Inventory UI concept design v2.1 (window based)

[joeyslucky22 638]

As of 2/6/2012:

New concept design!

Kept the window based inventory, used a more "Space Station 13" inspired design and fits a 1024 x 768 resolution

imgur gallery

Opened your Backpack

Opened all clothing items

Crafting

Examining an item

Checking out a body

Thoughts!

As of 1/20/2012:

Check it out here:

http://joeflashedme..../inventory.html

Preview:

As of 8/25/2012:

My post on reddit (NEEDS MORE DOWN VOTES!!!)

No gear (besides some clothing, which you should still be able to take off! woo naked party in Cherno)

Fucking LOADED

Opening the backpack (double click?)

Moving the backpack (can be placed anywhere you want it and has a "return" button to put it back in place)

Trading stuff (dropping things into the blue area will highlight items in blue. This would really only be for when you and another player are checking eachother's gear? Not totally sure how the trade mechanic would work yet)

Here's a really shitty, buggy flash version of the interface that I will be updating as I go:

So feel free to mess around with it and give me some delicious feedback

http://joeflashedme..../dayzUIas2.html (give it a moment to load, didn't make a proper loader)

Press "G" to access the gear menu, open the gear tab and mess around with it.

You can press "R" to rotate the knife

You can right click and open the backpack

Checking your gear:

Checking inventory

Opened gear menu

Opened backpack

Using item hotkeys

Small quick tooltips when hovering over items

While looting a corpse:

Opened menu - empty:

Opened menu - some gear:

Closed menu:

Modding weapons:

Opening a backpack:

My thoughts here were to go for a more RPG / Resident Evil approach to the inventory management. I loved how that system worked.

The smaller boxes could be spaces restricted to smaller items (such as bullets, batteries, matches, etc) or for odd shaped larger items to overlap (such as the hatchet handle, pistol grips, etc)

Some constructive feedback from you all would be greatly appreciated!

Q & A:

1) What is the "Rotate" button in the top-center used for? To rotate items in your backpack? To be a rebel and wear your fanny pack upside down?

It's not actually a button, it's just a tool tip. My thoughts on this were it would show up while dragging an oddly shaped item around, such as a hatchet, so that you could better position the item on your person (see how the hatchet fits on the player's belt in the second image)

2) It would be nice if there were some easy way to move items between the backpack and your body without having to put stuff on the adjacent dead person. It seems the concept work above would not allow you to move anything between the backpack and your body without first moving items to the dead guy, then taking it back off of him.

I'm not sure I see the problem? You could either drag an item into the "on the ground" area (the green box in the center) or outside of the opened backpack (the black area) and place the item on your body that way?

3) What are the armband and legbands going to be used for?

Some users have suggested easier ways of identifying people in your party (via armbands). Colored or customized armbands, legbands, etc. would be a great way to help identify other players in your group.

Also, may I inquire as to why, in the bag view, the grid is broken? If all items simply take up a number and shape of slots, wouldn't it be better if it was just a solid grid that filled in with the items you have? Kind of like S.T.A.L.K.E.R.?

The alice pack has three smaller front pouches. So I broke off three smaller sections to represent them. I'm unfamiliar with the way STALKER does their inventory but the available backpack spaces layout would be unique to each backpack.

what's the blue tab on the bottom for

It'll eventually be used to initiate a trade. Basically how it'll work is:

- You'll drag any items you have on your character into the trade area

- Those items will then be highlighted in blue in your gear menu

- To allow the other player to grab an item from your person, you'll hit the blue trade button (toggling trade)

[lvg 1690]

I like the style, but if I do say so I find it a bit "cluttered" as there are quite a few boxes that i have no idea what they'd do

I like the Graphics though

Edited August 23, 2012 by LVG

[Yatagan 62]

It looks confusing, but I'm sure if I got to use it I would understand very quickly. I like it so far! :D

[Teach (DayZ) 45]

That's a great concept, I commend you on your work!

[Lonrem 62]

Inventory concept is great, love to see it once it's polished up a bit more because it does seem a bit cluttered.

[kbassil 2]

Graphics look great. Amazing concept work. A couple of thoughts:

1) What is the "Rotate" button in the top-center used for? To rotate items in your backpack? To be a rebel and wear your fanny pack upside down?

2) It would be nice if there were some easy way to move items between the backpack and your body without having to put stuff on the adjacent dead person. It seems the concept work above would not allow you to move anything between the backpack and your body without first moving items to the dead guy, then taking it back off of him. Maybe I'm wrong though.

3) What are the armband and legbands going to be used for?

-------------------------------

Please read my REDDIT suggestion Here: http://www.reddit.com/r/dayz/comments/ypbmp/my_standalone_ui_design_concept/c5xn8x1

Edited August 23, 2012 by Kbassil

[mio.rogvall@gmail.com 107]

I don't like it. It's too complex without adding functionality. You should work on decreasing the number of fields/boxes. Personally i would just go from the inventory thats currently used and modify that.

[rolling 19]

It looks pretty good, but a bit unintuitive with all of the small boxes somewhat randomly placed around. A bit more polish and I'd say it would be pretty functional.

[Dancing.Russian.Man 1631]

Holy hell, THAT is BEAUTIFUL LOOKING.

Edit; Yes, with a quick look, it does give the "Whoa, okay. This is a mess." -feel, but after taking about a minute and slowly checking each individual box, it does make sense, at least to me. I don't think I'd personally have a problem quickly getting used to the new inventory system.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Dancing.Russian.Man

[Voxgizer 22]

Looks awesome, but like a few others have said, it seems a bit cluttered.

[SmashT 10907]

I'm not a fan, looks very cluttered and confusing.

Someone posted their own design on reddit and it looks way better IMO.

Edited August 23, 2012 by smasht_AU

[The2ndLink 156]

Looks nice.

But I don't see any slots for the beans :o

Outside of the backpack anyway.

[3rdparty 229]

I quite like the OP,, the only drawback that I see is how much more room it takes up on the screen.

[Sane Minds 5]

Either way, a better inventory system would be grand.

* The backpack should still take time to click to open and close, as opening and closing a backpack from your back takes time.

* Items on your 'belt', 'pockets', or 'hotlist' should show on your belt or hanging from your backpack. (Toolbox, GPS, axe, entrenching tool atleast).

* More clothes especially off zombies would be great to utilize (loot) for individualizing ourselves.

[sonicrainbrony 136]

Pretty damn confusing, but it's just a thing of getting used to it, I guess.

[Daerk 8]

I like it. Looks initially cluttered or otherwise messy, however upon cursory examination it's quite obvious what each field is used for.

I also like the fan-made reddit pic posted above, but mainly only because of it's obvious intuitiveness. Everything is organized by it's physical location (belt under the ... vest???, Backpack out to the side (as if the player had unslung it from one shoulder and was pulling stuff out from the side quickly), Ground loot separate from other locations...) I'd change the reddit user's middle box to be more like yours, joeyslucky22... it's not as physically organized as the other boxes.

I'd like to see a hybrid of these... Basically:

Ground Loot to the far left.

Middle Box going from head down to waist.

Primary and secondary weapons displayed below waist (where they are usually held around waist level).

Belt box below weapons box.

Lower box for the rest of the leg/feet gear.

Out to the far right, the Backpack has it's own box.

If a downed body is being looted, duplicate the player's box style to the left of the player's actual inventory. Keep the ground loot to the furthest left.

As long as there's enough screen realestate, I'd think that hybrid layout would seem more obvious, and still be as detailed and accessible.

[xximrtwoixx 104]

Like OP's graphics and way clothes overlay, I hope that is how the system will really work. Hope that storage in under layers/pack also takes a while to change the insta change backpack is bs IMO.

I would like to see a system that more closely resembles a rag doll and an authentic look at how people carry things. Ie no tires in pack. Give the player the ability to stow/sling multiple weapons and carry objects in their arms. Also I liked Op's take on how additional items yielded more inventory space, or at least thats what I thought he was expressing with the ammo pouch and other jacket.

[shiromikan 217]

I love it. The idea of layered clothing yielding additional space for small items is epic.

To those who think it's confusing; actually look at it. Just looks confusing at first glace. If you opened up the hi-res versions and looked at everything, you would see it's not that complicated! :D

[joeyslucky22 638]

Someone posted their own design on reddit and it looks way better IMO.

http://i.imgur.com/OpF2E.jpg

My honest opinion, his concept is way too simplified and way too similar to how the inventory system currently works (and looks). It's also stretched very wide and not everyone plays games on a widescreen monitor. Maybe if the backpack had to be opened and its menu overlapped? I'm still not sure...

To be completely honest, I'm kind of surprised by how many of you found this concept to be completely incomprehensible. I feel it's quite straight forward if you take a moment to really look at it? Not as straight forward as the reddit user's is of course but maybe if you got to actually feel how a UI like this would work, we would all get a better idea of what works and what does not. (myself included)

1) What is the "Rotate" button in the top-center used for? To rotate items in your backpack? To be a rebel and wear your fanny pack upside down?

What would happen is that while you're dragging an item across the screen, such as a hatchet, you would be able to rotate and flip its position to have it fit more appropriately on your person. (see how it fits on the player's belt on the 2nd image)

I still would very much like to see an inventory system where an object's size, shape, and weight is considered. Also, like Inu mentioned, having different types of clothing provide additional inventory spaces is a more authentic approach to inventory management.

I mean, how many cans of beans can you really fit in your plaid shirt and jean pockets?

[Deetwo 69]

Perhaps each cluster of items can be made to be collapsible, so it would cut down on the deceivingly messy layout?

I find it to be just fine myself.

[joeyslucky22 638]

1) What is the "Rotate" button in the top-center used for? To rotate items in your backpack? To be a rebel and wear your fanny pack upside down?

It's not actually a button, it's just a tool tip. My thoughts on this were it would show up while dragging an oddly shaped item around, such as a hatchet, so that you could better position the item on your person (see how the hatchet fits on the player's belt in the second image)

2) It would be nice if there were some easy way to move items between the backpack and your body without having to put stuff on the adjacent dead person. It seems the concept work above would not allow you to move anything between the backpack and your body without first moving items to the dead guy, then taking it back off of him.

I'm not sure I see the problem? You could either drag an item into the "on the ground" area (the green box in the center) or outside of the opened backpack (the black area) and place the item on your body that way?

3) What are the armband and legbands going to be used for?

Some users have suggested easier ways of identifying people in your party (via armbands). Colored or customized armbands, legbands, etc. would be a great way to help identify other players in your group.

[DemonGroover 8836]

I like it. The graphical style is nice.

From what i can see, is there also an option to take clothes, boots etc? That would be cool if you could deck your character out any way you liked.

[KnT47r 51]

Love it man, didn't take long at all to work out how it all fits together.

You've got my vote

[bobbybka 3]

I like ruarz idea of the inventory system best

[Yatagan 62]

My honest opinion, his concept is way too simplified and way too similar to how the inventory system currently works (and looks). It's also stretched very wide and not everyone plays games on a widescreen monitor. Maybe if the backpack had to be opened and its menu overlapped? I'm still not sure...

One thing to remember when designing UI elements is screen realestate, and visibility. Not only does overlaying the backpack not use potential realestate, but it blocks the players view of the rest of their inventory. If I have my backpack open, and can't see the rest of what I have outside of the pack, it's going to be very annoying to constantly close and reopen it to see everything.

Keep in mind that the game engine and settings can scale and move the UI to accommodate screen sizes, so saying you want to overlay it to save space isn't really the best idea.

I think it's pretty good so far, but I really do have to voice my opinion against overlaying the bag. :)