If you could have the full space, then move the two top icons together just a little, then move the two bottom icons both out to the sides slightly and up slightly, maybe they would take up a little less of the horizontal space. Also because they need to be so large, it might be more pleasing to the eye, I’m not sure.
Yeah, that would be nice, I'd be happy with something like this.
Maybe the text area could be a bit narrower so there could be more space/ornamentation on the left of it, so that it's not so close to the inventory slots there.
I don't want to give you extra work though, you've been making a lot of mockups.
My argument for icons on top and breakdown at bottom would be that the stats in the icons are explained by the breakdowns, so to me it makes more logical sense if their order is stats -> breakdowns.
Kind of like a title -> paragraph dynamic in a book. Don't know if that makes sense to anyone else.
I tend to agree there... In my original idea I called it 'Headlines' and 'Details' if you remember... for me, Headlines are at the top, and the details sit below...
Heh… I can’t believe how fast you make mock ups @Mr2150
I think it looks much better underneath. It feels more like an integrated part of the screen then stuck on top. Especially with them needing to be so much larger then before.
OK - it's getting late now - how about I leave the two mock ups that we are happy with in a final post for tonight and then we wait for others to comment?
Summary of lots of conversation: In the last set of discussions, there was a consensus that we liked the MAIN HAND THACO + DAMAGE in one box, and the OFF-HAND THACO + DAMAGE in another. That allows you to show 6 headlines stats in 4 icons.... saving space but showing more info We also decided we liked the look of @AstroBryGuy 's 'fist' concept for MAIN HAND and OFF HAND. So these have been used in the diagrams below.
Putting together and playing with it - we eventually came to 2 concepts we liked.
NOTE - If there is no weapon equipped in the OFFHAND then the MAINHAND will move to the center of the row it is on, and the OFFHAND will disappear. NOTE 2 - My bad attempt at ornamentation is a gold background with squiggles - so please view that in the context it is meant.
Of course, others may feel differently... however which do you prefer... Headlines (Icons) at the TOP or BOTTOM?
@thedamages - I tend to use the stats in the Inventory to work out which equipment to use and check to see how it impacts my potential THACO/AC/Damage....
Fair warning: with no labels, the THAC0 and Damage numbers are going to be confusing to new players, especially because they're in the same box. And because of the way the screen is oriented vs the way the hands are shaped, it's going to be confusing as to which icon represents the main hand and which one represents the off-hand.
Other than that, my vote would be for icons on top as well, for the reasons @Mr2150 stated: I read top to bottom, so the icons serve well as a summary.
The stats themselves could be labeled via tooltips to help identify them. I realize this wouldn't be a huge help for new players, but at least the information would be there for those who checked.
On AstroBryGuy's original mockup the fists were in reverse order, which makes more sense logically, since the item in the left-side weapon slot is your right-hand/main-hand weapon and the item in the right-side weapon/shield slot is your left-hand/off-hand item.
However, upon looking at it for a minute I decided that they just looked wrong to me that way.
I agree with that @Adul - it looks funny at first but it is completely logical when you think about it... Of course, it assumes the user is right-handed (as does the rest of the game).
@Dee - Agreed as well regarding no labels - however regardless of whether the headlines/stats are at the top or bottom - we now have room also to do something like this:
EDIT - And I just realised my updated one has them the right way round visually but the wrong way logically... hmmm
EDIT2 - All of them are fixed. They are the logical representation...
Comments
Only four icons required, and still retains the self-explanatory left hand / right hand dynamic.
I’m not liking the 6 icon mockup either.
Of your proposals I like the screen where you had the 2 green rectangles around the artwork best @Mr2150
What happens if I don't have two weapons equipped however?
In that case the right-side fist could disappear and the left-side one could go in the middle? Maybe?
I can't draw ornamentation but I can cut and paste like a god.... Imagine the gold area with bronze squiggles and red circles is ornamentation:
Maybe the text area could be a bit narrower so there could be more space/ornamentation on the left of it, so that it's not so close to the inventory slots there.
I don't want to give you extra work though, you've been making a lot of mockups.
I’m really not fond of red squiggles for a BG screen.
@Adul ‘s idea for the Thaco and damage together works for me, also having one disappear and the other move to the middle.
I think more ornamentation either side of the text box is a good idea too... so maybe something like this:
I'm sure you can visualise it with two hands.
My argument for icons on top and breakdown at bottom would be that the stats in the icons are explained by the breakdowns, so to me it makes more logical sense if their order is stats -> breakdowns.
Kind of like a title -> paragraph dynamic in a book. Don't know if that makes sense to anyone else.
I think it looks much better underneath. It feels more like an integrated part of the screen then stuck on top. Especially with them needing to be so much larger then before.
We also decided we liked the look of @AstroBryGuy 's 'fist' concept for MAIN HAND and OFF HAND. So these have been used in the diagrams below.
Putting together and playing with it - we eventually came to 2 concepts we liked.
NOTE - If there is no weapon equipped in the OFFHAND then the MAINHAND will move to the center of the row it is on, and the OFFHAND will disappear.
NOTE 2 - My bad attempt at ornamentation is a gold background with squiggles - so please view that in the context it is meant.
Of course, others may feel differently... however which do you prefer... Headlines (Icons) at the TOP or BOTTOM?
TOP: Headlines (Icons) on top of stats
BOTTOM: Stats on top of Headlines (Icons)
My vote is icons on top.
Other than that, my vote would be for icons on top as well, for the reasons @Mr2150 stated: I read top to bottom, so the icons serve well as a summary.
On AstroBryGuy's original mockup the fists were in reverse order, which makes more sense logically, since the item in the left-side weapon slot is your right-hand/main-hand weapon and the item in the right-side weapon/shield slot is your left-hand/off-hand item.
However, upon looking at it for a minute I decided that they just looked wrong to me that way.
(It might just be my obsessive tendencies.)
@Dee - Agreed as well regarding no labels - however regardless of whether the headlines/stats are at the top or bottom - we now have room also to do something like this:
EDIT - And I just realised my updated one has them the right way round visually but the wrong way logically... hmmm
EDIT2 - All of them are fixed. They are the logical representation...