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Thread: Better tool tips

  1. #1
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    Better tool tips

    Specifically talking about the combo tool tips here, but it's likely a problem elsewhere too. The information that is needed is usually all there, but it's presented in a bad way.

    Say for example that I don't know what the bush combo type does (or that I want a quick reminder to make sure I'm using the desired combo type), so I open up the tooltip. This is the tooltip chain you need to do to get all the information you wanted:



    Splitting up the data like this to force the user to go on a clue hunt to get all the information, and it's kind of counter productive. Sure, it's all there, but is there any reason why the combo tool tip for Bush just couldn't go over all the information there? Screen space is not an issue for the pop-ups, so just providing something full fleshed that gets you all the information would be better.

    Here's an example for how the Bush tool tip could be:
    When stabbed or slashed with a sword, this combo changes into the screen's Under Combo. An item from Item Drop Set 10 is also created and Bush Leaves sprites are drawn; Furthermore the 'Tall Grass slashed' SFX plays.
    It's not even that much longer from how it is now:
    Identical to Slash->Item, but when it is slashed, Bush Leaves sprites are drawn and the 'Tall Grass slashed' sound plays.
    But it skips the hurdle of having to read three tool tips to get all the information. (Which is way more text in total to read anyway...)

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lunaria View Post
    Specifically talking about the combo tool tips here, but it's likely a problem elsewhere too. The information that is needed is usually all there, but it's presented in a bad way.

    Say for example that I don't know what the bush combo type does (or that I want a quick reminder to make sure I'm using the desired combo type), so I open up the tooltip. This is the tooltip chain you need to do to get all the information you wanted:



    Splitting up the data like this to force the user to go on a clue hunt to get all the information, and it's kind of counter productive. Sure, it's all there, but is there any reason why the combo tool tip for Bush just couldn't go over all the information there? Screen space is not an issue for the pop-ups, so just providing something full fleshed that gets you all the information would be better.

    Here's an example for how the Bush tool tip could be:


    It's not even that much longer from how it is now:


    But it skips the hurdle of having to read three tool tips to get all the information. (Which is way more text in total to read anyway...)


    That can be fixed. It's an issue of how tooltips were added, namely, as an afterthought. They aren't implemented in a way that makes it very easy to add new information, but amending existing information isn't too hard. The pop-up window may auto-size, and it may not. I've added messages and dialogues to the system that are much larger:



    It would in fact be possible to add a 'more' button to those dialogues. It's just not designed in a friendly way. There is a system limit, IIRC, or three strings, but the strings can be longer. Each string appears on one line, and you can have three buttons per dialogue. The returns from the buttons IIRC are -1, 0, and 1; or 0, 1, 2; and you can direct those returns to do something else, including opening a second dialogue, so that you can chain those tooltips.

    Hyperlinking within the strings is sadly, not in the system.

  3. #3
    Octorok jeffythedragonslayer's Avatar
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    Since these are editor-modal dialog boxes, I'd prefer if we put all the information on them and not make users open additional editor-modal boxes to find all the information. It wouldn't hurt to add a button to audition the sound effect and an icon for an image.

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