Help - Search - Members - Calendar
Full Version: The User Interface for Tiberium Wars revealed!
TiberiumWeb.org Community Forums > Tiberium Wars > Tiberium Wars News
The DvD
Command and Conquer 3 : Tiberium Wars' Executive Producer Mike Verdu reveals the game's user interface.

(click to enlarge)


Control Interface/Side Bar Definitions
1. Objectives / Player Status: Click this button to view your primary and bonus objectives during the single-player campaign, or view player status and alliances during multiplayer games.

2. Sell Button: Use this button to sell your structures and be refunded a percentage of their build cost.

3. Power Toggle: Use this button to shut down an individual structure in trade of freeing up more power for the rest of your base.

4. Repair Button: Use this button to repair your damaged structures.

5. Power Meter: Use this meter to determine how much power your base is generating versus consuming. Moving your cursor over the meter will provide exact numbers.

6. Minimap: The minimap provides a strategic overview of the battlefield and allows for instant navigation to any point on the map.

7. Resources: This displays the total amount of resources available to purchase items.

8. Contextual Tab: The contextual tab provides the commander with a complete listing of all selected units and structures. This allows the commander to quickly view the composition of his forces, add or remove units from his group, give unit-specific orders without losing his top-level group selection, and a host of other organizational tools.

9. Production Tabs: Use these tabs to manage your production queues from anywhere on the battlefield. Each tab represents a unique category, specifically production structures, defensive structures, infantry, vehicles, and aircraft. By clicking on these tabs, you will be presented with all of your available construction options.

10. Production Sub-Tabs: Use the sub-tab system to manage your production queues for each individual structure, allowing you to create different units out of each barracks, war factory, etc. Each sub-tab represents a production structure under its parent production tab. By double-clicking on a sub-tab, the camera will be taken to that production structure.

11. Build Buttons: Use these buttons to queue up, pause, or cancel the building of units and structures. Remember, build times will be longer if your base is low on power.

12. Contextual Window: This section displays a portrait and the overall information about the currently selected unit or structure.

13. Health: This bar represents the remaining hit points on the selected unit or squad.

14. Upgrades: These images display which upgrades the item can receive and/or if they have already been purchased.

15. Combat Chain: These icons indicate where the unit falls in the combat chain. The green section indicates what weapon the unit has (middle icon) and what unit types that weapon is strong against. The red section indicates what unit type it is (middle icon) and what weapons that unit is weak against.

16. Veterancy: If the selected unit has earned enough combat experience to gain a rank, their new veterancy level will be displayed here.

17. Special Abilities: Use these buttons to activate special abilities for the selected unit or structure.

18. Purchase Upgrades: Use these buttons to purchase upgrades for the selected unit or structure.

19. Common Command Interface: This bottom bar allows quick and easy access to many of the most commonly used commands. Some of these include attack, move, force fire, stop, and rules of engagement.

20. Superpower Timers: Has your enemy constructed a devastating superweapon? If so, the weapon name, player color, and countdown timer will be represented here. If the timer has stopped, then the enemy is low on power and now would be your best time to strike.

21. Player Powers: Gained from building certain faction structures, these special powers can range from artillery strikes and bombing runs to radar scans and reinforcements. The left side of the screen will fill up with these powers as you gain them throughout a match.


The full article can be found on Gamespot, here.
Xenus
That look's really nice, I can't wait.
The DvD
I think the functionality looks really good, but they might have made it a bit more grim-looking... would fit the theme a bit better IMO.
Xenus
Yeh i agree, the functionality looks good, but the design and colouring looks bad.
Aztek985
Too close to RA2's interface :o .
Xenus
QUOTE (Python @ Oct 21 2006, 11:16 AM) *
Too close to RA2's interface :o .


Yeah, it is. But RA2's Interface was cleaner.
ChielScape
functionality-wise, i likes RA2's better. with some good graphics it couldve been much better than TS's.
The C&C 3 one rocks. though the metal on the minimap is a bit too large, and it should actually be blue too. (or maybe connected to the side of the screen.)
El_Serpiente
QUOTE (The DvD @ Oct 19 2006, 06:19 AM) *
9. Production Tabs: Use these tabs to manage your production queues from anywhere on the battlefield. Each tab represents a unique category, specifically production structures, defensive structures, infantry, vehicles, and aircraft. By clicking on these tabs, you will be presented with all of your available construction options.

10. Production Sub-Tabs: Use the sub-tab system to manage your production queues for each individual structure, allowing you to create different units out of each barracks, war factory, etc. Each sub-tab represents a production structure under its parent production tab. By double-clicking on a sub-tab, the camera will be taken to that production structure.

Yes, not complicated at all... But still, it looks the part
=NX=Firefx
It's a mix between RA2 inteface and generals interface. Red alert's different menu's and generals sort of colour and style. But i was mostly looking at the graphics there amazing, never seen an INGAME screenshot. It was either a movie or flilming a computer not an actual screenie.
Mr. Pokey
I think this looks like the best UI in a C&C. For functionality. You can do anything anywhere and know information about your troops etc just by clicking on them - very useful.
I think it might just be a little bright. But it appears that they wanted to show off their transparency effects. It does look quite futuristic though. Which is quite fitting.
Crimsonum
It looks rather fantastic, but it seems to be quite confusing at the same time...I see EA took some example from Red Alert 2 sidebar (the guy, tank, building and aircraft buttons).
Creagor
Its very shiny smile.gif . I hope this is just a GDI one, as the cool-blue tint would ruin Nod. As for functionality, it does seem to have RA2 origins, andif it works off the same principles then I doubt it can be too bad.
Nimron
Yes it does have a shiny haze about it... Nice futuristic desighn... :blink:
Atomic Gopher
It looks awesome, it's got nice details and the color's are quite enticing. Overall, i think this is quite easily the best interface i've seen. Although i am gonna miss the Generals one.
Bedeage
Its a bit too like the RA2 Allies interface, all blue, whereas GDI has always been gold. But since all the screenies I've seen so far have been desert, maybe gold didnt have enough contrast...
ChielScape
QUOTE (WorManiac @ Oct 21 2006, 01:16 PM) *
It looks rather fantastic, but it seems to be quite confusing at the same time...I see EA took some example from Red Alert 2 sidebar (the guy, tank, building and aircraft buttons).


RA2 didnt have an aircraft button.
DeathRay2K
I love the functionality but hate the look.
Although it is nice that they now fit 3 icons per row.
ChielScape
hey, you're right. didn't really get to me yet.
Xenus
QUOTE (Bedeage @ Oct 21 2006, 10:22 PM) *
Its a bit too like the RA2 Allies interface, all blue, whereas GDI has always been gold. But since all the screenies I've seen so far have been desert, maybe gold didnt have enough contrast...


Yep exactly they need to give GDI, GDI's colours.
Gothic Gregg
Hmmm, looks to complicated, like Generals complicated. I would have prefered a solid taskbar. Well still I guess I can't complain if its not my game.
cheese_master
Sounds useful but looks trashy... I don't know why they call it a sidebar, its just a bunch of floating buttons that look really stupid. I don't see any cnc theme in it.
El_Serpiente
QUOTE (cheese_master @ Oct 22 2006, 04:39 PM) *
I don't see any cnc theme in it.

What do you mean by cnc themed toolbar? Its a toolbar like tibsun, tibdawn ra1 and ra2, is that not cnc themed?!
The Raven
QUOTE (El_Serpiente @ Oct 21 2006, 11:47 PM) *
What do you mean by cnc themed toolbar? Its a toolbar like tibsun, tibdawn ra1 and ra2, is that not cnc themed?!

I think he means that i merely looks like a generic rts sidebar, rather than a straditional highly stylized CNC sidebar. As for me, the design is sounds, but its not cnc-ish at all.
Genobee
Looks very nice.
Uufje
I like it.
ChielScape
stop bitching about it, before the release it will probably be redesigned about 20 times...
cheese_master
QUOTE (The Raven @ Oct 22 2006, 06:05 PM) *
I think he means that i merely looks like a generic rts sidebar, rather than a straditional highly stylized CNC sidebar. As for me, the design is sounds, but its not cnc-ish at all.

Yeah its too shiny and blue for cnc or a war game. In ts the gdi one looked cheap and rusty and nods one looked sleak and gangsta biggrin.gif ... well you know. It is early days so they will probably change it.
Xenus
QUOTE (cheese_master @ Oct 23 2006, 04:25 AM) *
Yeah its too shiny and blue for cnc or a war game. In ts the gdi one looked cheap and rusty and nods one looked sleak and gangsta biggrin.gif ... well you know. It is early days so they will probably change it.


Yeah GDI's one looked like it had been burnt and shot a thousand times tongue.gif
DeathRay2K
QUOTE (ChielScape @ Oct 22 2006, 03:19 PM) *
stop bitching about it, before the release it will probably be redesigned about 20 times...

I'm pretty sure its final, or they wouldn't have shown it off like this.
I just hope the Nod interface looks significantly better.
Bedeage
The only other minor problem I have with it is that playing it with a res of under 1280*1024 means you're going to have most of the screen taken up by the interface...

But they probably count on any computer good enough to play it having a large screen res smile.gif
ChielScape
thats ok, i always work with 1280x1024, you don't need Antialiassing that much either, which my current Graphcard cant handle. (soon to be upgraded to BFGTech GeForce 7900 GTX OC, i finally got the money)
The Raven
lol, my computer wont even be able to run Tiberium Wars, so i'm not sure why i even care...
Xenus
QUOTE (The Raven @ Oct 25 2006, 09:43 AM) *
lol, my computer wont even be able to run Tiberium Wars, so i'm not sure why i even care...


I recently got a new computer, so my mine will biggrin.gif
Team Black
I don't think my Windows 98 will be able to manage C&C 3, oh well


The interface though I'm glad they decided to stick to the RA2 style, it's more familiar than the Generals one.

But yeah, the colors need to change
Kurorahk
The interface looks like the terditional C&C Tiberium Dawn UI but also it needs to be more Steal and grity feeling that the original C&C games had. But it will be redesigned the said that they rewrite it almost everyday but i feal that they know that it needs more military like feeling. But i think they put this out for showing the general layout but also to see how much the community likes it.
Bittah Commander
QUOTE (cheese_master @ Oct 22 2006, 10:25 PM) *
Yeah its too shiny and blue for cnc or a war game. In ts the gdi one looked cheap and rusty and nods one looked sleak and gangsta biggrin.gif ... well you know. It is early days so they will probably change it.

This just happens to be Westwood Pacific's (Now EA Pacific, part of the C&C3's developement team) style; just look at RA2.
They just appear to like happy colors and childish stuff unsure.gif

So no, knowing them, they probably won't change it.
Bedeage
But at least it should be reasonably easy to make a proper cnc ui for it, if its anything like generals.
Hostile
I'm more concerned on the intuitiveness of the controls and easy access to vital info than what the fluff graphics are. It's appears to be fairly tight and up front.

And if you don't like the menu graphics, you can always go in and change them yourself. wink1.gif
AluminumPancake
That looks great, but I would've liked an interface like TS better.
Bedeage
QUOTE (Hostile @ Oct 29 2006, 03:57 AM) *
I'm more concerned on the intuitiveness of the controls and easy access to vital info than what the fluff graphics are. It's appears to be fairly tight and up front.

And if you don't like the menu graphics, you can always go in and change them yourself. wink1.gif


Not everyone has the skills, or even the time, to make a full new gui for a new game. I suspect that its a little harder than making it in ps...
SeekSomethingNew
i am glad we are getting some kind of sidebar back, the generals command style was crap, and i do not want them count down timers... have the fear that enemy will strike anytime soon is the best part... knowing that they will strike in T-3:45 will ruin the fun... i think
DeathRay2K
QUOTE (Bedeage @ Nov 8 2006, 03:40 PM) *
I suspect that its a little harder than making it in ps...

Not really.
Make it PS, cut out the sections and tada, you're done.

UI's are not hard, especially if you go the extremely simple route (Graphically) that they did.
Hostile
I agree, I just wasn't gonna argue about it. You take the extracted files, you keep the same dimensions, you create your own artwork, keep the same name of the files, and slip it back into game.

I love modding. tongue.gif
Tyler Adams
Ah, but what if C&C3, like Generals & TS, don't allow you to use seperate art files for online?

IE, you could (and can) replace the Grizzly in RA2 with the Rhino image & it'd work fine, while if you replaced the Wolverine with the Titan, it'd fvck up?

Wouldn't surprise me t00 much..

(yes, I know it's almost a 2-week bump, stfu n00blets)
Bedeage
Mmm. Who actually checks previous post dates?

I'm still doubtful that it is quite so simple to mod the gui as you say, but hey, if I get a computer that will run fully 3d games then maybe I'll try it. Although, counterstrike in software mode has to be seen to be believed XD
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.
Invision Power Board © 2001-2024 Invision Power Services, Inc.