User Interface Ideas (Updated 3.20.15)

[Wicked Mouse]

Current UI feels like Windows phone. 

Heh, nah the new Windows look is tighter and even less make-up. The UI in Naval Action is the same used in Ultimate General: Gettysburg. In the menus though. Once battleing the UI looks better

[Ronan]

I think being able to see the current state of the enemy should be removed. Although removing crew count would make it a guessing game on wither or not to board.

I think we should still be able to see the state of friendlies just for the purpose of assisting sinking ships if that ever gets added in.

 

Also, I think the UI we have now is fine. I like the UI being transparent and blended in with the game itself. I don't like having the UI with colours, for example NA's old UI where it had a bunch of bright red colours etc mixed in with the UI, which turned me off the game pesonally.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Ronan

[St. Vincent]

theSpatchula, I love the direction you're going with your GUI redesign.

I have to second felelo, though. I feel like there's room to steer it a little but further towards an 17th/18th/19th century aesthetic, without sacrificing the current clean, minimalist feel - and without going too far in the direction of Wind's example.

I threw together a quick concept:



It's basically the existing UI, neatened up a bit, and with just a couple of ornamental touches to give it that historical vibe.

I've done a bit of rearranging; eg it didn't make sense to me to have the ship's crew/sail/hull stats in the wind/compass section. I've shifted them to sit with the armour/leaks/damage section, for one combined 'my ship' panel; here, I've shifted to a vertical layout (seems more sensible to me by far, even just from a "which is starboard?" standpoint), wrapped the armour readouts around the guns, and aligned the rest to match. I've also moved the leak indicator from behind the compass to behind the armour/guns readout - again, seems more sensible that way.



I've also slimmed down the action buttons, combining the reload buttons into one. I was a huge fan of mortenlnielsen's NumPad idea from a few pages back:
 

You could even take it as far, as using numpad

...so I built it into my layout. In the following, I'm picturing switching the port-side upper gun deck to grapeshot in three key presses - [1] [Num4] [3]

 

(felelo, the image you posted is showing up as a broken link for me - apologies if the example you put together already covered the ideas I've posted!)

[Ftmch]

As many have already mentioned, it would be lovely to have a bit of an older aestethic to the interface, it doesn't have to be all clutter-y with wooden colours all over the screen, but more wooden colours and textures in it would be nice, and a compass etc. that looks more like it's from that time. The same goes for the map, not sure what's planned here but having a map that actually looks like a naval map from that age would make my mouth water!

 

(oh, and St. Vincents inferface concept was bloody beautiful!)

Edited September 22, 2015 by Ftmch

[Benezet]

I mentioned this in the suggestions thread, but it would be great to have a wind indicator that moves relative to the direction that you are looking, rather than always remaining static. This is probably my biggest issue with the current UI as it adds an unnatural mental processing step to determine wind direction during maneuvers and gunnery; it just seems more natural to perceive wind in relation to the direction you are looking, because that is how you would perceive it in a tactile sense in real life. Maybe make it an option so those who prefer the current way could keep it, but would be nice to have direction-relative as an option.

[Jim]

I am a fan of simple clear gui, current gui suits me well, the only two extra things i would add:

 

1.Fire icon diuring battle screen - sometimes you need to take off headphones - diuring boarding i always think im on fire...

2.Markings for whole 32 rhumbs on compas rose - it would simplyfy fleet operations on open world. The same "on click" rhumb grid/rose i would add to game map. Idea how it should work you can grab on tdamap  http://tdamap.com/portmap.html .

 

Another thing is customisation, i belive that  setting size of elements and position by user is a must.

 

 

 

[Rychu Karas]

In my opinion it would be great to see some navigation tools with map. I would like to have some possibility to navigate or predict my sailing route, to mark my guessed position or mark some information about range or time on map.

[Magnum]

I think it would be a lot less confusing if - when there is "no contract" for an item it just said "No Contract Placed" in the buy box.

 

So instead of this:

 

 

This:

 

[Slappin Happy]

I'm with Grim on this one; As a game that has a simulation appeal to it, with little to no UI adjustable settings.  Its a burden to play on 3 27inch monitors as one must look full right & left to receive all the information, which is a shame for the beauty of the game to be subject to a single monitor.    

[TommyShelby]

I've always liked WoT, WT and WoWS for the way their port interface is done. It's very clean and neat and you have the ability to "admire" your ship while in "port" so to speak.

 

I'm hoping we will have some kind of "visual" representation of the port we're in along with the ship/ships parked there. If we get "upgradeable" buildings (shipwright's, lumberyards etc etc..) it would be very cool if all that was represented visually. So we could basically watch the different towns grow bigger! 

 

 

 

 

I'm with Grim on this one; As a game that has a simulation appeal to it, with little to no UI adjustable settings.  Its a burden to play on 3 27inch monitors as one must look full right & left to receive all the information, which is a shame for the beauty of the game to be subject to a single monitor.    

I love the idea, never had 3 monitors though. With my idea they could possibly split the UI into 3 parts, 2 for the visual representation and 1 for the UI itself. With one click the 3 parts could be split out over 3 different screens, this could probably even be made customizable in a way so that you can choose which part is on which screen. 

Ofcourse these things aren't so important right now but it would definitely be a cool feature in the future! 

[Slappin Happy]

I'm Pleading here, almost begging to have manual UI adjustment for battles. I cannot manage the Wind properly because of the constant scan of information one has to do. Having the UI locked in the corners of my monitors I have to look 5 feet from one end to the other to get basic information. As can be seen in my Screen shots. 3 monitors really brings out the beauty in the game, one of the reasons i play it. Its a shame to have to run one monitor to be a capable sailor in this simulation style game.  Plz O Plz unlock the UI! Thanks! Slap!

['Sharpe]

Will we have the option to view wind direction relative to the direction we are looking?

 

I have raised this issue twice before, and consider it essential to situational awareness -- I just can't get used to a compass that always has the wind relative to the ship, rather than relative to the direction of the camera. All other sailing games I've played allow this at least to be a toggle switch.

 

For example, imagine my ship is traveling due north, 0 degrees, with the wind coming from 90 degrees. If I go look out of the port broadside (270 degrees) without touching the rudder, in current game state I would look at the compass/wind indicator and see an arrow pointing like this <---------------. Given that I am looking towards 270 degrees when I make this reading, my instinct is immediately that the wind is coming from due north!!

 

I just can't shake this; years of actual sailing have made me always situationally aware of the wind as it relates to the direction I am looking, because that is how one's senses actually perceive it, in real life.

 

A camera-relative wind meter would, in the same situation as described above, show the arrow now blowing from bottom to top. Which makes sense given that, as I look 270 degrees and the wind comes from 90 degrees, it is coming from directly behind me.

 

Can we get this in game? Pretty please?

[droptuned]

Please, please remove pop-ups from the center of the screen. They seem to occur a the worst times. 

[BungeeLemming]

pop-ups?

 

Do you mean the warnings we get bevore any server maintenance?

They wont disappear. And why should they? Do you want to get disconnected and a lot of players opening threads about "server down?"

Nah. Maintenance warning stays as it is.

[Bolitho]

Time shown on the battle screen?

 

Or is it there somewhere.

Edited November 17, 2015 by Bolitho

[312_JS]

theSpatchula, I love the direction you're going with your GUI redesign.

I have to second felelo, though. I feel like there's room to steer it a little but further towards an 17th/18th/19th century aesthetic, without sacrificing the current clean, minimalist feel - and without going too far in the direction of Wind's example.

I threw together a quick concept:

It's basically the existing UI, neatened up a bit, and with just a couple of ornamental touches to give it that historical vibe.

I've done a bit of rearranging; eg it didn't make sense to me to have the ship's crew/sail/hull stats in the wind/compass section. I've shifted them to sit with the armour/leaks/damage section, for one combined 'my ship' panel; here, I've shifted to a vertical layout (seems more sensible to me by far, even just from a "which is starboard?" standpoint), wrapped the armour readouts around the guns, and aligned the rest to match. I've also moved the leak indicator from behind the compass to behind the armour/guns readout - again, seems more sensible that way.

I've also slimmed down the action buttons, combining the reload buttons into one. I was a huge fan of mortenlnielsen's NumPad idea from a few pages back:

 

...so I built it into my layout. In the following, I'm picturing switching the port-side upper gun deck to grapeshot in three key presses - [1] [Num4] [3]

 

(felelo, the image you posted is showing up as a broken link for me - apologies if the example you put together already covered the ideas I've posted!)

 

That's lovable! Jolly good show!

 

[Hugh Latham]

pop-ups?

 

Do you mean the warnings we get bevore any server maintenance?

They wont disappear. And why should they? Do you want to get disconnected and a lot of players opening threads about "server down?"

Nah. Maintenance warning stays as it is.

He is referring to the pop-ups that state things like IRON and obscure the rest of the items in the shop.

[Benass]

For me this would someting like this would be almost perfect

 

Please Please Vertical gun layout.  

 

Horizontal guns and Ship Hit points do not work for me.  I cant figure out which side is loaded and which is not at horizontal layout. 

 

Same goes for ship sides. I have no idea which side is damaged and which is not.    

Vertical Layout is kind of self explanatory.   

 

For horizontal layout i have to twist my head to get some kind of comprehension  My neck hurts after few hours of game play.  

[Benass]

I dont know if you have played the game yet or dindt know, but there is already a HP system in the game, and people who play it still take it "seriously"

 

in the top left conor there is Hp bars showing each side of the ships and how much damage they have taken.

 

 

 <------ its this one if you are still confused

 

 

I just suggest that the devs minimize the space there things use,

 

and the cannon decks to make more room for enyoing the game. By commbineing they into this a small but easy to use ship menu in the conor.

 

That have the same cooldown system as the one we use now, but shows the cannons deck like this

 

  The highest is front cannons, and side is from top to buttom showing the side deck from form top to buttom making easier to use that the way its visualize now, and that lowest in the back cannons.

 

The last picture show how much space this would save, so we could enjoy the battle more, without all these thing taken up the screen

And personally thinks its a more user friendly 

 

I approve this one.    Move ship into to the left. Add target into to the right. All sorted.  

Give option to move UI parts any were on the screen.  Thats is.  It is minimal and simple. 

[Jacob van Heemskerck]

Al i can do is make suggestions here. i am not that handy in making a beautiful concepts of a desired UI like many do here  , great work!   

• please make it look old (it's to modern for my taste)
• please make clear, simple and obvious
• please make the top deck view with armor and gun's view, viewed from stern at bottom screen to bow to top of the screen, just like the yard positions interface in compas (not starboard/larboard)
• please not to much clutter on screen. 

[TheBritishGent]

Could give it that real MMO feel

 

 

This seems a nice solution:

 

Edit:

You could inegrate the loading indicator into it:

~Brigand

Both of these styles I really like, and would like to see them in game. The current interface is fine, but some of the words on mine overlap, and this just seems neater

.

Also, I would like to see what you have planned for the menus, like when you go into port and are looking at equipement, the shop, etc. How will it look like? Personally I would like to have the background looking at my ship in port, and going to the shop brings you to some shipwright.

[Booyaah]

At least put a backdrop in the port battle screen:

 

[cpt Terenor]

nice

[Arnaud Arpes]

I always had thought something that allowed you to look out from the port, towards the harbor would be good. This way you could see what all was happening, if an enemy fleet was approaching, if a ship was passing, if someone new came to port, etc. As well as being able to see the time of day and the weather.

Rough mockup:

Edited January 22, 2016 by Arnaud Arpes

[Destraex]

Put the port attack banners up the top instead of across the screen. It's a real problem when trying to aim during battles when this thing appears right in the centre of view.