Brainstorming time - what should the character screen look like?

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  • nppangband
    NPPAngband Maintainer
    • Dec 2008
    • 926

    Brainstorming time - what should the character screen look like?

    In working on the NPP QT port, I am ready to make the character/player screen. Its current form (basic character info, toggle screen to see key resists) that has existed since the late 80s is based on the limitations of an 80x24 screen. In a modern ui there is so much room for improvement, and so many different ways this screen can be implemented, I wanted to open it up to suggestions.

    There are plenty of ways to display information outside of just plain rows and columns. The dialog box can use tabs, pop-up boxes, mouse hovers, mouse clicks, etc.

    Here is my initial thinking, on which there is a lot of room for improvement:

    The top of the character screen would be fairly similar to the initial screen. A mouse hover or click on some of the labels should bring up an explanation of that characteristic (explaining infravision, etc). The max experience row can be hidden if the player's experience is drained, and the experience to advance can be hidden if the player is level 50.

    The second screen, which shows stat adjusts, resistances and abilities, can be a different section or a tab. But I think it should cascade down much longer, and display practically every relevant flag. For the weapons, the slays can be shown.

    Part of me wants this screen to have one flag on each line, with the equipment, quiver, backpack, and perhaps the home inventory all shown on that line. So the player can look at all their items and see what they have that resists nether, etc. A mouse hover should bring up an explanation of that flag (e.g. Resist shards reduces damage by x%, and also prevents the player from being cut by shard attacks). I would like to improve on the current |---+-++-| way of displaying resists, but I haven't had any good ideas yet.

    Eventually, I want to make a screen where the player could select from a section of drop-down boxes all of the possible items from their inventory, equipment and home for each equipment slot, and quickly compare the differences between what their character is wearing now and what they would be like wearing a particular kit.

    Suggestions are more than welcome. There must so much that could be done with this screen that I have not thought of.
    NPPAngband current home page: http://nppangband.bitshepherd.net/
    Source code repository:
    https://github.com/nppangband/NPPAngband_QT
    Downloads:
    https://app.box.com/s/1x7k65ghsmc31usmj329pb8415n1ux57
  • Nick
    Vanilla maintainer
    • Apr 2007
    • 9634

    #2
    In FA, I have made it a coloured, scrollable copy of the character dump, which IMHO works quite well.
    One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
    In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

    Comment

    • getter77
      Adept
      • Dec 2009
      • 242

      #3
      What about some manner of radial, zodiac-like display for resists with colored lines or some such being drawn out? No need for scrolling at all, works at a glance, and you can still mouse over for more details. There's a specific name for it in general, comes up somewhat in the jRPG circles, but it escapes me...

      In general, visual flourish and style should definitely trump Spreadsheetism now that you lot are fairly unshackled versus the old days.

      Comment

      • Derakon
        Prophet
        • Dec 2009
        • 9022

        #4
        How about a list that just says "you have this resist", "you don't have this ability", etc., and you can click on items in the list to switch to a view that shows you all the items you have/know about that provide it.

        Comment

        • nppangband
          NPPAngband Maintainer
          • Dec 2008
          • 926

          #5
          Originally posted by Derakon
          How about a list that just says "you have this resist", "you don't have this ability", etc., and you can click on items in the list to switch to a view that shows you all the items you have/know about that provide it.
          My thinking there is to separate the resists, immunities, abilities, slays etc. into different widgets. Then, each one can be sortable to allow the player to see what they resists they have and what they don't, or what resists are provided by a particular piece of equipment.
          NPPAngband current home page: http://nppangband.bitshepherd.net/
          Source code repository:
          https://github.com/nppangband/NPPAngband_QT
          Downloads:
          https://app.box.com/s/1x7k65ghsmc31usmj329pb8415n1ux57

          Comment

          • fph
            Veteran
            • Apr 2009
            • 1030

            #6
            Originally posted by getter77
            What about some manner of radial, zodiac-like display for resists with colored lines or some such being drawn out? No need for scrolling at all, works at a glance, and you can still mouse over for more details. There's a specific name for it in general, comes up somewhat in the jRPG circles, but it escapes me...
            A radar chart?
            --
            Dive fast, die young, leave a high-CHA corpse.

            Comment

            • getter77
              Adept
              • Dec 2009
              • 242

              #7
              Yep, I think that's roughly it---add some stylings to it and a picture of a character in that sense could definitely be preferable to 1,000 words.

              Could group like and opposing things together as well and cover the entire lot of it.
              Last edited by getter77; December 23, 2014, 13:58.

              Comment

              • buzzkill
                Prophet
                • May 2008
                • 2939

                #8
                How about a simple horizontal bar chart (or several), one for element resistances, one for status resists (FA, SI, 0 or 100%) , status effects (bless, haste shown as probable % of spell remaining), one for plusses (to hit/dam, stealth, shown as % of excess of natural ability, with peak ability determining scale). Something like this, in it's simplest form.

                www.mediafire.com/buzzkill - Get your 32x32 tiles here. UT32 now compatible Ironband and Quickband 9/6/2012.
                My banding life on Buzzkill's ladder.

                Comment

                • bio_hazard
                  Knight
                  • Dec 2008
                  • 649

                  #9
                  Maybe a few circular charts:

                  basic 4 + poison
                  status resists
                  Exotic resists
                  Enhancements (sInv, esp, speed, attacks, accuracy,damage)

                  then a mouse-over or click could pull up the additional details of what gives the resist or by how much.

                  Comment

                  • Carnivean
                    Knight
                    • Sep 2013
                    • 527

                    #10
                    Originally posted by buzzkill
                    How about a simple horizontal bar chart (or several), one for element resistances, one for status resists (FA, SI, 0 or 100%) , status effects (bless, haste shown as probable % of spell remaining), one for plusses (to hit/dam, stealth, shown as % of excess of natural ability, with peak ability determining scale). Something like this, in it's simplest form.

                    This will be the easiest to understand. Trying to overlay the items that affect the resistance, though, will make it messier. I'd list them below each resistance.

                    If you want to be more helpful you could make the list:
                    Worn (affecting current resistance)
                    -item 1, item 2, etc
                    Inventory
                    -item 3
                    At Home
                    -Item 4

                    Comment

                    • RogerN
                      Swordsman
                      • Jul 2008
                      • 308

                      #11
                      I like buzzkill's suggestion the best. But instead of listing items which affect resistance, I recommend a pop-up window for that when you hover your mouse over the bar.

                      If you want to be really nice to the player then you could also include the maximum damage (from a single attack) that's possible after resist is applied.

                      Comment

                      • AnonymousHero
                        Veteran
                        • Jun 2007
                        • 1393

                        #12
                        Originally posted by buzzkill
                        How about a simple horizontal bar chart (or several), one for element resistances, one for status resists (FA, SI, 0 or 100%) , status effects (bless, haste shown as probable % of spell remaining), one for plusses (to hit/dam, stealth, shown as % of excess of natural ability, with peak ability determining scale). Something like this, in it's simplest form.

                        The downside to this kind of bar chart is that the information density is really low. It may be OK for at game, but in general "Tufte says no" to bar charts .

                        Comment

                        • nppangband
                          NPPAngband Maintainer
                          • Dec 2008
                          • 926

                          #13
                          I kind of agree. I admit I didn't expect the answers I got in this thread.

                          Some sort of grid where the player can simultaneously analyze what resistances/abilities they have, and see they have if a certain piece of equipment is the only source of that resist/ability seems essential.

                          I can see where a radio chart or bar chart would have a better visual appeal, but wouldn't it be losing some usefulness?
                          NPPAngband current home page: http://nppangband.bitshepherd.net/
                          Source code repository:
                          https://github.com/nppangband/NPPAngband_QT
                          Downloads:
                          https://app.box.com/s/1x7k65ghsmc31usmj329pb8415n1ux57

                          Comment

                          • Derakon
                            Prophet
                            • Dec 2009
                            • 9022

                            #14
                            Originally posted by nppangband
                            I can see where a radio chart or bar chart would have a better visual appeal, but wouldn't it be losing some usefulness?
                            Agreed. The current character screens have a fantastic compromise between information density and readability. They aren't perfect (mostly in that the text labels for some flags are confusing, e.g. "Imp.HP" for "impaired HP regeneration"), but they're pretty good. If you want to improve them, I'd be looking to do so mostly by adding tooltips and flyouts.

                            Comment

                            • AnonymousHero
                              Veteran
                              • Jun 2007
                              • 1393

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Derakon
                              Agreed. The current character screens have a fantastic compromise between information density and readability. They aren't perfect (mostly in that the text labels for some flags are confusing, e.g. "Imp.HP" for "impaired HP regeneration"), but they're pretty good. If you want to improve them, I'd be looking to do so mostly by adding tooltips and flyouts.
                              Since NPP now has access to real graphics, it should be possible to refine the classic display a bit: You could essentially just render a table as the classic display does, but add the actual values to each table cell. You would just have to do it in a smaller font in order to keep the table's visual size manageable.

                              In stat slots you could display the full range, rather than going to "*" for values numerically larger than 9. For immunities and resists you could still display "+", "*" or even "33%" / "100%" (or "Imm."). For regeneration you could display the cumulative result of the Regeneration flag and "Imp. HP regen" flag as a percentage relative to "normal" regen (a fly-out or tooltip could display how the result was arrived at).

                              Make sense?

                              Comment

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