Questions re: the UI

[leaddernoir (OP)]

I recently found this game and have spent some time playing it.  Congratulations to Steve for what is a mammoth effort, this is an incredibly deep game.  I am sure this has been asked before and I apologise if it has, but I was wondering if anyone has tried to mod in a new UI? If not is that because Steve does not want anyone tinkering with his code (which is fair) or because no one wants to attempt it etc.  Cheers.

[Charlie Beeler]

Steve has specificly stated he does not want other code floating around and has deliberatly not posted specs for outside mods. 

There are a few that have full database access.  That access is only given out by Steve with the explicit understanding that any code or tools released do not have direct ability to touch the database. 

[leaddernoir (OP)]

Thats understandable

A pity there is not some sort of work being done to upgrade the interface, a kind of roundtable where Steve ultimately guides it in the direction he wants but perhaps delegating work to others. 

Anyways no matter, the game is still fun to play and thank you for the response.

 

[alex_brunius]

I am sure this has been asked before and I apologise if it has, but I was wondering if anyone has tried to mod in a new UI? If not is that because Steve does not want anyone tinkering with his code (which is fair) or because no one wants to attempt it etc.

...

A pity there is not some sort of work being done to upgrade the interface, a kind of roundtable where Steve ultimately guides it in the direction he wants but perhaps delegating work to others. 

I agree.

Dwarf fortress works much in this way, a very small team that focuses on the core game, and a myriad of interface mods and plugins that present that core info and let you manipulate it in efficient ways (interface). Id guess that 90% of the players probably use some kind of interface mod.

I think Aurora could gain alot of fans that currently wouldn't be the slightest interested due to lack of graphics if a similar approach could be taken for Aurora.

The biggest interface improvement I would want is a starmap and galaxy map rolled into the same + mousewheel scroll zoom. Ideally you just click on a system in the galaxy map to jump to that starmap and click a button to zoom back out.

[Gidoran]

I agree.

Dwarf fortress works much in this way, a very small team that focuses on the core game, and a myriad of interface mods and plugins that present that core info and let you manipulate it in efficient ways (interface). Id guess that 90% of the players probably use some kind of interface mod.

I think Aurora could gain alot of fans that currently wouldn't be the slightest interested due to lack of graphics if a similar approach could be taken for Aurora.

The biggest interface improvement I would want is a starmap and galaxy map rolled into the same + mousewheel scroll zoom. Ideally you just click on a system in the galaxy map to jump to that starmap and click a button to zoom back out.

Dwarf Fortress is actually literally one guy doing the code, Toady One.

[alex_brunius]

I recall reading there were two of them, but perhaps I was wrong

Anyways all the more relevant to Aurora since it has worked for other one-man teams?!

[Erik L]

Just going off my knowledge of VB 6 and not Steve's code, I'd say the UI elements are very intertwined with the game logic and would require nearly a full rewrite of the game.

[viperfan7]

Just going off my knowledge of VB 6 and not Steve's code, I'd say the UI elements are very intertwined with the game logic and would require nearly a full rewrite of the game.

Which is exactly why it really should be re done in a different programming language, would take lots of time, but in the end updates would be FAR easier for steve to do.

[sloanjh]

Which is exactly why it really should be re done in a different programming language, would take lots of time, but in the end updates would be FAR easier for steve to do.

Aurora II: On hiatus

John