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

[Reid Kimball]

Hmm, uh, lets not have all the fun here guys and rather post our
responses to the forum and encourage discussion with the original
poster, ;)

-Reid

On 2/11/06, Jonathan Chetwynd <j.chetwynd at btinternet.com> wrote:
> 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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