Themeable Interface Elements
We need themes... The current client has a huge number of different dialog box "types" that are each hard-coded to their particular use. The wide variety of dialogs presents a jangly and noisy interface with very little seamlessness, and disrupts the immersiveness of the game. Furthermore, some of the interface widgets are notoriously difficult to use (such as the journal, which is very hard to read in the default scroll form). Also, some of the interface widgets work poorly on different kinds of systems (semi-transparent dialogs have problems with some LCD screens) or are sometimes difficult for people with poor eyesight to use (the original stone interface has very low contrast levels for example).
Here are a sampling of some different dialog types that are currently hard-coded throughout the game:
- original "stone" interface
- old-style "embossed stone" interface
- modern-style "stone" interface with jeweled buttons
- original-style jewelled interface (buttons aren't even consistently ordered)
- old-style "quest" interface with jeweled buttons
- new-style "quest" interface (same as before, but different background
and buttons)
- highly-widgetized super-transparent "tools" interface
- first try at transparent menus (using 2nd generation buttons)
- "scroll" interface
There are many more (and different) dialog boxes scattered through the game. THESE ALL NEED TO BE NORMALIZED AND MADE THEMABLE.
For starters the themes should provide things like common background and button type, providing preassembled groups such as "scroll", "ancient stone", or whatever. In this way, users could choose to use a theme that was easy for them to read and which matched the gamestyle they played -- some people would choose to use transparent dialogs and scrolls in order to avoid combat problems, while others might choose to use the scroll dialogs for immersiveness purposes.
Newer and more-stylized themes should also be provided. For some examples of what's possible, see here. EA could certainly do just as well, and go beyond these by implementing a switchable interface that provides the same kind of functionality on a dynamic basis.
Separately, users also need to have control over the text coloring and fonts in use, apart from any defaults which may be provided with the theme package itself.