inproved user interface

[jayc]

forgive me if this has been discussed before, but i would like to see the interface improved. with smaller control buttons and maybe a smaller chat box. the way it it now just takes up too much screen real estate. perhaps a task bar with all the contols and meters and a “hide poses” button to give us a nice clean screen to play on. i think the laptop users would like this upgrade

[Lover]

I agree with more room for the actions – but a smaller chat window? No, I want more room for chatting, I would prefer something similar to msn messenger and all the other programms.
The icons for moving, cam… can be smaller and placed above. We also talked about more cam actions including cam lock, this is also a great idea but doesn't belong to this topic.

[taztexan]

Smaller chat window?? Hell no, that's one area that would benefit from some improvement. Pop-up window you could size and move would be awesome! Yes the controls/action icons take up too much space and could be made smaller. Pull down menu or a “start menu” type interface would be outstanding. I have a 15″ laptop and yearn for more viewing space too. Hmm I'm due for a Laptop upgrade soon… *evil grin*

[Keiko]

    Indeed the chat is an important element within the interface. I would even argue that it's the most important element of the game. Without it, AChat would just be A. The chat alone could be improved which has been discussed numerous times on this forum. Just to name a few:

• -Bring General Chat back
• -utilize all keys on the average keyboard.
• -Make the chat a seperate window.
• -A way to invite another friend to join an existing conversation without going to a 3some room.
• -use a “Tab” system to organize conversations by user.
• -Add more emotes
• -Enable “/emote” code. (Example: “Keiko: /emote dances and sings.” would look like this, “Keiko dances and sings.”
• -Enable user-programmable away/busy responses.
• -Enable messages be sent to the user's inbox if user's busy state is set.
• -Enable alerts to notify a user when a friend, lover, or spouse has logged in.

[/list]

    I would like to see AChat's Chat rival other chat systems, however, this will require alot if work. But, back to the main topic, the interface.

    I remember when poses were first organized into groups. Before, they used to cover nearly a 3rd of the screen because every pose was always visible to be selected. They were in order only by release date, so finding specific poses was difficult. Once they were organized and grouped into categories, it opened up alot more space. As long as I can remember, the Profile/Search pages have always remained the same except for the addition of the busy state button. I think something should be done about the profile search results side of the window. It takes up alot of potential space. It is an important part of the game but it should change depending on what the user is viewing. If the user is viewing a profile, then perhaps the search results can minimize so an extension of that profile can be viewed where the profile pictures normally are.

    But if you're more interested in hiding parts of the interface, I would take all the buttons visible on the window and stash them into a common drop-down menu like all the other programs.

[hentaiboy69]

 

• -Bring General Chat back
• -utilize all keys on the average keyboard.
• -Make the chat a seperate window.
• -A way to invite another friend to join an existing conversation without going to a 3some room.
• -use a “Tab” system to organize conversations by user.
• -Add more emotes
• -Enable “/emote” code. (Example: “Keiko: /emote dances and sings.” would look like this, “Keiko dances and sings.”
• -Enable user-programmable away/busy responses.
• -Enable messages be sent to the user's inbox if user's busy state is set.
• -Enable alerts to notify a user when a friend, lover, or spouse has logged in.

[/list]

mmmh, all interessing, keiko but what did you mean a separate window for the chat!? something who can be setted in a separate way!?

[Bear]

Well in answer to jayc needs.. there may be others who are more into the visual than narrative…

A hide screen option perhaps keyed shortcut would be nice… it would make it nice for print screen options… the issue there is you'll need to minimize the functions with a capacity to create some form of alert a chat message has been sent… or pose change requested.  The latter issue probably doesn't need any tweak utilizing the current request notice… minimizing chat to a tab on the bottom screen with a which highlights with a message notice would work.

Setting the camera functions into a tab shouldn't be difficult…camera one,.. two and first person, free mode view easily set into a singular tab… which leaves rotation functions… perhaps tied to the free mode  a tab to activate and show..Likewise tab applications could be set to the partners name and excitement meter… a single drop down menu with the ability to mark which components you wish to see displayed…

As to the general “lobby screen”,… Keoko I think I would like to see a collapse option there…Reducing the screen to a tab on the bottom, click-able to restore.

My largest gripe of the current setup is the location of the ignore button… I've been unintentionally ignored a couple times the past month and had to use 3rd party to alert someone to that effect in both cases. (At least I hope unintentional) I think the ignore button should be relocated to the left menu, onto the current profile side with the status requests. List management should go as an editing function or as a  self profile function…

I support your suggestions relating to the chat functions though… the key ingredient to a this as a successful social site is going to be improving the communication functions.

[jayc]

im a role player, and chat  is everything in RP. what i meant was just less clutter  with smaller buttons and drop downs for poses. my spouse and i do alot of 1st person and it would nice to have a liitle more open space on the in room screen. thanks for everyones intrest in the subject ans lots of good ideas

[chien_lubrik]

Hello all kinds peoples of the Dreamworld's forum.

. General chat chan : I don't know Some times ago I used general chanels , and mainly those general chatroom are just full of trolls and flooders. Without any permanent moderator who get the hammer … I feel it will be messy.
Anyway, as you said Miss Keiko: “Bring it back” I may guess that there was previously a general chat chan.

Why was it deleted ? And how did it work ?

Anyway, all others ideas are very nices and will surely lead for a better communication and Role-Play.

Please accept my best humbly regards.

[Bear]

A general chat channel made a brief appearance in the fall of 2010… very brief… not much longer than 2 weeks of lifespan before being removed due to complications. What those were has never been disclosed.

A user had the existing channel  and an option to switch to follow the general chat threads… the general chat threads contained 5-6 individual channels… which were labeled under a cluster of topics… lets see….. general,… bdsm,… a lesbian (which was badly named… sorry I can't remember the full breakdown of the others… )

Users could choose a one particular channel to follow… with the ability to switch between the options via a drop down menu to select the channel….

Only one channel was particularly utilized… the “general chat”… and honestly I thought it worked fairly well in shout outs for partners… building groups … personally didn't use it much since at that time I was…. *coughs* …preoccupied….and didn't have a need to involve myself in it.

99% of the chatter was on the general chat… the other channels were rarely used…

My own impression was they could have made do with one channel… seemed to be about all they needed…. the other channels were under used… neglected.

That is about all I remember of the experiment.

[hentaiboy69]

ooook, a little refresh for us and for dev-team on chat solution…..

someone remember this thing!?

Here it is. To avoid showing third party screenshots i made a little photoshopping to the normal ACHAT chat section:

Maybe not 100% clear. Sorry.

Everytime one of the friends writes a new line, the relative tab label flashes to show “your buddy wrote something new”. If the tab is hidden (over the edge of the window), the >> button flashes so I know I've to scroll to see the tab updated.

This is so easy, fast and clear to use.

well, ok, we all agree about this idea and i think it's good to put it out of the closet and add it to the user interface topic. Now, please dev-team…….tell us if there is a chance to see a better chat and  a good upgrade on the interface! at last. all we need are small contreller icons, they are really hiding most of the screen! too much!

[Lover]

The general chat, as it was done, was awful imo. One and only a mess. Perhaps it's better not to ask for ageneral chat, but for several chat channels – or the chance to start own chat channels in which all friends/lovers/spouses are included automatically and you also can invite other persons.

[taztexan]

The general chat, as it was done, was awful imo. One and only a mess. Perhaps it's better not to ask for ageneral chat, but for several chat channels – or the chance to start own chat channels in which all friends/lovers/spouses are included automatically and you also can invite other persons.

I like that idea, Lover.. talk to friends together and the guilds/families can chat together also. I do like the tabs hentai showed.. but don't need to be that big….

pull down menu  for the actions and poses along top would be nice.. hidden when not needed… but can be pulled down when changing. cam controls definitely don't need to be as big as the are and the speed/pleasure sliders could be made smaller also… I'd imagine most people play on laptops. So unless they have a 15″ or larger screen it can get very crowded.

[Rubella]

(…)
A user had the existing channel  and an option to switch to follow the general chat threads… the general chat threads contained 5-6 individual channels… which were labeled under a cluster of topics… lets see….. general,… bdsm,… a lesbian (which was badly named… sorry I can't remember the full breakdown of the others… )
(…)

Just for info :

• GENERAL CHAT
• ROMANTIC LOVE
• KINKY DESIRES
• NASTY BITCHES

[/list]
Oh don't look at me like that ! i'm not a super-memory-freak, and had no Achat account in 2010 ! I just checked in the code

[Bear]

Ah thanks Rubella…  Lover you described it as a “mess”… care to explain your perception of it being so?

What I followed was pretty straightforward… and a constant stream of chatter… the purpose appeared to being served. There again, I was only unroomed for short periods though…

[Lover]

Perhaps “chaos” is the better word?
You know the small chat window – now imagine, 10 people start to chat at once. And sometimes there have been more then 10…
no chance to follow or lead a real good talk or to have a common theme….
That was in general chat. As you already mentioned, the other channels have been neglected.

[Author]

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