Today I bring you Option #4, inspired by a suggestion made by War Fist on last week's post on the same subject:
It's basically a slightly less cluttered version of Option #3, where the grayed out portion of the bar will disappear, and the blue crystal will turn yellow once you start using gold points (as illustrated under the second skill above).
We're still not 100% sure which one to choose. Do you think this one is better, or do you prefer another version?
While you guys help us figure this out, I'm gonna go work on the next project: getting a proper Accessory Shop into town!
I like this one the most. You could even add further clarity by changing the outline color of the bars... before gold level is unlocked, make the outline silver instead of gold, just like with the icons.
ReplyDeleteOR consider removing gold-level gems, since the added complexity may outweigh the added depth.
Another idea --
DeleteUse this sort of option, but instead of having the crystal icons on the far left of each skill, put them at the next unlock point. Then when they get to the gold-level area, use an animation to transform the crystal from blue to gold and unlock the rest of the bar.
I feel like that'd make it feel more like you're investing crystals into skills instead of equipping the skill with more crystals like the current (mana bar esque) layout.
Just a thought. Use it freely (or don't).
Oh! Well, look at that. I helped! :D
ReplyDeleteThis looks really good.
--- It conveys the information you want your players to know. It's simple, subtle, and doesn't steer to far from the original design.
--- I like that the crystal next to the bar clearly displays which resource/currency is required to upgrade a skill, and then changes once a certain threshold has been met. I think this is the key to making this feature more informative visually. I don't think it would work as well without this.
I think it's safe to say this option has my vote. :P