SDL usage, Part 5: "Pirates Ho!" The principle of interface design is simple, consistent, and fascinating
Sam Lantingaloki Entertainment Software, Chief Programmer and Lauren MacDonell Technical Writers August 2000
Content: What is the user interface? Interactive Information Entertainment What is "good" user interface? Simple consistency fascinating our interface plot picture Navigation log game World Information Audio Conception Reference About the author
SAM LANTINGA and Lauren MacDonell have put a lot of effort when developing the user interface of "Pirates Ho!" Game. In this part of the Diary (recorded this adventure and role playing game), the author describes the principles used in the initial design of their development interface.
What is the user interface? When designing the user interface, first consider the purpose of defining it. Our three main goals are user interactions, information and entertainment.
The interactive interface allows players to interact with the game, regardless of the game, a few simple text or 3-D graphic glasses. The primary use of the interface is to convert data between game logic and players. You can't play games without interfaces. The interface tells the player what happens in the game, let him or she responded accordingly. Two user interface design (Angband and Thunder III)
The information interface shows information about the environment, characters, objects, and events in the game. This information allows the player to make a decision. In general, a picture is better than any language. For interfaces, the images merged into the game typically display information faster and more efficient than text. This can be achieved by chart or symbolic representation (how many people have some people in some characters). Use the interface of the graphical representation (RAPTOR)
Entertainment If the interface looks very interesting, the entertainment can play a role in the brocade. We like those games with good pictures and charming scenery, because the role of visual effects is even the same as the most exciting story. In addition, the detailed illustration allows the players to understand the image or environment of each person. If there is no illustration, you will lose these fictional details. They make the game world more colorful. These three issues (interactions, information, entertainment) have largely determine the method of interface design. Our task is clear: a method of interacting players and games must be created, which will provide all necessary information in a vivid and interesting way.
What is "good" interface? We have considerable experience in developing computer games, other software and user interfaces of special console games. So we are very clear what should be used and should not be used. We are still very fortunate, pay some friends working in the game development industry, their suggestions help us to strengthen and improve the definition of good interfaces. When developing "Pirates Ho!" Interface, our main principles are: simple, consistent, and fascinating.
Easy when searching for the magical rules of the "Ideal Interface", the most often hear the answer is simple. In other words, build an interface that is easy to understand and does not require instruction manuals. Or build a side bar telling the player what to do next. If we say that the interface is easy to understand, it means that there is no need for a large bunch of intermediate steps, commands, or keystrokes to access and respond to information in the game. As long as the player needs, the information will appear on the screen. He or she doesn't have to wait for a long time and have a good effort to know how to use keyboard, mouse, game lever or other tools to continue playing games. "Pajama Sam 3: you are what you eat from your head to your favor." Is one of our favorite games. The interface of this game is well-designed, so placing the mouse on an object will change the appearance of the arrow. The change of the arrow means that this object will trigger something. The player can then click this object to advance the game's plot development. The arrow changes into another style, pointing out the way to another screen. Move the arrow to the bottom of the screen, which will pop up a picture of the inventory item, at which time the player can view the stock. The "computer" icon is popped up with inventory at the bottom of the screen, and the player can save or exit the game with this icon. It must be recognized that this game is suitable for children from 3 to 8 years old. But the simplicity of the interface can make the player immersed in the lovely interesting storyline. The fun of the story and the problem in this game are not too complex interface. This is one of the reasons why we like it so much. "Pajama Sam 3" interface, including inventory some friends working in the game industry remind us not to ask the player to read the text. They tell us that players will not read text unless they must do this. They just want to play games. This is very helpful to us, because we have not created a plan for printing manuals so far. But this also means that we must be careful, make sure our interface is very simple, easy to use. Consistency We also found that consistency is very important for interface design. We occasionally encounter a game that seems to be easy to play, but this is just before we try to switch to another picture and mode. However, if you change the screen or mode, you will apply different rules. It is best to do the same thing in the same way. It is best to always find important information in the same location. Our views of consistency do not necessarily require the same screen layout throughout the game. But we recommend that the logic used in the layout allows players to find out where you can find information, and how to perform commands in different parts of the game. For example, we have been playing Blizzard's "Diablo II" in Blizzard. We pay special attention to interface consistency. Some basic commands of the game can be used in the same way from beginning to end. Browse each menu is also very easy, such as: inventory, buy / sell / trade, skills, attributes, etc. These menus are in line with the same layout, so it is easy to browse. At any stage of the game, players can also put the mouse in objects, characters, and locations to see extremely useful brief description. "Diablo II" interface, including stock menu "Diablo II" is also consistent in its visual style. The screen, menu and control bar have the same medieval fantasy look. This visual continuity is not absolutely necessary, but it adds a aesthetic enjoyment to the game experience and enhances illusion immersed in the game world.
Vivid to win, most people have a happy experience that is completely attracted by movies. The technically superb filmmaker will create and maintain a realistic world in conjunction with lighting and sound factors, so that we have forgotten in love. It is best to be so attractive. The various elements of the user interface help maintain the player directly to participate in the game world. Graphic elements allow players to visually experience the environment, activities and local characteristics of the game world. Music and sound effects have created a special sentiment and make the game's events more lively. We think "Thunder III" is the extremely realistic game. If there is no creepy sound effect and a stimulus, will it be so attractive? Another way to maintain fantasy immersed in the game world is to disguise the elements of the game into part of the game world. Film Review Home The term "Diegetic" describes the sound generated by the people or objects visible in the film plot or environment (usually music). A simple example of the context element is music that is accompanied by the appearance of the piano or coin-operated automatic arcuator. Music is still part of the movie soundtrack, but it is not a background music because it has become part of the film. In terms of interface design, there is no better words to describe the tools, menus, or other features decorated into part of the game. (In addition, if you use it in your dialogue, your friend will leave a deep impression on this.) Let's take a look at the example of the scene elements in the game. Interplay's "Fallout II" interface includes "PIP BOY" (a handheld aircraft shooting game containing information, electronic map display, and information files regarding the game world). "Pip Boy" can also allow players "Waiting" a specific time (indicating the game's world time forward). In fact, "PIP BOY" in the game is used to retrieve information from different locations of the computer. This smart scenario tool allows players to find information without having to exit the game world, making the boundaries between the game world and the real world be more vague. "Fallout II" interface - "PIP BOY" screen How is our interface? So what happens if it is applied to the "Pirates Ho!" Interface? We are still solving this problem, but we already have a preliminary design. The words you want to emphasize here are preliminary. We probably checked all the content before completing the design, but it seems ...
The focus of our interface is the plot picture. The plot screen allows players to observe what happened and gain information about location, time and characters. This picture shows war, travel and dialogue (in other words, the game's plot). The large image on the right side of the screen displays the top view of the live or vessel seen by the player, and the surrounding environment (during the sea travel and war). The image above the left shows information about the location, environment, the weather in the day and the current location of the person. The picture below the left is always a map, which can be a map of the game world, or a map of a small town or smaller area, depending on the location of the person's travel.
So far, our plan is to build everything in the interface to respond to the command. There may be some keyboard shortcuts or other functions in the future, but now, it seems to be the simplest and most direct way. We plan to include the description of objects, locations, buttons, and characters, as long as the player's mouse is placed on these objects, there will be a corresponding description. By using all interactions in the game, the same layout is used, and the information available everywhere, it is desirable to balance the simpleness, appearance consistency, and information availability.
Game layout
Navigation Log "Navigation Log" is an example of a good story element in our design. We use it to decorate information about the status, reserves, inventories, and crew. It is similar to a notebook, and there are three parts that each contain different information. In the plot screen, you can click on this information in the name of the book near the bottom of the screen. Part of the or one "page" log will contain basic printed information, which will be automatically entered and updated. Players can enter their own annotations in the log in detail this information. The next page will display more detailed information about reserves and property, and you can choose weapons, reserve, and other items that they carry them when they leave. The third page will display the information about the crew and allow the player to assign property, weapons, and reserves to the crew. We tried to merge the summary information in the log into the plot screen so that players don't have to spend time searching for them to find in different screens. Navigation Log Game World Information We develop another scenario will record the history, economy, geography and culture of the game world. This information allows players to understand the basic model of the event in the game world. This information will be displayed in the environment of the reference tool "Island Jane" created by the main matrix Frederick Figgleworth. FiggleWorth sometimes appears in the game, he will communicate with the player. According to the previous opposition to let the player read too many text statements, then we include text messages about the game world, there are some contradictions. That is exactly that this part of the interface seems to be one of the reasons for the game world. "Simple History" is the easiest way we think that the operation mode in the game world is overview. Of course, players don't have to read history. They will eventually collect the same information by interacting and adventing in the game. "Jane" is designed to be the only source of the replenishment tool instead of the game world information. "Simple History" Reference Tool
Although the audio has not been determined, we still plan to merge audio characteristics into the interface. We may not play episodes throughout the game, but may play some music that meets the special occasion. We have listened to some traditional folk songs and boat songs with the theme of navigation, and asked the musician friends to help find a violinist and a six-hole tile player. We also want to use draws in some dialog screens, which can tell the player information about the characters encountered in the game. Of course, we will also add sound effects in the war scene and add environmental sounds in people exchanges and travel scenes.
After a large number of research and discussion, we now have the initial design of the user interface. With the development of "Pirates Ho!", We will gradually improve this design. At present, we are very satisfied with the simplicity and consistency of interface design. We do our utmost to use the interface to completely attract players in this game world.
Reference
Please visit the Pirates HO! Website can download the source code of the sample:
Eval.tar.gz (Script Example Source Code) Snapshot-043000.tar.gz (Game Source Snapshot) "Pirates Ho!" Used Library
SDL_IMAGE SDL_MIXER SDL_TTF LEX & YACC, "Pirates Ho!" Series on DEVELOPERWORKS: 2nd Edition (O'Reilly, 1992) Series:
"SDL:" SDL: "Pirates Ho!" "SDL Usage, Part 2:" Pirates Ho! "SDL Usage, Part 3: Graphic Design" SDL Usage, No. 3: Graphic Design "SDL Usage, 4: Lex and Yacc "Introduction SDL API
About the author sam lantinga is the author of the Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) library, is now the Chief Programmer of Loki Entertainment Software, which is committed to producing the best-selling Linux game. He started with Linux and games to start in 1995, engaged in various DOM! Tools, and porting Macintosh game Maelstrom to Linux. Lauren MacDonell is a free technical writer and a cooperative developer of "Pirates Ho!".
