Main menu UI queries. Tabs, categories, order of UI flow.

BoostG

Hi, I'm currently setting up the UI I have made great progress with it by revisiting the UI documentation several, however I have a few question that I would like to clarify with you before proceeding to implement these changes over the next week. Some of your previous answers have saved me a LOT of time by moving forward with an inefficient way of proceeding that I would have had to have unapplied and changed for each of my game items. Since I'm still new to Ork I'm asking to clarify with you first to ensure that I am doing it in the way that you think is best to save having to undo changes later:

1. I have 'menu tabs' across the top which lose focus when they open another menu. This means that to switch to a different menu you'll need to click twice on the menu tabs. How do we keep these tabs from losing focus? Also on a related note, how do we make it so that a single click will work to swap between the tabs? (photo included) - answered on the discord

In the bestiary it categorises the creatures by their affiliation, is there a way to categorise them by their elemental type instead?
Quests have tabs by the quest type, is there a way to have tabs by category instead? Eg Core quest, side quest et.
If that is possible with quests, then is there a way to 'filter by quest type' for example having the side quest tab open then being able to choose whether you want to see only fetching or hunting.
Also is there a way to have an 'all' tab as the initial tab that shows all the items in a particular tab before showing specifics sub tabs like 'all inventory' then 'weapon, shield etc.' I'm trying to integrate this for the main categories like quests, bestiary, inventory etc
We would like to have the reverse flow for the weapons and skills. Where you initially see the list of all the items and skills, then when you click on it, it shows you the party member that it applies to; rather than the other way around. What is the best way to do this?
We would like to set the save game to be a tab on the menu rather than an object in the world with the save component. How would this be integrated into the UI?
We would like to do the reverse to the above with crafting: to set it up as a crafting station in the game world rather than UI menu. How would this best be done?
Is there a way to have a screen cap appear next to the save slots like BOTW and some other games? It's quite helpful to have a visual cue when recalling which state to load from.

Thanks for your advice, if any of these are straightforward and in the docs feel free to link to the section, im still overcoming the learning curve : )

BoostG

For reference to others who may search any of this in the future, here's the answer to question 1 @Acissathar provided on the discord

"I believe you need to have Start Focused unchecked on your menu items, and then it should keep focus on the Type/Tabs when switching to a new menu"

gamingislove

1) Some additional information: Generally, the UI only has one UI box focused at a time. The Inactive Colors settings can tint unfocused UI boxes in a defined color and can be set for all UI boxes (general settings) and per UI box override. Interacting with unfocused UI boxes can also be controlled for all boxes and per box override via the Controls settings - mainly the unfocused input settings.

2) Not directly. There are currently 2 bestiary menus available - displaying them by Area they where encountered and by Type (i.e. the combatant type of the combatant). For something like this, you'd need to use the combatant type to categorize them that way.

3) Quest types are basically categories - you can set them up however you need them and also sub-type them. The quest type is just a content information for structuring your quests and have no impact on what kind of quest it is :)

4) Yes, via sub-types for your quest types, e.g.:

Side Quest (main type) -- Hunting (sub-type of 'Side Quest') -- Fetching (sub-type of 'Side Quest') etc.

5) The Add 'All' Type setting in the menu part's types settings is for this. Should be available in all/most typeable menu parts, e.g. inventory, quests, etc.

6) For equipment use an Inventory menu part, using the equipment opens a combatant selection to select who to equip it on. For abilities, not so sure. They're part of a combatant, so you first have to select a combatant to list it's abilities.

7) The Button List menu part has Save and Load button types to open save/load game menus.

8) Set up your usual crafting menu and open it via a Call Menu Screen node in a schematic. Use an Interaction Machine to use the schematic on your crafting station.

9) No, currently not.

GuSt

Thanks for the thorough response, im collaborating on it tomorrow with a team mate so It will be good to integrate those solutions.

That answers the majority of our questions, great to see that nearly all of it is able to be implemented in a straightforward way. To clarify 2 points before we apply the changes:

How do we get the sort selector to appear in the UI for the sub types? Or would they essentially a lower level sub tab?

6a. In our game the same abilities can be used by many different combatants. Is there a way to display the list for all abilities, then when clicking you choose who to give it to perhaps? If not is there a way of setting up different menu flow within schematics that could solve this?

6b. If theres no way of implementing that, then if we have all abilities show in the list with an icon to display which group members it applies to, then that will automatically equip it if it’s one or asking if it’s multiple, skipping the need categorise in the different menu tabs by combatant first?

6c. If neither of those are possible then how would setting up a sub tab for each combatant under the ‘skills’ tab, revealing the available skills underneath in a list, instead of having them as a pop up be done?

gamingislove

4) Hm, as tabs it's a bit complex, unless you use the option to merge the sub-types together. If you dispaly the types in a separate UI box, the content will just update to the sub-types when accepting a type.

For tab display, you have to fake it a bit by using separate menu screens for the sub-types and a Menu List part to switch between menus, acting as a main type display.

6abc) Hm, not directly. As said, abilities are learned by the combatant (or the group, making them available to all), i.e. they can't be given and moved around.

However, you can create equipable abilities, but it's a bit more work. You need to set up equipment for each ability you want to be able to equip and add the ability as an Equipment Ability on the equipment. That way you can equip those on a combatant, making the ability available to the combatant.

BoostG

Ok that's all great, that answers all of our questions. Ill be sure to write back here if we have any follow ups. Have a good day!

BoostG

We are currently looking into how to set up the the combatants in the players group so that they can learn any move their opponent uses of the same element if they use a learn ability move. There are some other combatants that have multiple element types therefore we would want them to be able to learn the moves from each of those relevant elements.

How would you suggest setting things up to accomplish this?

BoostG

Also wanted to clarify question 6 in light of the class update

<blockquote> 6abc) Hm, not directly. As said, abilities are learned by the combatant (or the group, making them available to all), i.e. they can't be given and moved around.

However, you can create equipable abilities, but it's a bit more work. You need to set up equipment for each ability you want to be able to equip and add the ability as an Equipment Ability on the equipment. That way you can equip those on a combatant, making the ability available to the combatant. </blockquote>

Could the class update allow a full list of available abilities to be shown in a ‘skill menu’ ranging from all skills and then choose to equip them to the relevant characters once clicking on the skill item?

Still picking up how everything connects in ork so not entirely sure whether the class update would allow this or whether some other mechanism would :)

gamingislove

Learning the oponent's ability largely depends on the details. E.g. how are those abilities categories in elements, when is the ability learned (on using the 'learn abiltiy' move or when the enemy uses the ability), etc.

Generally, there are 2 nodes to do this - the regular Learn Ability node can learn a defined ability or one stored in selected data (e.g. first selected from the enemy via Select Ability) and the Learn Action Ability, which can be used in an ability's schematics to have someone learn the ability that's being animated.

As for your clarification - I don't think so. The upcoming class slot system doesn't change how classes and their abilities work, it only allows you to equip a class. So, similar to my suggestion with equipment abilities, just with classes :)

BoostG

Hello, we're going through and polishing our systems the demo. Just checking in to see if there are updates in the last ₈ months that would allow 2, 6 and 9 to work?

gamingislove

No changes, sorry.