[SUG][PLAYER] Improved menu/title/preview/postview screens

[namida]

One thing I've mentioned on Discord: If there's a redesign from scratch (or close to it), one of my bottom lines is that the new menus should be more mouse-friendly than the existing ones. Indeed, even if we keep the current one I intend to make it mouse-friendly eventually, but it's a "this happens from day one" thing if a new one is implemented.

[WillLem]

Cool, so it looks like people are generally interested in the menu screens being improved/updated/redesigned etc.

Ideas?

[namida]

The first question here should be radical redesign vs slight tweaking.

I'm open to either. In the case of a redesign, my bottom line is that the starting point should be that at least every function / piece of information, but not necesserially every cosmetic detail, from the current menus / screens must be kept.

By "starting point", I simply mean that if anything is removed compared to the current layout, the removal is specifically discussed and considered. In particular, I suspect there might indeed be agreement to remove - or rather, move to a sub-menu of some kind - the talisman info; that's fine, just as long as this actually discussed and not just assumed as a default.

[WillLem]

Here's what I suggest for the menu (exact dimensions to be decided), assuming that it stays pretty much the same as it is now but with significant graphical and functional improvements:

Please note that this is a rough mockup to show the idea for discussion purposes - the end result would, of course, be much more refined/agreed-upon:



Note that the RANK SELECTION has been incorporated into the PLAY (F1) button:
Clicking the arrow buttons on the card would change the rank, clicking the card itself would start the game.
Similarly, using the keyboard arrows would select the rank, pressing F1 would start the game.

I suggest the TALISMAN card be removed, to be incorporated into the LEVEL SELECT (F2) screen (see below).

The SETTINGS/CONFIG (F3) card would be the same as it is now.

I suggest a new REPLAY (F4) card which loads a menu with the following functions:
- Mass replay check
- Load replay (this would allow a level and its replay to be loaded by selecting the replay file from the browser)
- Shortcut to replay settings

---

Meanwhile, here's what I suggest for the F2 Menu:



There is so much free space on the right hand side that could easily be used to display level info, talisman info, and player records. This would remove the need for a talisman card on the main menu and be a much more navigable way of checking talisman info.

Thoughts?

[namida]

I've added a poll regarding to what extent we're willing to change the menu / etc screens.

[ccexplore]

It is more obvious to anyone and everyone when there's a button labeled "play", that it's the button you want to click to start playing.  Whereas it seems less obvious especially for new players if the button is labeled instead with the name of a rank (which for new players they might not even realize yet that's what it is).  Players who had played Lemmings and new to NeoLemmix may also be initially confused by lack of the "play" button they'd remember from the original game.

So I appreciate the idea of saving space by combining the two buttons, but I'm not too sure on whether it's wise to not have a "play" button.

Also, I'd rather the replay button just directly launch the file browser for you to select a replay file.  The other two features seem a bit niche and can probably be placed elsewhere, rather than being a speed bump (in the form of an extra menu) to "load replay".

[WillLem]

So I appreciate the idea of saving space by combining the two buttons, but I'm not too sure on whether it's wise to not have a "play" button.

5 cards could still be put in a single-row formation, which would probably be my preference if keeping the current general menu aesthetic. I'd suggest (not necessarily in this order):

PLAY (F1) / LEVEL SELECT (F2) / OPTIONS (F3) / REPLAY (F4) / RANK (UP/DOWN)

I'm also open to the idea of a complete redesign, given that NeoLemmix is very much its own engine now, and perhaps should make this point right away in the menu screen, like Lix does.

I'd go so far as to suggest a higher resolution menu as well (happy to volunteer to create graphics if needs be).

Also, I'd rather the replay button just directly launch the file browser for you to select a replay file.

Fair enough, although maybe the replay browser could be customised to include a Mass Replay check button/general replay options.

Can replay files be configured to load the correct level as well, or does the order have to be load level>load replay?

[namida]

I'd go so far as to suggest a higher resolution menu as well (happy to volunteer to create graphics if needs be).

Unsure about this. Currently, the menu resolution is equivalent to in-game high resolution. This should be plenty. There's also the consideration of users who play in windowed mode - downscaling could result in details becoming hard to observe, especially in text; and they likely won't want to make their window bigger just so the menu looks a bit nicer.

I'd prefer to keep the resolution the same, ultimately. Let's just consider changes to what's on it.

It looks like there's significant support for this - of 8 voters, only 1 has said "don't change it at all", with a futher 1 saying "minor tweaks only". The remaining 6 are either saying keep the graphical style but open to changing anything else, or that even the style should be open to change. Personally I'm one of the votes for "keep the graphical style", whoever the other one is, I would like to make sure we're on the same page about what this means: I envision that it means, we'd still keep a similar-looking logo and (default) background, probably still have scroller text of some kind, use a similar looking font, retain the concept of lemmings holding panels as being how options are displayed; but that functionality, both in terms of "what functions does it expose?" and "how do they work", is up for consideration. Basically, it's a vote that the menu should look similar at a quick glance, but that's all that should be kept.

I've put up a new poll to further distinguish "open to revising the visual style but okay with keeping the existing one", versus "specifically think the style should be redesigned too".