Message Window

[BlueScope]

Hm, seems like the first CC post I do in here... well, I'm working on a message window for a little boredom project of mine, and I'd like to get some suggestions from you guys... anyway, here's what I've got so far...

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3194/messagecb9.jpg[/img]

Well, as you can see, the right side is quite empty... I'd like to get some suggestions on what to add there... shoot in the ideas... please

 

[Ryanna]

an name place would be great :P But the rest is good..But maybe an lighter color in the text place

 

[BlueScope]

Hence that is just a tutorial message window, there's no need for a name box... you've been correct with the background transparency, though, which I overestimated... here's what the new one looks like, drawn on RMXP's default grass...

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/8086/messagetx8.jpg[/img]

Thanks for your input

 

[Rye]

I think you should bring the lady and the message window down so the bottom of the message window is closer to the bottom of the screen. And maybe to the left a bit, even if you would be cutting off her arm. But that's just my opinion. :X

 

[BlueScope]

Hm, for some reason, I was concepting this on the base of a 32x32 grid... but considering I'm scripting the message window anyway, that's kinda dumb... XD I adjusted the message box a little towards the bottom of the screen (16px), but I'd dislike the message box being on the left side of the girl... oh, here's a 640x480 view for you, too, including a 32x32 grid.

http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/5600/messagetn9.jpg[/img]

Thanks for your input as well.

EDIT: I decided to change the messages height as well... another image coming XD

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/571/messagevz5.jpg[/img]

 

[blackiceadept]

Well I like it. As for something to go with the girl I was thinking something like the attachment I put in.

EDIT: I'm just horrible with left and right, sorry. Maybe the circle could go on the right instead?

 

[Grandor]

That's actually kool.. I think on the right side you should have a little half ended circle, similar to the above posters suggestion but without the girl in it.

 

[BlueScope]

Yeah, circles always add dynamic. But well, I was going for a rather static and exact style, as this is for a tech game... as you can guess... Of course, tech circles can be done, but I can't really think of a way... I'll see if I can weave one in there, though...

 

[Grandor]

I know what you mean. That girl sort of reminds me of Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell. (The squad leader of section 9.) The only other way I could think of you being able to make it look more techy is by animating some of the parts and having a moving border around the thing.

 

[BlueScope]

Heh, no, that's not the Major :p It's game artwork I saved to my HDD a few years ago, but never actually was interested in the game at all (just at the girl, huh? -.- ), so I dunno where it's from or how she's called... I'll figure that one out, though... (well, I have to, to credit someone ^_^ )

For the animating part, I'm not a big fan of moving things inside the screen. They distract the attention, even if it'd be something like the ever-returning message window... but well, there are exceptions, and maybe I'll find one... ^_^ (tomorrow, though :p )

 

[Grandor]

Good luck with that. And yeah, they do have some resemblance of each other though. You've got to admit:

Spoiler: Resemblance

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/61/Uniformed_Motoko.JPG[/img]

Spoiler: Resemblance2

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/86/Kusanagi_combat_suit.JPG[/img]

You might also want to make the main message window a little more techish looking by adding a tech border around it or something. Green and black happen to be good tech colors.

 

[Tana]

She's a cyberpunk character. To some extent they're all going to look similar.

For my input I think the actual window needs a small border... maybe something like a readout screen, or something techy. I wouldn't have the right side go all the way to the edge of the screen.

 

[iceplosion]

I agree with Tana on the idea of a border, something that stops the message box from running off the edge of the screen.
I'd suggest two metallic "border guards" I've added a little something to the picture below to illustrate my point (in paint...I couldn't be bothered with photoshop and its huge loading time)
Obviously yours should be much better, I just did this to show the positioning I thought would work best.
The picture:
http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/4623/messagetn9kj0.jpg[/IMG]
Shot at 2007-08-10

 

[Venetia]

As it is now, a border on the right side might be nice, so long as the boundary between the border and the edge of the screen is exactly the same amount as that between the left edge and the girl.

If you added something dynamic behind the girl (like the circle stated above) it would make the message window too busy were the border there. Were the girl moved to the left so that her hand were a little clipped off, nothing would need to be done.

Since it's futuristic, simplicity rules all. TBH I think it'd look better with a fading-down gradient which is nearly invisible toward the bottom of the screen, instead of the 1-repeat gradient you have going there, but that's nitpicking.

Something does seem lacking as it is. The easiest way to circumvent this without moving the girl over would be to make a sorta fat shadow behind her that touches the left end of the screen, so it balances it out. As of right now it's a might unbalanced.

^_^

 

[Mr_Smith]

I think that girls is a bit too big, in the 640x480 image, the most of the map is under the message window... But thats just my oppinion. Great work so far.

 

[BlueScope]

Whoa, after-production input. Always appreciated, especially because it kinda relates to my current message system...

@Grandor: Okay, she has dark, shoulderlong hair just like the Makoto does... do all dark-and-shoulderlong-haired people in reality look alike to you? ^_^

@Tana/ice: I dunno, I really like the window going the full way through to the border... guess I shouldn't go with that for future stuff, though, if there's so many antisympathy :p

@Venetia: For the gradient, I think you're right... I have no idea why I didn't think earlier about that (especially because it seems to be the obvious choice now XD), but well... i'll keep that in mind for future projects as well.
And for the balancing issue, I don't think it's any bad... you need to imagine a map being underneath that, not just green grass :p so I don't think that issue'd even be noticeable...

@Smit: Are you kidding me? My current game's talkers are almost twice as tall... XD Well, but yeah... during messages, you need to focus on the conversation, and maybe slightly on the environment... and because she's in the lower left corner and - IMO - really not large, I don't think there's a problem with that...

 

[iceplosion]

after production input? So the game is already out? I'd love to play it if you've uploaded it.

 

[BlueScope]

More like I replaced the window with a scripted version because I realized that I need more flexibility... and well, it's used in another game now XD

 

[iceplosion]

Oh ':|

 

[itachi-hime]

I love it, personally. The only thing that could make it better would be a skinny metallic looking border.