Author Topic: Taking on TBP's UI: The Mission Loading Screen  (Read 2690 times)

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Offline 0rph3u5

  • 211
  • Oceans rise. Empires fall.
Taking on TBP's UI: The Mission Loading Screen
Hello everyone,

I want to take point on an effort to take advantage of the evolution of FSO and replace on two parts of TBPs UI which could use an overhaul. Let's start with the Mission Loading Screen.

The big change here I want to propose is to incooperate Axem's Loading Screen Script. Here is a mock-up:

This is actually from the functionality test-stage with the new loading bar for Drums of War. Its far from perfection.

For one it give any creator options to customize the loading screen for each mission, going even further than just setting the background image as FRED_Open can do for you. The features I would like to highlight as being of most use to TBP are:

1 - The ability to display a Text Box on the loading screen. This Text inside the Box can be drawn randomly from a pool (and as bonus could even have an image attached to it - if you are so inclined).
This would be great for TBP due its large arsenal of player-allowed craft and weapons, and there isn't always a narrative framework to go through the motions of a tutorial. This could be used to expand on the descriptions given for weapons in the Loadout Screen. The pool from which the contents are drawn can also be adjusted, creating pools for different situations -  e.g. for Drums of War I've made custom pools based on the enemy forces encountered.
The position of the Text Box can also be customized if you need it to be.

2 - To get grid of the quasi-retail Loading Bar. There is no nice way of putting it but the normal loading bar is cumbersome - and turns out there isn't really a good reason for it to be the way it is. I actually talked with some of the SCP devs on the subject in January, and it turns out almost everything about the 14 frames retail-style loading bar is arbitrary - not just in ususally "its faking a linear progressing for something that is actually happening in steps"-sense that is the norm about loading bars/counters in games.
Axem's script allows for much more variety here, including customizing the position of the loading bar on the screen. This is a gateway to utilize different loading bars, even include custom ones to match the mission (Want one made from Shadow Script? - Easy as pie).


Now this does not mean replacing any well-made loading screens that already exist - Raider Wars in particular is looking good the way it is; it also does not mean that it would phase out the default loading screen, but an opt-in solution for any mission that's already here.


Any thoughts and comments so far?



I am glad to pre-empt the question "Why is this this 'Public Development'?" - This is where you come in:

A) I need a small blurb of gameplay relevant (no fluff) information for each player-allowed craft in TBP and their weapons. Not that I can't write them up myself, but there is value in a diverse set of perspectives.

B) I need a comprehensive list of all missions with following data attached: If they already have custom loading screens, what craft are in the loadout pool for the player and what is the opposing force for that mission. Here I just want to save time.

I would really appricate any assistance.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2020, 01:27:42 pm by 0rph3u5 »
"As you sought to steal a kingdom for yourself, so must you do again, a thousand times over. For a theft, a true theft, must be practiced to be earned." - The terms of Nyrissa's curse, Pathfinder: Kingmaker

==================

"I am Curiosity, and I've always wondered what would become of you, here at the end of the world." - The Guide/The Curious Other, Othercide

"When you work with water, you have to know and respect it. When you labour to subdue it, you have to understand that one day it may rise up and turn all your labours into nothing. For what is water, which seeks to make all things level, which has no taste or colour of its own, but a liquid form of Nothing?" - Graham Swift, Waterland

"...because they are not Dragons."

 

Offline emi_100

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Re: Taking on TBP's UI: The Mission Loading Screen
I like it!  my thumb up  :yes:
DEDICATED TO ALL THE
PEOPLE WHO PREDICTED
THAT THE BABYLON
PROJECT WOULD FAIL IN
IT'S MISSION.

-------FAITH MANAGES------
  • Normal Maps for -The Babylon Project-
  • "Battle at ..." (Campaign) You can't choose when, but you will choose where... and you will fight! GO NOW!
  • "One Mistake" (Third Space Campaign)
  • "Each Night I Dream of Home" (Crusade Single Mision)

 

Offline Su-tehp

  • Devil in the Deep Blue
  • 210
Re: Taking on TBP's UI: The Mission Loading Screen
I'll edit your Frazi description because it really needs it. Changes are in bolded red text.

"The Frazi is the standard fighter of the Narn Regime. It is a no-frills fighter that has the option to be armed with anti-fighter or anti-capital ship munitions as either primary or secondary weapons. It has weak directional thrust of one eighth of its forward velocity."

Here's my other question: Why is the Frazi heavy fighter description being displayed underneath a picture of two G'Quan-class heavy cruisers, an entirely different class and size of ship? :confused:
« Last Edit: March 03, 2020, 05:47:48 pm by Su-tehp »
REPUBLICANO FACTIO DELENDA EST

Creator of the Devil and the Deep Blue campaign - Current Story Editor of the Exile campaign

"Let my people handle this, we're trained professionals. Well, we're semi-trained, quasi-professionals, at any rate." --Roy Greenhilt,
The Order of the Stick

"Let´s face it, we Freespace players may not be the most sophisticated of gaming freaks, but we do know enough to recognize a heap of steaming crap when it´s right in front of us."
--Su-tehp, while posting on the DatDB internal forum

"The meaning of life is that in the end you always get screwed."
--The Catch 42 Expression, The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Steadfast

 

Offline 0rph3u5

  • 211
  • Oceans rise. Empires fall.
Re: Taking on TBP's UI: The Mission Loading Screen
Here's my other question: Why is the Frazi heavy fighter description being displayed underneath a picture of two G'Quan-class heavy cruisers, an entirely different class and size of ship? :confused:

Because the background image is randomly pulled from a pool and I've not activated the function to display an image relevant for the text box in that example.

I'll edit your Frazi description because it really needs it.

Please leave.
"As you sought to steal a kingdom for yourself, so must you do again, a thousand times over. For a theft, a true theft, must be practiced to be earned." - The terms of Nyrissa's curse, Pathfinder: Kingmaker

==================

"I am Curiosity, and I've always wondered what would become of you, here at the end of the world." - The Guide/The Curious Other, Othercide

"When you work with water, you have to know and respect it. When you labour to subdue it, you have to understand that one day it may rise up and turn all your labours into nothing. For what is water, which seeks to make all things level, which has no taste or colour of its own, but a liquid form of Nothing?" - Graham Swift, Waterland

"...because they are not Dragons."

 

Offline Su-tehp

  • Devil in the Deep Blue
  • 210
Re: Taking on TBP's UI: The Mission Loading Screen
Here's my other question: Why is the Frazi heavy fighter description being displayed underneath a picture of two G'Quan-class heavy cruisers, an entirely different class and size of ship? :confused:

Because the background image is randomly pulled from a pool and I've not activated the function to display an image relevant for the text box in that example.

Ok, that makes more sense.

I'll edit your Frazi description because it really needs it.

Please leave.

You're welcome. :D
REPUBLICANO FACTIO DELENDA EST

Creator of the Devil and the Deep Blue campaign - Current Story Editor of the Exile campaign

"Let my people handle this, we're trained professionals. Well, we're semi-trained, quasi-professionals, at any rate." --Roy Greenhilt,
The Order of the Stick

"Let´s face it, we Freespace players may not be the most sophisticated of gaming freaks, but we do know enough to recognize a heap of steaming crap when it´s right in front of us."
--Su-tehp, while posting on the DatDB internal forum

"The meaning of life is that in the end you always get screwed."
--The Catch 42 Expression, The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Steadfast

 

Offline 0rph3u5

  • 211
  • Oceans rise. Empires fall.
Re: Taking on TBP's UI: The Mission Loading Screen
Version 0.1 for the Earth-Minbari War mini campaign

Variant A


Variant B


Text (except for the Mission Title) and Background image are random. The loading bars are just temporary assets - I will make a better one in time; one with a negative shape underneath so it doesn't just pop up.

I think I like Variant B better, though I need to raise the origin of the text box a bit for that.
"As you sought to steal a kingdom for yourself, so must you do again, a thousand times over. For a theft, a true theft, must be practiced to be earned." - The terms of Nyrissa's curse, Pathfinder: Kingmaker

==================

"I am Curiosity, and I've always wondered what would become of you, here at the end of the world." - The Guide/The Curious Other, Othercide

"When you work with water, you have to know and respect it. When you labour to subdue it, you have to understand that one day it may rise up and turn all your labours into nothing. For what is water, which seeks to make all things level, which has no taste or colour of its own, but a liquid form of Nothing?" - Graham Swift, Waterland

"...because they are not Dragons."

 

Offline 0rph3u5

  • 211
  • Oceans rise. Empires fall.
Re: Taking on TBP's UI: The Mission Loading Screen
v 0.5


(The typos have been noticed and fixed; text review is on going as of this posting)

- Text and Formatting are still under review; I had a little problem getting paragraphs to work.
- Images to go with the flavor text on ships and weapons are planned for the next version; I've got a establish a standard and design some kind of frame.
- And the negative (here grey) spaces on the Loading Bar need to be darker, I think.
"As you sought to steal a kingdom for yourself, so must you do again, a thousand times over. For a theft, a true theft, must be practiced to be earned." - The terms of Nyrissa's curse, Pathfinder: Kingmaker

==================

"I am Curiosity, and I've always wondered what would become of you, here at the end of the world." - The Guide/The Curious Other, Othercide

"When you work with water, you have to know and respect it. When you labour to subdue it, you have to understand that one day it may rise up and turn all your labours into nothing. For what is water, which seeks to make all things level, which has no taste or colour of its own, but a liquid form of Nothing?" - Graham Swift, Waterland

"...because they are not Dragons."