New Soldat GUI

[thegrandmaster]

However the fact that such a tutorial is necessary seems like we need a better soldat gui.
A suggestions thread with mockups for tabcaptions and button names etc. would be helpful (yes community feel free to contribute).

Well... what should a better GUI look like? What buttons where? and how would you select and alter settings in a more user-friendly way?

Ideas?

[Clawbug]

Soldat requires a COMPLETE overhaul for all graphics, gui and sounds at least.

Most graphics are from.. 2002? Sounds? Gui? 9 years old, woohoo. No wonder it doesn't attract kids who were being breastfed back when the stuff was made.

[thegrandmaster]

heh yeah, almost. it definitely needs a re-vamp, though I'd like the option to use the old and current 'skin'.
Infact, what about the idea of customiseable skins for a new GUI? Change colours etc...

Anyway, what about layout?

[Monsteri]

Just logged in to say- don't touch to nostalgic sounds. Then, Soldat gameplay in ctf_run in the start menu would be hell awesume.
Like in BF2

[jettlarue]

I think it would be cool if soldat had a menu.xml file to establish fonts, colors, sizes, and positions, maybe some graphics (and more?). Then mods could be made so people could have a customized menu interface. What I think needs to be in the file at minimum would be position and size of each button, ("join game", "options" etc) and then maybe another file for the stuff that each page needs. For example, on the server joining page the textbox could be configured to suit your wants with argb-textboxbackground, argb-textboxfont and so on. As far as making it easier, what about the first time it was run it would show you each page and with arrows point and explain objects on the screen.

[thegrandmaster]

I have always thought that the layout for the Soldat GUI has been unorthadox... where the buttons are, the fact that there's a slightly odd profile screen before entering..
Why not make it a more standard layout? e.g. menu on the left, content right etc


From: February 13, 2011, 10:11:31 amOk, hows about this for *concept* idea... please don't comment about the styling or colours of the concept art stuff, it's just the layout really. look at attachment before reading...

• Have some sort of slowly fading slideshow of soldat scenes as the backdrop.
• (or possibly even a slow animation of soldat in the background?)
• Have a menu which expands depending on selection
• 'Start game' button takes them to a larger screen with the usual options for games
• 'Online play' button expands to show a scrollable favourite server list (with basic details like server name, gamemode, players and some sort of colour indicator to show if it's online or offline)
• + have another server list button which brings up some sort of lobby (like it is now)
• 'Settings' button would expand to show two options - 'Player' and 'Server' (which takes them to the relevant places akin to the 'Player' and 'Settings' tab that we have currently)
• A profile button. By default, on every loadup, it should be set as the previous settings. If the user wishes to have multiple sets of server/player settings, they can do this through the 'Profile' button, and using a similar profile system that we already have.
• + name of profile displayed somewhere near main-menu (either above or below). This could be a custom name of a user-defined profile e.g. 'Shooter123', or if it's just previous settings and no profile been made for those settings, then it should display 'previous settings'

See the attachments for concept art (sorta).
Use the numbers for each point to agree/disagree/discuss

[darDar]

thegrandmasters GUI looks fine.
simple and easy

[thegrandmaster]

thegrandmasters GUI looks fine.
simple and easy

Thanks Any further thoughts on the ideas? (like favourite servers as a brief list, player+options are available through one menu item named 'settings' etc)

[Monsteri]

(or possibly even a slow animation of soldat in the background?)

No, I would like normal-speed gameplay in ctf_run going on at background with same effects like in BF2, blackwhite, some disturbing at the signal. Thatlike for 5 mins, then scroll again. Though then the layout of selections could needed to be changed. I like overall the idea, but there shouldn't be that many joining options.
Maybe a simple ``play´´ button, where you can either start a new game and set the settings, or join to game with normal lobby.

But GUI can be aswell for me like it is. Sure it will be a lot more sexy and fresh, if we make this big changes. But it can be done crap, or perfect way. This is a very sensitive thing, what needs a lot thinking.

[thegrandmaster]

(or possibly even a slow animation of soldat in the background?)

No, I would like normal-speed gameplay in ctf_run going on at background with same effects like in BF2, blackwhite, some disturbing at the signal. Thatlike for 5 mins, then scroll again.

Yeah I get the idea. The reason I said 'slow-mo' is because what we wouldn't want is people thinking that the game has already begun, when actually it was just the menu! xD
But that idea sounds good, and shouldn't cause that confusion.

But yes, adding some sort of disturbance or something stylish like that could work with normal speed play.
Maybe a simple ``play´´ button, where you can either start a new game and set the settings, or join to game with normal lobby.

I get what you mean... I'd say that was too simple. If 'play' just branched out into 'online' and 'start', why have the single 'play' button to show those? Just have them on the main menu in my opinion - like it is now.

But GUI can be aswell for me like it is. Sure it will be a lot more sexy and fresh, if we make this big changes. But it can be done crap, or perfect way. This is a very sensitive thing, what needs a lot thinking.

Agreed. I am used to the way it looks now, but the new guys to Soldat will see it as it is - circa 2002.

From: February 14, 2011, 02:17:13 pmAttached, terrible attempt of execution of this :L