Screen layout suggestion

Distant Worlds is a vast, pausable real-time, 4X space strategy game which models a "living galaxy" with incredible options for replayability and customizability. Experience the full depth and detail of large turn-based strategy games, but with the simplicity and ease of real-time, and on the scale of a massively-multiplayer online game. Now greatly enhanced with the new Universe release, which includes all four previous releases as well as the new Universe expansion!

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Yam
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 4:26 pm

Screen layout suggestion

Post by Yam »

I know lots of folks are having a hard time with the font in game and have to use lower screen resolutions than they normally would to see the text. The problem with this is we lose lots of usuable playing area in the middle of the screen when the text/display boxes grow. Compare running at 1600x1200 with 1024x768.

One small mitigation might be to push the text and display boxes back in to the 20-30 pixel width around the outside of the screen that is currently pretty worthless - if you look closely objects pass behind the text and display boxes and are visible briefly on the outside of the screen before they move off screen - but this is really just wasted real estate in play terms.

Ok just a pet peeve I admit - great game - thought I'd throw it out there while hopefully the user interface issues are being addressed. [:)]
JohnM_slith
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 11:41 pm

RE: Screen layout suggestion

Post by JohnM_slith »

Or maybe make the info boxes on the lower left and right hand corners collapsible?
Yam
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 4:26 pm

RE: Screen layout suggestion

Post by Yam »

John - the hotkey T does toggle on/off the boxes in 2 steps, effectively collapsing them, quite useful in some cases. However, I personally rarely do so except during maybe battles - it's just too slow to do it all the time for me - hence my suggestion to make the best use of the screen area we have. My 2c.
Deto
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2010 5:10 pm

RE: Screen layout suggestion

Post by Deto »

On the topic I'd suggest making all the UI elements 'movable' (some sort of 'lock' button?) so those who use dual screens can pull maps and infobar etc on second screen :)

And I wish the 'view lock' (L key) button was visible if you had lock on or not. Just a minor thing :)
JohnM_slith
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 11:41 pm

RE: Screen layout suggestion

Post by JohnM_slith »

ORIGINAL: Yam

John - the hotkey T does toggle on/off the boxes in 2 steps, effectively collapsing them, quite useful in some cases. However, I personally rarely do so except during maybe battles - it's just too slow to do it all the time for me - hence my suggestion to make the best use of the screen area we have. My 2c.

Didn't know that. Thanks! But I can see your point too. We'll see what CodeForce comes up with.
KonkeyDong
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 6:24 pm

RE: Screen layout suggestion

Post by KonkeyDong »

Yeah, the font is a little annoying at times. At 1650x1080 the font is tiny; makes it hard to read. The translucent windows and the ship under the text don't help either. :)

I think WPF has settings somewhere for ClearType implementation. Could the team please take a look?
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