[games_access] "Can there be an interface standard in computer games?"

[Jonathan Chetwynd]

Well, believe it or not Ripley there is something afoot, possibly in  
mouth ~:"
check out the source code for http://www.peepo.co.uk and taste the RDF.

RDF is metadata which describes a resource, in this case the  
graphical interface in terms of a GUI with the intention that the  
user could then configure to suit their needs or their equipment's  
potential.

The relevant schema or rules for naming are here:
http://www.peepo.co.uk/temp/gui-schema

--- I would be pleased to incorporate input from IGDA members. ---

Please note that this makes no assertions regarding the quality, but  
this naming is most probably an essential precursor.

further information on RDF and Accessibility is here: http:// 
www.cetis.ac.uk/groups/20020410132743/20040514150429

regards

Jonathan Chetwynd



On 11 Feb 2006, at 14:12, Barrie Ellis wrote:

Copied this from our forum here: http://www.igda.org/Forums/ 
showthread.php?s=41a094028d488fbca40f40f10a63f6de&threadid=20385



I would like to start a discussion about user interfaces in games.  
Can there be an interface standard in computer games? Would this be a  
good idea or is this just another way to restrict creativity? Is it  
wise to generalize such a vital part of a game, just to improve  
accessibility? Or wouldn't it be helpful to scale the GUI complexity  
to the complexity of the player's situation?

Compare the standard World of Warcraft interface before and after the  
usage of dozens of plugins which help one to deal with the enormous  
amount of information. Wasn't this predictable in the designer's eyes  
that the default GUI wouldn't satisfy the user's needs when the game  
reached a certain progress? Or let's ask "Can we predict the growing  
complexity of games, especially MMORGPs, at all?"

I think it would be very handy if an interface scales with the tasks  
I do. Practically invisible when I just travel through the virtual  
world and massively present providing me with any critical  
information possible when I badly need it. But who judges what's  
important for me and what's not?

Can it be said that there are quasi GUI standards in game genres? We  
know they exist, indeed. For example in RTS games but what's about  
RPGs? Are there common ways of displaying certain features like the  
character menu and the inventory?

I looked through the RPGs of the last years and summarise: Yes there  
are similarities but most interfaces are spoiled with needless visual  
features. Fullscreen inventories hinder you from accessing items  
during combat quickly and inappropriate usage/design of images and  
icons distracts the user from selecting the right commands.

So I ask "Is it possible to generally formulate guidelines for  
successful user interface in our games?"
__________________

Computer Science Student
Vienna University of Technology
AesA - founder and committee member


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