NEW BATTLE GUI BETA
NEW BATTLE GUI
Privet people! In recent pm-conversation with Socal I volunteered to make GUI skin change for the unique new look to PDER GUI. Today I've spend two hours learning the Battle GUI sprites and made some drafts to understand the layout and masks/dead zones and to stripe the space for the new elements. While doing this I was surprised with the quick results - the drafted striped Battle GUI looked just incredibly comforting in comparison with vanilla! So I decide to release it for the you already as is. All I did is that the most of the decorative elements were deleted and a little transparency was added. Althought one's should sacrifice some uniformity I must confirm that it is completely out of the main style of the game (and rather recalls some sci-fi) but believe me it IS worth the effort. The reward is new flawless gameplay during the battles, new look etc. Try it.
NEW BATTLE GUI features:
1) new sleek buttons bar with transparent borders:
1.1)
unactive (no unit selected);
1.2)
active;
1.3)
active with groups subbuttons activated;
2)
new 2-colored radar window to make it more uniform and less flaring (also with transparent borders) (note new "special abilities off" button in the left upper corner);
3)
new transparent tabs for the small status icons under the unit cards.
I also think I could explain the effect for the inquiring minds. The main problem of the vanilla GUI is a burst of colors and objects that it is minimized version scattered all over the space of a display without taking the account the vital principles of visualization. The root is what is called a composition / visual balance (I am not sure for the term because I am Russian after all) - the visual weight of certain elements do not adjusted properly: the buttons bar for minimal GUI is just too detailed and have too complex shape so the users eyes always "stumble" on them rather than concentrate one's attention onto the action on the battlefield. The buttons bar not only oversized and ugly but it has not visual bearing so you sense this with your eyes feeling like it is not in the place to be. You can of course hide it but in that case you are forced to watch it sudden outbreak every time your cursor is over the upper border of a picture again drawing your attention off the battlefield just at the moment when every second counts. This is also true for the radar window. So you are forced to choose to play with all the information available but have a headache (the ugly buttons bar is the only way to see the state of special ability option activity) or just play without radar or button bar but with a clear way of view.
I have been playing in the total war like games from the very beginning of a genre and I could point out that the two most useful Battle GUIs I have ever seen were in Wrahammer Dark Omen and Shogun. Why the developers outweigh the Medival Battle GUI is just beyond me.
INSTALLATION:
1) Download the zip-file
2) unpack it in the main PDER folder (you must overwrite the old files so it could be wise to backup them - just backup the PDER_1.0/data/ui folder (it is not big)).
3) During the game you should check to activate the minimal GUI (I recommend do not use full battle GUI after the installation - it is still in process and do not expect its relaese tomorrow)
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thanks, + rep
