This week we talked a lot about designing user interfaces. A UI in a game is basically referring to the layout and how players can interact with things in a game. Obviously, this is a crucial piece to game design because it really determines how good a game is. If a UI is bad, even if it's 100% functional, players will get frustrated. Thus, it's very important to design a UI that fits with the theme of the game, is easy enough to use for the target audience, and that doesn't detract from gameplay.
Basically, you want to keep things simple. Most players will get confused if there are too many buttons or icons all over the screen, so simplicity helps. I say most rather than all because it's possible that if you were making a game like a flight simulator for people actually looking to fly planes, you would need many buttons or want to make a complex interface. UIs that fit with the theme of the game are also most successful. Since the UI is basically always on the screen, if it looks off compared to the rest of the game or stands out too much, it can be distracting and take away any hopes of having an immersive game. They should fit with the theme of the game while still standing out enough for people to see them. UIs also should be unobtrusive to the player. For instance, a first person shooter game would be a lot less functional if the weapon menu blocked the player's point of view. In a good UI, everything is strategically placed so that everything that is important is clearly visible and easy to access. Basically, this is what we learned:
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AuthorHi, I'm Abi, a DSA student who likes games, drawing, writing, and acting. Archives
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