In-game GUI

[Gervase Lam]

> Submitted by: grumbel                   Project: Pingus                
>         Submitted on: 2002-Oct-24 16:58
> Category:  Game Engine                  Severity:  5 - Major            
>         Bug Group:  Incorrect Behaviour         Resolution:  None
> Assigned to:  None                      Status:  Open Release:
>  0.5.0-CVS                     Platform Version:  None Planned Release:
>  0.5.0
>
> Summary:  In game GUI needs to become alpha-less
>
> Original Submission:  Currently all GUI elements have transparency
> effects, but they are pretty slow and cause a speed down of nearl 50%.
> The current GUI elements should get their transparency removed and
> become opace. In addition the colmap look&feel should fit to the rest of
> the GUI and not be a simple rectangle.

Ingo,

Do you mean _100%_ alpha-less?  If that is so, then you would not be able 
to have the rounded rectangles that you have on the screen for the buttons.

Anyway, I had a go at using GIMP to turn the buttons into Indexed 256 
colour bitmaps with 1 bit alpha, while still keeping the marble effect as 
intact as possible.  There is a noticeable speed up when you scroll around 
a level.

Do you also want the SmallMap to be "alpha-less" as well?  Should the 
fonts be "alpha-less" as well?

While on the subject of the in-game GUI, I have been having a further 
think about it.  One way of representing the "Released" Pingus would be to 
have them falling out of a hole.  They would keep on coming out at a 
constant speed (no gravity stuff) in a fruit machine way.

The Pingus that are "wandering" about the level (i.e. the Pingus that are 
out) could be represented by a Pingu walking on the spot.  The Pingus that 
have exited would be represented by Pingus walking up to a small exit and 
then jumping into the exit (i.e. a Walker followed by an Exiter).

I suppose that the Pingus Released and Pingus Out could be represented by 
stationary icons.  However, I think it will be tricky to do with an 
Exiter.  Having had a look at each sprite frame of an Exiter, I don't 
think any one frame would represent an Exiter very well as an icon.

The only alternative I could think of is to have a stationary Walker which 
is immediately next to another Pingu, who is in the middle of exiting.  
Got this idea from how comic books would represent characters performing 
an action.  They do it by freezing the 'crucial' steps of the action.

Comic books usually have several steps in the action.  Having several 
steps in the icon would mean needing more Pingus, which would take up more 
space.  I think two Pingus should be enough for people to get the idea.  
Even so, I still think there is only really room enough for one Pingu.

Also, how should a player increase and decrease the release rate?  There 
is no way to do this in Pingus.

Thanks,
Gervase.