Disregard the style, it's just thrown together, it's mainly about having a globally accessible, and consistent menu experience, no matter if you just loaded the game, in which case a different background/level is shown. So while there may be a super stylish background level on loading the game, the global menu remains the same when playing. (Don't mind the names used, probably missing stuff as well.)
Sketched some of it. Left menu is in Slate.
If you press F5 (default binding) you get a list of Servers (same as typing the command ShowMenu "Servers").
ShowMenu "Input" would show anything related to keybindings, etc.. Basically, key bind whatever menu context is available.
General Structure
The vertical mid-part of the left side menu is fixed, and the upper and lower parts change depending on context. For example, Instant Action and Host Game make no sense while you are in a match, and Match/Call Vote and Leave Match only makes sense while in a match.
Overlay
If you're in-game, this gets drawn over your current level.
Maybe players could customize their own background image with/without transparency etc.
Q: What context am I seeing the global menu in?
* You are currently seeing the global menu presented to players/participants, such as Kraagesh here, who has just entered a match that is about to start.
Q: What about Host Game? What about Instant Action? Why am I not seeing these choices?
* You're in a match and it does not make sense to start hosting a game or starting an instant action game in that context.
* When you hit Leave Match, you get disconnected from the match, thus the Match/Leave Match/Call Vote/Change Teams/Become Spectator/Enter Match/etc choices disappear, and the Instant Action and Host Game options appear above servers.
* Notice that Servers F5 is available at any time! ANY TIME! Playing an instant action game? Press F5, see what's going on online.
Each menu choice on the left basically owns the majority of the screen space, thus being free to fill it as they want, and possibly using tabs to partition stuff up if it doesn't fit.
Other ideas?
* Should be a clear/obvious way to show how to get back to the game (right now it's only showing "Close" [Esc]).
* F2 to call up comms/chat/chat history (wasn't added here).
* Maybe allow custom image overlay, but default to showing current level (unless temporarily disabled "DrawActors" for performance issues, or maybe by choice, etc).
* ShowMenu "MenuChoice" <TabNumber> to jump to a specific tab.
Ideas at work/Behavior:
* Global menu is always shown in its entirety on Esc.
* ShowMenu allows keybinds to the main menu items, as already pointed out.
* Sliders: Show the min and max, lets players enter the value, pretty much like CS:GO, but when you make the bare minimum UI, you can't escape that design, except trying to find another weird spot for the text input field. Here I believe we added min/max to show more information/remove doubt.
* Some action buttons are immediate, like Enter Full Screen Mode, Join TeamName, Become Spectator. (I realize the default settings and apply settings choices have no such indication..)
* Shows keyboard focus (yellow circle placeholder) and mouse focus separately (the grayed filled option).
* We're showing the keyboard shortcuts to increase learning rate.
* The smaller rectangle on the right-most side of an option allows the player to reset the value to its default, and once reset, perhaps allow player to revert it.
* The player name at the top is probably only shown while in a match?
* Identity holds player name, nationality, ...
* Match has special stuff for that match. Could also show players and spectators on the right side.
* Pressing Esc to bring up the global menu, then choosing Input and then pressing Esc (to close); the global menu recalls you were in Input the next time you hit Esc.
** ShowMenu "Servers" should probably not affect what Esc remembers. So, pressing F5 to bring up the Servers, pressing Esc would not override remembering Input, but F5 while in Servers, should probably close the menu again?
The UWindows generation can access the server browser when they want.
* The Instant Action/Host Game options could perhaps cram most of their options on one screen, but probably not.
TL;DR: Possible to key bind menu choices (direct access), selected menu choice covering the majority of the screen, no special main menu (same menu interface anywhere), but does have cool startup screen/level.
Sketched some of it. Left menu is in Slate.
If you press F5 (default binding) you get a list of Servers (same as typing the command ShowMenu "Servers").
ShowMenu "Input" would show anything related to keybindings, etc.. Basically, key bind whatever menu context is available.
General Structure
The vertical mid-part of the left side menu is fixed, and the upper and lower parts change depending on context. For example, Instant Action and Host Game make no sense while you are in a match, and Match/Call Vote and Leave Match only makes sense while in a match.
Overlay
If you're in-game, this gets drawn over your current level.
Maybe players could customize their own background image with/without transparency etc.
Q: What context am I seeing the global menu in?
* You are currently seeing the global menu presented to players/participants, such as Kraagesh here, who has just entered a match that is about to start.
Q: What about Host Game? What about Instant Action? Why am I not seeing these choices?
* You're in a match and it does not make sense to start hosting a game or starting an instant action game in that context.
* When you hit Leave Match, you get disconnected from the match, thus the Match/Leave Match/Call Vote/Change Teams/Become Spectator/Enter Match/etc choices disappear, and the Instant Action and Host Game options appear above servers.
* Notice that Servers F5 is available at any time! ANY TIME! Playing an instant action game? Press F5, see what's going on online.
Each menu choice on the left basically owns the majority of the screen space, thus being free to fill it as they want, and possibly using tabs to partition stuff up if it doesn't fit.
Other ideas?
* Should be a clear/obvious way to show how to get back to the game (right now it's only showing "Close" [Esc]).
* F2 to call up comms/chat/chat history (wasn't added here).
* Maybe allow custom image overlay, but default to showing current level (unless temporarily disabled "DrawActors" for performance issues, or maybe by choice, etc).
* ShowMenu "MenuChoice" <TabNumber> to jump to a specific tab.
Ideas at work/Behavior:
* Global menu is always shown in its entirety on Esc.
* ShowMenu allows keybinds to the main menu items, as already pointed out.
* Sliders: Show the min and max, lets players enter the value, pretty much like CS:GO, but when you make the bare minimum UI, you can't escape that design, except trying to find another weird spot for the text input field. Here I believe we added min/max to show more information/remove doubt.
* Some action buttons are immediate, like Enter Full Screen Mode, Join TeamName, Become Spectator. (I realize the default settings and apply settings choices have no such indication..)
* Shows keyboard focus (yellow circle placeholder) and mouse focus separately (the grayed filled option).
* We're showing the keyboard shortcuts to increase learning rate.
* The smaller rectangle on the right-most side of an option allows the player to reset the value to its default, and once reset, perhaps allow player to revert it.
* The player name at the top is probably only shown while in a match?
* Identity holds player name, nationality, ...
* Match has special stuff for that match. Could also show players and spectators on the right side.
* Pressing Esc to bring up the global menu, then choosing Input and then pressing Esc (to close); the global menu recalls you were in Input the next time you hit Esc.
** ShowMenu "Servers" should probably not affect what Esc remembers. So, pressing F5 to bring up the Servers, pressing Esc would not override remembering Input, but F5 while in Servers, should probably close the menu again?
The UWindows generation can access the server browser when they want.
* The Instant Action/Host Game options could perhaps cram most of their options on one screen, but probably not.
TL;DR: Possible to key bind menu choices (direct access), selected menu choice covering the majority of the screen, no special main menu (same menu interface anywhere), but does have cool startup screen/level.
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