Menu System

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Hunter

Hunter

BeyondUnreal Newsie
Aug 20, 2001
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Are there still requirements for a UWindows Style UI for the menu or have those days been and gone?

I would like something a little more than what was provided in UT2004 and UT3 but a lot of us, I think don't need a IRC client within the game for example.
 
Raynor.Z

Raynor.Z

Ad Nocendum Potentes Sumus
Feb 1, 2006
1,491
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Unfortunately UT3 was fine example how to not make menu system for UT game. I don't know if it was focus on console platforms or lack of time, but it definitely didn't work well on PC.

What made UWindows work so well was its easy nature to reach everything, because it mimiced classical window management.
You could have server browser in background while setting up your player character.
Really neat ability is to navigate via hotkeys and bind specific menu commands.
 
Capt.Toilet

Capt.Toilet

Good news everyone!
Feb 16, 2004
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The problem with UT3's menu was that it had to load due to that stupid map in the background. I shouldn't have to wait a few seconds for my main menu to load. Oh and I guess having to go through 3 different menus just to get to where you needed to go.

Whatever menu they choose. Make it instant, don't make us jump through hoops just to get where we need, and give us plenty of choice.
 
leilei

leilei

ANIME ELF'S !!
Jan 20, 2008
575
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Considering "Big Picture" and couch-based computer gaming, I do not think the almighty UWindows can make an appropriate return.


Remember, it's a video game, not a web browser. The console ports did The Right Thing by not keeping Uwindow for them.
 
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Sir_Brizz

Sir_Brizz

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Feb 3, 2000
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I like UWindows but it is by no means a simple system where it's obvious what to do. My favorite menu in the series is honestly the UT2003 menu. It was simple, straightforward and got the freak out of your way. Getting in to a game was often just a couple of clicks.

I defintiely don't want a level in the background, though. The flat surface of UT2004 and even UT2004 was much better and responded a lot faster.
 
TWD

TWD

Cute and Cuddly
Aug 2, 2000
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I don't think a UWindows style menu is a very good way of doing things. It all depends in what community features the game has. I'd point to the menu system in Planetside as a reasonable interface for a game that has a lot of community needs, and requires a lot from their interface. Pressing escape opens a full screen interface that isn't a list, and exposes a ton of options and community features. But I don't think the basic 2004 menus were bad either.
 
Sir_Brizz

Sir_Brizz

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Feb 3, 2000
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I didn't hate 2k4's menu. They just added some extra unnecessary pages before you could get into the game.
 
Selerox

Selerox

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Nov 12, 1999
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Smooth, clean, fast, complete. The exact style isn't relavent.

As nice as it would be to have a UWindows system, I don't think it's a deal breaker.

Whatever the system is, it needs to be fast, intuitive and have enough options readily available to gives users full control.

Also, for the love of god, make the console key bindable. It wasn't in UT200x, and it caused chaos for UK keyboard users, as the console was hard-bound to the apostrophe key. It made typing far harder than it had any right to be.
 
dc

dc

4°
Aug 17, 2005
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Sir_Brizz said:
My favorite menu in the series is honestly the UT2003 menu. It was simple, straightforward and got the freak out of your way. Getting in to a game was often just a couple of clicks.
Click to expand...
I agree with this. 2k3 did it right. 2k4 didn't do much worse, but I still prefer 2k3. UT3 was obviously bad because it was designed for idiots and console users.
 
rejecht

rejecht

Attention Micronians
Jun 15, 2009
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UT2004 Startup:

1. (1) Start Game
2. (UT2004 Window Logo)
3. (UT2004 Windowed/Full Screen Game)
4. (UT2004 nVIDIA Logo)
- Can optionally be disabled.
5. (2) [Skip]
6. (UT2004 Main Menu)
7. (Menu items are positioned.)
8. (3) [Join Game]
9. (News)
10. (4) [Internet]
11. (Lists servers for the default selected game type.)
12. (5) [Select Other Game Type]
13. (6) [Join/Spectate]

() counts user actions.

It could have jumped straight to [Internet], however, it doesn't want to assume Internet > LAN, so it just leaves it at News (which requires Internet access to download/check, so maybe it should have jumped straight to Internet and flag the News section if there was something new, but if it was a LAN game the player wanted, then it may have downloaded a list of servers for nothing).

Basically, at worst, four steps to get a list of servers for a default game type.
 
Princess_Die

Princess_Die

Always Out Numbered... Never Out Gunned
Feb 22, 2006
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I don't care much about the UI as long as they have a populated servers tab/screen and make available more customization like custom crosshairs etc.

Integrating Map Mixer features would be nice. UWindows would be cool though.

And #1 request would not to have that annoying crunching click sound in the UT3 menu. Or #2 request to not have the 3d crap in the background like UT3, where it take time to load the menu.
 
UTNemesis

UTNemesis

New Member
Feb 24, 2008
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Although I didn't initially like the UT2k4 menu system (coming from UT99) I eventually learned to appreciate it compared to UT3 of course. As far as I'm concerned, they could pretty much copy the UT2k4 menu system and I'd be happy.
 
W

Wail of Suicide

Member
Apr 11, 2006
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UT Windows is great. I really despised, absolutely loathed, UT2003's menu system when it came out. It was such a huge step backwards. I'd like to see a windowed system in the next UT, there's no reason why I should need to dig through a bunch of mutually exclusive window panes on the PC.
 
Arnox

Arnox

UT99/2004 Mod Crazy
Mar 26, 2009
1,601
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Beyond
UWindow master race reporting in.

You guys can talk about how few clicks UT2003's or 2004's menu system took but you'll never have the awesome functionality of UWindows. There's three things that make it probably the best menu system I've ever seen in a game.

1. It had the ability to have a lot of windows all open at once with ease of resizing and switching focus from window to window
2. Most everything could be accessed by two clicks. Open the relevant menu, click on what you want, boom. You're there.
3. The WHOLE menu could be INSTANTLY brought up right when you press that Esc key.

Yeah, you can argue about how complex it was, but you'll never be able to argue about how functional and practical it was as well.
 
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