Is the User Interface the Fundamental part of a Game?
What makes it Fundamental?
How do you make it the Core Feature of your Game?
- Make it:
- Simple
- Clear
- Enjoyable
- Customizable
Simplicity
- Simplify the gameplay
- How do you access the Interface?
- Through which controls?
- Are there shortcuts?
- Which pages do they give you access to?
- Is it easy?
- Is it instantaneous?
- Do you need to wait for the interface to load?
- Does an animation play?
- How long is it?
- Is it necessary?
- Where are the Gauges?
- Are they systematically visible?
- Do they disappear?
- Are they placed on the Character?
- Do you have a scoring system?
- How is it displayed?
- How discreet is it?
- Is it on On Play-Screen?
- Is it over the Character’s head?
- Does it follow the Character?
- Is it Fixed?
- 1 Page
- You want to have the Core Information on 1 page.
- Status
- Afflictions/Alterations
- Class/Function/Role/Statistics
- Skills – Combat & Exploration
- Inventory
- Active slots
- Items
- Consumable
- Reusable
- Equipment
- Spells
- Core Rules
- Can I use this interface without having to read instructions?
- Map/Mini-Map (if you need 1)
- Can you zoom on the Map?
- How clear is it?
- Which Icons do you use?
- How clear are your Icons?
- Active Quest
- Main Quest
- Guilds/Factions Quests
- other Quests available
- Then you can have Sub-Menus for each Category.
- Team
- If you have a Team of Character, you’ll also want to display their data on 1 page.
- This allows to visualize Relationships more easily.
Clarity
- What is Clarity?
- Which parts of the Interface Clarify the gameplay?
- Which parts of the Interface Obscure the gameplay?
- What are the dominant its Colors?
- What do they indicate?
- Does this interface tell me what I need to know right now?
- Keeping it to the Minimum.
- At each stage ask:
- What can be shorten?
- What can be removed?
- What is Crucial right now?
- What is Fundamental in general?
- How easy is it to find?
- Where should I look for?
- How deep are the menus?
- Do they hide Information?
- Is it necessary?
- How do I display this Information?
- Clarity in Context
- Which are the most prominent Situations in your Game?
- How do they affect the Interface?
- Does the Interface Change?
- In a Fight?
- When the Character is in Danger?
- When the Character Rests?
- How does the Interface help the Player?
- While Tracking an Objective?
- Does it display the Way to this Objective?
- Is it displayed clearly?
Enjoyment
- Aesthetics
- How do you make it Visually pleasing?
- How do you develop a sense of Aesthetic?
- Which Kind?
- How do you Design it?
- Which genre is your Game?
- Which Setting did you choose?
- How do you decorate your Interface?
- Which Motives do you use?
- Which Scriptures?
- What do they represent?
- Which language is it?
- What does it tell you about the Game’s Story?
- Which images do you use?
- Which Drawings?
- Which Paintings?
- Is it a 3-Dimensional Interface?
- Which Sculptures do you use?
- Which Embellishments?
- How’s is your Iconography?
- How Clear is it?
- How Attractive is it?
- What does it References?
- What’s hidden in it?
- Haven
- What is the most Enjoyable Place?
- Where do you feel Rested?
- Where do you allow yourself to Rest?
- Where do you feel the Safest?
- Does it look Reassuring?
- Does it feel Comforting?
- Does it exude a sense of Peace?
- Are there No danger in your menu?
- How do you create a sense of Peace through the Interface?
- How do you display elements of the Story in the Interface?
- Which elements?
- How do they help the Story to unfold?
- How do they help the Player to understand the Story?
- Which Symbol represent this Interface?
- How is this Symbol represented?
- How does it convey agreeable feelings?
- Which feelings?
- Why do you want to return to this Place?
- Integrated Interface
- How do you create an Intrinsic Interface?
- How do you create a Discrete Interface?
- How do you create a sense of Flavor through the Interface?
- How can you integrate your Interface in the World?
- Is it accessible from a Specific Setting?
- Is it a Setting itself?
- Is it Story Driven?
- Which Story elements do you integrate in the interface?
- Where are they?
- Are they hidden?
- Is it Environment Driven?
- Which Environmental elements do you integrate in the interface?
- Are they Visual?
- Are they Auditive?
- Do they stimulate other Senses?
Customization
- Blocks
- Create Blocks of Information.
- Movable Blocks.
- Of Different Size.
- Of Different Colors.
- All of them will be Specific to the Block’s function.
- Puzzle
- Is your Interface complete?
- Since the Beginning?
- How can you complete it?
- Is your Interface a Puzzle?
- Does it need to be completed?
- Where are the pieces?
- Where can they be found?
- What should the Players not be able to do?
- Remove essential information.
- The Map.
- The Inventory.
- And Status Information.
- All this Information should be locked to the Interface.
- Their position could be changed.
- Without being removed.
- Appropriation & Individuation
- A Customizable Interface creates a sense of Character.
- It helps the Player to appropriate herself the Game.
- Why would you want this?
- Attachment enhances the Replayability of your Game.