Action buttons.

[bluestarultor]

Just wondering what I could for with action buttons in a game I'm writing. Right now, I have:

Talk
Look
Examine
Take
Put
Use
Wait
Open
Close

And it's a lot. So I'm wondering if I can boil it down to six with a few examples listed here. Namely:

Eye - Look, Examine
Ear - Listen
Nose - Smell
Mouth - Talk, Eat
Hand - Take, Put, Use, Open, Close, Feel
Brain - Think, Wait, Sense, Psi (send telepathic message)

Would senses and related body part functions serve better overall than my current laundry list? Would it allow for more enjoyable ways to manipulate items than a stuffy, predefined list with "special" additional commands given as the need arose? Would it lead to too much trouble, such as eating key items? Any thoughts are appreciated.

[Meister]

Some LucasArts adventures have a similar interface. In Monkey Island 3 and Full Throttle you'd get a small menu with, indeed, eyes a mouth, ears and such to interact with objects; Sam & Max had different cursors for the same purpose. For example, in such a game you might click a person with the eye icon to look at them, the mouth icon to talk to them and the hand icon to manhandle them; with a pie instead of a person, you'd look at it, eat it and throw it with those icons. So, it's definitely a tried and, in my opinion, quite confortable to use interfacing method. You would of course need to get the context sensitivity into it to avoid situations where you keep eating your car keys.

[Khael!]

They used a similar interface in Quest for Glory, and I think a couple of the King's Quest games as well. Context was accounted for, I spent a couple tries talking to a rock and the game just popped up a little window that informed me I was beginning to feel very silly doing so.

[bluestarultor]

I have some basic pics made up. Comments?

http://i14.tinypic.com/641vwvo.png Ear
http://i4.tinypic.com/66v2gyd.png Eye
http://i9.tinypic.com/4ul235t.png Hand
http://i15.tinypic.com/2i12s2a.png Head (because my brain icon looked like crap as a cartoon, and gross done well)
http://i18.tinypic.com/4tf1l76.png Mouth
http://i2.tinypic.com/6628bw6.png Nose


I'm toying with the idea of tossing in transparent backgrounds, but for the forum, the visibility is probably better this way. Depending on the comments, I may keep them like this.

[Khael!]

Yup, that's the kind of interface I had in mind. I never got the thinky-head option though. That looks like a cool idea. The images are good - simple and instantly recognizable. I might change the background colour to something else, if you don't plan on using the transparency idea. Other that that, well done!

[Meister]

I'd narrow the bridge of the nose - not by much, one or two pixels - and make a new ear, but otherwise you're good to go.

[bluestarultor]

I'd narrow the bridge of the nose - not by much, one or two pixels - and make a new ear, but otherwise you're good to go.What would you suggest for the ear? I hate to say it, but making that thing was the biggest pain in the butt of all of them, and it was the only one I used an image reference for. XD

Does it need more defined features?

[42PETUNIAS]

I'd work on the shape as well. The bottom just kinda looks like a blob.

[Meister]

What would you suggest for the ear? I hate to say it, but making that thing was the biggest pain in the butt of all of them, and it was the only one I used an image reference for. XD

Does it need more defined features?
I'd say less, actually - try for a slightly more cartoonish look. Ears are pretty complex and as such don't easily translate into low-res images. Also try adding sound waves, that goes a long, long way in conveying the meaning.

[bluestarultor]

Spent a bit looking at better-shaded references and came up with this.

http://i12.tinypic.com/5xieglu.png


Tried messing around with the nose, but if the bridge gets any narrower than it is, the tip and nostrils look way too big. Also tried smoothing the bridge-to-nostril transition, but it just didn't look right to me. Sort of like a weird, upside-down shroom. I'll post it if people want. XD


Edit: Aw, heck, here it is anyways:

http://i3.tinypic.com/4pp1ndg.png

Edit^2: Actually, the one here is kinda growing on me. I'll probably stick with that for now.

[Khael!]

That ear looks way better. +5 at least. If you don't like the nose, you could try a version drawn from the side. It certainly wouldn't look like a mushroom that way.

[Meister]

Yup, the shading did the trick with the ear. I did a quick-and-dirty mockup though and I'd really recommend you add some drawn sound wave symbols, if only to see if it works better for you. I also tried narrowing the nose, but you're right, it looks weird. Side view might be a good idea though.

[bluestarultor]

Like I said in my edit, the newer one is growing on me. Plus, it looks a ton better at normal size than it does at 6x. As for the thread here, now I have to decide whether I want to keep it around for other graphical questions. Because I'm constantly thinking of stuff I could use for more spells. But if anyone still has suggestions for how to improve what I have here at the moment, it's all appreciated. :3nod:


Whoops! Ninja'd!

I'll see about adding the waves, Meister.


Edit:

Like so?
http://i11.tinypic.com/624mln7.png

[Khael!]

Keep that. It's got action now! I approve.

What other graphical stuff are you looking into exactly? I'd be happy to help lend suggestions.

[bluestarultor]

I actually have a TON of map and spell sprites already made. I'd like to think of them as being GBA-level, but that's just my opinion. :D

[Zilla]

I know I'm late here but I just wanted to say that there are a few games that just have one action button for everything you have there. This is very nice when you don't want your people stuck doing rediculous things, but I guess if you want a lot of different ways to interact with one thing, you'll need to do your seperation thing that you've got going.

[bluestarultor]

I know I'm late here but I just wanted to say that there are a few games that just have one action button for everything you have there. This is very nice when you don't want your people stuck doing rediculous things, but I guess if you want a lot of different ways to interact with one thing, you'll need to do your seperation thing that you've got going.
Originally, I was going for a Legend-style command format. See, I'm 20. As such, I've played a ton of games ranging from 8-bit masterpieces like Hugo's House of Horrors, to the Legend and Lucas Arts games, to stuff bounding into 3D. But this ain't 3D. XD So what I needed was a control scheme to suit actions set in a grid-based, top-view world. Naturally, I thought of Legend first, 'cause they rocked, but the main problem with their command system is the need for special commands to pop up when interacting with certain objects that have to be manipulated in a unique way. That's when I thought of Monkey Island 3's more dynamic system. I just decided to expand on it to be based more on one's six senses and the body parts involved in them. So something like the ear is primarily good for listening, while the hand, a more versatile body part, is going to be the main tool for getting, placing, combining, manipulating, using, and feeling objects.


What I most need help with right now is the GUI design, because I have a lot of specific ideas and not a lot of ideas of how to make it look how I want. This is by no means a finished project. :sweatdrop




Oh, and Meister and Khael, I'll need to rework the ear again. I just realized that the waves are facing the wrong direction. It looks like the ear is making a sound instead of hearing one! XD

[Khael!]

Dang! But it looks so good! I failed my spot check to even notice that one. :gonk: I feel less dumb now that I know the dire truth.

Why can't I remember what GUI stands for? Graphics... interface... uh? And what are you using to make this?

[phil_]

Graphical User Interface, Khael. Also, how often will people be smelling things in your game, blue? Or "head"ing things (I assume that button's for thinking, like a hint button or something). Just something to think about.

[bluestarultor]

Graphical User Interface, Khael. Also, how often will people be smelling things in your game, blue? Or "head"ing things (I assume that button's for thinking, like a hint button or something). Just something to think about.
Quite a lot, actually. I've got animal characters. Plus the head button is more in in terms of snappy things like wait, use psychic power, cast magic, use Sixth Sense, etc. I couldn't make a nice-looking brain that wasn't gross, so I settled on a glowing head.



Edit: @ Khael: The sprites are done completely in MS Paint, then given transparency in Paint.NET if needed. As for the program I'm using them for, Visual Basic.

[Khael!]

Visual basic? Paint?? Wow, the simplicity is boggling! Despite that it sounds like it'll be a pretty cool game.

[bluestarultor]

Well, if you can imagine a game whose view is based on 19 rows and 19 columns of 13x13 pixel squares on a grid, featuring round player tokens and GBA-level graphics with no animated tiles (yet), that's pretty much what I've got planned.

[Khael!]

I tried to make something like that once, like five years ago. With an RPG maker. OHRRPG i think it was called. God my game sucked. No plot! XD

[bluestarultor]

Mine is designed to make the transition to online, should I ever learn enough PHP and get the money to pay for server space. Right now, it's a personal, free-time project, but who knows? If I put it up, I might get a small community like we have here. Or if nothing else, I could sell the single-player version as an 8-bit time filler.


Edit: This is all provided that I have time to maintain it after my day job. I'm not relying on it to bring home the bacon.