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Author Topic: 5/14 Design Update - Inventory/Looting GUI  (Read 32204 times)
Brian
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« on: May 14, 2012, 11:25:40 pm »

As we grow ever closer to launching our Kickstarter, here’s a work-in-progress look at our looting GUI to keep you excited about the forthcoming videos.



We’ve got a pretty simple layout for our inventory. The player’s inventory is on the left side, where the container or body is on the right side. The tabs at the top are toggles to quickly find items by category. You can sort through your entire inventory by advancing each page. Most supply items, thrown items, and ammo will stack. Selecting an item will show a description of the item in the 3x5 at the bottom of the screen.

Your carry weight is determined by your strength. On the whole, when you factor in the weight of your armor and weapons, your own inventory space may not be many pages long, especially if your character isn’t strong and likes to wear heavy armor and carry shields. Allies can hold excess inventory, which can be done in a trade interface outside of combat.

Additionally, we would like to tweak this inventory screen to be used for a barter interface, when we have the time. Essentially, NPCs that want a certain item will weigh that class of items higher than of an item they do not want or have too much of. Bartering isn’t common in Dead State, though you may find a few folks who will trade surplus supplies.

Also, you may notice we have toned down the colors in the GUI based on the forum feedback. The inventory screen is no different – let us know what you think.
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DrunkZombie
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« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2012, 01:03:20 am »

It is nice to see more details of the UI.  Hopefully this is just place holder stuff and I don't need to worry, but 10 lbs for a 9mm pistol!?  Assualt rifles don't even weight that much. 9mm pistol should be more like 2 to 3 lbs.

Flashbang, 4 lbs? Should be around .5 lb
 2 lbs for a combat knife is a bit heavy, but believable.

Tell me these are just place holders or if not there will be a file we can mod to change the weights.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2012, 01:08:11 am by DrunkZombie » Logged

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Brian
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« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2012, 01:15:38 am »

It is nice to see more details of the UI.  Hopefully this is just place holder stuff and I don't need to worry, but 10 lbs for a 9mm pistol!?  Assualt rifles don't even weight that much. 9mm pistol should be more like 2 to 3 lbs.

Was waiting for this - it's placeholder weight. Although some items in the game may be given slightly higher or lower weights for balance reasons. Keep in mind, items haven't received a balance pass at all at this point.
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Darkthia
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« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2012, 01:32:18 am »

I have to say that I like this new color scheme, its much easier on the eyes and a bit more believable.

 Approve
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DrunkZombie
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« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2012, 01:40:31 am »

It is nice to see more details of the UI.  Hopefully this is just place holder stuff and I don't need to worry, but 10 lbs for a 9mm pistol!?  Assualt rifles don't even weight that much. 9mm pistol should be more like 2 to 3 lbs.

Was waiting for this - it's placeholder weight. Although some items in the game may be given slightly higher or lower weights for balance reasons. Keep in mind, items haven't received a balance pass at all at this point.

Cool!  I don't mean to be nitpicky, but something like that can really annoy me.  I understand the need for play balance and I am not going to freak out over an item be a little off on weight.  However if things are way out of whack, it really breaks the immersion for me.  Yes I know I am already suspending belief for the existance of zombies, but for me the rest of the world needs to be fairly realistic.
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Zak
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« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2012, 01:53:26 am »

Looking good...

The more subdued colours are nicer, but I particularly like the extra detail in the background: the scratches and scuffs, and all the odds and ends around.
Is this the background we will see everytime we access the inventory/looting screen, or is this just while in the school, with the background changing depending on where we are in the world?
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sporky
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« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2012, 06:36:36 am »

That GUI is really easy on the eyes! I didn't mind it before, but that's an improvement. Approve
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« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2012, 09:42:34 am »

Hmh, it is very easy on the eyes and looks really good. Though I have my doubts about the grid size... As you said, it works really well if total inventory is small enough, but you know what, smaller grids the size of the icon with just an indicator for weight and count, and a separate info section might work even better, plus you could more easily see the whole inventory, minimizing the need for any tab or page switching. I personally like it when its compact. The icons look great, so in my mind there's no doubt they're alone enough to see what items is about, and with a separate info box it would work more than well.

Otherwise nothing to complain. I just dislike cramped inventories Smile
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Caidoz
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« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2012, 11:27:29 am »

Looks pretty good!  I also think the more muted colors are an improvement.  What's the Select Skill, Change Points, and Confirm Change all about, though?  Are there skills that get used in the trading/looting process?
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« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2012, 12:27:52 pm »

Looks really nice Smile
Not hoping to get metric system, but yeah, that would be cool also Smile

keep the good work up.
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Brian
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« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2012, 12:58:46 pm »

Looks really nice Smile
Not hoping to get metric system, but yeah, that would be cool also Smile

I've been hoping to get the metric system for over thirty years.

Being in the US and set in the US, we will all have to live with pounds. (And no, I don't know why we still use them in 2012 when they have been teaching them in US schools forever.)
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Blaster
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« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2012, 01:38:26 pm »

Quote
Allies can hold excess inventory, which can be done in a trade interface outside of combat.

Ugh. This reminds me of the inventory management system that Fallout 1/2 had - in other words, extremely tedious.  Is there a reason to design it like this?  Why not include all party member's inventory in the management screen? 

All, for the sake of artistic consistency, will you be changing the background screen to reflect what is being looted?  If you're looting a container, drop a picture of a container.  If you're looping a corpse, draw a corpse in there.  Little details. 

Other wise, looks good. 
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wiande
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« Reply #12 on: May 15, 2012, 02:01:35 pm »

It is nice to see more details of the UI.  Hopefully this is just place holder stuff and I don't need to worry, but 10 lbs for a 9mm pistol!?  Assualt rifles don't even weight that much. 9mm pistol should be more like 2 to 3 lbs.

Was waiting for this - it's placeholder weight. Although some items in the game may be given slightly higher or lower weights for balance reasons. Keep in mind, items haven't received a balance pass at all at this point.

Thanks for the update, really give the taste of it (feel it in my mouth)

However i'm joining DrunkZombie with the weight of items, they should be realistic and not "balanced" for gameplay reasons, just my opinion, just hoping it'll be moddable if you already make up your mind with it

cheers and thanks for the good work
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Annie
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« Reply #13 on: May 15, 2012, 05:36:35 pm »

I suddenly had a mental picture of Brian and I struggling to fit a brush hook on a kitchen scale to find out its proper weight in kilos... Wink

As a bit of background: for the first pass for items, when looking up easily located weapons (like brush hooks, bats, etc) it was really simple to find a basic weight, because places like Amazon are kind enough to have shipping weight right there on their item listing. Guns... a little trickier right there! But again, we will be careful about weight. I was just having a conversation this morning about M16s vs AK-47s (seriously, this is my life) and the person I was speaking with pointed out that one advantage of M16s is that they weigh several pounds less than an AK - not a big difference in immediate pick-up-and-use, but DEFINITELY when carrying one over a distance. That's something we can't really get across as accurately - fatigue with use over time. We sort of have to wrap that as an aggregate negative - it's a gamed-out version of a real consequence (that is, carrying weapons over a distance instead of just picking up and using - even with a car, you've gotta be at the ready - it's not a road trip there, nobody's listening to books on tape!).

But yeah. There won't be guns that are weighted like they're made out of depleted uranium. We're not THAT big of jerks  Evil
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« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2012, 05:49:58 pm »

As we grow ever closer to launching our Kickstarter...

Kickstarter will start in this month or June?
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