Soldat Menu GUI

[L[0ne]R]

Current Soldat menus are very disorganized - server settings, player settings, sound settings and everything else are mixed into one huge pile. Sorting that pile into better-defined sections is the first step in improving Soldat's menu GUI, so here's my rough idea of how things could be reorganized.

Post your opinions and suggestions.

P.S. Don't think about if it'll fit on the screen or how it'll look. Contents and looks are different things, so let's only think about contents for now.




P.P.S. You'll notice that there's no "Join Game" section on the picture. I left it out on purpose because I think there's nothing to change there content-wise.

[darDar]

structure is bad currently. L[0ne]R´s one is looking more senseful
also a suggestion for the GUI...

old one:


there is just TOO much stuff on 1 page.

there should be some more buttons in the options menu.
This example shows what would happen by clicking/aiming a button.
It makes the box on the right visible.
By Clicking or just aiming to another button this would turn invisible again and show the next box.

new GUI suggestion:



From: February 20, 2011, 11:32:32 pm
could look like that also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXiJ9DQwK4o
[

[PQ]

I also hate the menu not being able to resize. Especially the lobby since you have to scroll to the right to see if a server is realistic etc.

[darDar]

I also hate the menu not being able to resize. Especially the lobby since you have to scroll to the right to see if a server is realistic etc.

this is really annoying

[Polifen]

I also hate the menu not being able to resize.

One more time I'll say, it's a 2 minute job, I'm at school and I'm not sure about the name of it, but as far as i remember it was called anchors. Using it you can set that all objects above the server list being sticked to left-top corner, so even with resize it won't move, set the server list anchors to top-bot-left-right, so it will stick to whole window, so if you change the resolution it will be bigger in both - height and width, and finally set Request Servers ( and "local" + "internet" ) to left-bot, and the rest to right-bot, that will make it sticky to the bottom and filters, pings and cancel will be on the right ( opposite to "Request Servers" ).

[thegrandmaster]

I agree with all that is said. PM sent.

[Clawbug]

I would actually support an idea of having the game itself separate from the GUI. The GUI would be just an stand alone window/program which would then launch the game, instead if having the GUI integrated to the game itself.

This would allow third party GUIs built easily, and have the GUI developed independently from the game itself. I understand that this would require major changes in the codebase though.

[Polifen]

Little presentation of how anchors works, I know it looks crappy and it's not soldat-style, but it's just an presentation of "sticking" to borders. All top objects are top-left, so they are not moving, list is top-bot-left-right, so it is way bigger on higher resolutions, and bottom buttons are left-bot for request and right-bot for the rest. And it's not a 2 minute job as I said before, it's 30 seconds job.

[thegrandmaster]

My idea is to have a main category/button named 'Settings' in a central main menu.
On hover, it would reveal several categories which for now are named:

• Player
• In-game GUI*
• Server
• System

These would encompass the current contents of the ingame options, and the options in config.exe, removing the need for it.

*Would contain a preview of the current interface. If registered, you could see a preview of any custom interface on that page, without having to go ingame to see it.
This preview could be an actual gostek firing at some practise targets and moving around for example, and on selecting a different interface, the interface in the preview could change


From: February 21, 2011, 03:11:47 pmAdded: mockup (made in powerpoint) of possible menu implementation. (Just settings part)

[10th_account]

Lol whut? where'd his post go?  You had some very valid points xD

I deleted it. It wouldn't allow me to replace an image.


It has always bugged me how the server list has remained packed with useless metadata and hasn't really changed since the first versions. I suggest the following changes. See attached images for comparison.

• Flags moved to the right of ping
• Removed the BattlEye icon (all servers should be forced to use anti-cheat anyway)
• Added a lock to show which servers are passworded
• Added a check sign to show recommended servers**
• Removed (WM) tag in server names
• Expanded Name column
• Merged Player and Max columns
• Abbreviated Game modes
• Map column moved to the right of the game mode
• Cut out common game mode prefixes from map names
• Ping dot removed
• Ping right adjusted and capped at 999
• All useless info to the right of ping removed, preventing the horizontal scrollbar
• Defaults to automatically sort by player count, then ping

**Recommended server: Dedicated, no bots, no WM, no R/S/A, map matches game mode

[thegrandmaster]

• Removed BattlEye logo on servers (all servers should use anti-cheat anyway) - agreed
  
• Added a lock to show which servers require a password - agreed
  
• Added check sign to indicate a recommended server** - ish*
  
• Removed (WM) name prefix - ish**
  
• Expanded Name column - agreed
  
• Merged Players and Max to one column - agreed
  
• Abbreviated the game mode - agreed
  
• Map column moved to the right of the game mode - agreed
  
• Game mode prefix removed from map name - not sure about that, lots of servers use ctf maps on dm servers etc. I'd keep the prefix imo.
  
• Ping right adjusted and capped at 999 - agreed
  
• Ping color dots removed - instead of dots, maybe just colour the number?
  
• Flags moved to the right of ping - I'd keep the flags in the same place, it's nice to see where it is before anything...
  
• Removed all useless info to the right of the ping - it's not doing any harm!
  
• Defaults to sort by players, then ping - sure
  

** Recommended server: Dedicated, no bots, no WM, no realistic/survival/advanced, map matches game mode.

*seems a bit in-your-face
** agreed that (WM) is not the nicest way of showing it.

[L[0ne]R]

• Flags moved to the right of ping

~ agreed, since country and ping are kind of related - might be a good idea

• Removed the BattlEye icon (all servers should be forced to use anti-cheat anyway)

~ Anti cheat could interfere with some scripts though. Anti-cheat shouldn't be forced, but enabled by default.

• Added a lock to show which servers are passworded ~ agreed
  
  
• Added a check sign to show recommended servers**

~ depends how recommendations work. Personally, recommendations don't fit my preference in most games/software.

• Removed (WM) tag in server names

~ disagreed. There should be some indication of whether weapons are modded or not, so that people won't confuse official WM with lame modded one.

• Expanded Name column

~ better just make all columns' width adjustable. I never had problems with name column anyway.

• Merged Player and Max columns

~ agreed, but then how can you sort by max players, or current players?

• Abbreviated Game modes

~ agreed, but there needs to be some place where newbs can learn all those abbreviations. A popup when you hover your mouse over gamemode name perhaps?

• Map column moved to the right of the game mode ~ agreed.
  
  
• Cut out common game mode prefixes from map names

~ disagreed for same reason as grandmaster said

• Ping dot removed

~ agreed, but like grandmaster said - ping numbers should be colored instead. It's easier to see how laggy the server is by looking at colors instead of numbers.

• Ping right adjusted and capped at 999 ~ agreed.
  
  
• All useless info to the right of ping removed, preventing the horizontal scrollbar

~ agreed, but instead of removing it should be simply hidden. Then by right-clicking on column names you could select which columns to show or hide. Some of those columns are actually useful.

• Defaults to automatically sort by player count, then ping

~ it's a matter of preference. Personally I think ping is more important especially if you live in a country that has very few non-laggy servers.
[/list]

[Illuminatus]

I support all of your suggestions except:

• Cut out common game mode prefixes from map names - there are maps which are spelled the same, like X and ctf_X
  
• Defaults to automatically sort by player count, then ping - I would sort by ping first, because I don't care about the ~70% of servers which are >200ms.
  

- A check sign for "recommended" servers would be amazing.
- Removed all useless info. --> Oh yes! I never ever cared about the columns "Speed", "Respawn Time" and "System" for example. And why is there a "BattlEye" colum if there also is a the "BattlEye" logo? And why would you sort by "Players" instead of "Max Players"? Makes no sense imo.
The other idea would be to hide all the useless ones. And "by right-clicking on column names you could select which columns to show" (like L[0ne]R said).

I'm for simplifying things as far as it's concerned with GUI.

• Removed the BattlEye icon (all servers should be forced to use anti-cheat anyway)

~ Anti cheat could interfere with some scripts though. Anti-cheat shouldn't be forced, but enabled by default.

MSAC doesn't check if the player behaves strange (speedhax, etc.) but checks the memory for any alterations afaik. So imo all servers should get forced to anti-cheat.

• Removed (WM) tag in server names

~ disagreed. There should be some indication of whether weapons are modded or not, so that people won't confuse official WM with lame modded one.

But this indication shouldn't be in the servername but in one seperate column. Or just shown by selecting it in the filters menu.

[L[0ne]R]

And why would you sort by "Players" instead of "Max Players"? Makes no sense imo.
The other idea would be to hide all the useless ones. And "by right-clicking on column names you could select which columns to show" (like L[0ne]R said).

Well, sometimes you might just not care about max players (most servers are 8-12 anyway, which is good enough). Sometimes you might want to have a quick game that has 4 or so players already playing instead of 1 who is in spectators anyway.

[Illuminatus]

I've just created a simple mockup for the filters menu because I always hated the layout and functionality. Do not care about the graphics or the colors in the mockup - it's only about the layout, the order of the filters and about the simplicity of the switches.
Here you have a gif-animation which changes every ~8sec and here are all the frames.

Tell me what you think.

[thegrandmaster]

All this is very interesting about the lobby, and the filter.. but it's gone off-topic to the original thoughts.
(quote L

[one]R:)
Current Soldat menus are very disorganized - server settings, player settings, sound settings and everything else are mixed into one huge pile. Sorting that pile into better-defined sections is the first step in improving Soldat's menu GUI.

Some key thoughts and issues I want direct quote and opinions of:
1. Soldat should combine config.exe into the settings already ingame
Alot of people I've spoken to are keen to integrate config.exe into the game.
On this thought I posted this: http://forums.soldat.pl/index.php?topic=39691.msg486134#msg486134
- Dis-advantages:

• Some people are unable to run the game without altering a setting or two. Removing config.exe would prevent that being done easily
• Some settings, although with a similar title, have unsimilar workings (e.g. there is a 'network' section both in config and ingame, but the actual content/focus of these settings are different)

- Advantages:

• Almost everything in a central place, easier to navigate and change what you wish without exiting the game
• If someone really was unable to run the game, they could always alter the .ini

My thoughts:
However, after debating in different places with people, I can see why it has remained separate. I would say that some settings should be transferred inside the game, but some need to be kept outside: network connectivity, video and sound adapters/drivers, backbuffer count etc (see end of post for my idea on arrangements of these settings).

2. Soldat's starter should act like most other games
E.g. This sort-of autorun (no idea what game this is btw)
This autorun is available whenever the CD is put in. It allows the game to be started and vital settings to be altered. Soldat could work in a similar way - the starter becoming more like a usual autorun.
The 'Setup' section of the autorun/starter could contain all the driver settings for audio and video, language choice, troubleshooting etc (see my thoughts for organisation at the end)
- Disadvantages:
Ermm I can't really think of any atm (say if you can think of some)
- Advantages:

• Solves issues with thought 1 above.
• Works more like a normal game, which is friendlier for newbies
• Splits config.exe into necessary and preference parts. Necessary and key components put in a 'Setup' section on the starter, and the more preference settings placed along with the in-game settings.

My thoughts
This seems a much more feasible option, and for newbies it looks good to have the starter as a main hub.
I've never really used starter, I don't think many people do. But having that central place like other games, is logical!

Structure
A small Setup utility with a button from the starter to it which has settings important to the running of soldat, less about things that affect gameplay.
Settings ingame split into separate subcategories, with some added settings from the previous config.exe.
Some settings (e.g. resolution) are changeable from both ingame and from setup.
- Setup:
Graphics

• Full screen
• Bitrate
• Refresh rate
• Dithering
• Antialiasing
• Windowed mode
• Video adapters
• Resolution
• Video compatibility
• Force software
• Blank screen while bonus fix (ATI cards)
• Troubleshooting: FAQ [Button]
• Texture filters
• Resolution filters
• Backbuffer count
• + option to switch to classic soldat menu GUI

Sound

• Sound Output Type
• Sound Driver List

Performance

• Particles on screen
• File logging

Network

• Internet connection speed
• Game port
• Never forward clients
• Register server with All-Seeing Eye (ASE)

- Ingame:
Player

• Player Name
• Player Colors
• Skin
• Hair
• Headgear
• Chain Style
• Secondary weapon
• Mouse Sensitivity (%)
• Controls

GUI

• Interface Style
• Player Indicator
• Sniper Line
• Gamma
• + preview of gostek/interface
• + option to switch to classic soldat menu GUI
• Show death console
• Bullet Time

Server

• Connection
• Register in lobby server
• Maximum Players
• Balance Teams
• Game Name
• Server greetings message
• Server link
• Game Password
• Chat (bots)
• Bot difficulty
• Normal respawn
• Maximum time in team games
• (bonus) frequency
• Beserker, Predator, Flame God, Cluster, Vest
• Weapons
• Maximum Grenades
• Friendly Fire
• Bullet Time

System

• Render bullet trails
• Render weather effects
• Render smooth polygons
• Particles on screen
• Resolution
• Animated scenery
• Sound quality
• Teamspeak Integration
• Play Intro
• Clan-match
• Auto end-game screenshot
• Action-snap

[/essay][/list][/list]

[Monsteri]

I agree with thegrandmaster. I have seen his GUI suggestion, and it's freakin' wonderful! I'd love to see it in the game. He didn't allow me to show it, and well, I can't make my point as I wanted to make it, but, yeah, I agree with him.

Works more like a normal game, which is friendlier for newbies

lol. Soldat so special?

[darDar]

- Setup:
Graphics

• Full screen
• Bitrate
• Refresh rate
• Dithering
• Antialiasing
• Windowed mode
• Video adapters
• Resolution

Other

• Video compatibility
• Force software
• Blank screen while bonus fix (ATI cards)
• Troubleshooting: FAQ [Button]
• Texture filters
• Resolution filters
• Backbuffer count

[/essay][/list]

put graphics & Other together as they´re both Graphic related.

Graphics

• Full screen
• Bitrate
• Refresh rate
• Dithering
• Antialiasing
• Windowed mode
• Video adapters
• Resolution
• Video compatibility
• Force software
• Blank screen while bonus fix (ATI cards)
• Troubleshooting: FAQ [Button]
• Texture filters
• Resolution filters
• Backbuffer count

is what i suggest.

The structure you posted makes lot of sense.

[

• + option to switch to classic soldat menu GUI
• Show death console

• + option to switch to classic soldat menu GUI

[/essay][/list]

death console would be great, but i think the option to switch to the classic GUI needn´t be ingame as you won´t change it much.
Should be in config.exe

From: February 22, 2011, 09:07:08 am

[


1. Soldat should combine config.exe into the settings already ingame

Yes, thats what people except in 2011 ( also in 2005)

 

2. Soldat's starter should act like most other games

wouldn´t be bad , but this got less priority for me than all the other things mentioned.

[thegrandmaster]

Ok. I'll alter my list accordingly.
I'll move 'Switch to classic GUI' to the Setup list.

[L[0ne]R]

All this is very interesting about the lobby, and the filter.. but it's gone off-topic to the original thoughts.
(quote L

[one]R:)
Current Soldat menus are very disorganized - server settings, player settings, sound settings and everything else are mixed into one huge pile. Sorting that pile into better-defined sections is the first step in improving Soldat's menu GUI.

Thanks for getting things back on the right track. :P Redesigning a lobby window is a whole different issue, so let's put that aside for now (or at least in a different topic).

Some key thoughts and issues I want direct quote and opinions of:
1. Soldat should combine config.exe into the settings already ingame
Alot of people I've spoken to are keen to integrate config.exe into the game.
On this thought I posted this: http://forums.soldat.pl/index.php?topic=39691.msg486134#msg486134
- Dis-advantages:

• Some people are unable to run the game without altering a setting or two. Removing config.exe would prevent that being done easily
• Some settings, although with a similar title, have unsimilar workings (e.g. there is a 'network' section both in config and ingame, but the actual content/focus of these settings are different)

- Advantages:

• Almost everything in a central place, easier to navigate and change what you wish without exiting the game
• If someone really was unable to run the game, they could always alter the .ini

Messing with ini file is not exactly user-friendly and could cause even more problems if not done correctly, so in this case it'd probably be best to keep config.exe.
Best solution would be making Soldat's menu as a whole separate instance (basically moving all Soldat's menus into config.exe), but as Shoozza said - separating Soldat and menu GUI would be quite a bit of work and shouldn't be expected anytime soon. :(

So for now what we can do is reorganize what we already have without integrating and separating things (but keeping in mind that it might be done at some point).

2. Soldat's starter should act like most other games
E.g. This sort-of autorun (no idea what game this is btw)
This autorun is available whenever the CD is put in. It allows the game to be started and vital settings to be altered. Soldat could work in a similar way - the starter becoming more like a usual autorun.
The 'Setup' section of the autorun/starter could contain all the driver settings for audio and video, language choice, troubleshooting etc (see my thoughts for organisation at the end)
- Disadvantages:
Ermm I can't really think of any atm (say if you can think of some)
- Advantages:

• Solves issues with thought 1 above.
• Works more like a normal game, which is friendlier for newbies
• Splits config.exe into necessary and preference parts. Necessary and key components put in a 'Setup' section on the starter, and the more preference settings placed along with the in-game settings.

My thoughts
This seems a much more feasible option, and for newbies it looks good to have the starter as a main hub.
I've never really used starter, I don't think many people do. But having that central place like other games, is logical!

Uh, to me it looks like the good old starter with a slightly different interface. o_O Your structure is much better organized though. I only don't like how some video and performance settings are in the game and some in the launcher (I think they serve the same purpose (quality & performance), so they should be kept in the same place). Also, "System" sounds a little too vague and different people might have a different understanding of that word, but that's just me being picky. :P

-----------

Here's a reorganized list of things grouped into categories and subcategories for redesigned Soldat menu GUI. It contains both current stuff and stuff that could potentially be added in the future.

purple - things that are present in config.exe or starter.exe
navy - things that aren't present in neither the Soldat menu, nor the config.exe, nor the starter.exe, but should be considered.

so here's the list:

[Start Game]

Game Style Description                            Deathmatch Teammatch Rambomatch Pointmatch Capture the Flag Infiltration Hold the Flag Game Mode Realistic Mode Survival Mode Advance Mode Start Button

Players # of Players                    # of Bots (random) # of Bots (teams) List of specific bots Bot Difficulty Bot Chat Point Limit Time Limit Autobalance Friendly Fire Bullet Time

Weapon Settings load custom weapon mod Max Grenades Allowed Weapons Bonus Frequency Allowed Bonuses Map List filter maps (e.g. for selecting CTF maps for INF) available maps selected maps map preview Loop maps (IMHO not needed, loop by default?)

[Options]
Possible sub-tabs:

• Video (Video + Performance + Compatibility)
• Audio
• Game (Game + Interface)
• Network (Network + Server)

Video Gamma                        Resolution FullScreen Window Resize Bitrate Refresh Rate Anti Aliasing Dithering Texture Filter Resolution Filter Video Adapter low-medium-high settings slider Performance Backbuffer count Animated Scenery Particles Bullet Trails Weather Effects Smooth Polygons Bot seeing quality <-- does what? Compatibility Video Compatibility Force Software ATI Blank screen fix

Audio Sound Quality                Sound Output Sound Driver Sound Volume Explosion Effect Distant Battle Music Volume Game Music MP3 Music Interface Language Interface Sniper Line Player Indicator Death Console Mod Picker

Game Settings Play Intro Clan Match TeamSpeak Integration Kill logging Action Snap Auto Endgame Screenshot Auto Demo Network Connection Type Connection Speed Server Register in Lobby Register server with ASE Server Name Server Password Server greeting Server contact info Game Port Max allowed player ping Never forward clients

[Player]

Player

• Switch Profiles

• Player Name
• Player Colors
• Secondary Weapon

Controls

• Mouse Sensitivity
• List of Keys

Taunt Editor



[Help]

• How to Play
• Manual
• Troubleshooting

Now, I know it looks like a lot of settings and some of them aren't even needed most of the time (especially in [Options] tab). However this is how most games do it, and I think it's the right way because it's better than having things scattered in different exe's.

In order to keep everything neat and hide unnecessary stuff but at the same time keep it accessible there are different solutions:
1) Sub sections, sub tabs (tabs within tabs).
2) A sidebar or bottom bar that can be opened to display additional settings.
3) Vertical scrolling for menu, so that tab contents aren't limited to window's height.
4) A checkbox to hide and show advanced settings.
5) Lots of things can be grouped into dropdown menus and popups (for example, game style selector).
6) Leaving SOME settings in config.exe, only the very least common ones that will not be changed unless there are critical problems with the game or server (connection settings, hardware settings, compatibility settings).
7) <this is a solution that I haven't thought of.. yet>
8) <this is a solution that you haven't thought of.. yet>

I'm 100% sure there is a way to fit all of this stuff into Soldat menu and still make it look nice and neat. Shoozza, you don't have to worry about that part - this is something that the community can do, while you can concentrate on the technical part (we'll try to not get carried away and make it within the boundaries of whats possible).
And again, this is not intended for 1.5.1. This is all just planning for when time actually comes to work on the GUI.

[/list]

[thegrandmaster]

1) Sub sections, sub tabs (tabs within tabs).
2) A sidebar or bottom bar that can be opened to display additional settings.
3) Vertical scrolling for menu, so that tab contents aren't limited to window's height.
4) A checkbox to hide and show advanced settings.
5) Lots of things can be grouped into dropdown menus and popups (for example, game style selector).
6) Leaving SOME settings in config.exe, only the very least common ones that will not be changed unless there are critical problems with the game or server (connection settings, hardware settings, compatibility settings).

1. Yes. My very first design mockup had this and I think it's a logical and clean way of doing it.
2. Not sure what you mean by this..
3. Maybe. This would be useful if there were so many settings on one page that it couldn't fit in whatever box... but that shouldn't be the case anyway.
4. Maybe. This one is an interesting one. We'd have to think carefully about what would be counted as 'basic' and what would be 'advanced' settings. Also, I feel that this would have to be an added line in the .ini so that it saved whether you wanted advanced or basic settings all the time.
5. No. At least, mostly no. Your example I'd disagree with unless we were completely stuck for space, and conserving it by doing dropdowns is the only option.
6. Having a 'setup' off of the soldat starter was my thought... the stuff that would affect whether the game ran or not, as that was seen as an issue.

I like your structure, and I would be inclined to employ them under sub-categories.

[Sipar]

My idea at early stage:

[thegrandmaster]

Nice design
Though atm we're concentrating on structure and layout.
Where stuff could be and how it is arranged.

Join us at #soldat.gui on IRC to debate about it.

[Meteorisch]

Lol that design of sipar made it already so much better.

You can then actually tell you're playing soldat, instead of people behind are being confused and saying WTF IS THIS!?

[thegrandmaster]

Since this got bumped, I may as well throw my idea out there:


Made in powerpoint, and is mainly to test out ideas and concepts (like the game selection, bot adding etc).

[Meteorisch]

holy shit so nice.

change right now plz

[DarkCrusade]

That's a decent remake. Good job, TGM! I'm all for it

[thegrandmaster]

#soldat.gui for debates about the whole idea of menu redesign.

The devs have much more important things to be thinking of at this very moment, hence why any major changes would be in the far future rather than soon.

Current idea is to combine the most part of config.exe into the game, leaving some options editable from some sort of 'setup' (like most games have :L).

At some point I'll get around to designing the settings pages, however I'd be interested what other people think about structure and design.

[bhs]

Shouldn't the menu be limited to 640x480? Since that is the lowest and most common resolution played on.

[croat1gamer]

And that is the only option unregistered players have.

[thegrandmaster]

which of these options are more likely to happen when time finally comes for new GUI?
1) Fixed size of 640x480, like it always was.
2) Fixed size of 800x600 or some other resolution.
3) 640x480 with vertical OR horizontal scrolling.
4) 800x600 or other resolution with vertical OR horizontal scrolling.
5) Other?

5) 640x480 and extending depending on settings.

^

Also, the technicalities will be address in due course. This was a mere mockup of ideas for layout.

[Majoman]

Since this got bumped, I may as well throw my idea out there:
http://dardar.de/bilder/images/4start2.png

Made in powerpoint, and is mainly to test out ideas and concepts (like the game selection, bot adding etc).

Brilliant, would love to see that in 1.5.1 or maybe in soldat 2.0 which should be released by 2020, gossip says. How about making the background scene moving? Like some .gif or something like that, y'know what I mean. Nothing disturbing ofc, could be slow motion for example. And the small preview is a great idea aswell. Could be a 5-6 secs long .gif.
You've done a menu for "Online play", too? If so, do show, please.

[thegrandmaster]

How about making the background scene moving? Like some .gif or something like that, y'know what I mean. Nothing disturbing ofc, could be slow motion for example.

I have considered that as a possibility before. I quite like the idea, however, as you say - it would have to be slow motion and faded to make it less distracting.*

And the small preview is a great idea aswell. Could be a 5-6 secs long .gif.

I like that idea. Infact, I like that idea more than the moving background.

*I would say that you either have both static (like it appeared in my mockup picture), or one static and the other animated, but not both.

You've done a menu for "Online play", too? If so, do show, please.

I haven't yet done that. The idea is that "Online play" would take you to something very similar to the current lobby.

However, here's another concept I'd like opinions on... That 'online play' button, on mouse hover opens this:

(or something similar)

I've always wanted to use fav servers, but they've never seemed to work for me..
I think there also needs to be a dropdown box for favservers in the lobby itself, but this is just an extra idea.

[bhs]

And that is the only option unregistered players have.

I strongly suggest that the menu's resolution is expanded. Make soldat's resolution setting in config.exe only change in-game resolution. 800x600 is usually the smallest resolution still used today, so I say increase the menu's size to anything between 640x480 to 800x600. This would allow use of better spaced menus, like thegrandmaster's mockup.

Here is a quick little piece that I did this morning. This is how I would compress space on the player setup page. (See Attachments for more details)

[L[0ne]R]

And that is the only option unregistered players have.

I strongly suggest that the menu's resolution is expanded. Make soldat's resolution setting in config.exe only change in-game resolution. 800x600 is usually the smallest resolution still used today, so I say increase the menu's size to anything between 640x480 to 800x600. This would allow use of better spaced menus, like thegrandmaster's mockup.

Here is a quick little piece that I did this morning. This is how I would compress space on the player setup page. (See Attachments for more details)

Nice mockup, though you forgot about "secondary weapon" and "mouse sensitivity".
By the way, something similar has been already done here: http://forums.soldat.pl/index.php?topic=36240.msg438274#msg438274

[Majoman]

How about making the background scene moving? Like some .gif or something like that, y'know what I mean. Nothing disturbing ofc, could be slow motion for example.

I have considered that as a possibility before. I quite like the idea, however, as you say - it would have to be slow motion and faded to make it less distracting.*

And the small preview is a great idea aswell. Could be a 5-6 secs long .gif.

I like that idea. Infact, I like that idea more than the moving background.

*I would say that you either have both static (like it appeared in my mockup picture), or one static and the other animated, but not both.

You've done a menu for "Online play", too? If so, do show, please.

I haven't yet done that. The idea is that "Online play" would take you to something very similar to the current lobby.

However, here's another concept I'd like opinions on... That 'online play' button, on mouse hover opens this:

(or something similar)

I've always wanted to use fav servers, but they've never seemed to work for me..
I think there also needs to be a dropdown box for favservers in the lobby itself, but this is just an extra idea.

Great idea. It would definitely make using favorite servers more useful. Can't think of any downsides for this.

[scarface09]

Mannn can we seriously change the design layout to TGM's!!! It looks fucking insane and I rekon it would encourage so many more people to play. It looks so much more refined and professional!

[Bonecrusher]

F12 to the bbs version of menu
F11 to the grandmasters version, would say yes if it was more soldat-like
F12 to the 2 of 10th_accounts ideas of updating the lobby.
The recommended servers things would be nice
and

Removing (WM) tag from server names

[Bistoufly]

I strongly suggest that the menu's resolution is expanded. Make soldat's resolution setting in config.exe only change in-game resolution. 800x600 is usually the smallest resolution still used today,

I play Soldat on a crt monitor @ 640x480.
Thanks to that low resolution, I can set it to 120Hz.

Please, pretty please don't remove the 640x480 menu GUI resolution.

Thank you for your understanding.

[KYnetiK]

you have a 120Hz CRT? Nice

[chutem]

I strongly suggest that the menu's resolution is expanded. Make soldat's resolution setting in config.exe only change in-game resolution. 800x600 is usually the smallest resolution still used today,

I play Soldat on a crt monitor @ 640x480.
Thanks to that low resolution, I can set it to 120Hz.

Please, pretty please don't remove the 640x480 menu GUI resolution.

Thank you for your understanding.

Yes, lets not make it easier to use the soldat menus so that one person can render 4 times as many frames per second as neccesary.

[Sipar]

F11 to the grandmasters version, would say yes if it was more soldat-like

Actually, his version is more about "content" than about "look".

[Bistoufly]

Yes, lets not make it easier to use the soldat menus so that one person can render 4 times as many frames per second as neccesary.

Ahahhahaha. Are you one of this people who believe that 30 frame per second is the limit that the human brain can process. I was hoping this old myth would be dead by now. 

I red that the menu will be expandable from 640x480 to higher. In function of your desktop resolution. So don't need to worry about that. If you have a bigger desktop resolution, fine,  you'll see more servers in the lobby list and so on.

I just ask the 640x480 not to be removed. That's not asking the moon. And it makes a world of difference to me. Enough to be a deal breaker.



@KYnetiK: That's an old crt screen. Nothing special about it. Some High-end iiyama crt monitors can go up to 200hz!!

If you can find some old crt screen. I advice to try it for gaming.
.Set your monitor resolution to 640x480
.Set it to the highest frequency supported.
.Configure soldat to run in windowed mode.
Enjoy!

High refresh rate, no input lag, no ghosting. Ideal for a fast paced game like soldat.
In comparison, when I play with my flat screen, movements feel super blurry and sluggish

[Bistoufly]

Bought a new crt monitor on ebay.
Now I can go up to 200hz in 640x480 and 800x600.

But I'd still prefer the menu to be able to scale to 640x480 correctly.

Soldat has a 640x480 resolution. That's why a lot of players like to set their monitor at 640x480.

Run soldat windowed at 640x480
 => looks good

Run soldat windowed at 800x600 with resize=100%
=> Re-sizing deforms the image. The texts looks wierd. (ingame)

[Flym]

good job

[thegrandmaster]

Had a lil bit of time recently, so drew some ideas out... I may have missed an option or two out since I didn't have the list at the time.

1. Start page

• Small blurb displayed, including some vital new player info (e.g. changing player name)
• Extra bar at the bottom with 'scheme' name and saved/unsaved status (similar to the current 'profile').
  Schemes is a concept very similar to profiles, except that instead of auto-overriding each scheme when exiting, you have to save the scheme.
  The 'schemes' button on the menu simply branches into subcategories 'New', 'Save' and 'Load'.
  

2. New game (page 1 of 2)

• Gamemode selection page
• Includes the settings which are attributable for any game mode (such as bonuses, weapon options etc).
  Note: For the selection box thing at the bottom, only one section would be openable at a single moment, unlike my drawing which shows two open. That was just to show what they could look like.

3. New game (page 2 of 2)

• Last vital game settings
• Possible map preview, however I'm wondering how annoying this could prove if the map is more square-like rather than a nice rectangle... so possible add, but maybe not

If you would prefer to voice your ideas and debate things rather than simply posting here, head to #soldat.gui.

[Monsteri]

Cool, cooler, coolest. However though, as I said in the IRC already, in the 2nd pic there should be an Internet/LAN button.

[KYnetiK]

Im glad theres still people who love their CRTs =) In my experience, its hard to find one thats >100 hertz, and its always fun making optical illusions with 120 hertz to play with. If I found a CRT that had the same contrast and definition of my 23" samsung, I'd definitely mount it on the wall thats for sure.

[Monsteri]

Uh, huh, did you choose wrong tab?

[thegrandmaster]

No, unfortunately... there was a few posts earlier about crt's >.>
But anyway.. I'd like some more opinions about my sketches.

[Monsteri]

For me, they're too good to give criticism, at least not constructive one. Just that one button.

[L[0ne]R]

I'm sloooooowly working on yet another concept for menu GUI. Here's a very rough idea so far. The idea behind this idea (lol) is to show the player the most essential options on the main page, and show additional advanced options in pop-up windows. The point of this is to not confuse new players and only show elements that make sense to most gamers in general, while keeping all the things that are unique to Soldat in a separate area, keep the screen clean of options and settings that aren't being used often. Also it's aimed at a minimum resolution of 800x600.


So here's what the images show:
 [screen-1] - All the basic info about the game at the bottom, a profile list, and a flashy image at the top that shows what soldat is all about (I've used one from Soldat's home page as a placeholder for now). Once you've selected your profile - you're taken to a Start Game screen.

 [screen-2] - Start Game tab, the only one I've done so far since I wasn't sure if you'd like the concept. On the left are all the buttons (I tried keeping the interface a bit more console-friendly, so you can scroll through all the buttons with just up/down buttons and change options with left/right buttons). On the right side are all the descriptions.

 [screen-2a] - Same tab, but with a window with extra game settings that pops-up when you click on "customize rules". Shows advanced settings like power-up and player spawn frequency.

 [screen-2b] - Same tab, but with a maplist window that pops-up when you click on "customize playlist" window.

Same thing could be done for bots - a pop-up window you can pick which specific bots you want on which team (which, IMHO is kinda unnecessary in the first place really since you can spawn specific bots via commands already).




Let me know what you think about the whole pop-up window idea.

[13th_account]

That's a pretty darn nifty concept, and you seem to have a sense for HCI. It's not a simple task to just replace the GUI though, but maybe it's worth it. My main gripe is that it also needs to work with the 640x480 resolution, since that's still native for the game.

[L[0ne]R]

That's a pretty darn nifty concept, and you seem to have a sense for HCI. It's not a simple task to just replace the GUI though, but maybe it's worth it. My main gripe is that it also needs to work with the 640x480 resolution, since that's still native for the game.

Noob question, but what does HCI stand for?

As for 640x480 - from what I've read, most of us agree that it's so ancient that the support for it should be dropped (heck, even back in 2000 with my crappy pentium 100 I still had 800x600 monitor), so I think it's safe to aim a bit higher. I believe Shoozza himself mentioned that he'd like to raise the native resolution at some point and he even started porting the GUI to a different language as far as I know.

[Bistoufly]

Make it 640x480 compatible or don't make it at all.

[Bonecrusher]

Noob question, but what does HCI stand for?

As for 640x480 - from what I've read, most of us agree that it's so ancient that the support for it should be dropped (heck, even back in 2000 with my crappy pentium 100 I still had 800x600 monitor), so I think it's safe to aim a bit higher. I believe Shoozza himself mentioned that he'd like to raise the native resolution at some point and he even started porting the GUI to a different language as far as I know.

Soldat looks best in 640x480 imo. I've always been using it and dont plan on changing it anytime soon, so id strongly recommend to leave that option up to the player.

Make it 640x480 compatible or don't make it at all.

+1

[L[0ne]R]

Noob question, but what does HCI stand for?

As for 640x480 - from what I've read, most of us agree that it's so ancient that the support for it should be dropped (heck, even back in 2000 with my crappy pentium 100 I still had 800x600 monitor), so I think it's safe to aim a bit higher. I believe Shoozza himself mentioned that he'd like to raise the native resolution at some point and he even started porting the GUI to a different language as far as I know.

Soldat looks best in 640x480 imo. I've always been using it and dont plan on changing it anytime soon, so id strongly recommend to leave that option up to the player.

It's hard and impractical to fit all the menu elements in such a tiny space, and I really don't see the reason to keep it at 640. If you still want to play at 640x480 - I imagine that would still be possible to leave that functionality for the game itself, but the menu really needs more space. What exactly did you mean by that Soldat looks best in 640x480?

[Shoozza]

Nice mockup!

You can use any resolution for the mockups but the final GUI has to be 640x480 compatible. I don't think that the min resolution will get changed anytime soon.

Having issues to make everything fit into the small space?

Here is some inspiration (sorry got carried away xD):
Animations?
Map preview idea
(Update) notification: first - second
Enable/disable buttons: 1111 - 2222
Alternative menu navigation
Sub menu?
Tutorial/Walkthough/Installer: overview - full
Button to show help
Crazy global overview :3
Show overview (::) button
Options icon
Top and side menu?
Centered Menu: one - two - three - four
If you can enter menus you would need some kind of back button too
Sound and Music volume could be sliders
Splash screen: first - second
Poll
Fancy edit box
Very simple welcome page (for profile choose dialog?)
Choose profile (different way?)
Search options
Search tags
Server search box?
Min max controls
Search box to find settings? (like in chrome)
Simple Color picker?
Fatal Error Dialog
preview for Keyboard shortcut?
star/bookmark/fav a server?
better server list? first - second

And while we are at it:
Windows 7 like style
and a different one (white) - and in black
Big text reminds me of a few PS3 game menus (another one)
Another map preview idea (small thumbnail boxes next to each other the rectangles)

[L[0ne]R]

Well, if I make the font really tiny (like Soldat has now) - I may be able to fit everything in there, but some people might have issues with readability. :S Anyway, I'll make a 640x480 version and post it maybe sometime next week (this week's gonna be very busy).

Thanks for the links, Shoozza, I might get a few ideas from there.

[Bonecrusher]

you can use any resolution for the mockups but the final GUI has to be 640x480 compatible. I don't think that the min resolution will get changed anytime soon.

btw, love some ideas:
for menu

for adjusting sound

for server list search

and the star for fav servers[like in opera ;]


opera star if site is a bookmark,

[Dusty]

I likey but I don't think it's necessary to keep the old gui font, it's horrendous.

[Illuminatus]

Noob question, but what does HCI stand for?

Human Computer Interaction
Pretty important stuff if you consider designing a user interface.

[thegrandmaster]

I smell some GUI debate been a long time since I last posted on these forums. Nice to see debate springing up again.

@L[one]R:
Great to see that you finally got your thoughts down onto a mock-up! Looks pretty good.
Interesting ideas with the popup, though I've never been too much of a fan of the classic popup box kinda look - x in top right, drag-able lookin window etc.
I'll just throw this out there.. a hover effect and a less popup-y style.. thoughts?

EDIT: Actually, I'm not sure how the side-overview would work if it was on the same level as the map it was previewing.. perhaps scrap the joining piece and just have the overview floating in a faded thing on the left, hovering over maps swiftly faded the new overview in.

Remind me.. what is bullet time? What I thought it was doesn't affect game rules, but I don't think it is what I thought.

[Bonecrusher]

Nice menu ideas by loner, hope to see something like that actually used in new soldat gui.

Remind me.. what is bullet time? What I thought it was doesn't affect game rules, but I don't think it is what I thought.

Bullet time is slow motion for soldat;p

[thegrandmaster]

Remind me.. what is bullet time? What I thought it was doesn't affect game rules, but I don't think it is what I thought.

Bullet time is slow motion for soldat;p

In which case it should appear in the general settings rather than the game rules as L[one]R has put it..

[L[0ne]R]

Eh, that's right, bullet time isn't really a rule, though it still is a server setting, as well as sniper line, minimap, etc.. gonna have to find a place for those too, but that's for later.

Interesting ideas with the popup, though I've never been too much of a fan of the classic popup box kinda look - x in top right, drag-able lookin window etc.
I'll just throw this out there.. a hover effect and a less popup-y style.. thoughts?

I agree that popup windows look rather "meh", so I've tried a different idea - an overlay menu, like steam overlay. Also tried a new font for some of the buttons, and it seems to fit Soldat's style very well. It adds a nice bit of variety, as well as separates main buttons (like menu buttons) from less important options and settings.

EDIT: Actually, I'm not sure how the side-overview would work if it was on the same level as the map it was previewing.. perhaps scrap the joining piece and just have the overview floating in a faded thing on the left, hovering over maps swiftly faded the new overview in.

I think we should still keep the description and the preview of currently selected map on the main screen, so that when you close the game and later start it up again - you'll see what you've been playing last time. Plus, map preview is a nice space filler that makes the screen less boring.
I do like your idea of the hovering popups for the map selector. With the overlay sub-menu idea there should be enough space to fit both the list and the popup, so if everyone's fine with where this is currently going - I'll keep working on that.


For now, here's a 640x480 version of some of the screens. Surprisingly enough, it doesn't look as bad as I thought it would. <_<
 640_screen1: Profile screen resized to 640x480, nothing new here.
 640_screen2: Start Game tab resized to 640x480. Had to use smaller font for map description, but it's not a huge problem in my opinion.  Also tried a different font for the menu buttons. Hope you'll like it.
 640_screen2a: Rules customization, but this time instead of a small window popup there's a full-screen overlay menu, kind of like steam in-game overlay.

[Shoozza]

All gfx stuff aside maybe we should first think about the general gui behavior before we do gfx.

I think the GUI should be minimal and simple and advanced options (which are rarely needed) should be hidden or in sub menus.

The GUI should work with keyboard input and mouse input (current one only works with mouse).
By keyboard input I don't mean stuff like with tab and shift tab.

[L[0ne]R]

All gfx stuff aside maybe we should first think about the general gui behavior before we do gfx.

These gfx are fairly quickly scrapped up, even checkboxes and most of the buttons are made up with square brackets for now. I wanted to at least provide a general idea of what it might actually look like, since many people have a tendency of imagining things in a completely different way. Either way, I'm not planning on messing with them more until, like you said, behavior is more decided upon.

I think the GUI should be minimal and simple and advanced options (which are rarely needed) should be hidden or in sub menus.

Well, this is the whole purpose of this concept. To me it seems fairly minimal and simple (definitely less mess on the screen than in current GUI), and advanced options open up in a separate window/overlay/whatever you want to call it.

The GUI should work with keyboard input and mouse input (current one only works with mouse).
By keyboard input I don't mean stuff like with tab and shift tab.

I'm taking that into account as well, though I've noticed a few things that can be improved.
Here's the bare-minimum setup I'm trying to make it compatible with:
- "up/down arrow keys" to scroll through options and settings.
- "left/right arrow keys" to change selected setting.
- "enter" and "escape" to open or close sub-menus, drop-down lists, choose "accept" or "cancel" in pop-up messages if any.
So if this were on console, you should be able to navigate with just d-pad and A/B keys.
Screen2 should already work well with this setup, but suggestions are always welcome.

[Shoozza]

We could use following keys for some actions:

Menu Item up:	Up/W
Menu Item down:	Down/S
Change Setting (decrease):	Left/A
Change Setting (increase):	Right/D
Choose Menu Item/Confirm Action:	Enter/Space
Go Back/Cancel Action:	Escape/Backspace

BTW this seems like a nice site to get some ideas http://gamegui.net/index.php

[nosejj]

Eh, that's right, bullet time isn't really a rule, though it still is a server setting, as well as sniper line, minimap, etc.. gonna have to find a place for those too, but that's for later.

Interesting ideas with the popup, though I've never been too much of a fan of the classic popup box kinda look - x in top right, drag-able lookin window etc.
I'll just throw this out there.. a hover effect and a less popup-y style.. thoughts?

I agree that popup windows look rather "meh", so I've tried a different idea - an overlay menu, like steam overlay. Also tried a new font for some of the buttons, and it seems to fit Soldat's style very well. It adds a nice bit of variety, as well as separates main buttons (like menu buttons) from less important options and settings.

EDIT: Actually, I'm not sure how the side-overview would work if it was on the same level as the map it was previewing.. perhaps scrap the joining piece and just have the overview floating in a faded thing on the left, hovering over maps swiftly faded the new overview in.

I think we should still keep the description and the preview of currently selected map on the main screen, so that when you close the game and later start it up again - you'll see what you've been playing last time. Plus, map preview is a nice space filler that makes the screen less boring.
I do like your idea of the hovering popups for the map selector. With the overlay sub-menu idea there should be enough space to fit both the list and the popup, so if everyone's fine with where this is currently going - I'll keep working on that.


For now, here's a 640x480 version of some of the screens. Surprisingly enough, it doesn't look as bad as I thought it would. <_<
 640_screen1: Profile screen resized to 640x480, nothing new here.
 640_screen2: Start Game tab resized to 640x480. Had to use smaller font for map description, but it's not a huge problem in my opinion.  Also tried a different font for the menu buttons. Hope you'll like it.
 640_screen2a: Rules customization, but this time instead of a small window popup there's a full-screen overlay menu, kind of like steam in-game overlay.

With some tweaks this could look great and really change the way people first re-act to Soldat when playing first times.
And of course, should be available for all resolutions while it is stretched, unlike the free space we've now when res change.

• Removed BattlEye logo on servers (all servers should use anti-cheat anyway) - agreed
  
• Added a lock to show which servers require a password - agreed
  
• Added check sign to indicate a recommended server** - ish*
  
• Removed (WM) name prefix - ish**
  
• Expanded Name column - agreed
  
• Merged Players and Max to one column - agreed
  
• Abbreviated the game mode - agreed
  
• Map column moved to the right of the game mode - agreed
  
• Game mode prefix removed from map name - not sure about that, lots of servers use ctf maps on dm servers etc. I'd keep the prefix imo.
  
• Ping right adjusted and capped at 999 - agreed
  
• Ping color dots removed - instead of dots, maybe just colour the number?
  
• Flags moved to the right of ping - I'd keep the flags in the same place, it's nice to see where it is before anything...
  
• Removed all useless info to the right of the ping - it's not doing any harm!
  
• Defaults to sort by players, then ping - sure
  

** Recommended server: Dedicated, no bots, no WM, no realistic/survival/advanced, map matches game mode.

*seems a bit in-your-face
** agreed that (WM) is not the nicest way of showing it.

These are great changes and should apply maybe even to the next release. :3

[machina]

Sadly, I need to say that I didn't enjoy that layout... It shouldn't be so simplified. Why want be that done in full resolution like 1680x1050? It's not 2002 anymore to keep with such awful quality....

[L[0ne]R]

With some tweaks this could look great and really change the way people first re-act to Soldat when playing first times.
And of course, should be available for all resolutions while it is stretched, unlike the free space we've now when res change.

Any particular tweaks you have in mind?

Sadly, I need to say that I didn't enjoy that layout... It shouldn't be so simplified. Why wont be that done in full resolution like 1680x1050? It's not 2002 anymore to keep with such awful quality....

It's a compatibility thing, you know how it goes...

Either way, here's how I think resizing should be done:
In 640x480 res you would see the bare minimum - actual content. Vertical scrollbar could be used in case all the content doesn't fit on one page (it should fit anyway, but it's still nice to have such functionality). When you go beyond 640x480 - you'll just see additional background images, banner at the top, some graphics at the bottom to not make the menu look too plain and empty. Also vertical spacing between blocks of content could be increased on higher resolutions to spread it out a bit and fill up the space.

[Bistoufly]

Nice Job!

You managed to make it look pretty neat,
while staying close to the original Soldat theme.


I like it. 

[machina]

Okay, but it looks too much like website now. Also, why won't we make some monochromes on this layout to make (among others) buttons more "button looking"...

[L[0ne]R]

Wasn't able to progress much on the GUI due to other work, but here is a work-in-progress mockup for server browser.
I'm still not sure where to put the Join/Disconnect, Filters, Favorites, History, Refresh and connection type buttons, and I'm not sure whether "Ping All" button is needed.

Also attached a screenshot of settings tab with minor tweaks.

Okay, but it looks too much like website now. Also, why won't we make some monochromes on this layout to make (among others) buttons more "button looking"...

True, it does look a bit like a website, but I can't really think of any good way to scale the interface without making everything blurry. :S It may look better if there's a demo playing in the background. Also I'm not sure what you mean by "monochromes", but for now I'm focusing more on layout, so I'm not gonna bother making actual graphics for buttons right now.

[Shoozza]

The Background is not part of the whole gui right?
Why should there be so much wasted space with the titlebar?
The X is for closing the window?
the [Lan] > [ONLINE things are buttons? What is that ----?
What does the [History] thing do? And what does Directip do?

IMHO you should try to build a basic gui without much of the gfx first so the navigation is clear and which elements are necessary. This is probably taking you too much time to prototype.

There is this tool called "Penicl Project" which is great for it.
I made the PolyWorks2 mockups with it.

[L[0ne]R]

The Background is not part of the whole gui right?

Eh.. the background is.. background? Its purpose is simply to fill the blank space outside the menu with something more interesting when using higher resolutions. What I have on the previews there is just a quickly scrapped-up placeholder image. It could potentially be something else, for example a demo playing in the background.

I'm trying to think of a better way how menu could scale, but problem is that on a small resolution every pixel matters, so a nice crisp 1-pixel thick font works very well, but is not very resize-friendly. If we can find a font that looks good without anti-alias, resizes relatively well, supports special characters and fits the style of Soldat - then proper menu scaling could work, but finding such a font will be very difficult.

Why should there be so much wasted space with the titlebar?

By titlebar do you mean just the Start/Join/Settings/Player/X bar, or do you mean the image at the very top as well?
If former: those buttons are the core element of the menu, so they should stand out at least a little bit. Also makes the menu a bit more interesting in 640x480.
If latter: the top image would only be visible under high enough resolutions (or in the profile screen) and once again, serves as a space-filler when using much higher resolutions than what Soldat natively supports.

The X is for closing the window?

Eh, I was going to replace the "X" with something closer to this. This button takes you back to profile selection screen.

the [Lan] > [ONLINE things are buttons? What is that ----?
What does the [History] thing do? And what does Directip do?

Sorry, it was my quick and lazy attempt to draw another bar with buttons/tabs that switch between different server lists.

LAN: browse LAN servers if there are any.
Online: browse online game servers.
Direct IP: connect to a server by entering a specific IP adress and port.
History: view list of servers (both local and online) that you've played on recently.
Favorites: list of favorite servers.
---- is just a separator, but I can see why it confused you. :S

IMHO you should try to build a basic gui without much of the gfx first so the navigation is clear and which elements are necessary. This is probably taking you too much time to prototype.

Well, not really. The initial concept took me a few hours, but right now im just moving graphics around. Reason I go into a bit more detail with this is because the screen space is so limited, so IMHO it's important to have at least some idea of how much space each element will take up, otherwise what might look fine on a rough sketch might not actually fit into a 640x480 design.
I'll give PencilProject a try though to make sort of a summary of  how navigation could work.

[Clawbug]

http://bokardo.com/principles-of-user-interface-design/

Learn!

[McWise]

Any news on this topic? Would be very interesting.

[L[0ne]R]

Personally I'm still somewhat unmotivated to continue work on this right now, especially considering that so far I've been doing it all wrong anyway. :S I'll wait until the devs are ready to really start completely and actively remaking the GUI, so I have more people to work together with.

[smiluu]

Would love to see Loner's GUI design complete and implemented because it looks exquisite and modern, but mostly because the worst thing you can do to him now is make it wasted time and effort.

[14th_account]

Honestly it'll probably take at least six months until we're ready to replace the GUI. Things like anti-cheat and the new auto-updater need to be finalized first. And before the GUI can be changed we need to untangle the game code from GUI code.

Too much work for too few devs. :P

[homerofgods]

I would like to see the same gui as we have, just optimized. I like our theme, but there are white fields that could be filled and more consistent colours and the text seams to have a colour missmatch.

[Bonecrusher]

RISE FROM THE DEAD!

 thoughts on why it wasnt implemented?

[Mittsu]

that convo was exactly a year ago? damn time, you fast

someone do something already!

[Adam]

Would love to see Loner's GUI design complete and implemented because it looks exquisite and modern, but mostly because the worst thing you can do to him now is make it wasted time and effort.

[L[0ne]R]

Whatever I've done so far is still nothing more than a rough idea, so I wouldn't really call it "work" as it hasn't actually produced anything usable. When I get the time and motivation (like when the dev team also gets time and motivation to work on the GUI) - I'll start over and focus on just basic layout mockups like Shoozza suggested, instead of working on visuals at the same time. Hopefully we'll actually get somewhere.

[duz]

you can use any resolution for the mockups but the final GUI has to be 640x480 compatible. I don't think that the min resolution will get changed anytime soon.

A newbie question: Why not?
640x480 its so "old"...

[Shoozza]

I've been looking for GUI inspiration a lot lately. Maybe we should have a chat (on irc) to sort out stuff.

[L[0ne]R]

What's your IRC server/channel again? I haven't used it in a long time so I don't quite remember how it works.
If anything, you can always reach me via Steam since I'm often online there.

[Shoozza]

What's your IRC server/channel again? I haven't used it in a long time so I don't quite remember how it works.
If anything, you can always reach me via Steam since I'm often online there.

#soldat.devs on quakenet

http://webchat.quakenet.org/?channels=soldat.devs