[Request] Keep the stony GUI skin and the original game font

AndreaColombo

Originally posted on /r/FriendsOfBaldursGate.

I've always been very fond of BG1's stony GUI, and even when I played it in BG2's engine through Tutu/EasyTutu I've always used a mod to restore it: losing it would have been tantamount to losing a bit of "BG1 authenticity". It would be great if the new and improved GUI could retain the stony skin (I'd personally keep it through BG2 as well, but I guess I'm with the minority about this).

The same applies to the in-game font. BG1 had two: one was used for dialogues and characters' stats; the other for spell descriptions and characters' abilities. BG2 only retained the latter and used it for everything. Imho, dialogues and stats looked significantly better with the BG1 font, and it has always seemed appropriate to me to have a different font for spell descrptions and abilities. I liked it that way, and besides "the double font is canon, man: CANON!" BG:EE should totally have it (again, I'd like it in BG2:EE too but we'll get to that later this year LOL).

EDIT: as it has been suggested in the comments, I really like the idea of a customizable GUI with interchangeable skins, so that every player can choose between the BG1 and BG2 skin freely.

EpitomyofShyness

I love this suggestion, whenever I played Baldur's Gate tutu I was sad about the brown GUI and missed the Stony one. A switchable GUI would be the best in my opinion, but if not that at least having the Stony GUI would be what I want.

William_Imm

Also, I want to see W_GUI as a option for the GUI - love that mod.

Zymran86

might be better with a new one i think, and maybe give the option to use the old one if its not too much work?

Dee

Rather than including mod-created skins as core options, I'd like to see the ability to easily create and use new skins. Expose the assets for the skin, or at least let the modders see what needs to be created, to eliminate a lot of the guess-work involved.

Then let the user choose which skin they want to use, from a list (ideally with preview functionality) - so that a player who's installed six different skins can choose from amongst all of them.

HeroicSpur

Hmm, I think a point about this has been mentioned recently by Trent. He said 'I'd feel very silly if we did all the UI rework and just released the same old UI functionality in #bgee. ;-)'. I accept that may have been referring to a slightly different point, namely being able to use the original UI in it's totality, but that might have some bearing on other functionality. It's possible that they may have created a new scheme/skin for BG:EE
@Aosaw: I'm sure there will be functionality for changing the skin, but we'll have to see.

In respect of the font I think Trent mentioned earlier that they've already decided to go with a more readable one. I think that's especially important considering the game will be available on ipad too. I would like to see different fonts used appropriately, but I think they might just focus on readability and asthetic, and stick with one.

AndreaColombo

@HeroicSpur

Cameron Tofer once told me on Twitter he'd try to add the original font to the game as an option, which would be fair enough for me.

Bhryaen

@Aosaw- I think HeroicSpur is right that they're already designing the GUI for that kind of easier modding, so that could be an excellent enhancement for a replayable game like BG- a sinister CHARNAME played with a black and red GUI, a heroic fighter with blue and gray, you get the idea.

That said I do hope they keep the BG gray slate as the default since, well, the brown is for BG2 and is how it would be anyway if there weren't these crazy ToB engine shenanigans going on. :-P Besides, the gray reminds me of the cobblestones in the start movie where the blood runs into- keeps the theme of addressing it in the back of my mind. I'll probably stick to the original gray slate regardless...

Bhryaen

This is a bit off-topic for the thread, but not the discussion:

A recent OsterTweet:
"The old UI had all the character gen code in it. All that is now stored as accessible / modable data. The possibilities are vast."

"Vast," my friends, "vast..."

Kore

I'm not too fussed about the style of the UI, but the one thing that would REALLY annoy me is if they altered the layout too significantly. I hated the UI of IWD2. BG and BG2's layout is just so much better and it's what we're all used to.

HeroicSpur

I'm in that very small minority that thought BG UI was very good. Everything was easily accesible with one/two clicks. The interface also felt like it was part of the game. However, I do appreciate that some UI changes would be beneficial.

Tanthalas

I am of the opinion that BG's UI can use some major improvements, but I also think that the layout is fine (didn't particularly like the one in IWD2 either).

The stuff that I want wouldn't really affect the lay-out (allow us to customize the quickbar, more quickslots, better weapon swapping, new icons for Arcane/Divine spells, etc). These improvements could all be implemented while maintaining the original layout.

AndreaColombo

I agree with @HeroicSpur and @Tanthalas about the layout. I never had any major complaint about it, though Thantalas' suggestions (from the other thread about the UI) would be highly beneficial to gameplay, imho.

AndreaColombo

Bumping this thread for new users to see.

caruga

Bumping this thread for new users to see.

I'm not sure this is good practice. For every thread you bump, another one gets pushed. If it has agrees then it's got the devs attention anyway for sure...

AndreaColombo

@caruga - many older threads have a limited amount of "views" compared to the new ones, which suggests that new users don't really dig the boards to check what has already been asked for. This is made even more apparent by the increasing number of double requests that are being posted recently. Bumping older threads is not something I'm especially fond of, but it helps to give threads visibility and avoid double posting.

caruga

@caruga - many older threads have a limited amount of "views" compared to the new ones, which suggests that new users don't really dig the boards to check what has already been asked for. This is made even more apparent by the increasing number of double requests that are being posted recently. Bumping older threads is not something I'm especially fond of, but it helps to give threads visibility and avoid double posting.

I still disagree with it, particularly as you only bumped your own posts. Maybe a moderator can weigh in on this matter...

I suggest waiting until someone makes a hierarchical digest of all the ideas.

AndreaColombo

Of course I would only bump my posts - bumping everyone's posts would make no sense at all =P

EDIT - but if you'd like to hear a moderator's opinion, I know @Tanthalas happens to be one.

caruga

Of course I would only bump my posts - bumping everyone's posts would make no sense at all =P

I meant as opposed to bumping ones you felt were worthy of attention, yours or otherwise.

Might help if the forum had a way of sorting posts: alphabetically, oldest first, newest first, unread first, etc. In fact if it were up to me I'd make unread 1st the default.

Tanthalas

If there are double threads mention them and I'll probably merge them.

AndreaColombo

I meant as opposed to bumping ones you felt were worthy of attention, yours or otherwise.

I know, but bumping other users's posts feels inappropriate: they're not mine, so they're not for me to manage. If the author wants to bump them, they can.

I agree that these boards would benefit from a better organization / customization of posts, though.

caruga

@AndreaColombo

Another thing I noticed is of the 21 new discussions I posted three days ago, 8 of them received no comments or votes. I think the forum in general has lost some energy.

Bhryaen

*bump*

I like the gray slate GUI. I want it as the BG1EE default. >:-)

trinit

i would like to see BG and BG2 GUI as an option. it is appropriate to offer a classical visual identity in a classic game.

BUT i really hope they will offer at one or two new options that would feature fresh, rich (but not kitschy or agressive) UI appropriate for fresh new options and design. personally, i hope for UI to offer more intuitive and better gameplay as well as make the game feel new.

@caruga: i cannot speak for others, but i have lost energy. it's hard to track everything so i live off occasional spurs of excitement. i am still enthusiastic about the game

AndreaColombo

Having both BG1 and BG2 skins as options would be great.

Note, however, that I am only asking for the stony *skin*, not the original layout. I know the layout is going to be overhauled and that's perfectly fine - actually, the whole point of having a new GUI. But for the sake of nostalgia and to get that authentic original BG1 feel, I would like to have the stony skin and original ingame font (I have always fancied it a lot more than the BG2 ingame font, which was present in BG1 too but only for the character sheet and item/spell descriptions).

caruga

If there are double threads mention them and I'll probably merge them.

Missed this. We weren't talking about merging, but the what official word should be on bumping threads, whether it is good practice...

ElectricMonk

I'm fully in support of this, I would like to be able to use the original stony GUI as an option. I liked the BG1 text as well, so it would be nice to be able to have that as an option, glad to know Cameron's trying to get it an as such.

Tanthalas

@Caruga, @AndreaColombo

There is no official word.

Personally, I'd prefer no mass bumping, which is why if the problem is duplicate threads summon me with an "@".

But I'm not Overhaul, I'm just a guy helping out (or trying).

Zeckul

There's a lot of room for the new UI to look much better while keeping in line with the general artistic style of the game. Whether that entails keeping the old stony look or not, I don't know.

Dee

I think there was some talk about including a "Skins" option in the menus that would allow you to select the BG1 or BG2 GUI, or even to install and use a mod-created GUI from that screen. I would prefer that as well.

Personally, I find the stony look difficult to read; I like the stony look, but I think it would need to be redone to make the text stand out more.

mch202

I Love the old GUI because it feels classic, like 12 years ago, but I woulnt mind NEW STONEY GUI so it will feel new, but yet remind you the old times