Another Leap Forward
Salutations, Esteemed Adventurers!
It's been a whirlwind of coding, debugging, and designing as we draw ever closer to the release of the beloved virtual universe we call Xyzzya. I am thrilled to share the latest updates in our ongoing series on UI development, because some pretty massive strides have been made since last update.
New Powerful UI Controls!
This week, we're unveiling a thrilling enhancement to Xyzzya's interactive landscape – the introduction of location buttons. These buttons provide a dynamic, visual representation of items found at your location, any NPCs/players in the area, and special exits (e.g. shops, caves, etc.) nearby.
We also updated the sidebar menu with a sleek, new icon button: a gathering of figures symbolizing your team. A simple click on this icon unfurls a detailed screen showcasing your party members, your comrades in this grand adventure.
These fresh additions are more than mere buttons; they are portals to a deeper level of engagement and interaction, enriching your journey, and beckoning you to explore the world of Xyzzya in new and exciting ways.
Screenshot: Party Member Sidebar Icon and Location Buttons
The screenshot above shows the “party” button (arrow on left) and the new location buttons. So, what exactly do you see when you click these new buttons?
Party Time! Team Dynamics Visualized
I’m thrilled to introduce the player's party modal. This new UI has a simple, user-friendly interface that gives you the information you need about the other players/NPCs that your are temporarily grouped up with. While not 100% feature-complete, it looks great and works beautifully so far. Here’s a sneak peek:
Screenshot: Party View
The screenshot above shows Ariella’s party members, our old friends Lalaky and Torvald. Some controls are missing, including a way to message all members of one’s party, and a button to disband/leave the group, but it is fully data driven and interactable (clicking a character card brings up that character’s “inspect” view), and there is a stunning hover effect that makes the cards pop out when you mouse over them.
More New Views!
We've added several new methods and screens to enrich the player experience. These are each controlled using the new location buttons.
Character View: Peek into the lives of other characters in the room.
Ground Items: Discover and interact with items scattered around you.
Special Exits: Explore adjacent locations with ease, thanks to our newly added "Adjacent Locations" screen.
Again, I’m very pleased with how these are looking, and I’m eager to share them with you! Without further ado:
Screenshot: New “At Location” Views
I just love the look and feel of these new views. I believe they will really add a special something to the overall user experience. The lists on these views look and behave so nicely, that I am inspired to use the same UI components to improve the lists on other pages — inventory/equipment, skills/spells, and quest log.
Huge shout out to the folks who made SweetAlert2, the awesome UI toolkit that powers these new views.
Oh, and I haven’t mentioned the new graphics for items yet! Originally, I planned to just use icons for images. But after seeing how great the avatar images look on the People/Party view, it became obvious that items needed an overhaul. It took some doing, but I managed to create a handful of great-looking item icons.
Here’s another view powered by the integration to SweetAlert2: a simple “are you sure” view for inviting a player to your group.
Screenshot: Invite Confirmation View
Code Refactor Odyssey Completed!
So far, we covered a lot of nice UI improvements, but this past week was actually mostly dedicated to a significant UI code refactor. Streamlining and enhancing the UI codebase for better organization and maintainability became an absolute necessity, and so it was done. And it was done well! The new methodology pivots around modularization and standardization, making each segment of the code easier to manage and expand. All of the Javascript functions are now well-organized, and they adhere to strict naming conventions — with prefixes designed to clearly convey their purpose. This shift not only greatly improves the developer experience today; it also sets a robust foundation for a plethora of exciting feature enhancements down the road!
On the Precipice of a New Era
While the allure of perfecting the UI is ever-present, our journey with Xyzzya takes a pivotal turn this week. We're channeling our energies into a crucial phase: integrating the new UI with Xyzzya's game framework. This strategic shift transcends mere technical progression; it's about building and nurturing a thriving community. Our upcoming phase is driven by a compelling mission: to unveil our groundbreaking technology through a series of captivating videos, engaging live demos, and interactive social media engagements.
As we venture into this phase, let us also transport you into the heart of Xyzzya's essence. Imagine an infinite universe built with pioneering procedural generation, where vast and varied landscapes unfold before you. This universe is not just a backdrop, but a living, breathing entity, brimming with diverse ecosystems, societies, and factions. Each player's actions have the power to influence the ever-evolving lore of this universe, making every decision impactful. Enriched with cutting-edge AI integrations, Xyzzya offers a dynamic, immersive experience where storytelling and exploration converge to create a truly unique adventure. All this, encapsulated in a visually stunning, cross-platform, online interactive adventure that's poised to redefine the norms of gaming.
Truly, we stand on the brink of a new era in gaming, where Xyzzya is not just a game but a revolution.
Stay tuned for this thrilling journey – the best is yet to come!
— Timothy Kanski
The Development Team at Xyzzya
