Talk:Interface

-- 19:09, 28 February 2006 (CST)While I think having the article is a very good thing, I think "Heads Up Display" isn't the preferred term in GW. We might keep it as redirect, but the terms used ingame and in the online manual are "Interface" (GUI) or simply "Screen". -- 21:08, 27 February 2006 (CST)


 * I agree. I much prefer "Game screen" or so. --Karlos 21:53, 27 February 2006 (CST)


 * For reference, the old Online Manual page in question can be found here. Again, "interface" and "screen" are the terms used here. I'd suggest we move the article to Interface, and leave possible alternative names as redirects. Okay? -- 22:37, 27 February 2006 (CST)


 * Also note that the category is called Category:User Interface. The names of the article and category should match. -- 00:44, 28 February 2006 (CST)


 * As a software guy, I'll tell you that "User Interface" is not just the screen, it's how the user interacts with the program. This is why command line parameters are listed there even though they are not "on the screen" per se. I prefer Screen or "Game Screen" because they are more user friendly terms than "Interface" which may not intuitively strike not-so-literate computer users as being the game screen. Game Screen is preferred to screen because it's more explicit in what it's referring to. --Karlos 09:36, 28 February 2006 (CST)


 * Game Screen sounds best to me. Clear, easy to understand, something even my technologically impaired mother could understand.  --Rainith 10:06, 28 February 2006 (CST)


 * I'd prefer Interface. It is a common term in gaming, and I think most gamers understand it. While most of the article will be about the GUI (the "screen"), we should also mention the CLI (command line interface) in the article. It may not be obvious to everyone that the chat window also serves as command line console.
 * Once the article is renamed and cleaned, we should replace the current link to the category on the Main Page with a link to the article.
 * If a majority prefers "(game) screen", I can live with that too, but I'd prefer if we'd keep it short and leave away the "game". Just plain Screen. But that's a minor detail, really. :) -- 19:09, 28 February 2006 (CST)
 * I agree with Tetris (big surprise!). Interface, or perhaps even User Interface (to separate it from, eg., Login Interface). 19:14, 28 February 2006 (CST)

Vote on Article Name
And thus we come to another showdown between the Republicans and the Democrats... What name should this article (talking about the different elements in the game screen) hold?
 * Heads Up Display (or HUD):
 * Interface:
 * 1) Tetris L,
 * 2) Bishop
 * 3) PanSola (second choice "Game Interface"; third choice "Gameplay Interface"; forth choice "User Interface"; fifth choice "GUI")
 * User Interface:
 * 1) Ravious,
 * 2) Barek,
 * 3) Havral Glommon,
 * 4) Xeeron,
 * 5) 130.58,
 * 6) Stabber,
 * 7) FireFox
 * Screen:
 * Game screen:
 * 1) Karlos
 * 2) Rainith
 * 3) Shandy
 * Graphical User Interface (or GUI):
 * 1) Ishmaeel
 * Gameplay Interface (as opposed to Login Interface, Character Selection/Creation Interface):
 * 1) Si Tacuisses
 * 2) Wesrichards -unless this article will cover all Interfaces

Please sign your name behind the choice you like. If your choice is not listed, please add it at the bottom. --Karlos 21:40, 28 February 2006 (CST)


 * Are multiple votes allowed? I don't care much if it's plain "Interface" or if a Game(play)/Graphical/User/whatever is added as prefix. -- 23:28, 28 February 2006 (CST)
 * I concur. Vanilla interface is my favorite, but most prefixes will do. Game Screen, however, is right out (in part because it means something completely different). --Bishop 00:29, 1 March 2006 (CST)

I think we are talking about two different things here. I am talking about the game screen in which players play the game, not the "entire user interface" of the program. I think you guys need to think in a more user-friendly kind of way. With the exception of a few geeks like us, few users care to know all the different ways to interact with the program. Most would love a screen cap of the game screen however and an explanation of all the different elements on it. I do not see an all encompassing article about all the different ways to interact with the program as being a good thing. This is a geek approach.. A Functional listing of all the cool things I have put in this thing. Users though need to be told things in a way that interests them not us. There for it is best to always present interface elements to the user in the context of "here is what you need to do to achieve X"

So, an article explaining the game screen makes sense to a user. An article explaining how to set the password in the properties so as to avoid having o type it each time you log in is also useful. An article combining both in addition to how to take screenshots is, in my not so humble opinion, useless. That is what a category is for. Geeks fascinated about all elements of the UI can follow the category link and browse. But a complete reference of all UI features is NOT a good article. --Karlos 10:53, 1 March 2006 (CST)

I invoke the "Use Whatever The Game Calls It" Clause
The game calls the Drop Bundle Button, Chat, Compass, District LIst, Effects MOnitor, Experience Bar, Hints, Skill Bark, Skill Monitor, Upkeep Monitor, Skill Warmup, Menu, Energy Bar, Health Bar, Terget Display, Trade Button, and Weapon Bar as "interface elements". They are all part of the Interface that can be edited via the "Edit Interface" button. Thus I invoke the "Use Whatever The Game Calls It" clause, call a halt to the vote, and will summon the guards to drag anyone who try to call it by any name other than Interface to the Dungeon of Redirects. -PanSola 11:08, 1 March 2006 (CST)


 * Ah, but you are manipulating the clause for you nefarious purposes! Because the same game inteface calls the "interface" in the main Option window as "Layout" (which I cactually like a LOT more than interface). I would prefer Layout or "Screen layout" to the ever so nerdy "interface" which is a ridiculous word referring to the medium between two entities. It is an abstraction of code that deals with the user vs code that "actually does something." As far as the user is concerned, he does not NEED to know that he is merely dealing with an "interface" and that the "real code" is in the DLL. A final plea for you all to get out of your nerdiness and assume a not-so-computer-literate user. --Karlos 11:21, 1 March 2006 (CST)


 * Interface is not jargon. The word existed to describe the same kinds of things long before there were computers. 11:44, 1 March 2006 (CST)
 * I'm a mesmer! I m... I mean, Layout refers to the arrangement of interface elements! The Interface is composed of Interface Elements arranged in a Layout.  Besides, if not-so-computer-literate users need help with the word "interface", then we as a wiki should help them out when they see that word show up in the game! d-: -PanSola 12:33, 1 March 2006 (CST)
 * Medium for interaction between two things = interface. "Layout" is how all that stuff is arranged. More importantly, the first term is pretty familiar to anyone who's ever played a computer/video game, the second isn't. Heck, I wouldn't know what to make of an article just called "layout" at first glance. --130.58 12:57, 1 March 2006 (CST)