Window panes for status information

[i7]

Window panes for status information

[rvdpluijm]

I think, it looks quite good actually. Indeed, it's better still to use
both information panes on one side.

Remko van der Pluijm loo u

[VictorGijsbers]

On one side would be better, I guess. I'd need to see it to be certain, but it might be a nice feature.

Both inventory and status can come to contain a lot of text, though; would that be a problem?

[ektemple]

Yes, it's the fact that they can easily contain a lot of text that originally made me give each a separate pane in the mockup. We really don't want the player to have to scroll these windows, ever. I will do a quick mockup some time soon and commit it so folks can take a gander at it in a real game.

[curiousdannii]

I'd also like to have a window for hints, and perhaps one for valid commands. They wouldn't have to be tall.

It would be possible to limit the height by not displaying everything -- instead of showing all weapons show the equipped one and then how many others you have. Give the number of grenades in total. Items without a combat action could be hidden.

Also, if we list commands that would mean that we could cut out some of the status stuff too.

[ektemple]

OK, I've put an example of stacked windows in a new "windowing" branch. They simply call the output from the standard commands, so there is no abbreviation of the sort that Dannii mentions. If we go ahead with this, it would be best to use the glulx user styles to set these windows in a smaller text size--Gargoyle is very generous with text size, and these windows should have smaller type, both to improve the look and to allow for more information.

It might be nice to do some abbreviation as well. I can see "status" simply listing the powers below the stats, w/o descriptions, but with a hyperlink to show the description of the power (i.e., you click on the link in the the status window, the window clears and shows the description of the power, and you can either click on a back link to return to the status, or just type something on the main screen, at which time the status reverts automatically.) If needed, something similar could potentially be done with inventory.

Dannii, I can potentially see a shallow (1-2 lines?) window for hints/tips at the bottom of the screen. Is that what you're thinking of? (I haven't seen the hints in Kerkerkruip, so I'm not sure what they are or how they're presented.)

[ektemple]

Also, we could of course also flank the main window with each of these windows, as in the mockup image above, which would pretty well eliminate the space problem.

[ektemple]

Don't forget to try building the windowing branch and playing a game or two to see how the side windows feel. (Note: going to the menu will probably result in unexpected behavior.)

[ektemple]

A quick to-do list based on the proposals I emailed earlier today:

• Change the status window: Background color the same as the header windows, crimson type for the room name, crimson hairline separating the status line from the game window.
• Add an inventory window that would take up the entirety of the left side of the screen.
• Abbreviate the content in the Powers window to allow it to be smaller: Show only the name of the power + its level, with a hyperlink that would show the longer description of the power in the same window (with a back button to return to the summary view).
• [ ] Add icons to close the Statistics and Inventory windows. (Closing the Stats window will also close the Powers window.) The status line should show a hyperlink for each window set when it is closed, clicking on which will reopen it. The window configuration should be remembered from game to game.
• There should be two different configurations of the status window, to be used depending on whether the Statistics window is open or closed. When the Statistics window is open, the status window will need to be only one line deep.
• [ ] Add an option to the Options menu that would turn complex windowing on and off entirely.
• Create a command to turn complex windowing on and off.
• Automatically turn off complex windowing when the window is too small.
• Swap beginner's tips in the Powers window with expert tips--primarily new feature announcements--for those who have killed Malygris 2x (or some other measure of experience?) Victor
• Tweak windowing to work with map window, and merge into automap branch (before merging into master).

Please let me know if these changes are desired, if there are any more changes you'd like to see, and whether you'd like any of these assigned or partially assigned to you!

[curiousdannii]

You may like to check out this post for your future to-do lists! https://github.com/blog/1375-task-lists-in-gfm-issues-pulls-comments

[ektemple]

Very nice, converted!

[VictorGijsbers]

It probably makes sense to assign the expert tips to me.

[curiousdannii]

Victor, I'd like to implement my hint system, but I'd be great if you could come up with what hints to give. If you want to start now you can add to the list in #40. We'll want hints for all skill levels, and the advanced hints can either be restricted until a certain level is reached, or restricted based on what has been placed in the dungeon.

[ektemple]

Automap + information panels now complete in the "automap" branch, and ready to merge into Master. As a git newbie, I'm not sure if I'm the best person to do this--don't want to screw it up!

Closed via fc71fd8.

[ektemple]

Oops, shouldn't have closed this quite yet. Victor still needs to sub in some expert tips.

[ektemple]

In merging, I'm particularly concerned with how the new treatment of monster groups will affect the graphical rogues gallery, the new psycholocation scroll, and the presentation of NPCs on the map.

[curiousdannii]

Is it ready to merge yet? I can do that when the time is right.

[ektemple]

It's already merged on my hard drive, there were no real conflicts. However, it doesn't compile, primarily due to the changes to monster groups. Merge whenever you like, or I can push the commit now and you can update the code to work with your new system...?

[curiousdannii]

Merge now and we can fix it after. :)

[ektemple]

OK, it's been pushed to github!

On May 4, 2013, at 9:07 PM, Dannii Willis [email protected] wrote:

Merge now and we can fix it after. :)

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub.

[rvdpluijm]

Hm.. wanted to check out this version, but I got a compile error: "You wrote 'Include version 1/130420 of Glimmr Graphic Hyperlinks by Erik Temple' : but my copy of Glimmr Graphic Hyperlinks by Erik Temple is only version 1/100805."
I couldn't find your latest version of Graphic Hyperlinks, Erik...

EDIT: oops, spoke too soon... looked at the source code, where I found the link!

[rvdpluijm]

Changed the fanatics-of-Aite-package reference to Healer of Aite via 6f802d0

EDIT: Furthermore, changed a reference in the table of enemy powers via 046b274, but now I'm getting a memory error. Changing max_prop_table_size didn't work. Not certain which value should be changed.

[ektemple]

There's a note in the new Glimmr Additions extension (source line for that
error) that tells where to get it:

https://glimmr-i7x.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/Glimmr%20Graphic%20Hyperlinks.i7x

On Sun, May 5, 2013 at 5:15 AM, Remko van der Pluijm <
[email protected]> wrote:

Hm.. wanted to check out this version, but I got a compile error: "You
wrote 'Include version 1/130420 of Glimmr Graphic Hyperlinks by Erik
Temple' : but my copy of Glimmr Graphic Hyperlinks by Erik Temple is only
version 1/100805."
I couldn't find your latest version of Graphic Hyperlinks, Erik...

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com//issues/30#issuecomment-17449642
.

[ektemple]

Remko, your latest commits didn't compile for me. For example, the change to "power of healer of Aite" should actually be "power of the Fanatics of Aite", per a9a3675. I've pushed a new version with fixes.

Also, I've upped two of the memory settings based on the I6 output:

Use MAX_PROP_TABLE_SIZE of 800000.
Use MAX_OBJECTS of 800.

[rvdpluijm]

Odd... the "Power of healer of Aite" did work for me, although it is clearly flawed... Wonder why it worked for me... The other correction was correct, I believe. I've missed the Kerkerkruip actions and UI one though, which still allowed me to compile.

[VictorGijsbers]

I have added expert tips. Does this issue need to remain open?

[ektemple]

Closed via be74546.