LackeyCCG ideas + mockup (fake, photoshopped screenshot)

[Gordon228]

i know the look of lackey is good with all the functionality but i think it might be better if you could place things where you wanted so like have the other section on the top or maybe have the other zone there. I am just saying having the option to customize lackey to how you want would be awesome i know coding takes time so it's something to consider.

[AdLit]

Making the interface more "apple-y" is not an option because those GUI elements can only be used by mac-only programs. That's why you don't see windows programs look like that. Also, I don't want Lackey to look "apple-y" or "windows-y". The interface is the same regardless what operating system you have so things are consistent.

What I meant by this was more of the look of it being sleek and modernized, not necessarily that it would be something limiting it platform-wise (which would be a step backwards).  I have a few ideas in mind, if I can actually translate it to a picture I can explain myself a little better.  I'll see what I can do tomorrow.

[AdLit]

Ok so here are some (poorly constructed ) Mock-ups of my idea.  I really liked the scheme proposed by zeemeerman, but can understand where it may fall short in some areas.  I liked the sleek and streamlined look, and I also liked the minimalist approach.  With this in mind, I've made a variation of his mock-up.  My idea behind this was to keep the current lackey functionality while creating a new-ish minimalist interface.  There are 2 "screenshots" in separate posts due to file size.  I'll comment below each one.

Mockup Picture A:

Biggest Change: The menu button, tabs, and chat function buttons are all tucked away behind the slider windows.

What's the Same:  All of the functionality of the original lackey we know and love is still here.  Things have essentially just been given a cleaner gui.  The Avatars, stat counters, phases, card functions, and char bar are still here, as in the original.  Your main view is also essentially the same, with the zoomed-in card on the top-left, and your hand on the bottom.  I realized just now that I didnt include the zoom functions, but that could easily be added to the top of the screen with the same gui buttons used for card functions.


Please let me know what you think, I wont take offense to anything.  Also, thanks and props to zeemeerman for an awesome idea and hopefully I didnt just piss you off by trying to expand on it.

-A

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[AdLit]

Ok so here are some (poorly constructed ) Mock-ups of my idea.  I really liked the scheme proposed by zeemeerman, but can understand where it may fall short in some areas.  I liked the sleek and streamlined look, and I also liked the minimalist approach.  With this in mind, I've made a variation of his mock-up.  My idea behind this was to keep the current lackey functionality while creating a new-ish minimalist interface.  There are 2 "screenshots" in separate posts due to file size.  I'll comment below each one.

Mockup Picture B:

What's Changed: Clicking on the slider dock button at the right will slide out your deck viewers, same as you can expand or minimize them in the current version.  Also tucked in here are your menu buttons and tabs that were previously at the top of the screen.  I know this may annoy some people that there's an added step to getting to the menu functions, however, I felt that the benefit of the cleaner interface was worth the minimal step it adds.

Please let me know what you think, I wont take offense to anything.  Also, thanks and props to zeemeerman for an awesome idea and hopefully I didnt just piss you off by trying to expand on it.

-A

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[AdLit]

Also, one other thing I wanted to convey about this is that if these changes are made with the slider type of idea, those people who want to have these options permanently in their interface can simply leave the slider open during game play, while those who want it minimized can do just that.  I think it accommodates people in that sense.

[Gordon228]

well i like the idea but the mac look will not suite every platform so we would need a look that would

[AdLit]

I think you could simply change the gray bar up top with the classic windows blue and 3 boxes, and you'd have the idea.  The actual color scheme for the layout could be customized just like the current lackey.

[Gordon228]

true but windows top bar is always the same but i was saying about the overall look being more mac then anything else

[AdLit]

Yeah I think it's more the color scheme; I think if I re-do it with different colors, it won't have that feel.  I'll play with it a bit later and re-post

[Trevor]

Ok so here are some (poorly constructed ) Mock-ups of my idea.  I really liked the scheme proposed by zeemeerman, but can understand where it may fall short in some areas.  I liked the sleek and streamlined look, and I also liked the minimalist approach.  With this in mind, I've made a variation of his mock-up.  My idea behind this was to keep the current lackey functionality while creating a new-ish minimalist interface.  There are 2 "screenshots" in separate posts due to file size.  I'll comment below each one.

Mockup Picture A:

Biggest Change: The menu button, tabs, and chat function buttons are all tucked away behind the slider windows.

What's the Same:  All of the functionality of the original lackey we know and love is still here.  Things have essentially just been given a cleaner gui.  The Avatars, stat counters, phases, card functions, and char bar are still here, as in the original.  Your main view is also essentially the same, with the zoomed-in card on the top-left, and your hand on the bottom.  I realized just now that I didnt include the zoom functions, but that could easily be added to the top of the screen with the same gui buttons used for card functions.


Please let me know what you think, I wont take offense to anything.  Also, thanks and props to zeemeerman for an awesome idea and hopefully I didnt just piss you off by trying to expand on it.

-A

You seemed to just remove things. There are no canned message buttons, or other views of a zone, or chat log, or other functions like that. You can say all that stuff is "tucked away behind the slider windows" but what's the purpose of doing that since that makes them unable to be used? You could hide everything, and ya it would make things look minimalist, but it would just sacrifice on utility.

As far as more fancy looking buttons and GUI elements, I think older systems might not be as fast if those were added.

Compressing the phase buttons makes people unable to select them randomly. Also, you don't have space of phase art.

[Gordon228]

i do agree with you Trevor but once all the things that need to be there are it might be good for lackey

[Trevor]

i do agree with you Trevor but once all the things that need to be there are it might be good for lackey

What might be good for lackey? What are you referring to?

[Cyrus]

any other look > mac look

stick with what you've got trevor!

[Picks-at-Flies]

i do agree with you Trevor but once all the things that need to be there are it might be good for lackey

What might be good for lackey? What are you referring to?

I *think* the implication is that if you can beautify Lackey, despite the drawback of losing functionality, it will draw more people to it.

I would argue that what draws people to Lackey is:
- Word of mouth (primarily)
- Its ability to host any game, and the current list of games.
- For Magic, it has a critical mass of players covering all ranges, it has full art and is free.

I would suggest reasons people DON'T came here tend to be:
- The game they support has a bigger community elsewhere already and they don't want to move (VTES, MECCG)
- For Magic, it's a matter of preference, where you start and the community.  We will never compete with MTGO because that's where the professionals/tournament players are.
- They don't know about it.

I am sure a few players are put off by the visual feel of it, but I would imagine more it's people behind you looking at what you are doing that will find it a drawback.

Edit:  I could really do without the phase art, it gets in the way.
Also, having all the pile/deck tabs is too useful.  Rage has about 9, by necessity (two x deck, discard, hand, plus others). In the glossy setup, they would take up half the right-hand side or force you to cycle round too much to find them.  This version also has every text box so big that you would run out of space for everything.  I value elegance, I value functionality, the latter should trump the former if there is a clash.

[Wisp]

LOL cy, you just hate macs.

I really like the idea of a more elegant interface but trevor is 100% right that:

A) utility comes first
B) It needs to run well on slower computers