New Button Poll With Impossibles Removed

[jakshep2]

the playstation layout ( X [] O and /_). it's better.

 

[Squidge]

the playstation layout ( X [] O and /_). it's better.

Yeah, lets get Craig sued by Sony.

 

[cfern83]

Simplicity is key IMO, if you want the greatest audience, you need to use universal language; this isolates greek letters and sequence values as well as symbols.
α, β, χ, γ or
1,2,3,4 / I,II,III,IV or
PSX style square, circle, etc...

 

[iprice]

The only trouble with sequences is that noobs might press/get confused by the keyboard equivilents of the control buttons (eg "Press 1 to play" - does that mean press the keyboard button 1 or the control button 1?) Same would apply for A,B,C,D or N,S,E,W.

Is it too late in the day to suggest coloured control buttons? (this may well have already been mentioned - if so, forgive me). Not sure they'd look right, but it's an alternative Maybe the control buttons could have just circles of colour on them?

 

[Sphinxter]

I've changed my mind it should be;

Clover, Crescent Moon, Horseshoe, Hourglass

ah dammit, that'll get craig sued too

 

[cfern83]

The only trouble with sequences is that noobs might press/get confused by the keyboard equivilents of the control buttons (eg "Press 1 to play" - does that mean press the keyboard button 1 or the control button 1?) Same would apply for A,B,C,D or N,S,E,W.

Is it too late in the day to suggest coloured control buttons? (this may well have already been mentioned - if so, forgive me). Not sure they'd look right, but it's an alternative Maybe the control buttons could have just circles of colour on them?

Well, UI Design is independent; the business owners can suggest ways to keeping UI clean and usable, but it's the job of the software developers to ensure a user can understand WHICH button to press. One characteristic that can set apart a gamepad button from a keyboard key is encircling any reference to the buttons and surrounding keys with single quotes ('1','I','X'). The users are never wrong; as a developer I've always faced the challenge of making software easy to understand and use. This is what has been going on with automobiles: engineers know how to design cars but they don't know how to design them to be easy to work on because most of them never look at it from the user's perspective.

 

[Exophase]

I've changed my mind it should be;

Clover, Crescent Moon, Horseshoe, Hourglass

ah dammit, that'll get craig sued too



Not me lucky charms!

 

[Prophet]

How about just blank buttons and a small box of crayons so people can scribble whatever labels they like.

In which case I'd just leave mine blank.

 

[Squidge]

How about just blank buttons and a small box of crayons so people can scribble whatever labels they like.

I'd prefer sticky labels rather than crayons

 

[Javacat]

If you used 1,2,3,4 you could then relabel the number keys at the top as F1, F2, F3, etc

 

[gaterooze]

If you used 1,2,3,4 you could then relabel the number keys at the top as F1, F2, F3, etc

Then what do you do for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0? That would be horribly confusing. If it were a number sequence, then I, II, III, IV is really the only option IMHO.

Still, I suspect this entire poll/thread is moot and the decision has already been long-made...

 

[iprice]

QUOTE
as a developer I've always faced the challenge of making software easy to understand and use.


I agree, and that's why my GP2X game, B'lox! offered easy to use controls, options and a level editor together with as much info as I could possibly give on even the simplest of things (floating tool tips etc. All keys could be used for play and shoulder buttons allowed faster switching in menus etc.)

User accessibility should be at the forefront of ALL software development.

 

[magicman5421]

"User accessibility should be at the forefront of ALL software development."
something that adobe etc...should take to heart.
learning photoshop is not for the faint of spirit.
all those buttons...*shudders*
and (no offense) but the gimp is almost worse.

 

[chad78]

the gimp is almost worse.
As someone who uses Photoshop almost everyday for my job - I can tell you GIMP *is* worse. If for no other reason than it's almost as complicated and does half the job.

BTW, I used GIMP for a couple of years before I actually got a full legal version of Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium. And I owned "Gimpshop.net" for a long time promoting it. But, facts is facts - for heavy duty work - Photoshop kicks ass.

But, I think we're getting off subject.

 

[DrBaronVonEvilSatan]

How about four colored dots?

.......red
green blue
......white

After all, when I'm playing I'll be thinking "B" or "X" according to the game I'm playing anyway.

 

[k3nn]

My main concern with greek letters is that it'll be impossible for most people to type them on forums or in readmes or whatever

 

[Tobriand]

Just name them - alpha, beta chi, psi. Or use Unicode to get the actual symbols, but I don't think that comes under most people...

 

[Kyo]

I'm all for greek letters in the snes order. That way they won't get confused with the keyboard buttons, and the snes order is awesome

 

[Patrick R Ludvigsen]

I'm all for greek letters in the snes order. That way they won't get confused with the keyboard buttons, and the snes order is awesome

Agreed. That sounds perfect.

 

[gaterooze]

My main concern with greek letters is that it'll be impossible for most people to type them on forums or in readmes or whatever

Simple, just use: [a], , [x], [y] as a common shorthand, as these are the letters they will look like.