Re: Weird fuel behavior

[Hans Ronne <hronne at comhem dot se>]

>Well, I think even panes should be kept to a minimum. Believe me,
>I like the "clean rectangle" concept that SDL offers, but there
>can (and should, IMO) be windows that can be popped up demand to
>display various useful summaries and sets of details. The Tcl/Tk
>interface is way too cluttered and some things, such as the unit
>list, have minimal usefulness (construction and change-type
>selections should be done through a popup dialog window, and not
>through the unit list).
>
>The driving concept should be: which info is so useful that it
>should always be displayed, and which info is only occasionally
>useful (but useful nonetheless) so that it should be kept in an
>on-demand display?

I certainly agree with that. The first thing I do when I launch a game,
whether we are talking about the Mac or tcltk interface, is to minimize or
get rid of most of the panes (you can turn most them off completely in the
Mac interface). The only thing I want on the screen is the map, a small
floating world map, and a small floating window with the Notices.

That being said, I do like to bring up stuff like the List or Help window
now and then. But when I do, I focus exclusively on those windows and don't
use the map. This is why I think you can actually do without multiple
windows.

So here is how I think the SDL interface should work eventually. You have
one big map that covers most of the screen (like now). Anything that you
need *together* with the map should be at the bottom, like it is now. This
would include the world map and the Notices feedback. I don't think you
need on-screen access to the unit info pane or construction buttons, which
are there now. But this need may differ from game to game and should
perhaps be configurable (as in the Mac interface today).

Anything else should be brought up by switching not to another window, but
to another screen. If you want to consult the Help node, you don't need the
map at the same time, so let it go and bring up a help sceeen that contains
nothing but help. Same for advanced unit closeups. If you want to
micro-manage a unit you don't need to use the map at the same time.

The difference between switching to another window and to another screen
may seem like a technicality, but I do think it is important for the game
experience. As Stan just pointed out, it's all about suspension of
disbelief. As long as you don't leave the game and its full-screen window,
you are immersed into the game and can forget about the rest of the world.
Once you start to navigate between windows you are back at your computer
desktop, and the spell is broken.

What is very important if this strategy is to work is that it is easy and
fast to switch between screens. A single keystroke should do the job. And
the switch should happen instantly.

Finally, I'm all for popup windows if they can be implemented. This is how
the Mac interface works, where not only research but also unit build tasks
are managed through popups, and I think it is easier to use than the tcltk
interface. It is multiple full-size windows that I think should be avoided.

Hans





















>> What you can do with SDL, I believe, is transparent overlays and such. Not
>> the same thing as a floating window but a decent alternative.
>
>This might be acceptable for a pure SDL implementation, if someone
>felt like taking the effort to make such "windows". My guess is
>that true popup windows could be much more rapidly implemented
>(with expected UI components) using something like GTK.
>
>Eric