Multiple info elements

ID:260854
 
Dec 19 2009, 4:45 am
Allow multiple info elements! What's the purpose of creating multiple elements if we can't do anything with them?

Verbs should have a set control="controlid" configuration that allows us to specify the control to put the verb on (or null for all controls). Perhaps allow controls to be separated by commas for multiple info panels.

the statpanel() proc should have a similar parameter. again, null puts it on the default control or all controls.
Dec 19 2009, 6:49 am
I really don't get why anyone would want this; if anything, we should be moving away from info controls, using them only for debugging.
Dec 19 2009, 9:16 am
In response to Jeff8500
Jeff8500 wrote:
I really don't get why anyone would want this; if anything, we should be moving away from info controls, using them only for debugging.

If you can point me to another element that can display verbs, be my guest. Until then, it should at least be possible to utilize these multiple info elements we can create.
Dec 19 2009, 9:34 am
In response to Android Data
That's my point; you shouldn't have to display verbs themselves, you should create a GUI for them. I cannot think of a non-BYOND game with an info control-like verb display.
Dec 19 2009, 10:02 am
In response to Jeff8500
I would atleast use them to display Stats, because updating labels via winset seems to create a bit of a delay.
Dec 19 2009, 10:19 am
In response to Jeff8500
If you do this, you have to manually update the interface every time a player gains or loses a verb (through a change to the verbs list or use of the src setting). Besides a grid (which will take more work than a verb panel to use properly and will end up looking pretty much the same anyways) and a browser window (which seems more like a workaround to me), BYOND doesn't offer any controls that can easily represent an arbitrary number of elements in the way a verb panel does. If you decide to organize them alphabetically, then it becomes even more complicated as you can't just add a verb to the end of the list when it becomes available.
Dec 19 2009, 1:34 pm
In response to Jeff8500
Jeff8500 wrote:
That's my point; you shouldn't have to display verbs themselves, you should create a GUI for them. I cannot think of a non-BYOND game with an info control-like verb display.

That would require a lot of work. Right now, a lot of verbs exist in older games. I'd have to create a tab element, and in it, make buttons in place of each and every single verb. The buttons would be large and more massive than the verbs, requiring more screen space.

Meanwhile, the statistics I'm showing also have to be changed, and the updating will have to be completely handled by me instead of deferred to built-in systems BYOND provides through the Stat() proc.

I suppose I could go ahead and do it, but I think a lot of players will be pretty pissed off about the new interface. Also I'll need to make sure that every button works properly, and when I dare add a verb I should also update my interface.

Oh! I almost forgot: I've also got a bunch of admin verbs and a "map editor" which opens up the option to a bunch of additional verbs. I need to make tabs for those, too. I also need to make it so that these tabs only appear when a player has access to them, obviously.

Other than that, it's completely doable. I'm going to do just what I wrote above if the info element is completely removed. That way, I can be rest assured that every other developer will have to do the same.
Dec 19 2009, 1:51 pm
In response to Android Data
I never said they should be completely removed from BYOND, I said that you should strive to avoid them in favor of other controls. Seriously, info controls are ugly, and I haven't even used them in my recent projects; all I really have needed are some macros and other elements.

Besides, a lot of verbs give your game a cluttered feel.
Dec 19 2009, 1:55 pm
In response to Jeff8500
Jeff8500 wrote:
Besides, a lot of verbs give your game a cluttered feel.

I'm fairly sure AD is still working on a SS13 remake, which was cluttered to all heck anyway.
Dec 19 2009, 11:06 pm
In response to Android Data
A flexible grid would seem far better suited than multiple buttons for this very purpose and could be handled completely modular through wrapping it in a datum. That way, you could add and remove tabs on the fly, depending on your game and would only have to write one flexible wrapper. Could even go for a library there ;)