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I'm a graphic designer for webdesign and advertisement also other graphical departments.
I suggest making the icons "soft". You can get a soft look if you add a "inner shadow" with the depth of 2, opacity at 50% and blur set at either 2 or 3, for a soft look - as an example of what I mean by soft (in photoshop of course). Use different colours to give identification. Try not to make it too complicated looking.
Turn the text into links. So say in the City Report view somewhere it says "Tax" Then that word "Tax" would be highlighted yellow and maybe underlined. so when you click on it you go straight to the tax window.
When you say screens I am guessing you mean the background screens of information on your civilization, Intelligence, city, foriegn advisor. I think instead of having just a background and written words on top of it, you should have a constructed image especially made for each subject.
So lets say in the stone ages, the information could be carved into stone, or something like that? something to represent the age. In the future you see it on computer. etc.
Another idea is to have the advisor stand there showing you his/hers report.
Just try not to make it all look too complicated. use soft colours and make the images look soft.
Make it all professional looking, top notch, fit for a king type stuff.
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by Icedan (edited October 17, 1999).]</font>
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Navarro
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(Elder)
Jun 1999
time: 05:14
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Maybe a good approach is to look at interfaces that don't work.
One major Civ example is Civilization CtP. Harsh bright colours, illogical controls etc.
(I haven't finished a game yet! yuck!). Improve on that and your halfway towards a winner
I'm involved in webpage interface design. Especially concepts, look at http://logicbox.net
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jof
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Civ2, city status (F1):
show not only the number of shields a city generates per turn, but also the number of shields which are used effectively for the production box (after subtraction of shields for support)
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TitanTim
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Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
May 1999
time: 00:14
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I have a general comment about the Civ3 'look'. I find Civ2 very 'graphically pleasing'. This means that the colours complement one another. The units are the right size, shape, and colour. The terrain is easily distinguishable from one another yet flow together to create a uniform world. The units do not clash with one another nor the terrain. I hate to say it but I believe that SMAC hurts in all these categories.
Next, city screens in both SMAC and Civ2 are very nice to work with. All three people who have replyed to this point have excellent points. Basically jof is saying build on Civ3 as SMAC built on Civ2 with respect to info in the city screen (shield, food, energy/gold usage). Yet caution is needed so that this additional info can be presented in an easy and understandable way so that it doesn't become cluttered.
Lastly, I like Icedan's ideas of making links going to a more in-depth breakdown of the information in question. This is adding upon SMAC's usage of links within the help. Maybe even have the game integrate more as a web game for those people who are connected 24 hours a day. Icedan also has a great idea of creating the complete look and feel of the civ's city screens, menus, displays, etc. more based on its science, religion, economy, etc.
Basically my ideas are to make sure the game is graphically pleasing (like Civ2 not SMAC), more info with links to detailed info yet not cluttered, and displays based upon social status.
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TitanTim
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Gregor
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Louisville, KY
Jan 1970
time: 05:14
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In column 69 I discussed game design, I think the same approach can be used in interface design. Think of it in terms of creating forms and reports in MS Access.
Make a list of all the information you could possibly manipulate in the game. Make an Interface Editor which allows the user to design the interface of his choice, including colors, backgrounds, fonts, sizes, etc. Create a default interface for shipping (or a few to choose from). NOw, if we want to be able to control everything from one giant mega-controlling screen, we can, or if we would rather have a browser type linked screen, we can. Or perhaps we want to make it look like Civ2, etc.
I like how Civ2 used standard Windows for it's screens (at least on the main map). That way, you have a lot more freedom. Those of us that use multiple monitors can have lots of information up on the screens at one time.
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Navarro
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(Elder)
Jun 1999
time: 05:14
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<snip>
Slow website, didn't mean to double post
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by Navarro (edited October 18, 1999).]</font>
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Zorloc
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Seattle, WA, US
Jan 1970
time: 05:14
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I would like to be able to view periodic reports that I can configure. An excellent example is MS Money '99: Business and Personal. You can view Monthly reports, which show a global picture of your finances, shows in which categories you have spent more or less than in the previous period, shows which investments are performing better, and warns me of oddities and potiential errors in my records.
This could easily apply to a turn or multi-turn based report (which would be optional to view). The start of the report would show your current GNP (sub divided into categories: Military, Science, Health/Welfare, Public Construction, etc) and whether your GNP grew or shrank from the previous period and by how much. Next, the report would compare your spending in each of these categories vs. the previous period.
Then the report could break down you public spending and effectiveness. For example:
You have invested ##### money units into construction of Science Buildings and your production of Science has increased 15% (##### units) due to this investment,
You have invested ##### money units into construction of Economic Buildings and your tax revenue has increased 10% (###### units), Science has increased 4% (####### units), happiness 5% (###### citizens), production 2% (##### units) due to this investment.
This way it is not only very easy to make sure that we are not over emphasizing one area of the economy or neglecting the military, but to make sure that we are investing our financial resources most effectively.
You could even make these reports more sparse in higher difficulty levels, so it is harder to determine if you are making the correct decisions.
jbw
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I like your idea of a full screen option yin26.
I often feel a bit closed in with bars on the sides of my screen.
I think *all* options, report screens and everything else should be found under the cursor menu.
I also like the feeling of holding down the space bar to scroll the screen across with the mouse. Like in photoshop. It seems to give you more power on centering your view on whatever you choose. It also gives the feeling of being more constructive with your work.
Colour is important for identifying the relations between subjects.
So I think when I open the intelligence report window, the background will have a slight green tint in it. And if I open the foriegn advisor window it will have a slight red tint in the background and so on.
So to the user, you are reminded that you are at the intelligence window when you see the green. And that works when you have to draw up a graph, the green bar will relate to the intelligence window. The mind remembers that naturally.
I still like the idea of the interface changing to reflect the progress of your civilization so that you are interacting with the technology aswell and not just your civilization. This would give off a feeling of satisfaction and pride.
In CTP a goldish yellow was used for the main colour in their interface, to me this is a bad move because it guides the eye away from the main window (game window) and to the toolbar too much. The interfaces main colour should be dark, but not too dark. Artists should know that gray is the best base colour to use for most other colours.
Which is to your advantage if you decide to make the interface reflect your progress because stone and computers are a grayish colour.
I'd just like to point out that I found SMAC's interface too large and complicated. please remember that not everyone has a 17" monitor yet. Instead allow for resolution to be changed.
Just trying to make my view on less complication more important. *Simplicity is the key!*
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by Icedan (edited October 18, 1999).]</font>
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TitanTim
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Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
May 1999
time: 00:14
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This may seem off topic but it has to do with when interfaces are really needed (more importantly the city screen) and that the interface must be easily accessible for common functions.
Most of my friends hate my strategy of build and defend. In many games I'll end out having two to three times as many cities as the next best civ. The reason they don't like me is that my turns take long (at least longer than their's do). For this reason I think there should be a screen for mass management, such as, a common queue for all cities to use as a building guideline. Each city can override this queue if need be. I realize you can set this up in a text file but it isn't dynamic for game play.
I must say, there are some really solid ideas floating around here. I especially like Yin26's idea of a menu 'disappearing' or docking when no longer needed. The game should be cutomizable to allow you to choose what is displayed and what becomes docked.
Another point I mentioned when suggestions were being asked way back when, was that, in CivNet, you could have the top 5 cities window up plus the city status window, etc and between turns they would stay up AND update themselves. Civ2-MGE didn't do this and I was very disappointed.
Wait, a shot in the dark. What if you could have sensors like Norton System Doctor that dock on the side of the screen and keep themselves updated between turns about critical information?
One last thought. Another bonus to Civ2 was that I could switch to other applications (including the desktop) between/during turns.
Key points; mass [city] management, customizable display with docking, and flexibity to switch to the OS.
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TitanTim
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I had an idea a few months ago when I was playing Age of Empires.
While I was playing it I heard an "uh oh!". I realized I had left my ICQ running. To get to it I had to push Alt-Tab, but it took a wee while for me to get out then back in again. How about a cool little Icq flower being embedded to the bar within the game, this way I can stay in contact with people while playing the game. Think of the advantages of multiplayer with that? And just think, you would be the first to come up with the idea. (we'll let that be our little secret, cause we know who really came up with the idea hehehe). I can just see how many games out there that would use the same idea. Be the first! Make history. Yes this is a sign of making you do it.
Man, I can just imagine how cool that little flower would be. pillowed into the interface..
Icq forever! Screw AIM.
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I think we should see how many votes we get on the Icq idea.
I'm going to try hard to make this possible!
I vote first so nga nga :Ž~~
*puts his hand up*
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Because! I don't want to know I am in Windows, I wanna know I am in Civ3! Besides, windows is ugly, full stop. Lets remove as much as we can please? so that we can get as much of Civ's screen as possible.
Don't argue with me, I always win
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yin26
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This space reserved for Darkstar.
Apr 1999
time: 14:14
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I meant to say that the idea of a graphically evolving interface is great! Something like that really adds so much more meaning to advancing to the next stage--lots of possibilities there.
As for a city status interface, PLEASE look at Master of Orion 2, which was already the basis for much of SMAC: You could easily sort your cities by production, population, money, etc. You could also move populations between planets in the same system without leaving that screen. If Civ3 ends up using regions, for example, the exact same thing could be applied here--or units could just be told to move between cities all from the city status screen (imagine moving 37 units just from the city status screen!). Of course, encounters with the enemy would still have to be dealt with on the main screen, unlike in MOO2 where population transfers in the same system were basically invisible (which was nice, actually). A "sort by unit" function coupled with a slide bar "send units to X city" would make this aspect much easier.
Oh, and before I forget, the Diplomacy screen in SMAC doesn't allow you to see the map while negotiating over which cities to trade, attack, etc. (Well, you could kind of cheeze your way to the map...) Obviously if such diplomatic options will come with Civ3, we'll need to be able to drop down to the map and be able to examine information before making trades or deciding where to attack.
Along with the spreadsheet idea mentioned above, a person would be able to do and see a hell of a lot with very little effort and distraction. The Holy Grail of Interface Design. 
<font size=1 face=Arial color=444444>[This message has been edited by yin26 (edited October 18, 1999).]</font>
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The battle is over, when I win.
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Mo
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I think that the most important thing in designing the interface should be that it is efficant. A right click menu for cities/regions might be helpful. In this menu you should be able to change production, activate a unit, give the governor commands like squash drone riot, change to military production. One thing that I liked about the AC interface was the list of events that happened during the turn and the power graphs at the bottom. The F1 city status screen should include any random events happening in a city and the defenses in the city. Also in the military status screen you should be able to click on one of your unit models an find out were the active ones are stationed.
One radical idea, which might be good or might not is to eliminate the city status screen. When you click on a city it would atomaticaly show you on the main map how the workers are distributed throughout the city radius. The normal interface bar would then change and show production, food sorage, improvments and population. This might be too much for the interface bar though.
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17-10-1999 12:51
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