One of the significant limitations of FTG was the 4:3 aspect ratio, which we built into the engine back in 2011. Over time, most players switched to widescreen monitors with a 16:9 aspect ratio, and in our game, zones appeared on the left and right where we couldn’t place anything.
The more mechanics and new windows appeared, the harder it became to fit new features on the screens, and the more difficult it was to think about the day when we would have to redesign the interface.
At the start of FTGW development, we decided to rewrite all those parts of the engine that limited the game’s growth:
the interface system
the match animation system
the graphics system
The main idea is that with the new systems, we will be able to add more interesting mechanics to the game and give players more exciting opportunities. On the other hand, reworking such large systems takes a lot of time and causes many problems. Because of this, we keep delaying the game’s release, even though in terms of the main gameplay mechanics, we’ve already done most of the work.
But we are moving forward. The interface subsystem has already been rewritten, and now we are transferring the screens one by one to the new system. Today I will show you some of the screens that have already been reworked and tell you about interesting improvements we have made there.
Main game screen
Let’s start with the screen that is the center of all the player’s football activities:
In addition to the overall design overhaul, we implemented three other important changes:
1) Faster work with mail messages
Often, we understand the essence of a letter just from its subject line. So why open the mail client if everything is already clear?
That’s why we decided to display message subjects directly on the main screen. If you want to mark a message as read, simply right-click on it. If you want to read it - left-click.
For those who have played Civilization, this approach will be familiar - that’s exactly how event messages are managed there.
2) Gear menu
Previously, this menu was located in the bottom-left corner. But it often competed with the “Back” button. Because of this, on some screens the menu was hidden, since the “Back” button had higher priority. This also meant that in some cases, returning to the main game menu was not very convenient. So we moved the gear menu to the top-right corner - just like it’s done in many applications.
3) Tournament logo
Notice how the name of the “Premier League” tournament is styled. We designed it to resemble a tournament logo. Now, on many screens, it will appear specifically as a logo. If this decision proves successful after the release of FTGW and we see that it doesn’t cause problems on various interface screens, then in the future we will allow mods to upload images with logos of real or fictional tournaments.
Team screen
Number of footballers on the screen
One of the things we’ve focused on is the number of footballers visible on a single screen.
On the one hand, we try to make the interface so that the fonts and other elements are large enough. I’m 43 years old, and I don’t like straining my eyes to read small text on a screen. From talking to our players, I’ve gathered that most people playing our game are men aged 35+. So, for many, this is also a relevant issue.
On the other hand, it’s nice to have more information visible on the screen without needing to scroll.
So, we’ve optimised the space as much as possible to make it more comfortable to play without having to squint at small fonts. Previously, you could see 15 footballers on the screen at the same time; now you can see 20. That means you can view the entire starting line-up and all substitutes without scrolling through the list.
Here’s a comparison of how it was and how it is now:
Special list scrolling
Previously, the list of footballers would scroll as a whole - with both the starting line-up and the substitutes moving together. So, if you wanted to move a footballer from the second squad to the main one, you had to scroll down, grab the footballer, and drag them upwards until the list automatically scrolled to the desired position.
Now, we’ve fixed the starting line-up in place. Only the second squad and the substitutes scroll. This means fewer unnecessary movements when selecting footballers for a match.
Contracts
The contracts screen functions the same way as before, although now it shows more footballers than it used to. However, we’ve added a small improvement that will make life a little easier for those who like to plan their finances based on the value of their footballers’ contracts. This is especially useful at the start of the transfer window:
On the right, you can now see information about:
The total value of all your footballers if you were to sell them right now.
The cost of extending all contracts by 1 year - even for those whose contracts don’t yet need renewing. This helps you plan your finances for the future.
The cost of extending the contracts that are about to expire by 1 year. This allows you to plan your finances for the current transfer window without having to open each footballer’s contract renewal screen and manually calculate the total required amount.
Final notes
We are currently in the process of making two major changes: redesigning the engine’s graphics and animation systems, and updating the interface windows.
As development progresses, I’ll gradually introduce you to the new screens where we’ve added interesting improvements.
However, the new graphics and animation systems will take longer to arrive. Unfortunately, they require a great deal of effort and patience, and they are the main reason for the game’s delayed release.
How to follow the development progress?
1) First and foremost, visit the game's page and add it to your wishlist. This way, you will receive an email from Steam when the game enters into Early Access or Full Release.
2) Secondly, click "Follow" to be notified whenever we publish news on Steam.
3) A great place to get notified about news and discuss it is our Discord.
4) Additionally, to stay updated, you can subscribe to our mailing list: Email subscription.