources.redhat.com Received: (qmail 17174 invoked from network); 21 Jul 2004 01:33:36 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO sccrmhc13.comcast.net) (204.127.202.64) by sourceware.org with SMTP; 21 Jul 2004 01:33:36 -0000 Received: from [192.168.181.128] (c-67-172-156-222.client.comcast.net[67.172.156.222]) by comcast.net (sccrmhc13) with ESMTP id <2004072101333501600bjk35e>; Wed, 21 Jul 2004 01:33:35 +0000 Message-ID: <40FDC7D9.4050902@phy.cmich.edu> Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2004 20:50:00 -0000 From: Eric McDonald User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 0.7.1 (Windows/20040626) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Hans Ronne CC: xconq7@sources.redhat.com, Stan Shebs Subject: Re: Weird fuel behavior References: In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-SW-Source: 2004/txt/msg00793.txt.bz2 Hans Ronne wrote: >>The driving concept should be: which info is so useful that it >>should always be displayed, and which info is only occasionally >>useful (but useful nonetheless) so that it should be kept in an >>on-demand display? > The only thing I want on the screen is the map, a small > floating world map, and a small floating window with the Notices. My desire is pretty much the same. > That being said, I do like to bring up stuff like the List or Help window > now and then. But when I do, I focus exclusively on those windows and don't > use the map. This is why I think you can actually do without multiple > windows. Right. I am not suggesting that we have multiple windows operating at the same time. I think the key here is "modal operation". > So here is how I think the SDL interface should work eventually. You have > one big map that covers most of the screen (like now). Yes. > Anything that you > need *together* with the map should be at the bottom, like it is now. Yes. >This > would include the world map and the Notices feedback. Yes. >I don't think you > need on-screen access to the unit info pane I would suggest that hovering the cursor over an unit for a certain number of milliseconds should bring up something like a Windows tooltip that would display vital stats. Or, alternatively, one could right click, and perhaps get a "hex menu" (as suggested by van Every in his apparently inebriated state) surrounding the unit (possibly with a hole punched through the center so that the unit would be a cameo inside the menu), __where one of the options would be to bring up an unit info popup. > or construction buttons, which > are there now. I agree that the construction buttons are probably not needed. They are a waste of mouse movement. However, a newbie (who likely hasn't RTFM, as he/she ought to have) must have an obvious way to initiate construction. One idea that has been brewing in my head for about half a year now would be to allow game designers to designate which unit types would have construction auto popups. Meaning, whenever an unit is idle and can construct something, then a construction dialog would automatically popup. We would, of course, want to provide a "do not show this window again" checkbox for Xconq veterans. > Anything else should be brought up by switching not to another window, but > to another screen. If you want to consult the Help node, you don't need the > map at the same time, so let it go and bring up a help sceeen that contains > nothing but help. In the case of help I would say that this is probably fine. Things like construction, I am less sure about. One may still wish to view the world map (with a little blinking box indicating the constructors present location on the big scheme) to get a better feel for what types of units to create/build. > The difference between switching to another window and to another screen > may seem like a technicality, but I do think it is important for the game > experience. As Stan just pointed out, it's all about suspension of > disbelief. As long as you don't leave the game and its full-screen window, > you are immersed into the game and can forget about the rest of the world. > Once you start to navigate between windows you are back at your computer > desktop, and the spell is broken. If a window with the same theme as the game "root window"/screen pops up in the center, I don't think this would be "disenchanting". > What is very important if this strategy is to work is that it is easy and > fast to switch between screens. A single keystroke should do the job. And > the switch should happen instantly. I agree. Windows should popup just as fast, and be out of the way of anything that one might wish to reference while using the window. > where not only research but also unit build tasks > are managed through popups, These are both good examples of where popup windows would come in handy. >and I think it is easier to use than the tcltk > interface. It is multiple full-size windows that I think should be avoided. I am not suggesting mutiple, full-size windows operating simulataneously. Using a GUI toolkit does provide certain advantages however. To list two major ones: (1) Pre-built GUI components. (2) Layout management. Eric