GUI Attempt

[RaXaR]

Here's a quicky for the color variations.  Let me know what you guys think ... I'm off to try and build an Alien Carrier    (Edit: Oops, left one pic out.)

[Wanderer]

I really like the actual interface you've come up with on the second shot, it feels much more open and spacious than the current one, using and even enhancing the background image rather than concealing it.

I agree with that.  One of the things I like about this look is what it says to me.  I imagine sitting in a little bubble in space... watching the invasion start pouring in, and then a small display popping up in front of me with the AI quoting "And now whatcha wanna do about it?"

The only things that still niggle at me are the background and the blue 'UFO'.

I personally like the Blue UFO... but we've already seen that my tastes aren't mainstream.   I'm confused though... what background are you mentioning here?  The starscape?

[EDIT]  Alright, you're right Winter.  The other colors look better.  I'll shaddup now.

[BTAxis]

No, I still like the blue one best. Green for the menu, though (the blue one is alright too, but green looks best in my opinion). Like in the first version of this shot. Red clashes too much with the overall green theme, and yellow just looks silly.

[Mattn]

i like the yellow and the blue one - but not the red ones....

[inquisiteur2]

those screens are awesome, maybe the starting screen can rotate between the classic GIU and this one randomly at every launch of the game ?

I prefer the blue one, yellow and dark red one are definitly not good.

edit - Im not sure if Earth can accomodate such amount of aliens  :shock:

[BTAxis]

I'd prefer the GUI to be always the same, depending on the settings the user has chosen.

[Hoehrer]

Very nice menu-graphics you got there

Just so this isn't missed: We already have a carrier model made by winter:
http://ufoai.ninex.info/gallery/crafts-and-heavy-equipment/ufo_carrier.jpg.php (Warning: It probably looks better on a different background.)
http://svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ufoai/ufoai/trunk/base/models/aircraft/ufo_carrier/

Werner

[BTAxis]

Well, let RaXaR give it a try anyway. I can't say I'm too hot for that design; it doesn't really fit in with the other UFOs. Still, I wasn't aware of this, so sorry for the misleading information.

[edit]
All right, that set me off wondering what I expected from a carrier. I think for me it would look a bit like a Battlestar, except with larger launch bays, and four instead of two. They'd also be more closely positioned to the central structure. The central structure would have a bridge-like thing up front and a large engine section stretching from the central area to the back (the FTL drive, the thing that makes this UFO unique).

[Wanderer]

Well, let RaXaR give it a try anyway. I can't say I'm too hot for that design; it doesn't really fit in with the other UFOs. Still, I wasn't aware of this, so sorry for the misleading information.

[edit]
All right, that set me off wondering what I expected from a carrier. I think for me it would look a bit like a Battlestar, except with larger launch bays, and four instead of two. They'd also be more closely positioned to the central structure. The central structure would have a bridge-like thing up front and a large engine section stretching from the central area to the back (the FTL drive, the thing that makes this UFO unique).

I don't want to derail too much, so maybe we should pop carriers off to another thread, but considering a Carrier has many fighters in it, it's kinda unrealistic we'd be able to fit one of these 'landed' on a map.  It'd be around... what... 2.5 tiles per fighter + 1 tile per scout * 20 ships + the carrier itself?   That's around 40-50 tiles, nevermind the height.  The engine would roll over and die in tears.

[BTAxis]

A carrier wouldn't carry 20 ships, though. More like 8-12, of any size (just because a UFO is smaller doesn't mean the carrier is able to carry more of them than of larger UFO types). Of course, that's still far too large to fit on one map. That's why I imagine the carrier missions to fully take place inside the carrier.

[Winter]

I personally like the Blue UFO... but we've already seen that my tastes aren't mainstream.   I'm confused though... what background are you mentioning here?  The starscape?

Yeah, I'm just not a fan of the 'billion zillion UFOs' concept.

[EDIT]  Alright, you're right Winter.  The other colors look better.  I'll shaddup now.

Personally I like the second screen from the top best, the red text has a lot more urgency to it than the very cool and serene blue. Although I too would prefer the menu glow to be green.

I did indeed make the Carrier model, and one of my main aims was to create a realistic interstellar craft, with both proper FTL and sublight modes. The big green polygons on the top are actually giant engine exhausts, VERY big, considering the whole Carrier is more than 200 metres to a side. It's also got two bombardment cannons on the bottom. The FTL drive is contained in the widening at the centre. We could make quite a nice mission around that, with a big climax around the huge drive unit.

As for missions regarding the Carrier, the idea is to have two of them -- one for the crash site, with a breach in the side of the craft while most of the craft remains off-screen. You would gain entrance through the breach and then play a follow-up mission inside.

Regards,
Winter

[RaXaR]

Hehe, choices choices choices .
Personally, I'm keen on the original green, dark-orange and blue screens.  I'm going to wait and see what happens with the Carrier thread before I do more of these. But if the final decision on color scheme is not made by a single individual .. then what about a poll?

[BTAxis]

Well, I'm guessing it wouldn't be too hard to make different color versions of the GUI. So maybe we could even include all of them and make it configurable in some way.

Polls never helped anyone.

[XaverXN]

Add my vote to the blue logo and green menu line. And less UFOs, as already said.

Polls never helped anyone.

Why's that, BTAxis?

[BTAxis]

Well, they never did. You always end up with more or less the same amount of votes for all categories so you can't really use it to base your decision on.

Besides, we don't design the game based on democracy. The people who are actively involved in the game's creation are the people who shape the game, and they do so depending on their own views. They do NOT let their views be dictated by polls.