Dear community!
Usually, the complexity of a strategy game has to be expressed through a multitude of icons and windows. This can create chaos on the screen and scare players away. Because of this, for the last month or two, we have been focusing on the player experience and how to bring out the most exciting aspects of the game without making it overwhelming. All stats and buffs affecting your city have to be clearly stated in the UI. We looked into many different designs and solutions, searching for the most suitable ones.
The main menu:
Before you can do anything in the game, you will be greeted by the main menu. The intimate sight of your gubernatorial office should get you in the right mood and have you reflect on the upcoming decisions you will have to make.
The menus have been designed with functionality in mind. We want all windows to be clear and intuitive, so you, as a player, know exactly where to look for specific settings and features.
The Clock:
Different mechanics are shown through changes in the UI. The most important one would be the time system. The clock will show you changing seasons. Each season will have its own quirks, summer will bring bountiful harvests, while winter will stall your production. A crucial aspect shown in this part of the UI is the twelve animal patrons and the way some of them will affect your city. While all these aspects are still in early development, we already prepared space especially for them.
Iterations:
All elements have gone through a countless number of styles. Some of them are shown below:
The entire team was deeply engaged in choosing the most suitable colors, themes and decorations for the UI. In the end, the decision to make the panels red and gold came from the cultural and historical importance of these colors. They will remind you of the Emperor who is taking patronage of your gubernatorial rule. His presence is supposed to be seeping from many elements of the game, as it is your honor and duty to be the extension of his power.
The decorative elements of the UI brought a lot of discussion to the team. Our graphic designer prepared a multitude of choices and, for the longest time, we could not decide on only one:
In the end, we managed to settle on this design:
Tell us what you think about the UI! We can’t wait to share some BIG news soon and feedback on everything we’ve been doing so far would be vastly appreciated. You can send us messages on social media, Steam and Discord.
