New Screens - Updated HUD and Char/Inv UI

[medierra]

http://www.grimdawn.com/media_screenshots.php

Incorporated a bunch of the suggestions from the previous char screen thread on this latest revision. Also started to get more skill icons in, although a few are still old stand-ins.

Also you may notice the swamp area has some new trees and bushes. ;)

[Kluga]

Holy crap! The new inventory screen, icons, new armor/weapons models all look so sweet!! Everything is looking really polished. Are those books or blueprints in the bottom-left of the dealer's shop?

Overall, really great stuff. Needless to say, we're all so excited as we see this awesome progress.

[ASYLUM101]

What's with the empty circles on the bottom of the HUD?

Awesome shots as always, can't wait to give it a whirl.

[softshack]

Really looking forward to this! Of course, I could say that every time I see an update from you guys, but really, that's a good thing. ;)

[Sile]

Looks great. Love the environment and the HUD.

Would be good to see a game do away with the typical "! & ?" for quest givers. The problem is they are stock standard and everyone knows what they mean so it's hard to implement something else.. but surely a smart game designer could come up with a few ideas. ;)

[gusseyGoose]

Awesome Work! nice to see the new HUD improvements this two months, but When will the Dungeon making? I still no see any dungeon screenies. Diablo's Progress seems to be coming up first. 2012 is near, or this game will be released in the year of 2013? I was hoping to playing this game first rather than diablo III. still very nice improvements though!

[Lord Stark]

Wow looks great!

[eisprinzessin]

Beautiful! I especially like how the grid becomes less prominent, if there is an item at that place.

[i.n.s.a.n.e]

Awesome as always! =) I love the shadow/lighting/vegetation of the scenery on the swamp screenshot. And the char icon plus its frame is brilliant! All the rusty frames are also awesome!

What is on page 2 of the info screen? =)

Btw., do you play with or without AA?


I would have few notes (criticism) this time though:

- It would be really great if UI was above the skill bar, it is kinda inconvenient to have it at the left top, as you are checking your skills' cooldowns often, therefore your sight is fixed to the bottom rather than to top. I do not mind that that much, I got used to it in TQ, but still..I took the TQ D2 UI mod immediately once it was released..this may be crucial with Hardcore difficulty..

- The location name could use some better font or at least a colour. Would it be too much to ask for it to be in some kind of frame? It looks kinda wierd this way imho..

- The exclamation mark above the quest giver's head looks pretty bad. But again, it may be the wierd shade of the green used.

- Is there a space for monster resistances (if there are any at all?) somewhere in the monster frame?

- The belts look still "funny"..

- Is it me or are all the body armors cut-off at the end of the sleeves?

- Some items could use little more details (polygons or how is it called? But that's 3D thing, right? Heh..). I guess it's money issue though..

- Monsters' frame could be rusty one too imho..this one does not fit there for me..

- It seems little strange the bottom bar is part wooden and part metal..is it me or do the two parts (especially their colours) kinda exclude one another?

- Some gear pieces seem to overlap their predesigned space (shoulders, belts, body armor)..


Damn, I am mean now..so many things..sorry.

[Cavar]

Looks fantastic!

Love the stone work.

The exclamation and question mark do look out of place, but I understand that it could be just a placeholder for now and you'll replace it later.

It'd be cool if instead of the ! and ? you used some kind of steampunk looking gear floating over their head. You could give it a different aura to denote the ! and ? states. Make one aura bluish and one greenish? Or some other colors.

See this page (http://www.tcisteampunkjewelry.com/steampunk_Pins_and_brooches.htm) for some samples and maybe you can cobble something together.

Cannot wait for this game.

[ASYLUM101]

Would be good to see a game do away with the typical "! & ?" for quest givers. The problem is they are stock standard and everyone knows what they mean so it's hard to implement something else.. but surely a smart game designer could come up with a few ideas.

I personally don't care for this, I don't see the big deal - but like the other guy says, a steampunk type thing could work. Maybe a spinning cog for current quests, a still cog for possible quests?

[jiaco]

All these nit-picky little criticisms (:p) and no one has asked:

How did you get to level 44 and have such crappy resists? Damn, two rings and a necklace and you have a whopping 2% fire resist, and that's it?

Next screen shot needs a mouse over on some gear so we can see some info (maybe on the pistol for example).

[medierra]

Haha, well, this is actually an old character that was created both before there were many resist affixes as there are now and also, he really shouldn't be level 44. I think he was about 20ish until I made a recent change to the XP system and then he jumped up to 24. I've scaled the XP so that the numbers would be smaller. So XP to level is much lower but monsters also give out a proportionately lower amount so that it takes the same amount of time to level. Mainly just an aesthetic thing but it PLed my char.

[matthewfarmery]

WOW! WOW! WOW"

I love the new screenshots, this game is going to be legendary!!!

awesome work, its like watching something evolve over time, and at this rate, this game will be very matured once finished, thanks for the updates, really nice to see how things are coming along

[Opal Monkey]

Wow, looks great! The darker background really sets it off nicely.

So, I noticed you're going Commando... ... Ow, sorry for the horrible pun :p
But really, what's with the commando?! Is that the new name for the soldier, or is it a different mix of classes?

[Harlequin]

I really like the new UI. That combination of wood and iron looks very steampunky and the same goes for the inventory. Good work on that! Some items could probably use a few more details (the rings) but I guess that just takes some more time.

A small criticism:
The fond of the location looks a little bit bland and maybe you should make it a bit smaller because it looks out of place somehow.

The fond of your HP/MP in the top-left corner doesn't really fit the whole style of the game. Look too futuristic somehow. Like some polished chrome.

Oh right I like the ground-texture in the inventory-screenshot and the new frame for the minimap (the minimap on the fight-screen looks empty? Just not updated or is it me?).



(There you have your sandwich.^^)

[Yggdrasil]

The new Char/Inv UI is much much better than the previous one !


i.n.s.a.n.e pointed interesting points. Let me emphasize one in particular :
- It would be really great if UI was above the skill bar, it is kinda inconvenient to have it at the left top, as you are checking your skills' cooldowns often, therefore your sight is fixed to the bottom rather than to top. I do not mind that that much, I got used to it in TQ, but still..I took the TQ D2 UI mod immediately once it was released..this may be crucial with Hardcore difficulty.
The top left corner is not the place where you look naturally, especially when cooldown progression is below. And the life bar/mana bar colors are still really, really dull... I had some stupid deaths in TQ due to the bad visibility of the life bar. And TQ life bar is much more visible than the current one in GD.

[AndersonZzz]

Hi!
will you drop life / mana bar above exp bar please
or maybe turn them vertically and place them on edge of the screen or something like that

[SmajlicekCZ]

Nice UI, I like it, the only things that bug me are:

1) The health/energy bar, it's hard to read, especially the energy bar, very hard to tell the difference between 0 and 8 for example.

2) In the inventory UI, the black background behind the character blends too much with the dark equipment, some lighter color would be better imho, to make the equipment pop. Same with the equipment slots.

3) The location name obviously, put some background behind it to make it easier to read, this way it just floats there, feeling out of place.

Otherwise, good job, looking forward to seeing this game in action.

[DragonWolf]

I am loving the way things are going right now. I can't wait to see what else we'll get to play with when the game finaly comes out.

[nighteyes]

Seeing this pic reminded my of the earliest sneak peek you gave us, and made us try to guess what goes where. It seem that we still don't know what is down on the bottom 2 little single square slots?

Still it is all looking spectacular.
I can't wait till it is finished, even just the alpha.

[Renevent]

Looks great...only complain is the mini map seems to have really sparse detail.

[Roryn]

Almost everything is looking really nice, can't wait to start playing!

I think that the numbers on health and mana bars need to be changed, this one is a little ugly.

The location name is a bit off too, as someone already said (forgot your name, sorry).

I don't like the ui below, it seems too rectangular and plain.

Also, the purple and blue color on the equipped rings seems a bit off. And the belt is funny! xD

Overall it's really great! Awesome work! :D

Ah.. there'll be no bows? No love for bows?? :cry:

[Livonia]

Is it too much to ask for a hide helmet toggle button? ^^

I really like my character not actually having a helmet on but it's usually not a good idea in most games to simply take it off. Would love the option.

[pts]

Is it too much to ask for a hide helmet toggle button? ^^

I agree! +1

[Keyrock]

I'm really impressed with the new HUD, everything seems to mesh together really well.

Also, put me down for +1 hide helmet toggle. It would be a nice option to have and (I'm no programmer so I'm probably wrong) it seems like it would be fairly easy to implement.

[TECHNOmancer]

I'm really impressed with the new HUD, everything seems to mesh together really well.

Also, put me down for +1 hide helmet toggle. It would be a nice option to have and (I'm no programmer so I'm probably wrong) it seems like it would be fairly easy to implement.

I have to agree with the caveman lawyer!

TECHNOmancer

[Dejnov]

I would have few notes (criticism) this time though:

- It would be really great if UI was above the skill bar, it is kinda inconvenient to have it at the left top, as you are checking your skills' cooldowns often, therefore your sight is fixed to the bottom rather than to top. I do not mind that that much, I got used to it in TQ, but still..I took the TQ D2 UI mod immediately once it was released..this may be crucial with Hardcore difficulty..

- Is there a space for monster resistances (if there are any at all?) somewhere in the monster frame?

Damn, I am mean now..so many things..sorry.

From a gameplay standpoint (and hardcore playing) these happen to be the most important HUD issues at hand. I really feel strongly about having the health/mana bars near the skill cooldowns for efficient play. In non-hardcore I'd say sure not an issue, in hardcore... you're going to have to build a more efficient HUD.


Dejnov.

[Skellt]

helmet on off feature = neat

Current HUD = neat

Grim dawn = lookin better and better

[yerkyerk]

I typed a long reply, somehow it got lost... so here's a short recap of it;

I love how the feedback was integrated into the UI. These pants look a lot better, the alignment on the info page is good, no more ultra tiny handgear, the previously XXX-censored version buttons came out really well, all in all, it's a good improvement over something that was already good.

Are those books in the shop? They look pretty good. I wonder what they do.

Got some nitpicky comments, as usual, though. They're definitely not fundamental and I have nothing major to bitch about, so, here goes;
- I agree with the idea of using Steampunk cogs or something instead of question marks.
- The brightgreen arrows look out of place.
- The inventory screen is very dark now. Only the gunslot seems to show the case in which it is held. Not sure if this is a negative though. Pitch blackness does make the character stand out.
- I would really love to see if the Vinque font can replace the current font. I'm not a fan of "business" fonts in a game.
- Agreed with the hide headgear option, it's a long requested feature though. It's also an option that would probably belong in "options" anyway, so even if it is implemented, we still wouldn't see it.
- Also agree with the health and manabar being placed near the skillbar. Also a long requested feature iirc.
- Belt and ring still look flat (rings moreso, as they don't have any lighting). The amulet seems to suffer from this a bit as well, though not sure, it's too tiny to see.
- Health potion doesn't fit into the raster, looks off. Perhaps removing them from the inventory screen altogether, since they're on auto-pickup anyway? As someone else mentioned, armors also don't fit in the raster. Not sure if I'm too bothered with that though, I think the armor pieces look great.

Thanks for the update! Great job guys!

[MadWasp]

I typed a long reply, somehow it got lost... so here's a short recap of it;

I love how the feedback was integrated into the UI. These pants look a lot better, the alignment on the info page is good, no more ultra tiny handgear, the previously XXX-censored version buttons came out really well, all in all, it's a good improvement over something that was already good.

Are those books in the shop? They look pretty good. I wonder what they do.

Got some nitpicky comments, as usual, though. They're definitely not fundamental and I have nothing major to bitch about, so, here goes;
- I agree with the idea of using Steampunk cogs or something instead of question marks.
- The brightgreen arrows look out of place.
- The inventory screen is very dark now. Only the gunslot seems to show the case in which it is held. Not sure if this is a negative though. Pitch blackness does make the character stand out.
- I would really love to see if the Vinque font can replace the current font. I'm not a fan of "business" fonts in a game.
- Agreed with the hide headgear option, it's a long requested feature though. It's also an option that would probably belong in "options" anyway, so even if it is implemented, we still wouldn't see it.
- Also agree with the health and manabar being placed near the skillbar. Also a long requested feature iirc.
- Belt and ring still look flat (rings moreso, as they don't have any lighting). The amulet seems to suffer from this a bit as well, though not sure, it's too tiny to see.
- Health potion doesn't fit into the raster, looks off. Perhaps removing them from the inventory screen altogether, since they're on auto-pickup anyway? As someone else mentioned, armors also don't fit in the raster. Not sure if I'm too bothered with that though, I think the armor pieces look great.

Thanks for the update! Great job guys!

Thx update but I have some suggestion/notice in pre-alpha.

I would like to second some upper mention thing.
+++vinque fonts inside game. (item details, any other texts in game.)

INVENToRY MUCH SMALLER THAN MAY VERSION.... THATS TERRIBLE.
At LEAST 1/3 smaller than early version/-33% percent reduction in size/. My biggest wish was that ....please...not a miniature-microscopic item inside inventory...now WE got ALL in july 1/3 size reduction overall UI/inventory. Its a big minus to visuality. It destroys feelin' good. WE fight for items...item hunt is the heart of this arpg. Player looks inventory always!!!!! The inventory is the most important part of this game. The source-tablet of power of your char.

I prefer bigger items/UI. Please grow size! Dont follow shamed/fallen sacred-style tiny inventory./that project failed/


Anyway keep up the great work and try to listen fans in further too.
Cheers.
M.W.

[Roe]

Awesome stuff. Everything seems to be coming along very nicely.

[The Ghoat]

everthing looks very amazin except... the belts... I really think they are ugly... but... I guess it's just me, good work and I can't wait for the game to be downloadable!

[Cavar]

INVENToRY MUCH SMALLER THAN MAY VERSION.... THATS TERRIBLE.
At LEAST 1/3 smaller than early version/-33% percent reduction in size/. My biggest wish was that ....please...not a miniature-microscopic item inside inventory...now WE got ALL in july 1/3 size reduction overall UI/inventory. Its a big minus to visuality. It destroys feelin' good. WE fight for items...item hunt is the heart of this arpg. Player looks inventory always!!!!! The inventory is the most important part of this game. The source-tablet of power of your char.

I prefer bigger items/UI. Please grow size! Dont follow shamed/fallen sacred-style tiny inventory./that project failed/


Anyway keep up the great work and try to listen fans in further too.
Cheers.
M.W.

I don't see any size difference. When I open the May and July images in tabs and click back and forth they appear pretty much identical in size.

I'm running on little sleep, so maybe I am missing something though. :)

[Gumshoe]

Excellent work overall, I like that everything is quite clear and neat and not unneccessarily flashy :)
- I agree on the fonts needing work in game (not in inventory though, they look ok to me), maybe even just make them darker or slightly transparent.
- The font for health/mana covers the bar too much, you lose where the health bar has gone down to underneath. Maybe some transparency there too?
- The belts maybe just need to curl around at the edges, instead of sitting dead flat, or an isometric view to them.

Otherwise looking great :) I'm happy with the health and mana being in the top right and never had a problem with it in TQ. Gives the UI a nice balance around the screen.

[ASYLUM101]

I don't see any size difference. When I open the May and July images in tabs and click back and forth they appear pretty much identical in size.

I'm running on little sleep, so maybe I am missing something though. :)

Dunno, they're both exactly the same, 8x12 units in size.

[ZorusX]

For all those people commenting about belts, I'm fairly sure they are still placeholders.

That said, the overall quality of the item graphics themselves and how they are looking on the character is very disappointing. The detail in the environment and on the inventory UI (which is looking a lot better) far outstrips the item graphics.

Im addition the UI graphics still look fairly low quality.

I'd like to see Vinque in-game as well, if anything just too see how it looks, as well as assess it's legibility.

Overall getting better though. The game is still early in development :)

[icedmetal57]

What's with the empty circles on the bottom of the HUD?

Awesome shots as always, can't wait to give it a whirl.

If you're talking about the ones directly to the right of the skills, my guess is portal stone and switch weapons button. To the right of the Mouse Left/Right buttons, probably buttons relating to multiplayer features, i.e. the party and chat menus.

[medierra]

everthing looks very amazin except... the belts... I really think they are ugly... but... I guess it's just me, good work and I can't wait for the game to be downloadable!

I agree but fortunately it is just a quickie stand-in bitmap, we don't have finished belt art yet. ;)

[medierra]

Inventory and item sizes have not changed - I think perhaps you're just seeing the difference in video resolution. The later screenshot was taken at a higher resolution, which makes the UI look smaller relative to the total size of the screen. The actual size of the UI and items is the same. Some of the item sizes are actually larger than TQ and the total inventory grid space is much larger.

Also, the vinque font doesn't work well for smaller in-game text. It gets all chunky and is difficult to read. The character name is about as small as it goes before the quality / readability deteriorate. I changed the map name to use it and I had to increase the size of the text over what you see in the screenshot to get it looking decent.

[Roros]

As for the hide headgear button, I'd actually prefer that in the equip screen. I tend to hide/show helmets based on whether the current helmet looks better or worse than having it hidden, so I toggle it a lot as I get new gear.
No fuss either way of course, I'm happy as long as the option is there in the first place.

[ZorusX]

Hmm, I'm not entirely surprised.

Damn, it is very unfortunate, as I like the font very much. The one you're using now is... OK at best. I'd hope there's better and you keep searching, but if the game were released with that I think it would be acceptable.

Looking at it again, if I weren't actually analyzing the picture to see what I think, I probably wouldn't notice the font. Which is very good compared to noticing it was out of place.

[medierra]

Changing the font is something we can do very easily at any point in development or even after the game has shipped. However, finding the right font that is going to look thematically fitting and remain clean and readable in-game at small sizes can take a long time. Ultimately, I think we probably will need to pay to license a professionally created font. So, for now I think these fonts work and that we should focus our time on finishing development of the game, then resume searching for a better font later, perhaps after the alpha is out.

[Scryer]

It looks amazing!

I love the use of color! Keep it up, use as much color as you can get away with, seriously, that’s awesome!

Also, please reduce the size of the Gun and the Sword… they’re just too bug! 4 vertical slots? Ahh! Too much! I just feel like the items are way too big still…

Alright, but great use of color.

Alright, on to the mini-map, would it be possible to have defined lines where there are barriers and a different color for entrances? Like, white for walls and blue for entrances? Something like that?

Beyond that I’m very impressed with the use of color, good job!

[i.n.s.a.n.e]

- It would be really great if UI was above the skill bar, it is kinda inconvenient to have it at the left top, as you are checking your skills' cooldowns often, therefore your sight is fixed to the bottom rather than to top. I do not mind that that much, I got used to it in TQ, but still..I took the TQ D2 UI mod immediately once it was released..this may be crucial with Hardcore difficulty..

- The location name could use some better font or at least a colour. Would it be too much to ask for it to be in some kind of frame? It looks kinda wierd this way imho..

- The exclamation mark above the quest giver's head looks pretty bad. But again, it may be the wierd shade of the green used.

- Is there a space for monster resistances (if there are any at all?) somewhere in the monster frame?

- Is it me or are all the body armors cut-off at the end of the sleeves?

- Some items could use little more details (polygons or how is it called? But that's 3D thing, right? Heh..). I guess it's money issue though..

- Monsters' frame could be rusty one too imho..this one does not fit there for me..

- It seems little strange the bottom bar is part wooden and part metal..is it me or do the two parts (especially their colours) kinda exclude one another?

- Some gear pieces seem to overlap their predesigned space (shoulders, belts, body armor)..


Any comments on these above, medierra? Especially the health/mana bar "issue"?

Also, what's up with the mana bar colour? It will not be classic blue theme? =)


Thanks a lot and keep up the great work!

[MadWasp]

Plus notification to inventory size situation.:

BEFORE:
http://kepfeltoltes.hu/thumb/110729/Grim_may_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg (http://kepfeltoltes.hu/view/110729/Grim_may_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg)
A képet a Képfeltöltés.hu tárolja. http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu


AFTER:
http://kepfeltoltes.hu/thumb/110729/Grim_july_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg (http://kepfeltoltes.hu/view/110729/Grim_july_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg)
A képet a Képfeltöltés.hu tárolja. http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu

[i.n.s.a.n.e]

Plus notification to inventory size situation.:

BEFORE:
http://kepfeltoltes.hu/thumb/110729/Grim_may_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg (http://kepfeltoltes.hu/view/110729/Grim_may_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg)
A képet a Képfeltöltés.hu tárolja. http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu


AFTER:
http://kepfeltoltes.hu/thumb/110729/Grim_july_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg (http://kepfeltoltes.hu/view/110729/Grim_july_www.kepfeltoltes.hu_.jpg)
A képet a Képfeltöltés.hu tárolja. http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu


Inventory and item sizes have not changed - I think perhaps you're just seeing the difference in video resolution. The later screenshot was taken at a higher resolution, which makes the UI look smaller relative to the total size of the screen. The actual size of the UI and items is the same. Some of the item sizes are actually larger than TQ and the total inventory grid space is much larger.

Is not this the case?

[evil medierra]

zomg, 1280x768 vs. 1280x960!

Actually, some of the UI sizes did change, the merchant window and skillbar are slightly larger in the new versions... As you can see though, everything else is just video resolution. :p


http://www.grimdawn.com/screenshots/ITSNOTATUMOR!.jpg

[i.n.s.a.n.e]

Haha, and now you have it! =D

What an evil here btw.! Long time no see. =)

[icedmetal57]

Yeah I figured the difference was a resolution thing as that was something noticeable in Titan Quest and figured it'd be similar in Grim Dawn as it isn't exactly a problem or anything.

[MadWasp]

Haha, and now you have it! =D

What an evil here btw.! Long time no see. =)



Haha, cool. :)
:rolleyes::cool:

Hey Medierra, thx for clarify my blindness about resolution. :))))

Keep up the good work!

[evil medierra]

Any comments on these above, medierra? Especially the health/mana bar "issue"?

Also, what's up with the mana bar colour? It will not be classic blue theme? =)


Thanks a lot and keep up the great work!

- It would be really great if UI was above the skill bar, it is kinda inconvenient to have it at the left top, as you are checking your skills' cooldowns often, therefore your sight is fixed to the bottom rather than to top. I do not mind that that much, I got used to it in TQ, but still..I took the TQ D2 UI mod immediately once it was released..this may be crucial with Hardcore difficulty..

It would be really great if your FACE WAS ABOVE THE SKILLBAR!!! OOOHHHHH BURNT! Sorry, you totally set yourself up for that one!

I went to bed at 12am and woke up 3 hours later... This is the result.

Anyway, I agree and I'd like to change this, it is just sort of time-consuming. Right now I'm sort of on development triage where I'm trying to keep focused on the stuff we actually need to do to release something. I might try to see if I can fit this in though as I think it would be a big help. Even though a lot has changed from TQ, I think people may look at the UI and immediately judge the game as being "TQ with new art", which it is not. So there is some value there as well.


- The location name could use some better font or at least a colour. Would it be too much to ask for it to be in some kind of frame? It looks kinda wierd this way imho..

Yes

- The exclamation mark above the quest giver's head looks pretty bad. But again, it may be the wierd shade of the green used.

Damn, should have saved my face comment for this one... Yeah, I think these need to be adjusted slightly. People have mentioned using other icons but honestly, punctuation marks are something people all understand and making new art for this is just really low on my list of priorities.

- Is there a space for monster resistances (if there are any at all?) somewhere in the monster frame?

I'd love to have this functionality but, though it seems simple, we'd have to actually create a whole new system and do a fair bit of database work to implement this. We should have designed this better from the start but, it being the way it is, the work to change it would probably not be worth it. At least, not unless we had a lot more people / time.

- Is it me or are all the body armors cut-off at the end of the sleeves?

I prefer to have them this way because it makes it look like they're holding hands in the inventory! Also, to fit the entire sleeve into that size bitmap, I'd have to move the armor further away, which would make it seem very small and you'd lose detail. This is not an elegant solution and if we were a real AAA game company I'd probably do something like allow for a "resting" animation to be played on the armor so that the sleeves were angled downward for the bitmaps... hmm... on second thought, that might not be that much work. I'll look into it. I actually forgot we could use animation to do that and figured it would require something more time-consuming.

- Some items could use little more details (polygons or how is it called? But that's 3D thing, right? Heh..). I guess it's money issue though..

I'm not totally sure what you mean. I mean, I am fairly sure the art is higher poly than TQ. It may be that the textures aren't as detailed or something. It may even be that there is just a problem with the bitmaps. I guess it depends on whether you feel this is a problem in-game or just in the inventory. If you feel like the 3d armor itself is just not as good looking as it should be, that is probably a money / time issue. The artist that made the armor just wasn't able to spend as much time on each piece as they had on TQ.

- Monsters' frame could be rusty one too imho..this one does not fit there for me..

Monsters frame sucks and needs to be redone. It is actually one of the oldest pieces of UI in the game that hasn't been revised.

- It seems little strange the bottom bar is part wooden and part metal..is it me or do the two parts (especially their colours) kinda exclude one another?

No idea what you mean. The wood and brass metal bits are actually from a photograph of an old chest that I have.

- Some gear pieces seem to overlap their predesigned space (shoulders, belts, body armor)..

meh, just needs some polish.

[Josho]

About bloody time you guys at Crate unchained Evil Med from the basement and let him free on the internets once more.

I haven't really got much to say with the screens myself. In Crate I trust :)

[i.n.s.a.n.e]

It would be really great if your FACE WAS ABOVE THE SKILLBAR!!! OOOHHHHH BURNT! Sorry, you totally set yourself up for that one!

I went to bed at 12am and woke up 3 hours later... This is the result.

Hehe, you funny thing, you know it's important. =)))

Oh come on, don't you know evil never sleeps? :p


Anyway, I agree and I'd like to change this, it is just sort of time-consuming. Right now I'm sort of on development triage where I'm trying to keep focused on the stuff we actually need to do to release something. I might try to see if I can fit this in though as I think it would be a big help. Even though a lot has changed from TQ, I think people may look at the UI and immediately judge the game as being "TQ with new art", which it is not. So there is some value there as well.

Great! =) Also, great to hear you are trying to release something, my work-day is much better now!! =) Do you need a hand with something we could do here (besides finding issues and prolonging your worktime, heh)?



Yes


Nice, that's probably the only major thing I really did not like on the screenshot.



Damn, should have saved my face comment for this one... Yeah, I think these need to be adjusted slightly. People have mentioned using other icons but honestly, punctuation marks are something people all understand and making new art for this is just really low on my list of priorities.


Lol. =D Sure, I get it. It would be great, but it can definitely wait. =)



I'd love to have this functionality but, though it seems simple, we'd have to actually create a whole new system and do a fair bit of database work to implement this. We should have designed this better from the start but, it being the way it is, the work to change it would probably not be worth it. At least, not unless we had a lot more people / time.

Oh, I thought it's easier, because the Lilith mod for Titan Quest had resistances shown there..



I prefer to have them this way because it makes it look like they're holding hands in the inventory! Also, to fit the entire sleeve into that size bitmap, I'd have to move the armor further away, which would make it seem very small and you'd lose detail. This is not an elegant solution and if we were a real AAA game company I'd probably do something like allow for a "resting" animation to be played on the armor so that the sleeves were angled downward for the bitmaps... hmm... on second thought, that might not be that much work. I'll look into it. I actually forgot we could use animation to do that and figured it would require something more time-consuming.

You are really great mind! =)



I'm not totally sure what you mean. I mean, I am fairly sure the art is higher poly than TQ. It may be that the textures aren't as detailed or something. It may even be that there is just a problem with the bitmaps. I guess it depends on whether you feel this is a problem in-game or just in the inventory. If you feel like the 3d armor itself is just not as good looking as it should be, that is probably a money / time issue. The artist that made the armor just wasn't able to spend as much time on each piece as they had on TQ.

No, I meant the 2D pieces in the inventory/shop. It may be just bad quality of the screenshot or something, dunno, it just seemed to me, the items look much worse than TQ ones (from texture quality point of view). The "ugly" ones are Shields, Boots, 2 books on right, Belts, Rings, few of the guns in the inventory if you want to look at it.



Monsters frame sucks and needs to be redone. It is actually one of the oldest pieces of UI in the game that hasn't been revised.

Nice to hear that, can't wait for the new one! =)



No idea what you mean. The wood and brass metal bits are actually from a photograph of an old chest that I have.

Sorry, my English diction is in really bad shape..well, I mean even worse than the Czech one, heh. =))

I'll try it again.. The brown wooden frame just does not seem like wood..at all..I am missing the wood texture or something (speaking of the longer straight parts of it)..also the experience bar does not fit there very well, it should be wooden or something too, to fit the whole theme. Otherwise it looks pretty good to me.



meh, just needs some polish.

True. =)


Well, thanks for answers!!! =)

[medierra]

Oh, I thought it's easier, because the Lilith mod for Titan Quest had resistances shown there..

Wait.... wtf?! screenshot or it didn't happen!

[i.n.s.a.n.e]

Wait.... wtf?! screenshot or it didn't happen!

HERE (http://www.gamatomic.com/screen.aspx?scr_tbl=ga_articles_images&scr_knm=textid&scr_kid=1691&scr_iid=29&scr_pth=quicklooks%2ftitanquestlilith%2f&scr_spt=data&scr_ref=%2fquicklooks%2f1691%2flilith-le-mod-ultime-de-titan-quest%3ftx_cimp%3d1&scr_pgt=Lilith+%3a+le+mod+ultime+de+Titan+Quest)

I see I did not play it for quite a while, hehe, it is just a textual thing..

Anyway, it is there, looking quite good imho..

Maybe you could make it automated or something (I guess Mostal had to do it manually?), and it might not take you that much time to implement for each creature then...? You could also, dunno..show it below the monster type (if possible) and make a fixed frame for it, then it would look even better I guess. But I like what Mostal did, you would not have to complicate it for yourself. =)

I know I would be happy with this kind of resistances visibility, I am sure others would do with it too. =) It's a good start at least. =)

[medierra]

Ah, yeah, that is just included in the localization tag. That wouldn't be a good way for us to do it.

The main issue with creating an automated system is figuring out how to display it in a way that is useful to players and wouldn't appear cluttered when an enemy had a lot of resists. It seems like we'd need a min resistance level before it would be displayed too. An enemy could easily have several resistances in the 10-30% range. What happens if a resistance is granted by a skill vs. an innate property? Do we display stun / knockdown / sleep resistance or just the primary ones?

I'm sure we could find solutions to these problems if we decided to undertake this task, I'm just trying to give examples of some of the issues that would need to be resolved to really make this work well.

It is something to consider for the future but the work vs. benefit doesn't seem like a good enough payoff to justify delaying alpha to slip it in.

[i.n.s.a.n.e]

Ah, yeah, that is just included in the localization tag. That wouldn't be a good way for us to do it.

The main issue with creating an automated system is figuring out how to display it in a way that is useful to players and wouldn't appear cluttered when an enemy had a lot of resists. It seems like we'd need a min resistance level before it would be displayed too. An enemy could easily have several resistances in the 10-30% range. What happens if a resistance is granted by a skill vs. an innate property? Do we display stun / knockdown / sleep resistance or just the primary ones?

I'm sure we could find solutions to these problems if we decided to undertake this task, I'm just trying to give examples of some of the issues that would need to be resolved to really make this work well.

It is something to consider for the future but the work vs. benefit doesn't seem like a good enough payoff to justify delaying alpha to slip it in.

You are right I guess. =/

And here we come to the scene, the community can help with that a bit (at least for the future development). I will create a thread about it in suggestions to make it easier for you once the time comes (you can or you do not have to include what we come with of course). =)

[yerkyerk]

The main issue with creating an automated system is figuring out how to display it in a way that is useful to players and wouldn't appear cluttered when an enemy had a lot of resists. It seems like we'd need a min resistance level before it would be displayed too. An enemy could easily have several resistances in the 10-30% range. What happens if a resistance is granted by a skill vs. an innate property? Do we display stun / knockdown / sleep resistance or just the primary ones?

It was already implemented in D2 - while they did not have the WYSIWYG system, they did have random resistances to monsters - and if their current resistances passed a certain treshold, they'd display it. If the resistance was lowered by a player skill, for example, it wouldn't be displayed anymore.
The display itself was pretty straightforward too. Resistances and immunities were written below the healthbar in corresponding colors (red for fire resistance, blue for cold, etc...). A better, shorter way to do it would be with icons instead of fully writing it out (there can be even small bars next to the icon to show how resistant the monsters are). I do think this is important - and it's more acceptable to get away with monsters with high resistances/immunities (which add to variety and force the player to make new choices) if it's clearly communicated to the player what the monsters are resistant against.

As long as there's a system in place that allows one to place icons below monsters based on their current stats, modders can take care of the rest - but I guess that's the biggest problem in the first place, lol :)

[evil medierra]

I only played 999999999 hours of D2, so I wasn't aware they had anything like that. :p

Unfortunately, though it is implemented in D2, that does not mean we don't have to implement it. As I already said, it isn't a matter of figuring out how to make it work, its a matter of making it work.

[matthewfarmery]

well you learn something new everyday

[jiaco]

well you learn something new everyday

What that D2's time played statistic maxed out at 999999999?

:D

[OneEyeRed]

One problem that I foresee and I am sure I will take grief for this is the fact that you folks need to be careful about how much you change based on the few so-called and professed hardcore gamer's here. In the end it's your game and I have faith YOU will deliver the goods. Suggestions are great but if you guys keep continuing to mold and tailor to a select few here, that's going to be your player base, a select few.

Now before everyone gets their undies in an uproar I am not saying that all the suggestions are bad, indifferent, etc.... I guess my point is hire some of the people here if they think they can build this game superior to you folks who have extensive experience and knowledge doing so.

Delaying a game even further or changing to appease the few is a bad business decision from my end; I am just saying. Now as always let the flames begin...

[medierra]

You certainly have a valid point and we are conscious of the fact that the mostly hardcore following on this forum does not represent the entire potential player-base. Many of the ideas discussed here and the ones we tend to gravitate towards, are those that we feel either have universal appeal or which can please one audience without alienating another.

What is more of a factor in this discussion is that we've spent about two years now developing the game, adding features, and making improvements. We're now at a point where we need to start to wrap things up and make progress towards a first release.

The specific idea of displaying resistances is one that I think could have wide appeal and benefit most players but it is also something that we can't just slip in with an hours work - it would probably end up being a couple days worth of work to properly implement and polish it. That still isn't a huge amount of work but there are probably an thousand small features like this that people would want to see happen and at some point we need to draw the line and keep our focus on getting something released.

This is something we can still do in the future and we will keep it in mind.

[i.n.s.a.n.e]

Omega_K2 has really brilliant idea HERE (http://www.grimdawn.com/forums/showpost.php?p=36589&postcount=4).

Just throwing an idea here, I am aware of what you said medierra (about time and stuff). Just something to think about in the future. =)

[Hypercrazy]

Everything looks utterly amazing. Really loving the UI, and font you guys have chosen. Can't wait keep it coming!

[OneEyeRed]

You certainly have a valid point and we are conscious of the fact that the mostly hardcore following on this forum does not represent the entire potential player-base. Many of the ideas discussed here and the ones we tend to gravitate towards, are those that we feel either have universal appeal or which can please one audience without alienating another.

What is more of a factor in this discussion is that we've spent about two years now developing the game, adding features, and making improvements. We're now at a point where we need to start to wrap things up and make progress towards a first release.

The specific idea of displaying resistances is one that I think could have wide appeal and benefit most players but it is also something that we can't just slip in with an hours work - it would probably end up being a couple days worth of work to properly implement and polish it. That still isn't a huge amount of work but there are probably an thousand small features like this that people would want to see happen and at some point we need to draw the line and keep our focus on getting something released.

This is something we can still do in the future and we will keep it in mind.

That's what I am trying to get across and you understand it of course. I am more concerned with the core game being complete as opposed to a bag or a font/icon for this or that. At the current rate we will never see the game and you will run out of funds and you know the scenario from there all too well.

I really want to see GD succeed and I also want YOU guys to be able to spring off that success with expansions, updates, or an entirely new IP. Again, I was not targeting any particular individual and the group as a whole has great ideas but at some point as you stated, you have to say enough is enough.

I have faith in you or I would have never become a Legendary contributor or made the investment. You guys are the only ones I have ever done this for and this solely due to your last accomplishment with TQ. Therefore, I trust that you learned things from the past as you have clearly told us before and you are making a game with lasting appeal again.

With all that said, I really want to play the game boss :D

[Harlequin]

This is a fair point. I think knowing all the resistances of the enemies isn't even too important for a casual gamer. He will probably barely realize that it's there and even then won't pay too much attention to it.

Wow 2 years already? I can understand that you want to release something playable by now.^^

[Scryer]

I'm waiting for a limited Alpha (With the Survival Mode) That'll be great!

Just remember Diablo 3 Beta will start Next month or in September... they're 2 days from releasing the information about the Beta client...

But hey, we have to make this game the best it can be - it's gotta be fun to play right from the start. We'll all help make that happen when you get to an Alpha release with our feedback.

D3 is still a ways off from launching though.

[Gumshoe]

If just to appease the hardcore (and the curious), you could release a 'monster library' DLC after release, that contains images of all the monsters and will display info on likely resistances, level of resistance, primary/secondary attacks etc and health stats. It could be a reward for beating the game on normal?

If there is to be resists shown in the game, I would think only primary resists need to be shown, as sleep/knockback/other resists will be pretty evident in the process of attacking and they don't affect damage levels.

[SmajlicekCZ]

D3 is still a ways off from launching though.

According to the leaked Blizzard release plans for their games, D3 should be released at the end of 2011, as seen here: http://gamerinvestments.com/video-game-stocks/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/blizzard-product-slate-leaked.jpg

Of course it could be fake, but it seems accurate enough thus far, and could be true.


Anyways, as for the resists, I didn't mind that I couldn't see the monster resists, there weren't that many high-resistant monsters for it to matter. And for those few, you could figure it out just from the looks (ICE peng, ICE sprite resistant to ice? You don't say :D Those big fire wyrms resistant to fire? No way :O Skeletons can't be pierced easily? With all those holes? How come....you get my point).

As long as there aren't too many high resists (or immunities, but DON'T put immunities in there, please, D3 is also taking them away, they were annoying as hell in D2 if you were playing single-player), there really is no need to show them on the UI, and since it would take a lot of work to implement them there... it's just not worth it imho, let players figure them out through hints/experience and focus on wrapping things up and polishing already implemented features.

[yerkyerk]

According to the leaked Blizzard release plans for their games, D3 should be released at the end of 2011, as seen here: http://gamerinvestments.com/video-game-stocks/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/blizzard-product-slate-leaked.jpg

Of course it could be fake, but it seems accurate enough thus far, and could be true.

And we all know how reliable Blizzard is when it comes to release dates :)
There may be a beta this year though. I'm not planning on participating on it, I'll wait for the full polished game.

[hooby]

And we all know how reliable Blizzard is when it comes to release dates :)
There may be a beta this year though. I'm not planning on participating on it, I'll wait for the full polished game.

If it's like the Starcraft 2 beta, then the game will be more polished during beta, than most other games are on their release day.

[Harlequin]

And we all know how reliable Blizzard is when it comes to release dates :)
There may be a beta this year though. I'm not planning on participating on it, I'll wait for the full polished game.

Actually the Beta is really really close.^^
http://www.gamona.de/games/diablo-3,erster-screenshot-aus-der-beta-verraet-einige-details:news,1966965.html#screen:1966972

[Gumshoe]

According to the leaked Blizzard release plans for their games, D3 should be released at the end of 2011, as seen here: http://gamerinvestments.com/video-game-stocks/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/blizzard-product-slate-leaked.jpg

Of course it could be fake, but it seems accurate enough thus far, and could be true.


Anyways, as for the resists, I didn't mind that I couldn't see the monster resists, there weren't that many high-resistant monsters for it to matter. And for those few, you could figure it out just from the looks (ICE peng, ICE sprite resistant to ice? You don't say :D Those big fire wyrms resistant to fire? No way :O Skeletons can't be pierced easily? With all those holes? How come....you get my point).

As long as there aren't too many high resists (or immunities, but DON'T put immunities in there, please, D3 is also taking them away, they were annoying as hell in D2 if you were playing single-player), there really is no need to show them on the UI, and since it would take a lot of work to implement them there... it's just not worth it imho, let players figure them out through hints/experience and focus on wrapping things up and polishing already implemented features.

Good point, if the resists are quite obvious by the monster's characteristics and effects, no need to really add them as visual icons.

[Hrf]

These new images are looking really good. I like the icons for skills, and the font is very readable and non-intrusive. I can see how quest markers could bother some people, but personally, I like it when they are easy to spot, and that's the only requirement I have for them. The multi-barreled gun looks very nice in action ;)

[Ian]

If just to appease the hardcore (and the curious), you could release a 'monster library' DLC after release, that contains images of all the monsters and will display info on likely resistances, level of resistance, primary/secondary attacks etc and health stats. It could be a reward for beating the game on normal?

If there is to be resists shown in the game, I would think only primary resists need to be shown, as sleep/knockback/other resists will be pretty evident in the process of attacking and they don't affect damage levels.

Isn't this something the fan base does anyway - on release the game will be dissected every which way and fan sites/wiki's will pop up everywhere with all manner of information etc about the game - having Crate do everything for us will kill half the fun of Discovery I think ;)

Also loving the new Screens :) and cannot wait to play

[OneEyeRed]

Isn't this something the fan base does anyway - on release the game will be dissected every which way and fan sites/wiki's will pop up everywhere with all manner of information etc about the game - having Crate do everything for us will kill half the fun of Discovery I think ;)

Also loving the new Screens :) and cannot wait to play

Yes and one need only look at TQ.net and see Yerk and many others who have contributed to that game beyond measure. You can bet Yerk or someone will have a GD.net site once we get rolling in beta. Now is your time to chime in and confirm Yerk :)

[yerkyerk]

I'm not very likely to make a dedicated GD website, that's really more Soulseekkor's cup of tea :)

A repository sounds more interesting to me, tbh.

[SethSteiner]

First post:
Think it looks really good, would love to play it even though I didn't see the female version yet (which I just prefer). I think Grim Dawn will become a great Hack'n Slay.

But now the the not so nice part:
I think the items are looking a little bit.. flat. Of course I see it with old Diablo glasses, so please don't kill me instantly but I think the old fashioned way is better. Especially if I look at pants, boots and gloves. It's so organized and a little bit to small with so much flesh (black). A little bit more three-dimensional, bigger and "chaotic" (gloves crossed above each other, boots more together) would definitly add much.

Also the character bar at the upper left appeals a little off to me. The old fashioned big spheres (or whatever comes to mind) with life and mana in it were just more atmospheric as a head and to bars with numbers in it.

Same with the potions. They look more like pictures of potions. The flasks for themself would be better.

However that's just my point of few and are nothing but minor issues. The game is already bought.^^

[jodyj]

Wow some great improvements guys :) looks a whole lot better from the last one.

I know its been said a million times but i have to insist you guys move the health and mana bars to the bottom. Make it more visible and bigger as well. I also died many times playing TQ because i was focusing on the bars at the bottom and not looking up.

I know you guys don't have alot of time to make major changes to your game but i really believe this is important. Looking at the screen right now and i see nice big gaps in the bottom left and right, perfect for big health and mana globes (d2 ftw!!!! :P)

Cmon Medierra make it happen dude :)

[Sharpdeath]

Looking good guys. Can't wait :D

[Bleh]

Would it be possible to place another skill bar on top of the standard skill bar? A small problem I have with these games is that I want/get too many skills than available room in the skill bar. Switching between layers I mostly tend to forget or in the heat of the battle I don't have the time. Maybe you could even make the second skill bar usable with key combination shift or ctrl + number.

[LáCocky]

My opinions on the HUD/UI fall pretty similarly in line with my thoughts on the title screen in that it's not using the potential for a more artistic approach for the borders and item icons. Like with the items it shows them in the typical character model pose on body armour and the weapons lack detail.

Here is what I'm getting at, within Arcanum the items icons look very detailed and such (but their menu screen looks pretty bland).
http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/gs/rpg/arcanum/arcanum_fp_790screen016.jpg

[MadWasp]

My opinions on the HUD/UI fall pretty similarly in line with my thoughts on the title screen in that it's not using the potential for a more artistic approach for the borders and item icons. Like with the items it shows them in the typical character model pose on body armour and the weapons lack detail.

Here is what I'm getting at, within Arcanum the items icons look very detailed and such (but their menu screen looks pretty bland).
http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/screenshots/gs/rpg/arcanum/arcanum_fp_790screen016.jpg

I mentioned-here- this HUD/Ui super example a year ago. This is the best ever made ui yet(include all arpgz). Wonderful big equipment. Happy to fight 4 them. Maybe Arcanum can teach the magic to younger voulanteers.....I hope...and pray....

[SethSteiner]

Arcanum is a wonderful examples, the whole armory looks great, much less static then Grim Dawn at the moment. That is what I meant with three-dimensional and it's also very detailed.
After a few looks at the inventory now, I think it would be better if it would really fit into the whole interface. At the moment it's more like a desktop with windows. If it would take half of the screen it could open up new possibilities.

[MrFreckle]

Who cares what the stupid inventory looks like as long as it is functional, let the developers work on the gameplay and content.

[Eltu]

If you ask me, the interface look and feeling is a large part of the atmosphere of the game itself. A good interface can help increase the immersion and general 'feel' of the game - a bad interface can have the opposite effect.

If the look of the interface is coherent with the setting and look of the rest of the game, this is a great asset - if it clashes with the game and looks all too different, it can have a really bad effect on the game experience as a whole.

As an example of this, look at the inventory screen of Titan Quest and compare it with, say, the atrocity that is Two Worlds 2:
http://www.nag.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/TW201.jpg

Titan Quest's inventory looks professional and coherent with the atmosphere of the rest of the game - both in terms of appearance and functionality. Two Worlds 2's inventory looks really out of place, cluttered and unprofessional - and every time the player brings up this screen this hits him in the face.

In my opinion, the look of a game's interface is very important - after all, the player is going to look at it a lot, so it's a good idea to make it look like it fits into the rest of the game. And I think Grim Dawn really nailed this so far. It looks Victorian, it looks grim. :D

I do have some feedback on it, though - some things I think could be improved upon.

First off, I think the bevel effects of the item slots and especially the (what I assume is) non-activated second inventory slot (like before you got to Megara in TQ), really could be closer to the edges - in other words, look less beveled but still as strong in terms of color. As of now, it looks a little odd.

Secondly, there are some minor position issues with the text and some of the graphics - The "Combat Stats" title is too close to the line right above it, the close button in the upper right is too far to the left, the 'gold' counter below the item slots looks like it should be placed one pixel lower... things like that.

But, do understand that this is just nitpicking - I really, really like the look of the interface so far! ;)

[mamba]

If you ask me, the interface look and feeling is a large part of the atmosphere of the game itself. A good interface can help increase the immersion and general 'feel' of the game - a bad interface can have the opposite effect.

If the look of the interface is coherent with the setting and look of the rest of the game, this is a great asset - if it clashes with the game and looks all too different, it can have a really bad effect on the game experience as a whole.

As an example of this, look at the inventory screen of Titan Quest and compare it with, say, the atrocity that is Two Worlds 2:
http://www.nag.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/TW201.jpg

Titan Quest's inventory looks professional and coherent with the atmosphere of the rest of the game - both in terms of appearance and functionality. Two Worlds 2's inventory looks really out of place, cluttered and unprofessional - and every time the player brings up this screen this hits him in the face.

The funny thing is, that yes, when the TW2 inventory was brought up the first time, I found it hideous, but after that I did not care about it. It simply did not matter.

As long as it is functional, a nice interface is better, but to me it is not worth a lot of effort to make it nice. I much rather have the option to compare two items side by side in a mediocre looking interface than have a nice interface which does not allow for that.

So I agree, limited resources should go into making the game itself fun / good looking over having a great looking interface. Now if the result of improving the look of the items in the interface results in the items also looking better in game (i.e. on the char), then improving their look is more viable to me ;)

[Eltu]

I see your point, and I do agree - one has to set priorities and as you say, functionality comes before aesthetics.

My point was - and is - that the look of the interface is by no means insignificant and can do a great deal for how one experiences a game.

As for the TW2 interface, we'll have to agree to disagree then. ;)

[SethSteiner]

I totally agree Eltu. A few seconds ago I saw the interface/inventory of Path of Exile for the first time:
http://grindinggear.com/poeinventorymockup.jpg

That is what I imagined, looks fresh and very atmospheric. Three dimensional, vivid and add a few adjectives more to it. Would love to see Grim Dawn converging to it, since it is functional at it is but at the same time it also works as a frame for the game. I think such a frame is rather underestimated today but it's adding a lot to the ambience.

[Eltu]

I don't really think there's anything wrong with the aestethics of the current Grim Dawn interface - on the contrary, it looks great and really fits into the atmosphere of the game.

That being said, variation is always nice too. ;)

[james1976]

Nice screens. The game's looking more awesome all the time.

[Omeganyn]

i love the charecter sheet but hate the HUD. i like having only 1 location on the screen to look at while im in combat that can tell me my target, my health, where im at on the minimap, and what skills i have. having it all over seems to give the illusion of more space being taken on the screen and its very distracting.

[GrizzlyAdam]

The HUD could use a little work to bring things together better, like Omeganyn says. It shouldn't have to be the PoE/Diablo style HUD, though. Uniqueness is something to shoot for. You don't want people seeing screenshots and go "Oh is that...diablo...or PoE...?" I personally prefer HUDs (like the Grim dawn ones shown) that tell me EXACTLY how much HP I have left so I don't have to go "Ummm ok I've got maybe 1/6th of my red globe remaining."

What could work out for everybody is if you let the HUD be moddable. Most people would probably be happy with your current display, but if you leave it open for modding you could please everyone.

[NZSpy]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the hud. You don't really need to see the health bar. TQ had the 'heartbeat gong' when you;re health was low. I rarely looked at it in the heat of battle. Hopefully, Grim Dawn will take the same approach.

[Cavar]

I totally agree Eltu. A few seconds ago I saw the interface/inventory of Path of Exile for the first time:
http://grindinggear.com/poeinventorymockup.jpg

That is what I imagined, looks fresh and very atmospheric. Three dimensional, vivid and add a few adjectives more to it. Would love to see Grim Dawn converging to it, since it is functional at it is but at the same time it also works as a frame for the game. I think such a frame is rather underestimated today but it's adding a lot to the ambience.

6 slots for a quiver? Dang! :/ Awesome UI though.

I want to play PoE almost as much as GD.

[NZSpy]

That UI is nice and a lot nicer than what's in Beta right now. What I don't understand is why people always comment on 'Grim Dawn needs to look more like <insert game here>'. Grim Dawn needs to be Grim Dawn, it's not Diablo, or Torchlight, or POE, it's Grim Dawn. It's just fine the way it is, stop trying to make it something else.

Personally I couldn't care less what the interface looks like. Just as long it isn't ugly and it's functional and the game rocks, which we all know it will :)

[SaberTooth]

Well, I like it: gore, magic, ARPG...
I don´t like graveyards enviromet and mobs undeads alike...
Only figth undead? Inventory and GUI looks like the old dungeon siegue. Looks complete but dirty. I tink must be polished somehow.:undecided:

[SethSteiner]

That UI is nice and a lot nicer than what's in Beta right now. What I don't understand is why people always comment on 'Grim Dawn needs to look more like <insert game here>'. Grim Dawn needs to be Grim Dawn, it's not Diablo, or Torchlight, or POE, it's Grim Dawn. It's just fine the way it is, stop trying to make it something else.

Personally I couldn't care less what the interface looks like. Just as long it isn't ugly and it's functional and the game rocks, which we all know it will :)

I think it should to look more like <insert game here> because there are advantages. For instance the inventory at the right side. You're able to switch from something that lies on the bottom easily to the inventory and on top of it, it frames the windows naturally, a window is more of a "free falling object". Or if we look at the globes they have the advantage that they are on the one hand way more visible and therefore helpful to know what's going on, you don't have to look upwards to a tiny bar which isn't the most normal behaviour for an eye. On the other hand those health and mana parts can be designed in a wishful way and add much to the atmosphere and aesthetic. It's not like Grim Dawn has a very unique interface, it's more the interface you find in every single MMO since ages.

[NZSpy]

I never had a problem with TQ's interface and I don't see a problem with Grim Dawn's either. No need to change something for the sake of change. My overall point was the interface isn't the most important aspect of the game. Are we not going to play the game because the interface doesn't look or function a certain way? Really? These kinds of comments are what make games suck today, too many people worried about how it 'looks' rather than how it 'plays'.

But, this is obviously just my opinion :)

[Dejnov]

One of the big issues that people seem to gloss over is the aesthetic nature of games and apps.

Lots of people will argue, what we really need is lots of content (massive amounts of skills, drops, areas, etc.) and super cool effects (like gore, screen toggle, day/night effects, etc.) and super cool fx/resolution (2400 by 2300 resolution FTW). This will draw in the crowd and create a superior product when compared to all of the potential options out there.

The argument is quickly followed by the statement "we'll be able to commensurately charge a higher price point (or generate more sales) due to adding such and such feature." That's why we'll win.

What they forget is that the experience (and interface) can have a large impact on the perceived value being shown/created. UI/UX is a small, but growing, field that is starting to bring into the collective psyche that such issues are important. Some companies get it (like Apple and Google) and many many more don't (like SAP, Microsoft, Forbes, IBM). This actually hinders their ability to generate cool and slick products that aren't just functional, but capture an intuitive common psyche that helps their product become the next new 'cool' thing.

If Crate has the time and are receptive to customer feedback, UI/UX issues are important to fix. If for the only fact, that they won't be there to detract from everything else that makes GD great.


Dejnov.