Guys, you should definately redesign globe-GUI.

[ShinobiTeNo]

Installed the game and played a while- the main strategic game interface is AWFUL.... sorry if that hurts, but its a fact.
Everything is just split around without any intellegence. Its just awful.
Also, why didnt you make a 3D globe?

I understand that this is a freelance project, but i am really sorry for those guys implementing gui and implementing it like s#!t. You just wasted your time. :x

[BTAxis]

Instead of saying how bad it is, why don't you come up with a few suggestions on how to make it better?

Also, there is a 3D globe, just not finished yet.

[vvb]

Instead of saying how bad it is, why don't you come up with a few suggestions on how to make it better?

Also, there is a 3D globe, just not finished yet.

As for me it was unusual the first time I saw GUI. But now, after time is passed... I don't think that I want 3D-model now. It's more comfortable to see all picture at once.
As for icons of base and so on, it'll chagne some day, but now it is not the first priority.
As for letterbox and bottom menu... well... it can be improved, but it works now and works well.

 So, game designers! Don't listen to words like these. On my opinion, UFOai now is most complex 'home-made' project. YES, there is NO graphic like in upcoming StarCraft-2. But there is a lot of good-quality 3D-models.
 There are a lot of work was done, and there are al ot of things to do.
 Game designers, you're doing a great job! 8->

[Wanderer]

Installed the game and played a while- the main strategic game interface is AWFUL.... sorry if that hurts, but its a fact.

Nope, it's an opinion.  A fact is 2+2=4.  An opinion is 'I don't like this'.  Please get your FACTS straight.

Everything is just split around without any intellegence. Its just awful.

Really.. last I checked it was split just fine.  North pole on top, south pole on bottom, continents easily reached.

Also, why didnt you make a 3D globe?

You must be using 2.1.1.  New release has a 3D globe in it available via options.  If you wanted to see it before the official 2.2 release, you'd have to go through the process of SVN'ing the current trunk and working out the compilation.

I understand that this is a freelance project, but i am really sorry for those guys implementing gui and implementing it like s#!t. You just wasted your time. :x

Interesting analysis.  Wasting time would be straightening out a slinky to simply bend it back again.  Even if the interface is not to your liking, it is a functional interface with understandable contours and purpose.  It allows the rest of the engine to be accessed and function as it's intended.

You don't like the design, recommend better.  Opinions are better when it's said "Why did you split Asia across the edge of the map?!  It makes no sense, put 'em together and shift the map over!" instead of "Wow, your map sucks."  (Not that Asia's split, but you see my point)

See the difference?  Please practice on your own time before attempting.

[BTAxis]

You don't like the design, recommend better.  Opinions are better when it's said "Why did you split Asia across the edge of the map?!  It makes no sense, put 'em together and shift the map over!" instead of "Wow, your map sucks."  (Not that Asia's split, but you see my point)

You do realize you can scroll the world map with the right mouse button, right? And zoom it by holding control and moving the mouse.

[Wanderer]

You don't like the design, recommend better.  Opinions are better when it's said "Why did you split Asia across the edge of the map?!  It makes no sense, put 'em together and shift the map over!" instead of "Wow, your map sucks."  (Not that Asia's split, but you see my point)

You do realize you can scroll the world map with the right mouse button, right? And zoom it by holding control and moving the mouse.

Yes, *I* do...

[ShinobiTeNo]

Wow, how oppositive....so much energy here to allow any changes at all.
But fine, since there is at least one person, that asked why.

Here is a short explanation:

First of all sorry for the use of "me" and "you". "You" means developers. I like this personalized dialog style.

Ok, the menu is RUSSIAN. Dunno why, perhaps because i have a russian keyboard layout.. no option to change the language in the settings in game. MS style, I understand.

Sorry also if the pictures I provided look like crap,.. i am kinda customizing the OS for Litestep now, so I use old paint.

And yeah, please do not stand on the side of an error if you wish for the error to be corrected. The Good and The Better are enemies, as people say. If somebody else flames, I wont answer them at all, cause I didn't post the first post to make people angry, I posted it to make things better... If they are good for you, live with it.

And last but not least, I am talking about experience and feel here, not about designing rules. In design, rules are based on feel anyway, and experience IS personal. If its so, you better listen to those who see it at first time, since they didn't GET USED to it.

The best environiment should be invisible,seamlessly integrated to the user, with no obstacles, only what cant be avoided, should interfere , to be overcomed and learned. Its all about problems and solutions to become better. We are talking about efficiency here, and although overcoming the obstacles gives power, this power is present only to overcome the obstacles; and if such power is not transferable on other things, its a WASTE.
Example 1: Linux now - its intuitive and efficient. Read mail - several of clicks, customizing kernel configuration - several hours. If you wish to do more complex things, you got to overcome that NEEDED complexity. But there are no meaningless things.
Example 2: Just try to read a e-mail in DOS.

Now back to the subj.:


0. The decorative objects are quite huge, yet this screen is an action screen, unlike "Ufopedia". Tell me, why we don't use 320X200 screens now? Why is the HDTV coming? To see the details, to see more AND better. Still the screen looks same at 1280x1024, as it looks at 800x600.

Look at THIS site at 320x200 and at 1280x1024. The decoratives will go down in size(quantity) or up in details(quality), depending on their goals.

The other question is if designer really wanted to add this details...., or he just didn't know that.

1. The task grouping isn't ergonomic. Why such a big status bar and what do mails have in common with time? Time, money and settings belong to different levels.
2. Just answer a simple question.... what do this buttons forget there?
I discovered them when I was trying to concentrate on the screen, thinking "that cannot be, they couldn't cut what a player needs, to manage bases and PR". And then - eurica! :=) No intuition here, only mustering.
3. The last but not least... are you aware that there is a conflict INSIDE the interface. Status covers part of the map. Why not to make it dissapear if unneeded or move it somewhere else.

Personaly, I see only better graphics, because of the Q2 engine, more items and cool music, but the price of 250Megs is definately too high for this.

Other bugs:
- Some screens (Item view in UFOpedia, text scrolling screen) make 100% CPU load on Athlon3200+ and GF6800! Definately a bug.
- Russian translation seems to be made in "one pass" over night, translators brain overload with resulting errors, like misspelling, wrong text and text of one button covering several neighbor buttons included.    

Well, thats a picture of XCOM 1, made 2 minutes ago:



Copying is not an option, but study how "LOOK" and "ACTION" planes are nicely seperated; how "meaning" meets "good look".

Of course, thats not perfect. Nothing is perfect, but there are indeed many things to learn from.

Again, sorry if my way of talking is making you aggressive, you copy me wrong.

Thats not all, but we can talk(work) further if you, guys, appreciate this way.

BTW the music is just GREAT.

[ShinobiTeNo]

Instead of saying how bad it is, why don't you come up with a few suggestions on how to make it better?

Also, there is a 3D globe, just not finished yet.

As for me it was unusual the first time I saw GUI. But now, after time is passed... I don't think that I want 3D-model now. It's more comfortable to see all picture at once.
As for icons of base and so on, it'll chagne some day, but now it is not the first priority.
As for letterbox and bottom menu... well... it can be improved, but it works now and works well.

 So, game designers! Don't listen to words like these. On my opinion, UFOai now is most complex 'home-made' project. YES, there is NO graphic like in upcoming StarCraft-2. But there is a lot of good-quality 3D-models.
 There are a lot of work was done, and there are al ot of things to do.
 Game designers, you're doing a great job! 8->

Hallo, fellow russian!  

I wasn't talking about "how great this project is", complexity doesn't matter and not about graphics.
I am not blessing designers, because they DO NOT need this, they work great. But the price for someone being "very good" is for his counterpart turning out to be "very bad".
Thats why buddhists have a rule:"Kill the next buddha".

I expect my critic to make only good things - modelling , in the other case, it is useless.

[Wanderer]

Wow, how oppositive....so much energy here to allow any changes at all.

Ok, the menu is RUSSIAN. Dunno why, perhaps because i have a russian keyboard layout.. no option to change the language in the settings in game. MS style, I understand.

http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/Manual/Language  Short form, it uses your system language settings.  Since you mention paint, I assume you're using a form of Windows (though I am unfamiliar with LiteStep).  There are helpful instructions on the wiki, and it also connects to posts helping to reset your language options.

And yeah, please do not stand on the side of an error if you wish for the error to be corrected. The Good and The Better are enemies, as people say. If somebody else flames, I wont answer them at all, cause I didn't post the first post to make people angry, I posted it to make things better... If they are good for you, live with it.

Actually, your original post had nothing descriptive or explanatory as to what the problem(s) were, a useless flame as far as I considered it.  This current post is more then reasonable and helpful.

The best environiment should be invisible,seamlessly integrated to the user, with no obstacles, only what cant be avoided, should interfere , to be overcomed and learned.

(snip)

I believe, in general, we'd all agree with this.  Thank you for helping to spell out the difficulties you had with the Global view.

Regarding the translations, there are numerous translations constantly occuring on the wiki http://ufoai.ninex.info/wiki/index.php/Contribute that I'm sure will benefit from your assistance.

Again, sorry if my way of talking is making you aggressive, you copy me wrong.

Thats not all, but we can talk(work) further if you, guys, appreciate this way.

I can't speak for anyone else, but if you'll accept my apologies, I'll accept yours.

[BTAxis]

(though I am unfamiliar with LiteStep).

LiteStep is an alternative shell for Windows (alternative to Explorer) that is customizable to a large degree. I found it to be mostly crappy, though.

[ShinobiTeNo]

Well, actually with my first post I wanted to see, if anyone is interested in this at all. There was no goal to make a detailed explanation running into the void... I already did that mistake.

Thanks for wiki link!
 :beer: :beer:


PS:
As for litestep, it requires "input". Litestep is only a engine, user should design what fits him. There are plenty of modules for this.