I'm afraid I came to this topic really late. I have no idea what's being developed or the questions asked so far. However, like a complete whacko, I'll post my two cents anyway. First of all, menus are an awesome tool. They are useful, in fact I'd go as far to say a necessary standard part of most games. The problem I find, in our games, is that what starts out as a simple menu end up becoming this god-awful, holy crap, when will it end affair. To that end, I suggest what I feel to be several important things to keep in mind in menu creation. First, if you have a menu, make sure that speech is interruptable. Second, context menus with keyboard shortcuts are really awesome where possible. Third, and this one is often overlooked, how would it be to have menus as a grid rather than a list? Swiping/hitting down/whatever cycling method we're discussing might make it work like a list (if end of column, then next column at 0) or something, but the thing that I think we lack, most of all, is a sense of immediacy in our games, and that is at least in part because of the amount of menus and such we typically have to navigate.
This is a bit rambling, and it may be unhelpful, impractical, or unwelcome, but I do hope it helps. Please feel free to be more specific, and I'll do that also. On 5/21/14, dark <d...@xgam.org> wrote: > Hi. > > I don't see a problem with menue driven interfaces for the sort of tactical > > combat type game your developing, or indeed for various other sorts of > games. Entombed for example uses a very minimal walking system for moving > around the dungeon, but everything like equipping your characters, deciding > > on actions and targets in battle and grabbing loot is all menue driven. > > My only personal issues with menus as the only interface, are firstly, the > time it takes to go through them, and secondly, that in some situations > (particularly in games like adventure games), with heavy item management > they can be rather clunky and limit the games' content. > > For example in the now defunked game from bavisoft chillingham, every action > > takes going through at least two menus. If you are in a room and want to > travel somewhere else, you need to arrow across to "go" and then across to > the direction. if you want to tie rope onto a hook to create a grapling hook > > you have to arrow across to use in the main menu, arrow across a list > composed of both your inventory and objects in the room to rope, then be > asked "with" and arrow across your inventory to hook. > > Similarly, if you examine a desk and find a secret draw, you have to arrow > across to examine, arrow across to desk, get the description of the draw, > then repeat the process and look in the draw. this also provides complexity > > for the programmer having to continually add items to the menus, complexity > > that could easily be fixed with a limited parza system, sinse it's much > quicker to typ "x desk" than go through all those menus. > > That being said this is a very specific issue with adventure games, and > possibly rpgs with multiple characters, attacks and weapons. It does not > affect other games at all, for example yesterday i was playing a quick hand > > of spoonbill's blind gamers nomination whist, which just involves menus for > > looking through your cards and deciding what to play, (you also hit the > number for the number of tricks to bid). > > so yes, menus are an okay idea, but depending upon game complexity they may > > run into issues of being overly clunky.From reading the documentation for > your first game I don't think that will be the case, (we'll see for certain > > when it's released), but that might not be so of some of the more complex > things your doing in the future. > > As regards pausing the game, well to be honest Shades of doom already has an > > instructional menu, and the game pauses freely while your in it. It's true > it's not context sensative, but it is well laid out enough to give a very > quick overview. > > Context sensative help is of course a great idea for none real time games, > and indeed something which is really taking off in ios games which don't > usually come with manuals. Pausing a real time game is for me just par for > the course, it then depends upon the quality of the help system and how easy > > it is to navigate to find the information you want quickly. One reason why > shades of doom and the quickhelp with F1 is such a good idea. > > Beware the grue! > > Dark. > > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, > please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org. > -- Signed: Dakotah Rickard --- Gamers mailing list __ Gamers@audyssey.org If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to gamers-unsubscr...@audyssey.org. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/gamers@audyssey.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to gamers-ow...@audyssey.org.
