Core UI 3.0

[Nadger]

Hello everyone.

After a break from Vanguard, I am back and I am making UIs again. The style of UI I like still has not changed; centralized information, designed not to obstruct your view, keeping your eyes near the action and the hotkeys near the action.

So I decided to bring back the CoreUI name because it best describes what the UI is about. However, CoreUI 3.0 is a complete re-write and redesign. Much like the transition from Core 1.0 to Core 2.0, 3.0 is quite a bit different while remaining the same.

One thing that I did not like about CoreUI 2.0 was how bloated it got. It could actually make your FPS in game worse. Many UIs with a lot of options suffer from this, droxui especially. Some of you may remember a UI project that i never really finished called DuskUI. It strived to be quite opposite from Core in way of options, and could in fact increase your framerate in game over the default UI by using better compression on UI textures and getting rid of art assets loaded into memory that are no longer used. CoreUI 3.0 will do this as much as it can as well. But it will not be as options barren as Dusk was.

Core 3.0 options will include some innovations, things you have not seen in a Vanguard UI to date. I don't want to disclose the detailed on these advanced features because I'm not entirely sure I can deliver on them yet. I'll disclose them to the public as i confirm they are possible and I get them coded in game.

There will be Hotkey options galore in 3.0. Allowing you to create your own designs of hotkeys by fitting them together like stacking blocks.

So what does 3.0 look like? Well I've got some of the core parts done and functioning in game but not enough for a good screenshot so I attached the concept art to this thread. So far its turning out exactly like the concept.

HUD wise you will have less options then Core 2.0. I am thinking perhaps a total of 3 choises. 2 under character versions and 1 side to side (Core 2.0 goldeneye style)

I also opted to go with the window retexture I did for Dusk. (Blue titlebars, yellow buttons, dark marble background)

I will disclose more information and screenshots as I get more and more done on this UI.

Feel free to post your opinions of the concept art.

[Sarrene]

yay! welcome back!! I am glad to see you back again and look forwards to more wonderfull ideas and interfaces.

Peace,
Sarrene'

[dosi]

Welcome back , looking forward to seeing your Core Ui 3.0
cheers

dosi

[Nitrius]

Welcome back! I've been thinking of returning to VG myself lately, but i'll wait till after the merge i think..

[SHAKALL]

That's the good news of the day! Welcome back!

I am actually using Core + Nadger because the HUD are much better to keep an eye on what is happening in the battle.

*good choice keeping the "Golden Eye", which is the best HUD I think. But if it was possible to customize it (size, heigth, distance from the toon, ...) that would be a must.
* the other one I liked was the "..." an horizontal one with your life in the middle and the END / MANA over or under it. Problem: the colored part had to be reloaded at each log on.

Some comments on the Drox UI, which is a really good one, and on Nadger:
* The def target huds does not show the target of your adversary (neither does Nadger's ...) and I , most of the time, get some "???" instead of a name.
* All the "group huds" in Drox , do not give you the opportunity of getting a menu: disband/leave/ ...
* In Drox and Nadgers, all the windows do not have the same name when activated to be moved (semi transparent) and when looked for in the UI board. This is quite annoying when looking at what window is the one popping on one side of the screen...
* The group's huds in Nadgers are nice looking but lack of any Mana and End indication. Drox's are less fun but better.
* Good idea: the buff group button.

[Howry]

Woo Hoo! Glad your back Nadger.

[Nadger]

Originally Posted by Sarrene

yay! welcome back!! I am glad to see you back again and look forwards to more wonderfull ideas and interfaces.

Peace,
Sarrene'

Originally Posted by dosi

Welcome back , looking forward to seeing your Core Ui 3.0
cheers

dosi

Originally Posted by Nitrius

Welcome back! I've been thinking of returning to VG myself lately, but i'll wait till after the merge i think..

Originally Posted by Howry

Woo Hoo! Glad your back Nadger.

Thanks guys, its good to be back...and yeah when i heard about the server merge it finally pushed me that little bit extra i needed to come back.

Originally Posted by SHAKALL

That's the good news of the day! Welcome back!

I am actually using Core + Nadger because the HUD are much better to keep an eye on what is happening in the battle.

*good choice keeping the "Golden Eye", which is the best HUD I think. But if it was possible to customize it (size, heigth, distance from the toon, ...) that would be a must.
* the other one I liked was the "..." an horizontal one with your life in the middle and the END / MANA over or under it. Problem: the colored part had to be reloaded at each log on.

Some comments on the Drox UI, which is a really good one, and on Nadger:
* The def target huds does not show the target of your adversary (neither does Nadger's ...) and I , most of the time, get some "???" instead of a name.
* All the "group huds" in Drox , do not give you the opportunity of getting a menu: disband/leave/ ...
* In Drox and Nadgers, all the windows do not have the same name when activated to be moved (semi transparent) and when looked for in the UI board. This is quite annoying when looking at what window is the one popping on one side of the screen...
* The group's huds in Nadgers are nice looking but lack of any Mana and End indication. Drox's are less fun but better.
* Good idea: the buff group button.

Not sure which HUD you are talking about for the 2nd HUD besides goldeneye that you liked. Nor am I sure what colored part had to be reloaded. As far as the HUD sizing based on how far in or out you are zoomed, that is not possible within the limitations of the xml.

When it shows ??? that isnt the vault of the UI...thats the fault of your stats. Your INT/DEX or whatever likely isnt high enough to preceive what is going on in the battle so your character isnt sure who your targets target is, so it shows a ???.

HUDs by nature are not meant to be clicked on, they're meant to be clicked through so they dont block your ability to target or move the camera. But there will be no group HUDs in Core 3.0 as the normal group window is small enough to function as a HUD if needed.

I'll make sure I keep the window names the same as the options so its easier to tell what is what.

Since the group window also functions as a HUD (though its clickable) it contains end/mana as well as HP. So you can easily track that as well.

The group buffs/heals hotkeys are toggleable for characters that have no use for it.

[Voave]

Welcome back Nadger, looking forward to your 3.0.

[Calypsys]

Welcome back man! Go make some UI!

[Pixi]

Core 3.0 looks very nice. I'll definitely give it a go when you release it.