1.7 Interfaces

[duz]

I did a research on sctfl.net to know if someone uses ugly interfaces like predator, military etc. But I'm not surprised, I couldn't find one person using some of those interfaces.
Resuming, 99% of more than 200 screenshots I saw over there are: default, Classic, Cabbage, custom interfaces and very few players using the Micro. So Soldat have 7 useless or almost useless ugly interfaces. Right?

I suggest removing those interfaces for the new version and fix the rest with or without my suggestions for interfaces http://forums.soldat.pl/index.php?topic=44058 and over the time add high quality interfaces.

[DarkCrusade]

I can agree with this post. They have been added back then as an incentive for paying the registering fee, but they are simply outdated and not at all useful. Maybe add some really good ones to the default roster?

[Shoozza]

We will have to look though them and see if some should be removed and we could add better huds instead.

[L[0ne]R]

Heh. When I suggested the same thing years ago I was showered with comments like "Interfaces are perfectly fine, they don't need changing". I hate our old community.

Anyway, we definitely need new default interfaces. The only one I would leave in are Soldat Style, because at least that looks decent and can be easily upscaled. No need for classic or cabbage IMO either, since new default interface should be a good enough replacement for both of them. 1.6.9 default interface could become the new classic interface. Micro isn't bad but needs lots of improvement, which maybe CCalp would be willing to do. Or we could include CCalp's Simplex interface instead, though I think Micro layout is a bit more unique.

[CCalp]

Micro isn't bad but needs lots of improvement, which maybe CCalp would be willing to do. Or we could include CCalp's Simplex interface instead, though I think Micro layout is a bit more unique.

Ye, I surely could revise and improve Micro. I also plan to release a slightly modified HD-version of Dusty's ankka. However, I won't have net access for the next 12 days, and will have lots to do when I'm back on the Internet, so I can't promise to finish those before 1.7 final version is released. However, according to Shoozza's plan of having another two beta version and two RCs we still should have four weeks until 1.7 final is released (as long as versions are still released on a weekly basis). That given, I hope I can do these interfaces soon enough - if you are interested in that.
Regarding Simplex, I think that interface is pretty much perfect already. So if you want to add it to default ones, feel free to do so.

[L[0ne]R]

Micro isn't bad but needs lots of improvement, which maybe CCalp would be willing to do. Or we could include CCalp's Simplex interface instead, though I think Micro layout is a bit more unique.

Ye, I surely could revise and improve Micro. I also plan to release a slightly modified HD-version of Dusty's ankka. However, I won't have net access for the next 12 days, and will have lots to do when I'm back on the Internet, so I can't promise to finish those before 1.7 final version is released. However, according to Shoozza's plan of having another two beta version and two RCs we still should have four weeks until 1.7 final is released (as long as versions are still released on a weekly basis). That given, I hope I can do these interfaces soon enough - if you are interested in that.
Regarding Simplex, I think that interface is pretty much perfect already. So if you want to add it to default ones, feel free to do so.

Dusty's ankka feels like a true "micro" interface and has a more unique design IMO (though a bit TOO thin), so I'd like to see an improved version of that for sure. I'll talk with Shoozza if we can include your interface as well.

[Bistoufly]

I add my support to Simplex and ankka.


Great interfaces!

[CCalp]

Dusty's ankka feels like a true "micro" interface and has a more unique design IMO (though a bit TOO thin), so I'd like to see an improved version of that for sure.

I agree. I wanted to make it a bit thicker anyway.
You have any specific suggestions for improving micro interface?
Some questions that came to my mind:
1) Shall the vest bar be hidden (except when you actually have vest) or be displayed permanently, as it is now?
1b) If I hide it per default, I will have to test out various alignment variations since it would probably look bad if the health bar was alone on the left side while ammo and jet were still as a block. Suggestions?
2) Does the weapon name interfere with fire-bar on your screen as well? Ingame it does, however, in intmkr it seems to be below each other.
3) Shall I keep the nade icons as actual nades or make them really simple (e.g. a square as in my Simplex interface)?
4) Which resolution should the interface be optimized for? 4K, or less?
5) Should the ping dot be displayed?
6) Should the status text be displayed? (I think it's visible in all default interface, but that ain't 'micro' for me.*)

*If we plan to add Simplex or modified ankka as well, we would have real minimalistic interfaces, thus there would be no need to make micro even more micro... (However, then it should be renamed, now it does not deserve the name imho.)

PS: I don't know if it's clever to start discussing about specific interfaces in here. If not, then some mod might want to move this post to a new thread regarding the revision of existing default interfaces.

[L[0ne]R]

Dusty's ankka feels like a true "micro" interface and has a more unique design IMO (though a bit TOO thin), so I'd like to see an improved version of that for sure.

I agree. I wanted to make it a bit thicker anyway.
You have any specific suggestions for improving micro interface?
Some questions that came to my mind:
1) Shall the vest bar be hidden (except when you actually have vest) or be displayed permanently, as it is now?
>>> I'd make it hidden, because you don't have vest often and on many servers bonuses are disabled completely.
1b) If I hide it per default, I will have to test out various alignment variations since it would probably look bad if the health bar was alone on the left side while ammo and jet were still as a block. Suggestions?
>>>Not sure what you mean. How is health bar different from ammo or jet bar? They look the same to me, just different colors.
2) Does the weapon name interfere with fire-bar on your screen as well? Ingame it does, however, in intmkr it seems to be below each other.
>>>Can't test this right now, gotta go to work in 10< minutes. Ask Urraka on IRC, he might help you and potentially solve interface-related problems.
3) Shall I keep the nade icons as actual nades or make them really simple (e.g. a square as in my Simplex interface)?
>>>I suggest keeping them simple, but perhaps try doing something different than a square to avoid similarities with simplex. Maybe a rectangle, or a circle, or a really stylized grenade that still looks like a grenade.
4) Which resolution should the interface be optimized for? 4K, or less?
>>>It should be optimized for 4K UHD (3840 × 2160)
5) Should the ping dot be displayed?
>>>Yes, it's an important piece of info. It's in the opposite size of the screen so it shouldn't interfere with the interface anyway.
6) Should the status text be displayed? (I think it's visible in all default interface, but that ain't 'micro' for me.*)
>>>Do you mean the panel with flag status, caps, your position and score, etc. in the bottom-right corner? If yes - I'd say it's also important info and should be displayed, at least the flag caps/teammatch kills. You might be able to hide other info off-screen.

*If we plan to add Simplex or modified ankka as well, we would have real minimalistic interfaces, thus there would be no need to make micro even more micro... (However, then it should be renamed, now it does not deserve the name imho.)

PS: I don't know if it's clever to start discussing about specific interfaces in here. If not, then some mod might want to move this post to a new thread regarding the revision of existing default interfaces.
>>>We can continue discussion in related interface's thread, or you can make a new thread named "ankka remake" or something like that.

[CCalp]

>>>Not sure what you mean. How is health bar different from ammo or jet bar? They look the same to me, just different colors.

-------- I mean, right now there is ammo and vest below each other forming a "block" and ammo and jet bar forming one. If I hide vest bar by default, then there will only be health bar on the left while jet and ammo still form a block..

>>>I suggest keeping them simple, but perhaps try doing something different than a square to avoid similarities with simplex. Maybe a rectangle, or a circle, or a really stylized grenade that still looks like a grenade.

--------I like the idea of having circles as nades. I'll try that out.

>>>Do you mean the panel with flag status, caps, your position and score, etc. in the bottom-right corner?

--------The panel with flag status and caps is called team box which is mandatory imo. However, the so called status text is text with score, position, player number etc - I always remove that for my own interfaces but I don't know whether it should be there for default interfaces*

*I would like to have at least one really minimalistic interface eligible from default interfaces that comes without weapon name, ammo text and status text and has transparent menu background, so basically like my Simplex interface. There won't be many pubbers out there favouring such an interface, but especially since those default ones are a feature for regged users we should also consider more experienced gamers who want their interface to be as minimalistic as possible. I also think it's useful to make different interface styles (not only regarding look and alignment) in order to meet as many preferences as possible.

I really hope I'll be able to do those ones before final release. If SyavX releases updated Intmkr2 it will make this work much more convenient. For now, I am afraid I have to ask for some patience. A shame my real life plans for next weeks interfere with this work in a bad way. Let's see...

[duz]

I was talking to L[one]R about the fact that we have a lot of things to align on the weapon area: Ammo icon/bar, fire bar, bullets, grenades and the weapon name.
Sometimes is hard to create a interface that makes sense at all. I like the Ankka interface, but you have the weapon name above the life bar and grenades above the jet bar. I could live with it, but... I'm a perfeccionist hahaha

Then I said that after a research I saw a lot of games not displaying the weapon name in their huds, they left it on the buy menu/weapon menu.

The weapon name is one of the things that are messing with who tries to create the "perfect" interface. In my opinion, the rest is the alignment of the interface itens and the fact the Team Box items are not splitted. I've suggested these two last things over there http://forums.soldat.pl/index.php?topic=44058

In conclusion... consider hiding the weapon name.

[CCalp]

I like the Ankka interface, but you have the weapon name above the life bar and grenades above the jet bar. I could live with it, but... I'm a perfeccionist hahaha

Hehe, I totally understand that. This is actually one of the things I want to change.
FYI: Not completely sure yet but I will probably change this, the look of the nades and make the bars a bit thicker.

In conclusion... consider hiding the weapon name.

Thx for your opinion :)

[L[0ne]R]

>>>Not sure what you mean. How is health bar different from ammo or jet bar? They look the same to me, just different colors.

-------- I mean, right now there is ammo and vest below each other forming a "block" and ammo and jet bar forming one. If I hide vest bar by default, then there will only be health bar on the left while jet and ammo still form a block..

Oh, you were talking about current Micro interface. I'm not sure either... Perhaps you could have health and jet in the bottom row, and ammo bar + grenade and fire bar in the top row? Like this:

|       ammo         | fire bar | grenades |
|       health       |         jet         |

or alternatively:

| fire bar |       ammo         | grenades |
|       health       |         jet         |

>>>I suggest keeping them simple, but perhaps try doing something different than a square to avoid similarities with simplex. Maybe a rectangle, or a circle, or a really stylized grenade that still looks like a grenade.

--------I like the idea of having circles as nades. I'll try that out.

On the second thought, with the alignments I suggested above, square or rectangle grenades would probably look better, to keep with the blocky theme... Maybe just make it like Simplex, only arranged differently? Since Micro and Simplex are both simple and square, I doubt we can include them both, but Simplex already looks nice so you can just copy its looks while using layout similar to Micro (except maybe centered instead of left-aligned).

>>>Do you mean the panel with flag status, caps, your position and score, etc. in the bottom-right corner?

--------The panel with flag status and caps is called team box which is mandatory imo. However, the so called status text is text with score, position, player number etc - I always remove that for my own interfaces but I don't know whether it should be there for default interfaces*

Ah, THAT status text. Yeah, I don't think most people use it, so minimalistic interfaces would be better off without it. It'd be better to keep it on other, more detailed interfaces where possible though. I hope that in the future we can just toggle status text on/off.

[%%%%%%%]

*I would like to have at least one really minimalistic interface eligible from default interfaces that comes without weapon name, ammo text and status text and has transparent menu background, so basically like my Simplex interface. There won't be many pubbers out there favouring such an interface, but especially since those default ones are a feature for regged users we should also consider more experienced gamers who want their interface to be as minimalistic as possible. I also think it's useful to make different interface styles (not only regarding look and alignment) in order to meet as many preferences as possible.

As a long-time player, I suggest you don't hide the information on the weapon you're currently using (either icon or name of weapon) and its ammo. When there are a few weapons right beside each other on the ground, I still glance down to see which one I picked up.
Alternatively, you could get rid of the weapon name (or let it be visible for a second after picking up an item, then disappear, though that might be hard to implement) and leave the ammo, as most experienced players will know which one they picked up from the ammo alone.

Don't forget, though, that a minimalistic interface is designed to reduce clutter, as in information you don't need; it's not meant to reduce pertinent information such as how much ammo you have. Don't defeat the point by taking the minimalism to an extreme, like a person with a minimalist house who doesn't even have furniture, haha.