HUD or Verbs

ID:152660
 
Feb 27 2006, 11:27 am
I'm wondering. Would a game be rather played when it would all be hud/browser and no verbs tabs, or doesn't it matter? I want to hear your opinion.
Feb 27 2006, 12:02 pm
I say put as much as possible on easy-to-reach hud buttons that are simple to understand and use. However, some other players may not like that, so you may want to back up the HUD with a verb tab or seven.

--Vito
Feb 27 2006, 12:55 pm
Having a lot of verb tabs looks hideous. Putting the buttons for chat commands etc. in the HUD is annoying. In most BYOND games verbs are overused and HUDs are often pointless.

It's not a case of verbs or HUD... a healthy mix of both that makes sense is the key. Also, if you have verbs for stuff like attacking, then your game is insta-crap.
Feb 27 2006, 8:13 pm
In response to SilkWizard
SilkWizard wrote:
Also, if you have verbs for stuff like attacking, then your game is insta-crap.

Still, some of those insta-crap games can be pretty fun. :) At least in those cases, the authors have more opportunity to focus on content than glitz. (Although I'm much more in favor of pushing the Center key...)
Feb 27 2006, 8:17 pm
I think the best way to go is to have a game that can be controlled totally through the mouse, or totally through the keyboard. The player should be able to choose how they want to control their game. But since BYOND has lousy macro support at the moment, its best to provide verbs so that players can create their own macros, assuming the game requires macros in the first place. (A slow game probably wouldn't.) So since verbs are pretty much necessary, its probably best to forgo "HUD buttons" until BYOND gets some better macro support and just stick with verbs and mouse control.

However, I'd never say no to a nice-looking HUD (notice the emphasis on "nice" - crappy looking HUDs aren't worth the effort) that displays information about the game, player status and so on.
Feb 27 2006, 11:12 pm
In response to SilkWizard
SilkWizard wrote:
It's not a case of verbs or HUD... a healthy mix of both that makes sense is the key.

Could you redirect me to any games where you think that's the case? (And not Proelium =P )
Feb 28 2006, 4:38 am
In response to SilkWizard
SilkWizard wrote:
Putting the buttons for chat commands etc. in the HUD is annoying.

If you mean that pop-up text-input is annoying (Ugly too, in my opinion: Clicking on a HUD-button and then have a pop-up for text input looks rather ..ugly), then there is a solution: Make the buttons change client/command_text to an hidden verb, wich is one of the chat-commands. So they can type their text in the command thingie ...that pink bar below in DS. >_>

Example:
mob/verb/say(T as text)
    set hidden=1
    world << "[usr]: <b>[T]</b>"


obj/say
    icon=''
    icon_state=""
    screen_loc="1,1"
    Click()
        usr.client.command_text={"say ""}

client/New()
    ..()
    src.screen+=new /obj/say



O-matic
Feb 28 2006, 5:45 am
In response to O-matic
I wub you O-Matic, I doo!
Feb 28 2006, 6:05 am
In response to Mysame
Mysame wrote:
I wub you O-Matic, I doo!

Freak.


...>.>


O-matic
Feb 28 2006, 9:35 am
A reasonable idea would be to place rarely used verbs inside the panel, then toggle the panel on or off through a small button on the hud. Meanwhile, the more important commands are done directly through your hud and/or macros.
Feb 28 2006, 12:39 pm
In response to Rockinawsome
I beleive the key thing would be to allow many options and methods of doing things and allowing the player to choose and customize exactly how they relay input to the game.

This would, ideally, also allow players to turn off methods of input they find ugly.