Fractal Softworks Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Starsector 0.97a is out! (02/02/24); New blog post: Simulator Enhancements (03/13/24)

Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs  (Read 6751 times)

Gothars

  • Global Moderator
  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 4403
  • Eschewing obfuscatory verbosity.
    • View Profile
Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« on: September 11, 2012, 07:45:42 AM »

Just a little idea that could add some flair. The command centers on the ships of consecutive epochs are very different (the high tech ships having neural interfaces and stuff), so why not reflect that in the UI? It could be made switchable and customizable for mods.






Logged
The game was completed 8 years ago and we get a free expansion every year.

Arranging holidays in an embrace with the Starsector is priceless.

BillyRueben

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 1406
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2012, 08:36:41 AM »

The idea is cool, but I'd rather have different colors on the UI reflect status rather than ship type. I like how when you have a ship targeted the UI changes to blue when the ship is disabled.

In the future, I hope to see the armor status have a few different colors to give you a more precise indication of how much armor you have, and have a color that lets you know when specific weapons are disabled.
Logged

PCCL

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 2016
  • still gunnyfreak
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2012, 08:37:59 AM »

pretty good looking concept

+1 from me assuming it's not too hard to program
Logged
mmm.... tartiflette

Hyph_K31

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 1605
  • O' Hear My Name and Tremble! Ug Ug.
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2012, 08:41:45 AM »

I'm not too sure about this one.

It might sound like a nice idea IMO, but when I take a closer look I think it would just end up feeling a bit tacky. I.E: Lets slap on some cooooool blue UI on our computer and then we'll have the best ship EVAR!

If anything, I think that if the UI of different technology levels were to be different, I think it should be in style, not colour.
Logged

"GEDUNE, stop venting in front of your classmates!"

PCCL

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 2016
  • still gunnyfreak
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2012, 08:55:15 AM »

agreed...
Logged
mmm.... tartiflette

Ghoti

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 283
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2012, 08:57:50 AM »

color is probably easy, style is hard. That's not a bad idea Gothars.
Logged

Gothars

  • Global Moderator
  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 4403
  • Eschewing obfuscatory verbosity.
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2012, 08:59:10 AM »

The idea is cool, but I'd rather have different colors on the UI reflect status rather than ship type. I like how when you have a ship targeted the UI changes to blue when the ship is disabled.

Could you expand on that? What kind of status? Doesn't make sense to have a UI-color for when the player ship is disabled...

The current system of different colored target overlay for allies (= same color)/enemies (red)/neutrals (blue) would naturally still be present, with the neutral blue changing to another color maybe.


If anything, I think that if the UI of different technology levels were to be different, I think it should be in style, not colour.

Sure, different styles would be even better, but would require much more effort. I think this has a great time to effect ratio. Would you rather have no UI-variation at all?
Logged
The game was completed 8 years ago and we get a free expansion every year.

Arranging holidays in an embrace with the Starsector is priceless.

Hyph_K31

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 1605
  • O' Hear My Name and Tremble! Ug Ug.
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2012, 10:20:15 AM »

Well, to be perfectly honest the whole idea seems a bit pointless. Sure it would be great if there were different styles of UI (I'm going to ignore colour), but honestly, how could you make it look anydiffernt without it becoming "overcooked", that is to say too complicated with, I don't know, zig zags and cog patterns.
Logged

"GEDUNE, stop venting in front of your classmates!"

Uomoz

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 2663
  • 'womo'dz
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2012, 10:30:42 AM »

I like it a lot. It's like a different cockpit for every ship tech :D
Logged

Gothars

  • Global Moderator
  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 4403
  • Eschewing obfuscatory verbosity.
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2012, 11:07:21 AM »

Well, to be perfectly honest the whole idea seems a bit pointless. Sure it would be great if there were different styles of UI (I'm going to ignore colour), but honestly, how could you make it look anydiffernt without it becoming "overcooked", that is to say too complicated with, I don't know, zig zags and cog patterns.

The point is to improve immersion, how is that a bad thing?

The answer to your question is off topic, so I'll put it in spoilers
Spoiler
Well, if i had to design the UIs, I would do it this way:

Low-Tech would be inspired by steampunk and WWII ship/submarine bridges. There would be a physical console with embedded (mostly analog-ish) instruments, but loose tubes and wires, a bit like this


 

Middle-Tec could go in the direction 1980s computer systems, obviosly digital but pretty rough around the edges. Visible console, but much more in the background




High tech would stay like it is, no physical console visible since the interfaces are neural, just a direct overlay projected into the brain. Maybe some fancy blend-in effects.

All interfaces would become visible damaged if the hull is damaged, tubes coming loose, screens flickering and stuff. Ok, enough fantasy.
[close]
« Last Edit: September 11, 2012, 11:14:23 AM by Gothars »
Logged
The game was completed 8 years ago and we get a free expansion every year.

Arranging holidays in an embrace with the Starsector is priceless.

xenoargh

  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 5078
  • naively breaking things!
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2012, 11:55:54 AM »

I'm opposed to this idea, on the basis that:

1.  UI is a very non-trivial area in a game.  You can't just slap stuff together and build a new UI.  We're talking about maintaining multiple UIs here, and that sounds like a big waste of resources.  A color shift is not a big deal, but anything past that gets pretty significant, fast.

2.  If the UI differs in significant ways for each Epoch, it may confer serious advantages and disadvantages to players.

3.  I think it breaks the backstory a bit.  Any interface developed in Starfarer's period of future human history is, by its nature, going to be very advanced, but more importantly, it'd be fundamentally different than what we see.  We're just seeing a bare-bones analog of what the pilots using a "neural interface" would see; presumably, they don't need to see all this stuff like we do at all, because they can "feel the ship" like it's their own body and perceive the enemy's state with a plethora of sensory options, giving them a much different view of what's happening than we have.

Anyhow, I'm not hatin'; I just would rather see Alex's time spent on things that are a lot more important :)
Logged
Please check out my SS projects :)
Xeno's Mod Pack

Gothars

  • Global Moderator
  • Admiral
  • *****
  • Posts: 4403
  • Eschewing obfuscatory verbosity.
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2012, 12:36:40 PM »


 A color shift is not a big deal, but anything past that gets pretty significant, fast.

Anyhow, I'm not hatin'; I just would rather see Alex's time spent on things that are a lot more important :)

Yeah, I wasn't proposing any UI change beside the color shift, that was just an answer to Hyph's question what different UIs could look like. Hence the spoilertags.
Logged
The game was completed 8 years ago and we get a free expansion every year.

Arranging holidays in an embrace with the Starsector is priceless.

Psycho Society

  • Commander
  • ***
  • Posts: 121
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2012, 04:00:37 PM »

The idea is cool, but I'd rather have different colors on the UI reflect status rather than ship type. I like how when you have a ship targeted the UI changes to blue when the ship is disabled.

In the future, I hope to see the armor status have a few different colors to give you a more precise indication of how much armor you have, and have a color that lets you know when specific weapons are disabled.

This game absolutely needs disabled weapons to turn orange or something.
Logged

Archduke Astro

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 456
  • 99 AU from anywhere
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #13 on: September 11, 2012, 05:12:40 PM »

The idea is cool, but I'd rather have different colors on the UI reflect status rather than ship type. I like how when you have a ship targeted the UI changes to blue when the ship is disabled.

In the future, I hope to see the armor status have a few different colors to give you a more precise indication of how much armor you have, and have a color that lets you know when specific weapons are disabled.

This game absolutely needs disabled weapons to turn orange or something.

Something like that would indeed be helpful to a busy commander in an intense fight.
Logged
We thought our last moment had come
when we got a message up the voice pipe
saying that 'A' Turret magazine was on fire.....

Tarran

  • Captain
  • ****
  • Posts: 308
    • View Profile
Re: Different colored UIs for ships of different epochs
« Reply #14 on: September 11, 2012, 05:20:36 PM »

I'm neutral on the idea: But I'd suggest using orange for low tech, not mid tech, because low tech ships usually are brown, orange and red, so it would fit the style. It does not fit the style of mid tech ships, which are sand/white color.

In addition, orange looks 'older'. At least to me.
Logged
Pages: [1] 2