Here's one with three tabs. Overview would contain Class/level, Status effects, General Info, Skills, Proficiencies, Ability bonuses and Resistances. Background would contain biography and class description, statistics would stay same.
Simply amazing and aesthetically pleasing. In a way similar to original design but at the same time so much more informative. 3 buttons is enough. Any button more and it will become confusing for player. If this will become default record screen in all games than I think it will end endless complaints regarding it (although other parts of the GUI still needs to be addressed - I agree with all points in the first post, especially with Worldmap ones).
Two more suggestions: 1. Please consider adding character level at the import character screen. Without it I have always trouble knowing which character from my pre-made list has been created for SoD, which for BG1 and which for Black Pits (same portrait and name). Exactly the same problem in BG2:EE with 3 different campaigns available.
2. In patch 1.3 character importation screen was presented by default right after clicking new game. Not sure about others but I liked that feature.
I have another request, this one regarding the class/kit description.
For a kit, include the entire class + kit description. If I have an Inquisitor, looking at the description tells me that I can't use lay on hands, but it doesn't tell me that I can cast protection from evil, nor does it mention the saving throw bonuses.
This just seems like another throwback to the days of the paper manual.
I agree with BillyYank on that. I always find it odd that multiclass/kit descriptions display only the changes that the multiclass/kit bring, and not the original information. It''s fine during character creation, as you can select the individual classes/base class and compare, but once the character is created, being unable to see the base class' information is rather odd.
I quite like Pecca's last suggestion, though I don't find it aesthetically pleasing how the two buttons in the middle are the same height as the three buttons on the sides. All buttons should be the same height. Also not too sure about Ranger being it's own box, and not being with the rest of the base information.
I personally also think that Combat Stats and Saving Throws should be over to the right, and stuff like class/experience, status effects and general/info should be over to the left. Experience and status effects are the most fluctuating values, and reputation is the one stat that nobody knows where to find, so placing it in the "always present" box helps.
Obviously people will always have different preferences. But the point of the left side now is that it contains static information - that every character has, so there won't a scrollbar area. On the right, things like class and status effects can fit without the need of having an isolated space for them that would be often either needed to be scrolled or have a gap of empty space.
If we put a class info with kit info together, the space needed would most likely have to be bigger than what the right column would provide, to go through the information conveniently (since it would also be combined with biography). So on the right could stay only biography and in the middle column there could be a third button that would open another window with all class/multiclass/kit information.
How about something like this - change the center column to be (reading down):
Character Name Portrait
BOX - Gender - Race - Alignment
BOX - BUTTON: Class ** (see note below) - BUTTON: Dual-Class - BUTTON: Level-Up
That way the middle-bottom 3 buttons are all the same height as the other buttons in the other columns.
** Hitting the Class button would open up a new window (NOT replacing any text as we have currently) that has the Class description and then any kit description. Let's face it - these are pretty much static until/only if you hit dual-class...
Biography would now, of course, just be your standard biography details...
I splitted the character description box to use the extra space. The class as most important description of it went up (similar to the original). If megred again, the box would be too big for just four (and much more for only three) lines of text.
Fair point @Pecca ... All the information in the right column is text, so that bar 'Next Level In' is the only bit out of place, plus that would also be the hardest bit to configure from a UI perspective (putting a graphic in a scrollbar), I'd imagine.
So that could 'fill' the missing space, giving:
That feels nice because that graphical XP information is at a glance and fully centred.
EDIT - Changed from text description to a crappy attempt at a picture.
It could work, though I think it would still make more sense to have a class label and class info button as two different things, there is really no need to combine these two as there is more than enough space for both.
The progress bar can be made to fit the theme, and it is an improvement to lot of people so it does have its place on the new record screen. I would just replace the basic vectorial graphics it currently has (and maybe adjust the colors too, though I personally don't have a problem with them). As for its placement it could work both ways I guess. It makes more sense on the right because it makes all the relevant info to be grouped together. Visually it looks a bit better under the portrait (also because the color difference against the background isn't so noticable as portraits are usually colorful too) and as pointed out, much easier to code.
The progress bar can be made to fit the theme, and it is an improvement to lot of people so it does have its place on the new record screen. I would just replace the basic vectorial graphics it currently has (and maybe adjust the colors too, though I personally don't have a problem with them). As for its placement it could work both ways I guess. It makes more sense on the right because it makes all the relevant info to be grouped together. Visually it looks a bit better under the portrait (also because the color difference against the background isn't so noticable as portraits are usually colorful too) and as pointed out, much easier to code.
I realize that some people like it, which is why I hadn’t mentioned it before. But I really don’t like it in the center under the portrait.
Hmm, that looks pretty nice. I personally prefer having a thin bar with the text above over the thick bar with the text inside as well. I wonder how it would look if the right half of the bar (the part that's currently gray) was 'transparent' (ie. the same color as the background).
I'm also not sure if the Male/Human/Ranger/Neutral Good text needs it's own frame around it that sits within another frame. That feels a little too busy to me.
Good point about having variable height text on the right. That would mean no scrollbars in the middle of your screen, but only on the far right side, which is always a plus!
For the buttons, Class + Kit info could just be "Class info", not? Your kit is part of your class.
Also, I wonder if it looks better if the side buttons are a little less wide and centered, perhaps same width as the buttons in the middle column, but that may be problematic with translations. The buttons should at least all use the same font and font size.
I'd also relabel "Off-hand" to "Off-hand THAC0" and "Off-hand Damage". Having Off-hand listed twice is a little confusing.
@Mr2150: Thanks, that's exactly what I meant, but I think we'd have to see that as part of the bigger picture to know if it looks good or not. I personally think it'll look better than a gray right side, but hard to say.
I'm not sure about the brown color, though. There ain't really any brown elsewhere in the UI, right? I think red is better, just not as bright. Perhaps a dark crimson red that doesn't scream "Hey, I'm here, come look at me!"
I personally still really dislike having the progress bar right underneath the portrait. However, having the bar thinner, with the text over it, and in a muted tone rather than red, helps. Thank you for the visual, @Mr2150 .
Comments
Two more suggestions:
1. Please consider adding character level at the import character screen. Without it I have always trouble knowing which character from my pre-made list has been created for SoD, which for BG1 and which for Black Pits (same portrait and name). Exactly the same problem in BG2:EE with 3 different campaigns available.
2. In patch 1.3 character importation screen was presented by default right after clicking new game. Not sure about others but I liked that feature.
For a kit, include the entire class + kit description. If I have an Inquisitor, looking at the description tells me that I can't use lay on hands, but it doesn't tell me that I can cast protection from evil, nor does it mention the saving throw bonuses.
This just seems like another throwback to the days of the paper manual.
I quite like Pecca's last suggestion, though I don't find it aesthetically pleasing how the two buttons in the middle are the same height as the three buttons on the sides. All buttons should be the same height. Also not too sure about Ranger being it's own box, and not being with the rest of the base information.
I personally also think that Combat Stats and Saving Throws should be over to the right, and stuff like class/experience, status effects and general/info should be over to the left. Experience and status effects are the most fluctuating values, and reputation is the one stat that nobody knows where to find, so placing it in the "always present" box helps.
If we put a class info with kit info together, the space needed would most likely have to be bigger than what the right column would provide, to go through the information conveniently (since it would also be combined with biography). So on the right could stay only biography and in the middle column there could be a third button that would open another window with all class/multiclass/kit information.
Character Name
Portrait
BOX
- Gender
- Race
- Alignment
BOX
- BUTTON: Class ** (see note below)
- BUTTON: Dual-Class
- BUTTON: Level-Up
That way the middle-bottom 3 buttons are all the same height as the other buttons in the other columns.
** Hitting the Class button would open up a new window (NOT replacing any text as we have currently) that has the Class description and then any kit description. Let's face it - these are pretty much static until/only if you hit dual-class...
Biography would now, of course, just be your standard biography details...
So that could 'fill' the missing space, giving:
That feels nice because that graphical XP information is at a glance and fully centred.
EDIT - Changed from text description to a crappy attempt at a picture.
I like that because all class related buttons (Info, Level, and Dual-Class) are all together).
Edit: I'd also make the 'headings' be that major colour too - instead of the browny/red.
I'm also not sure if the Male/Human/Ranger/Neutral Good text needs it's own frame around it that sits within another frame. That feels a little too busy to me.
Good point about having variable height text on the right. That would mean no scrollbars in the middle of your screen, but only on the far right side, which is always a plus!
For the buttons, Class + Kit info could just be "Class info", not? Your kit is part of your class.
Also, I wonder if it looks better if the side buttons are a little less wide and centered, perhaps same width as the buttons in the middle column, but that may be problematic with translations. The buttons should at least all use the same font and font size.
I'd also relabel "Off-hand" to "Off-hand THAC0" and "Off-hand Damage". Having Off-hand listed twice is a little confusing.
I'm not sure about the brown color, though. There ain't really any brown elsewhere in the UI, right? I think red is better, just not as bright. Perhaps a dark crimson red that doesn't scream "Hey, I'm here, come look at me!"