Main Menu Status

[Napalm]

Well previously we were using the font's topic to talk about the main menu, so I've decided to make an actual topic about the Menu with status and pictures when forum uploads are back on from the move

 

Currently the status is as follows

 

-Font's created but are unable to be implemented ingame, waiting for more information

-Options main buttons implemented, with placeholder menus put in

-quit implemented fully with "are you sure you want to quit"

-background music implemented on a loop (tyrots trailer theme currently)

-credits implemented with basic list of designers as placeholder

 

I'm still having problems with the sndshder files to get localsound effects (not the music) to play. If any of the music speciallists know anything speak now. thats it for now

[Napalm]

I see springs back! Welcome back, hope ya had fun on vacation

 

Onto buisness. I need graphics for scroll over mainmenu, and "are you sure you want to quit ""yes""no" I have p[laceholders in right now. If You get on IRC I have alot to discuss, I've made lots of progress on the menus, but have a couple issues

[Renzatic]

Sprang! Need your response plz kthx!

[Springheel]

Huh? Napalm and I chatted already in IRC...did I miss something?

[Napalm]

no You didnt miss neything renz did tho.

Also All sound works correctly now, I'm going to start on the options menu *gulp*

[Renzatic]

NO!

 

Hey Nape, this might be of some interest to you.

[Springheel]

Nap, you can probably just go ahead and duplicate the D3 options for now. The menu options will obviously get modified before the release as game features are created or removed, so no need to try and get it accurate right now. Functional will do fine.

[sparhawk]

The options are the least of our worries and should go last.

[Napalm]

wow renz thats new I've never seen it before, it doesn't answer my questions but it shows that he can, thanks a bunch

[Springheel]

So how is the menu progressing?

[Napalm]

slowly, I've added a couple buttons and have all layout done, sounds work fine, still have entire load menu and more advanced sliders and such to do. BY the time we have another update I should have something complete enough to use..whenever that is.

[sparhawk]

Can we see some screenies? I'm quite curious as to the progress.

[Springheel]

It's pretty much going to look like the concept art, with a placeholder image behind it (until we figure out how to do a moving background).

[sparhawk]

Do you want a programmed background or just some animation like the moon in D3?

[Springheel]

It depends what is possible. Ideally we'd like to have something like HL2's menu, where fully animated people walk up and down a city street. But that looks like it would be quite difficult to do with D3 (or at least take a hell of a lot of time to load). So something with simple, looping animations would probably be more realistic. A shot of a city street with a building sign creaking back and forth or something.

[sparhawk]

Yes. But that was not my question. My question was, wether you want to have some effects coded in, or just an animated AVI playing a loop?

[SneaksieDave]

A real map would of course be coolest, but a well designed looped movie OF the real map might do the trick nicely, and not have to load/cache a sizable map for the menu (the id one is very simply a box and a globe model). That way, we don't have to compromize down to a lame-ass menu background, just for performance.

 

Or, there's the Thief approach. Kinda boring, but traditional.

[sparhawk]

A real map doesn't really look different for the user anyway. IMO it only makes sense if there is something that makes a map more usefull than a video. Like some random actions, or that the user has to navigate through that map in order to trigger the menu actions, instead of just clicking a button on the gui.

[Springheel]

wether you want to have some effects coded in, or just an animated AVI playing a loop?

 

I don't know what you mean by 'coded in'. My guess is that an AVI will be more cost-effective, but I'm not really up on the technical side of things.

[sparhawk]

An AVI is easier to do, because you can just make a map and capture the stuff you want to show there. If you want to have a real map with something going on, it probably needs some additional coding or scripting.

[Darkness_Falls]

Or instead of a looping city street, we could just go back to a T2-style menu with looping clockwork type stuff. It would be more acceptable by users to have clockwork and steampunk machinery looperd (which is expected to be a loop) instead of something that is looped on a city street.

[Domarius]

Lotsa commercial games use videos in the background of the menu

 

I haven't played HL2 but I think its annoying to have to load some map just to get to the menu. They are inherently longer to load compared to a video, which just starts streaming instantly.

[sparhawk]

Loadingtimewise I dont think it makes much difference. A fancy background just takes away resources. In HL2 they also use animated backgrounds and it looks coolr the first few times, but after loading it a few times you don't even look at it anymore.

[Darkness_Falls]

It took a long time for the HL2 menu to load on my PC because of that game level scene playing in the background. I also think it was slightly randomized because of their phsycis engine. For instance, there was one background where you're on the shore of some water. There's debris in that water. The wave ripples moved the debris around differently each time you viewed that menu. Maybe there was eventually some loop to it, but I don't think so.

 

But yes, I stopped paying attention to HL2's background. I'm much more intrigued by menus like T2, or the one you mentioned a long time ago, Sparhawk: Syberia. That menu ruled. Intricate clockwork gadgetry, I loved it! The little dude on the bicycle was mechanical and he would pedal the bike when you selected different options, accompanied by squeaky metal sounds. Other mechanisms on the page would turn/move when you did things, too.

 

 

Found this review of Syberia's menu on the web: "What I can say about the main menu? It is practical, it is convenient and very is pleasantly designed."

 

I wanted to find a video of the menu to share, but couldn't find one.

 

I just think we could do some neat things with clockwork and steampunk for our menu.

[sparhawk]

That menu is prtty similar to Thiefs menu and I like this theme very much. I guess the main reason why I like Syberia is because it also features this stuff like thief does. Mechanical machines apparently doing wonders.