Deloria Origins - Main Menu Interface

[EclipseCommunity]

I've now finished the main menu interface for Deloria Origins.

This is the character creation section.
_**Removed**_

Main menu interface includes a scrolling credits screen.

Now I just need to get some sleep, and tomorrow I can work on the main interface design :)

[Zafi]

I really like it's layout. Looks like you can choose your character's look, nice!

[Robin]

Looks pretty bad. Solid black clashes horribly with the background and the semi-transparent white looks trashy. Also, it's waaay too tall. Place the buttons horizontally and don't use the default Origins ones. I realise you've slightly modified my original work but so many people are using them now that they're over-used and just generally look poor.

Your ingame graphics are very bright and upbeat. Lay off the brown and black and put some colour in there. Try and do something different rather than just emulating what's already there.

[EclipseCommunity]

I don't want to spend too much time on the interface, which is why i just used a map as the background.

What colour do you recommend in replace of the black? Baring in mind I can't do a lot with transparency as I'm not using DX8 like you are, so my windows controls have solid colours (And I'm not using Forms 2.0)

@Zafi:

> I really like it's layout. Looks like you can choose your character's look, nice!

Yes, hair style, skin complextion (white, black, asian for both male and female) and outfit.

[Lukin]

Considering this will only be an image, I don't see why you can't have transparency.

[Yxxe]

Try Blting the whole character body together. Also, back arrows! ;]

[EclipseCommunity]

@Lightning:

> Try Blting the whole character body together. Also, back arrows! ;]

I have thought of this, not even sure how to do it since I rarely change any of the blitting stuff (Which is silly since I know i can achieve a lot more if I just learned how to blit stuff).

@Lukin:

> Considering this will only be an image, I don't see why you can't have transparency.

Because picture boxes can't be transparent.

It's fine the way it is. Take a look at some of the other games around here, my interface is far from being rubbish.
As for the buttons, they're not entirely the same as the original ones, they're slimmer, and different colours when you hover and click. Plus, how many WIP games that use them are ever going to be released?

I like my main menu, it's quick and simple and gives me more time to work on the main interface.
The player only ever sees the main menu for a maximum of 30 seconds while they create their character.


[Robin]

@Xlithan:

> Because picture boxes can't be transparent.

Think outside the box. Believe me, I've done plenty without transparency or translucency. It's all down to how creative you are.

@Xlithan:

> It's fine the way it is.

No it isn't. It looks bad. This has already been established.

@Xlithan:

> Take a look at some of the other games around here, my interface is far from being rubbish.

Just because it's better than other people's doesn't mean it's actually good. You should compare your work to the best, not the worst.

@Xlithan:

> As for the buttons, they're not entirely the same as the original ones, they're slimmer, and different colours when you hover and click. Plus, how many WIP games that use them are ever going to be released?

Still the same bloody buttons. They look stupidly out of place in your GUI. Regardless of whether they've been released or not the fact that the GUI has been butchered by so many people means it looks newbish. Rather than spending so much time re-working my buttons why don't you just make your own?

@Xlithan:

> I like my main menu, it's quick and simple and gives me more time to work on the main interface.

**THEN DON'T POST ASKING FOR ADVICE.** If you want people to lie to you and blindly encourage you then you're in the wrong place. We're in to game development, not flattery.

@Xlithan:

> The player only ever sees the main menu for a maximum of 30 seconds while they create their character.

First impressions are everything. The interface tells people everything about your game. It's the middleman between the player and your game. A good interface can make a bad game better and a bad interface can make a good game terrible. You could have the best steak pie in the world but people aren't going to enjoy it if they have to eat it with a knife and fork made out of shit.

[EclipseCommunity]

I take all critisism into consideration. I don't see how it's BAD, but anything i do can always be improved.

I have an idea on how I can make the boxes transparent, but without using Forms 2.0 my windows controls will be solid background colours.

**Edit:**

Updated menu:

I will work on buttons when I get back from work.

[Jeff]

The option buttons are still dark brown.  Also, the white frame around it doesn't look too good.  It looks better now with the transparent brown box, but still is a bit ugly.  Also, about the buttons they really don't fit your game's style.  They may be different than normal and look nice, but your game is very cartoony and should have more cartoony buttons IMO.  Also, the text at the top is pretty…. beginner.  I'd really suggest making it lime green, and using a different font.  Also, don't do whatever you did to make the shine, just make a layer of white over it and then erase it until it only covers half of the text and then decrease the opacity.

[EclipseCommunity]

It's a gradient on the text. It looks boring flat, and the orange just sets it apart from the rest of the image, green makes it look all blended together.

The white bits behind the logo are just there to make the logo more clear, but I can probably keep the dark border there.

I'll be changing the buttons eventually.

I did state in an earlier post that you cant make windows controls transparent, hence why I didn't use transparent boxes in the first place  :huh:

[Link]

I thought it was great from the beginning, now I just think it's even better.Keep up the good work with your game wish you the best of luck. :cheesy:

[Robin]

@TPK123:

> I thought it was great from the beginning, now I just think it's even better.Keep up the good work with your game wish you the best of luck. :cheesy:

Yes, but we can tell you have absolutely zero graphical skill from your avatar and signature.

Some of us work towards a higher standard than the rest of the general public. ;]

[EclipseCommunity]

I'm starting over. Keeping the background image from the map. I'll probably use the same style as the old Merrmint main menu. I've used that style before years and years ago.

Hoping to keep the main game interface to a minimum. The more game screen the better.

[Jeff]

@Xlithan:

> It's a gradient on the text. It looks boring flat, and the orange just sets it apart from the rest of the image, green makes it look all blended together.
>
> The white bits behind the logo are just there to make the logo more clear, but I can probably keep the dark border there.
>
> I'll be changing the buttons eventually.
>
> I did state in an earlier post that you cant make windows controls transparent, hence why I didn't use transparent boxes in the first place  :huh:

about the option boxes color, just take the average color of the tiles its on top of, then add the transparency effects you did to the brown window.  It'll look a bit better that way.

[EclipseCommunity]

I'm going to make custom check box images.