Brainstorming about the inventory for HTML/iPhone/iPodTouch

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Brainstorming about the inventory for HTML/iPhone/iPodTouch

Postby GM-Support » Thu Oct 18, 2007 5:13 pm

Hi,

As per your request in the poll about the most useful feature to add to the "Export to HTML" command, I am considering adding support for the inventory in the exported games.

Since the engine for exporting to HTML is the same as the one for creating iPhone/iPodTouch games, I would rather have the same system for the two platforms instead of having to implement two whole different systems.

The problem is that, as you know very well, the iPhone and the iPodTouch have no cursor/pointer: the user clicks directly on a position on the screen. Also, I am not sure that you can drag/drop items with the Safari browser in pure JavaScript (the current iPhone/iPodTouch Safari browser doesn't support Flash). I have to look into that (if you have any info about that, please let me know).


So, assuming that it is not possible to drag and drop, how would you like the inventory system to work?

Please feel free to post as many ideas as possible. Like in any good brainstorming session, any idea is an interesting idea (there is no concept of "bad" idea).
Last edited by GM-Support on Thu Nov 08, 2007 9:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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idea

Postby Harvester » Thu Oct 18, 2007 5:53 pm

My idea:
I don't know really how this gadgets work but let's say there's a system where there is no cursor. So:
-there is an area of the frame or an icon on which if the player clicks, it brings up a separate inventory scene (if possible, designed nicely: for example it could be something like the blurred version of the original frame of the game with the icons on it).
-in the inventory the player clicks on an object, so it is now in his 'hand'; somehow this is shown, with an icon or something. If the player wants to get back to the frame, there's an icon for that; if he wants to combine objects, it can be done also this way.
-if the player wants to 'drop' an object, he just has to click somewhere (anywhere except the hotspot where the object should be used obviously)
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Postby Candle » Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:05 pm

I remember a little I saw a game that when you click on a area if it had an inventory item would change color i think and you click on the inventory item on the inventory and it would be use on the spot(door etc).
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Postby cpkspikyhair » Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:27 pm

I would reccomend having a small briefcase icon on the top right corner of the screen. That way, when the player taps the briefcase, the inventory opens.

I don't know about your drag-and-drop problem, but if you could modify the inventory code so that you can just click the inventory item and then tap where you want to use it on the screen, I think that would be your best bet.

Just a couple suggestions for you :D !
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Postby Mystery » Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:24 pm

I don't think that the "non-draggable" items would be a problem. Many online games have the system of selecting an item from the inventory (at top or bottom of the screen), and then clicking on a spot where the player wants to use it.

But to be honest, I can't imagine a point-and-click game without a cursor/mouse pointer :?
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Postby GM-Support » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:01 am

Nice ideas!

Ok, since the screen of the iPhone is small, let's say that the inventory appears full-screen, as you suggested. As you said, after the item has been selected and the inventory closed, the item is now in the player's hands.

Harvester said "somehow this is shown, with an icon or something".

So (I am asking everybody), what do you think would be the best way for making it clear to the player that the item is now in his hands, ready to be used?
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xcv x

Postby Crazygamemaker » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:40 am

I think after that,use Candle's idea.Change the color of the object.
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Postby GM-Support » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:48 am

this is a very good idea, and would be perfect if the inventory was still visible. But if the inventory is closed (remember that it's a full-screen inventory on the iPhone, so we need to close it), changing the color of the item won't be visible to the player. What do you think?
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xcvc

Postby Crazygamemaker » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:54 am

Oh yeah.I forgot about that :oops:
How about when you click on the item it changes color,then when the inventory closes,the name of the item is displayed on a top corner.Or lets say a small message pops up from the bottom that says for example "Key Selected"
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Postby Candle » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:40 am

ok how about the inventory is open and the users taps the one he wants to use.
it says use and they tap again and the inventory closes.
now they have it but does not show them having the item.
now if they tap an area they want to use it on it says "i can't use it there"
"Or it says use item there?"
And if they tap again the item is used on hot spot.
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not bad

Postby Harvester » Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:06 pm

Not bad. I think to show them the equipped item would be the best if there would be a part of screen which would be a little interface, a blank window for example (of course it should be changed, it'd be fustrating if there would only be possible a basic black blank rectangle in a corner..), and if user equips an item, the icon of the item would appear in that rectangle or box or whatever you want to call it.
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Postby Imari » Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:38 pm

Oh, I think Harvestor's got it. A separate inventory screen and then a stack of invisible hotspots in one corner, one for each inventory item, and the "held" item becomes visible when you have the item "in hand". I also do not have any of these "i-gadgets", but that would make sense to me as a player.
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Postby GM-Support » Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:53 pm

ok great.

And how do you imagine allowing the player to stop using the item? I mean, if the player has an item in his hands, and later he wants to free his hands (in order to click to navigate to other screens for example), how can we allow the player to put the item back to the inventory and thus free his hands?
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bdbd

Postby Crazygamemaker » Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:56 pm

What if you when you click on the inventory,a small options message pops up and asks you if you want to put objects away.
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Postby Mystery » Tue Oct 23, 2007 11:59 pm

As I said before, I'm not familiar with those "i-gadgets" at all, but is there anything comparable to the rightclick function of the mouse? If so, this could be used.
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Postby GM-Support » Wed Oct 24, 2007 12:01 am

I don't think there is.

Douple-tap is used for zooming, and drag-drop is used for scrolling the whole page. Also there is no MouseOver. I guess all we can use is single-tab, which corresponds to the left click.
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Postby Mystery » Wed Oct 24, 2007 12:03 am

Hehe, seems I need to take courses from my kids :oops:

In that case I agree with Crazygamemaker, the player could select the inventory again, and he/she would be asked if he/she wants to put the item back. Would this be a possibility?
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Postby Imari » Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:34 pm

How about, you open the inventory and there is a greyed-out version of the item's icon in the place where you took it from. Clicking on the greyed-out icon redeposits the item in the inventory.

Or, if you use the item correctly it just disappears from your "hand". If you have the incorrect item, a "nyet" sound plays and the item automatically goes back into the invnetory.
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