[Freeciv-Dev] Re: (PR#7127) [FS] Screen design

["Morgan Jones" <morgan.jones@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<URL: http://rt.freeciv.org/Ticket/Display.html?id=7127 >

>> On Sat, Dec 20, 2003 at 02:17:00PM -0800, Raimar Falke wrote:
>>>  - main screen
>>>    This one is hard. So far we collect the following items which
>>>    should/could be contained:
>>>    * the main map
>>>    * the mini map
>>>    * buttons for quick access (cities, research, players, nation)
>>> ALTERNATIVE: menu
>>>    * buttons for unit commands ALTERNATIVE: menu
>>>    * info about focus unit
>>>    * info about current tile (current tile=tile of the current
>>> focus unit)
>>>    * list of units on the current tile (optional also the city)
>>>    * general purpose area (messages, power graphs, ...)
>>>    * turn done + menu button
>>>    * general info (turn, population, money, ...)
>>>    * input for chat ALTERNATIVE: shift-return or similar to bring
>>> a popup
>>>    * chat output area ALTERNATIVE: fading output at top-left
>>> corner like in Diablo2

Some further ideas and modifications:

- Clicking on the science lightbulb should bring up the science report

- The Government indicator could bring up the city report.  Or maybe
the demographics or revolution requester.  The other two don't really
have useful associations but I suppose at a push the global warming
one could bring up the demographics report, and the nuclear winter the
military report.

- Wealth would probably be a more sensible term than Gold

- Perhaps replace the word Wealth (Gold) with a graphic which brings
up the trade report? 

- I suppose following this theme there could be a number of cities and
number of units icon which bring up the city and military reports.  In
this case, population could bring up the demographics report, and gov
type the revolution requester.  I think that's all the important ones,
exept probably the help menu.  That could be added as button to the
right of the chat input string (shortening it a bit).  Wonders and Top
5 cities could be accessed via the demographics report or something.

- Or alternatively again there is a single 'Reports' button that
brings up a dialog that lets you select the report you want.

- And there probably needs to be a button somewhere that brings up a
dialog that has all the game control type features:  Load, Save, Quit,
Options, Message Options, View options, etc.  This of course assumes
the absence of the menu, which probably wouldn't be a bad thing.

- I forgot to put scroll arrows (scroll bar?) on the message/output
frame.  I think horizontal scrolling of this would be ugly.  Text
wrapping would be better.  And it would be good to have (definable)
colours for different message types too.

- In the current unit information it might be better to have
A: 4  D: 2  M: 2 than just Moves.  This could be updated after each
move to show not only actual remaining moves but also the 'real'
attack and defense of that unit, i.e with all veteran, terrain and
other modifications applied.  I don't think HP or Firepower is
necessary.

- After the homecity of the unit the current upkeep of the unit could
be displayed.

- Maybe tile coordinates (X,Y) could be placed after the terrain
entry.  Not sure if this is a good thing or not.

- Slightly off topic:  please include support for terrain tiles that
are taller than the the normal 64x32 isometric tile.  So we can use
the deluxe tileset's lovely 64x48 mountains and hills.

Please note that I still use 1.14.0 and I use the Amiga (MUI) client
so it's possible that some of these features have already been
implemented in other clients and I'm not aware of them.

     -Morgan