Of course you prefer your own scheme.Geoff the Medio wrote:I see the logic in your colour scheme, but there's also logic to my scheme that you didn't address (as quoted). The difference may be due to different assumptions: When using the research screen, I'm assuming that the most important thing is to prominently indicate which techs the player can interact with (by enqueuing) by making them stand out. The alternative you suggest, having a gradient of colours from unresearchable - researchable - researched, would make more sense if the research screen was just a list of techs that the player didn't interact with. In that case, more emphasis on which techs are researched, and thus "in effect", would be important. But since the screen is, to me, more about doing research than reviewing what reserach has been done, I find my scheme more useful...eleazar wrote:However, the colors you've chosen are a little counter-intuitive. Work on the following scale. Against a pure black background, the meaning is intuitive.Geoff the Medio wrote:Unresearchable techs are the dullest darkest grey. Researchable techs are bright white outlines and text over black. Completed / researched techs are a mid-grey between the other two.
This way, the useful and currently reserachable techs stand out a bit, and look a bit more inviting compared to the informative but nonuseful other status techs.
Already Reasearched: brightest, highest contrast.
Researchable: in between
Currently un-researchable: darkest, lowest contrast
The domain of visual communication only partially overlaps the verbal. I'm growing weary of providing laborious explanations, especially when experience has shown me that persuasion is of little use if the client doesn't trust the designer. This is the area of my expertise. Please trust me a little.
The basis of my arrangement, is not primarily one of emphasis, but an attempt to show the relationship between the different "statuses" of techs. The most difficult thing to perceive at a glance is the relationship between techs, therefore the important thing is to show an obvious progression between the what is already done, and what is currently impossible. It's not necessary in this case to guess what the player wants to find. There should be no difficulty in making each of the three categories distinct enough to be easily found.