In Destiny, you can take a detailed look at the creation of the user interface.
At the “Game Developer Conference” in March, Bungie’s lead UI designer David Candland gave insight into the evolution of the “Destiny menu.” Earlier in March, we reported on this presentation and showcased some nice UI prototypes of Destiny. Now, GDC has released the complete video of this presentation in which Candland talks about the complicated development and fine-tuning of a video game interface. If you are keenly interested in this, you can watch it for a full hour:
How sticky should UI elements be?
An interesting aspect we want to highlight is the nature of UI elements and cursor behavior in this regard. While in many console games one navigates through the items and categories using a button press, guardians have a freely movable cursor available.
According to Candland, it took a lot of time until the movement behavior of this cursor was in the form we know today. When hovering over an item icon, the cursor slows down a bit and the graphic pops out slightly. This “stickiness” was worked on painstakingly until the cursor behavior felt good.
Here you can see different cursor behaviors:
For example, the friction and the “popping out” of the symbol were worked on. There was also experimentation with a gravity effect that pulls the cursor towards the symbol.
Are you interested in the “tech” and development of a UI? Or are you just glad that everything works smoothly?
Don’t want to waste time with tech stuff? Here’s an overview of what to expect in Destiny this week. There, you will also find tips and video guides on how to master the challenges.
Here you read why the hunters in Destiny were nerfed. They were simply too strong!
