So Sad The UI

v0.26 allows periods and maybe dashes in the "Save" files names. v0.27 does not... There is character support for these and other characters.

Initially using the original release I found I couldn't even use dashes in the ship names. This lead me to here. I downloaded and manually installed the CE. Then the CE was moved to Steam, so I switched. Now I cannot enter simple common characters. Oh, and the filename is too short.

Really... this isn't the 80's and I expect a professional and complete UI. Any design/er that neglects the UI is just lazy.

RasterOps, if you make claims that the designers are lazy then I hope that slur is not intended at the Community Edition coders who are doing this in their own free time and of their own volition, because insulting the people who don't have to lift a finger to help you isn't the best way to get their attention. Neither is grovelling, of course, but put yourself in their shoes. If you were a CE coder, had just read that post, you had your own projects to carry out on the Community Edition and didn't have to attend to this, what would you think?

Well I apologize. My intent was to point out a bug in the difference between the two CE revs. But I vented my frustration with publishers, developers and especially designers who write the rules/guidelines that are supposed to be followed. And yes you can be a big-time publisher/developer and still screw up the UI.

So my slight was directed at the publishers, developers and designers, not the CE community. It seems more and more developers and designers are content to provide a barely functional, featureless and lacking UI. I paid for these games and I expect user friendly and convenient features. For instance, some designers are content to provide a save only feature, no delete. I'm thankful that this games design includes a delete file feature.

Oh and I stick to and stand by my statement that the [original developers/designers are] "lazy". I am a designer/programmer of almost 30 years. I think it's safe to say I have some understanding of how to design and publish a UI.

I think it's safe to say you are blissfully unaware of constraints - technical and monetary - that sadly existed during development and that had a significant negative effect on the game's UI, and I am completely baffled by your implicit assertion, if I am reading you right, that programmers also should be competent UI designers. While great in an ideal world, this is rarely the case, and those are different jobs for a reason.

More to the point, I'm also unclear on the difference between 0.26 and 0.27 here. Looking at the revision log, it seems 0.26 also disallowed dashes in save game names, but both 0.26 and 0.27 allow them in names of vehicles/soldiers. Not sure why the dash is disallowed in save names.

I'm pretty sure saves could never use dot in the filename. Am I expected now to make a cheap jab about people who claim to be experienced programmers yet can't even check their facts? I think I'll just ignore this whole thread.

To be fair the point here is about dashes, which cannot be used in any version, but are probably safe to allow.

I understand that the design process and programing process are separate aspects of program development. That these job functions are typically performed by separate persons, because their skills excel in different areas.

I don't know anything about the person or team (if there was one) responsible for developing Xenonauts. Nor am I aware of any monetary or obligatory constraints associated with this project, e.g. "publish the game by set date or enter default". I don't know if there was even a separate designer.

I am aware that a UI only takes a little time, attention and a good design. Once complete it is likely that it may not be revisited. So, more time for the game itself.

@llunak; jab, jab, jab

That's actually like a bug in the interface system. I just checked the code. In X:CE, we changed the allowed characters once. Periods were disallowed in names before then, and also after the change. So if they can be used in save games, that is actually stranger.

I can't add periods or any other non-numeric or alpha character now. But I can reuse filenames that have those (click filename, make changes and save). In this case I have only used the decimal or period.

It seems like you're expressing frustration with a software application, specifically mentioning versions 0.26 and 0.27 of the software. It appears that you had issues with character support in file names and ship names. Here's Sad DP a breakdown of your message: