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Thrallworks Update #18: Just UI Things
🕑 Added 2021-09-22 17:31:01 +0000 UTCHello, and welcome to the new-look Thrallopedia!
Sorting out the layout of things in Unity, what tabs we need and that, made me look at the Thrallopedia articles I've done and conclude that there was no space for adding in the things that needed adding in!
I designed the Thrallopedia articles before really even getting into the UI of the Ren'Py version of the game even, so its to be expected it'd need updating at some point. I daresay this version is more readable too.
Also changed up the information available in the Project examples! Check out the attachments for downloads of these images for a proper look-in.
The opening 'What is a Thrall?' image was actually a much-delayed commission I'd put up from the Labourer Thrallopedia set, and I'm glad it fit in so well here and the commissioner was so good about both the wait and letting me design it. I'm considering some of the other pages ('Thrall Material', etc.) to also be commissionable, but I might want to write up an outline for each. For instance, the 'Thrall Material' section will probably open with a back-to-back image of a Harvested thrall and a Cultivated thrall; or maybe them working together in a dance move or so.
UI Implementation
Although not fully complete as it stands, I can give you a run-through of the current thinking behind the different sections of the UI. Bear in mind these are subject to change, but then what isn't in this world?
These four things up here be the main tabs that go between the major screens of the game.
These will as follows:
- Main Screen - This will be a 'world map' type view of the company grounds, where you can click on the various departments during your breaks. Also includes your apartment and lesson management! Probably.
- Thrallmarket - Where you can check out stuff like drone purchases, book domines, sponsor ponies, etc.
- Thrallopedia - As you see!
- Planner - Where you go to consult and organize your lessons and time; something of a drag-and-drop with resources and lessons you've unlocked.
This here's the Thrallopedia side-bar. Each of the smaller, greyed-out tabs expands out like the currently selected 'Thralls' one to give you addition options. To summarize:
- Thrallworks - General information about the company; its values, mission statement, departments, staff, location, those sorts of things. You can maybe think of this as a character file reference, amongst other things.
- Thralls - All the information about the various thrall models, how they're made and what's done with them. Probably going to be the most in-depth area.
- Guides - These will be short tutorials, both about the UI and also lessons on how certain things are done. Very likely to include small 'scenes' here, with a secretary to tutor.
- Tech - Examples of the kind of technology deployed in Thrallworks, CMS implants, retro-viral gene manipulation, Security Orbs, thrallsuit composition, all that sort of thing. It's likely this will be the most 'wordswordswords' area.
- Repository - You can think of this as the game's 'CG Gallery'. Here's where all the images you unlock for all the scenes end up. Perhaps I'll put Dossiers in here too?
These I'll probably get swapped around; the cog was to be the main menu button, 'save game, load game' all that jazz, but the TW Symbol will probably replace that. Where the TW Symbol is will likely be some abstraction of the CMS system, and will work as a shortcut to altering some of the base levels of current thrallsuit settings. Might not even need it! We'll see. Might be something else, like a log or journal to keep you aware of what's going on in-game.
To the left is a shortcut to your project file, also keeping you up to date on what your project is. I might change this up a lil', depending- in a way it shows you how many 'lives' you have, as a harvest window doesn't stay open indefinitely so you only get so many attempts at a project if you keep mussin'.
The other half is some stats, namely the current date within Thrallworks, and the amount of funds you have. Nowt too fancy here!
Different screens from the main tabs will likely have different shortcuts, but a lot of this is going to be universal.
Expression update?
Yeah I've made some progress in its implementation, and between that and the Thrallopedia stuff I'm hoping to be able to make a substantial update in a couple more weeks. The progress is a little more brute-force than I'd like, but I think it'll provide the right amount of variation, and then I can get along with finishing off a few assets on the table, and bringing others onto the board.
Anywhoo, that's the current progress. Roll on autumn!
Enjoy!
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