If a player starts your map and doesn't understand what to do, he will leave it. You want them to not leave and to appreciate your cool map. Good way to achieve this naive wish is to make your interface easy to understand. But the information you're trying to bring to the player may be complex, like treeskill in RPG. And It's very easy to turn dialogs into unreadable monkey shit mess. I'm sure, you can remember good examples of how visual design makes the map even more tangled than without any help.
Meanwhile, you're super sure, that your own interface looks good and helps players to get into the game. I'm afraid, your interface sucks too. You may feel perplexed of why no one playes your map, and blame it in reviews? Probably because you failed to visually explain what to do.
But don't worry. There's a way to help you to improve it and to make good interfaces in the future.
No mater, how complicated the information your're trying to expose is. You can make it as clean for players as you see it inside your mind. You just need to observe the rules of visual design. And there is a great book to learn how to visualize information.
You can notice, that it's very simple rule, and most of people intuitively observe it in their interfaces, but if they don't, it's one step to the unreadable monkey shit mess.
I recently played a map with the ugliest ever interface, and decided to share a nice visual design book, which may help ppl to improve their interfaces.
Yea, iterative improvement is a common way of doing things. And the curve of improvement can be steeper when you possess knowledge and understand the reason why something that suck - suck.
In my experience, it really just seems that the quality of the interface is only determined by how much work you put into it. Everyone knows how an interface they're making can look better, it's just a matter of if you're willing to put the work in/in denial of the improvement work is needed for.
I don't see how broad statements like "make it simple" are going to help anyone. It's just a matter of willpower, people should know the needed changes for a good UI while making it. IMHO.
If a player starts your map and doesn't understand what to do, he will leave it. You want them to not leave and to appreciate your cool map. Good way to achieve this naive wish is to make your interface easy to understand. But the information you're trying to bring to the player may be complex, like treeskill in RPG. And It's very easy to turn dialogs into unreadable
monkey shitmess. I'm sure, you can remember good examples of how visual design makes the map even more tangled than without any help.Meanwhile, you're super sure, that your own interface looks good and helps players to get into the game. I'm afraid, your interface sucks too. You may feel perplexed of why no one playes your map, and blame it in reviews? Probably because you failed to visually explain what to do.
But don't worry. There's a way to help you to improve it and to make good interfaces in the future.
No mater, how complicated the information your're trying to expose is. You can make it as clean for players as you see it inside your mind. You just need to observe the rules of visual design. And there is a great book to learn how to visualize information.
-> This book <-
Don't read it all in one night like a revelation. Read 1-2 paragraphes a day. And think where you could use this information.
Each paragraph is interesting, easy to read and nicely illustrated. And usually contains only one rule. For example:
§ 136. The proximity theory
You can notice, that it's very simple rule, and most of people intuitively observe it in their interfaces, but if they don't, it's one step to the unreadable
monkey shitmess.Or another example:
§ 110. Dividing by two as easy as changing channels
Dude, this one thing can improve almost every single arcade map's interface!
Or another example:
§ 108. On simplicity of design
I hope you won't be like "ehh, fuck it, my interface is great" and pay some interrest to it, it can be realy helpful.
So much hate have been given!!
@TwoDie: Go
Shut your fucking hole until I destroy you, there's not a single glimpse of hate, only pure love and compassion!
Thanks Zolden, ill get right on it.
What's happened?
@Delphinium1987: Go
I recently played a map with the ugliest ever interface, and decided to share a nice visual design book, which may help ppl to improve their interfaces.
I like the read. Informative.
My interfaces arent ugly.
How to have a pretty interface in a few easy steps:
1. Throw away all books.
2. Experiment
3. Find one you are happy with
4. Learn how crappy it is from other players
5. Make one that you like and they like
6. Decide its still crappy and improve it
7. Improve it some more.
How to have a pretty interface in a few easy steps:
1. Make interface
2. Start again from step 1.
@Zolden: Go
Was it mines & magic?
jk
No, it must be Frog Fractions. jk2.
This should be useful. *bookmarks for future reading*
But now I'm curious which map it was that you played. :P
@StealthToast: Go
Don't think I should point that map, it's in alpha stage, and its author got my message adn improving stuff.
@Crainy: Go
Right, I shouldn't have used that world, most interfaces are not ugly.
@SearingChicken: Go
I hope under "throw away all books" you mean read all books, digest their info and develop your own aestetical system to base work on.
@Hookah604: Go
Yea, iterative improvement is a common way of doing things. And the curve of improvement can be steeper when you possess knowledge and understand the reason why something that suck - suck.
In my experience, it really just seems that the quality of the interface is only determined by how much work you put into it. Everyone knows how an interface they're making can look better, it's just a matter of if you're willing to put the work in/in denial of the improvement work is needed for.
I don't see how broad statements like "make it simple" are going to help anyone. It's just a matter of willpower, people should know the needed changes for a good UI while making it. IMHO.
@Charysmatic: Go
New technologies and special designs can make them better too, this one isn't bad, is it?
This guy is making an interesting UI (at 5min mark). (its not sc2)
@Hookah604: Go
That one is cool~