Brainstorming a GZDoom menu revamp

[Pixel Eater]

Menu.xls.zip

(9.96 KiB) Downloaded 21 times

I've compiled a spreadsheet of most menu items with parallel columns for organizing values into preset categories. The first is "Custom/Top level" and means the variable is user controlled at all times. The second two are GZDoom's default and Vanilla. They can contain only one value each. If this concept works then new preset columns can be added in the future.

[wildweasel]

Since not everybody necessarily has Excel installed, I've uploaded your spreadsheet to Google Sheets so everybody with a web browser can view it:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

[Pixel Eater]

Thanks WildWeasel, that saves a lot of fuss

Does anyone have recommendations for the table structure or want a first go at populating it before I hack into it?

[Pixel Eater]

Menu.pk3

(859 Bytes) Downloaded 22 times

Here's an example of one direction it could go. It's just the root menu done in the only way I know how- as a sub menu within the existing options. The "More Bwah-Bwah >" links only go to the current GZDoom menus for now, but everything else works*.
*Edit: Except for Static Lighting- it only affects fake contrast when I intend for it to also control the fog settings.

[Tormentor667]

Not sure if I've already said that but I am very happy that this is being considered and started. Releasing BoA as a standalone version showed us, that the options/menue might be intuitive for us who are already working with the engine for two decades but for someone who is totally new to GZDoom it's simply a pain.

[ibm5155]

I'd like to also Interact with the menu by acs\zscript, so I could control what specific menu should i show in titlemap\ingame or if the player should be able to enable it.

Something like I did here :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KljqtxNvdHo
so with that I could do a skippable intro, block the menu at certain parts and maybe on the future, show a different menu for ingame

still for spooky's house of jumpscare menu I removed 80% of the menu options, and also added other options like a fast show fps.
People doesnt need to know how many channels the engine will use for sound, only the game volume and where it's going to output the sound,...

EDIT: Uh I liked the Pixel Eater menu, one thing I'd add for the vídeo options is a fast way to select the screen that's going to show the game (in case the user has multiple screens)

[Caligari87]

I'd like to also Interact with the menu by acs\zscript, so I could control what specific menu should i show in titlemap\ingame or if the player should be able to enable it.

Something like I did here :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KljqtxNvdHo
so with that I could do a skippable intro, block the menu at certain parts and maybe on the future, show a different menu for ingame

still for spooky's house of jumpscare menu I removed 80% of the menu options, and also added other options like a fast show fps.
People doesnt need to know how many channels the engine will use for sound, only the game volume and where it's going to output the sound,...

I'd just like to point out that this is A) completely out of scope for this discussion and B) probably not going to happen regardless because it's anti-player.

[ibm5155]

I'd just like to point out that this is A) completely out of scope for this discussion and B) probably not going to happen regardless because it's anti-player.

completely out of scope: nop.
B) Yeah, and this is why i love being able to make my own port and just ignore those strict rules of what your game/mod should do.

EDIT: Actually, I'd list the options that people use, there are alot of menu options that I never enter in Q\G\Zdoom (like the gameplay\compat options) and remove the ones that arent used for a start

[wildweasel]

completely out of scope: nop.

Not your call, unfortunately.

[Graf Zahl]

Menu.pk3

screenshot.jpg

Here's an example of one direction it could go. It's just the root menu done in the only way I know how- as a sub menu within the existing options. The "More Bwah-Bwah >" links only go to the current GZDoom menus for now, but everything else works*.
*Edit: Except for Static Lighting- it only affects fake contrast when I intend for it to also control the fog settings.

Too much clutter on the top level.

[Pixel Eater]

a fast way to select the screen that's going to show the game (in case the user has multiple screens)

That sounds like a good idea, do you know the Cvar for it?

Too much clutter on the top level.

Working on it.

[drfrag]

Sorry but IMHO that's a bit messy, i still like Xaser's version.

[Pixel Eater]

Sorry but IMHO that's a bit messy, i still like Xaser's version.

I'm taking Graf's comments to heart and already have something "more mininal MINIMAL". I somehow missed Xaser's post- that's actually very similar to what I have in mind!

GFD had a lot of ideas too, I hope they weigh in some more

Edit: How's this?

[Matt]

Edit: How's this?

Menu.png

I'd rather have "Advanced..." at the bottom of each of those sections to keep the categories all in one place. Too easy to miss / too annoying to have to shift focus between two totally unrelated parts of the screen while working on a single thing.

Alternatively, if those main options were also present in the advanced menus then maybe a "Hide basic options, just use the advanced links" option might be an asset.

[Pixel Eater]

That's sort of how I had it until Graf suggested it could be neater. I'm deep in the sub menus now that I've figured out how they work so I'll revisit the root menu when I'm done. Keep hitting me with ideas though!