Jump to content

New Geoscape UI preview!


Chris

Recommended Posts

I must admit I am a little disappointed.

Not sure what was wrong with the old geoscape as never saw much criticism of it?

IMHO it looks like a board game screen now as opposed to a satellite feed. Granted a satellite feed at high res might not be realistic for the 70s I think its a far cry better than the hand-drawn look.

Maybe if I understood what this physically represented it might help. Is this supposed to be a satellite feed, or is this a projector image (doesn't look like one) or a large TV?

It seems like the look you are going for would actually look better if you had it like the command board seen on the title screen. You could have the icons for UFOs etc look almost liked 3d models placed on the board. Then the art-style would not look out of place.

Ok its a case of you can't satisfy everyone but I personally thought the old geoscape was the coolest thing about the old UI as it allowed me to suspend disbelief that I was playing a game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inasmuch as it looks absolutely same as it was before(shadow sprite is just little more transparent) I think it will change as previous one did.

I am a little confuse. you mean the map will change as time pass by? like the water will change color and turn ugly becuse invaders contamin8ing the water supplies??? cool stufsd like that?!!?!

Would also be neat to see human wars going on and as time progresss the nukes lunching and symbols showing on the map presenting destroy areas in the world. maybe times get worse. i like how the map showed anamalies so i hope it shows many other ugly going-ons like warzones and human evils big enoff to affect Xenonauts Secret Organization.

i wanna play now lol im going to my pals house when beta comes out!!! dont forget to add the feature i mention for immertion. peace everyone but no peace for aliens!!!!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

no Snozy, it's the "light map" (that is super imposed on the world map) that changes. The shape of daylight/night as it passes over the map. It simulates the earth revolving around itself on a tilted axis compared to the sun as the planet revolves around the sun. You know how days become shorter in the winter and longer in the summer? (for the north hemisphere) That is what changes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I prefer the new UI over the old one although I would like to see the colour used for the water be a little darker (probably just because of the contrast between it and the view I am used to).

The x and y co-ordinates also look a little out of place without a section of their own.

IMHO it looks like a board game screen now as opposed to a satellite feed.

It never did look like a satellite feed.

The image was high res but looked out of place dropped into the middle of a jet black ocean which looked nothing like the real ocean.

I think this new UI fits with the rest of the game artwork much better than the old one.

Chris is there still a plan to use overlays on the geoscape to display information?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An excellent and needed update.

My only suggestion is not with the UI but the recently created command room on ground assault.

The new UI is presented as though you are looking at it from the command room displayed on the wall with terminals in front. In the ground assault that map is on a table. My suggestion is to change the graphs on the wall to a world map. Then when players are doing a base invasion mission, it adds a level of realism. Hopefully a quick and cheap change!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it's quite funny how attached people have got to the awful old Geoscape. I also think it's quite amusing how a few people are claiming it is harder to imagine that you're sat in a bunker controlling everything on a big screen with the new UI, given the fact you can actually see the walls of the bunker and the screen itself (and the other people in the command room!)

I'm sure you'll all get used to it with time, anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

New one is "reads" little better in dark parts. Old cold and "wire framed" has little better mood, maybe this because it is become familiar. I'm personaly feel(I'm about whole UI) like you slightly shifts from starting cold, straight, calm, I dont know maybe serious, (in colors and design) mood to something "toy", it's not precise definitions, and it's more about directions instead of state, but it is hard for me to explain my opinion better. And I'm not sure is I'm like this direction. Maybe I'm wrong

The cold war represented by the quiet desperation of the original UI art seemed fitting. It was understated, stark and a little bleak. The new art is more colourful and positive, although it does provide a more consistent approach to the UI.

While dark and basic, the original Geoscape didn't particularly fit in with the original UI art. I think the new version isn't as bright as the other new UI art, and it's tones are thankfully fairly muted. Therefore, they fit more into the theme of the game. The two consoles provide a link with the opening menu, the base defence command center, and also with the people that appear on the new UI screens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Plus, importantly, you have access to any of the base screens from the new Geoscape at a click and the pop-up alert messages don't have to just fade out with time as they're no longer obscuring the view of the map. So we can make better use of them to give the player notifications about things happening in their base too. So more functionality as well!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it's quite funny how attached people have got to the awful old Geoscape.

Face it, a better designed UI makes your game less old school.

Of course some will hate that! It's a dangerous trend that may eventually result in the reduction of pointless micromanagement! =)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought that this thread was going to be like a poll or something, if we have half of the people saying they like, and the other that they don't like, aren't guys supposed to be changing something? Cause there's no point in opening a thread and asking "what do you think? Suggestions??" And when people say they don't like or it needs to change this and that, than you say "ah you guys are gonna get used to it", so, it's more like shoving down our throats, right?

(i'm not being a douche, I love you Chris)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think there is too much work invested in a new UI to let the players decide to simply throw it out.

Ever tried to build something under the constant pressure of advices? Result would be far from an ideal.

Details, though, can and should be changed, because no one is immune to mistakes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All of the criticism of it so far seems to be "I don't like the visual style", which is very subjective and in matters of taste my personal preference reigns supreme. Naturally I have noted that a number of people don't like the more colourful style as much, but not enough of them to make me seriously consider changing it given I spent quite a long time experimenting with the various visual styles we could have gone for and I think this works best.

If people had pointed out valid flaws in the functionality of the screen then I'd have to address that though. Such as on a previous Research concept, there was no way to select which base to hire scientists to etc - but I can't see much of that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think we have to actually try it out before we can test it's functionality?

Question: will we be stuck with the map as you have decided it or is it possible to mod the visuals of it? (like making the waters a darker blue than that light/grey blue you selected?)

Why is there a railing like that in front of the guy at the computer? (not criticizing just wondering. Is it cropped from another picture? Oh right. I figured out where it is from...)

Is that final or is it going to have original artwork made for the geoscape screen?

I'm still wondering about the font and background colour. Seems so random to have red on dark there, also seems to me it is clashing a bit. (especially with the screen glow from the artwork left and right of it.) What were the alternatives for that?

Edited by Gorlom
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick question, when we zoom in, will we be zooming in just the map, or will it be eveything belows the menu that will zoom in? including the little guys on there computers?

Cdr Radister: By Jove! the Aliens have unleashed Alien Red Vines across Asia! It's just like War of the Worlds!

Cpl Hicks: Actually, that's a close up of McKewan's head, Sir. We really have to do something about these cameras...

Like zzz1010 said, before you posted oddly enough, a link on the first post shows you a close up of Africa without the close up of the technicians' heads. Now zzz1010, about those lottery numbers...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...