Party Menu Design
The Talent table from in-game. Designed to function both as an open-ended talent tree and equipment.
The frames for the talents are actually 3D-assets!
The initial designs for the talent table.
My UI Photoshop document in all it's glory. I gathered everything to make sure they all fit together nicely.
The mockup for the Party-menu. We did further iterations and design tweaks during implementation.
Before the Talent Table design I had this more linear concept. Looks nice, but we wanted to give the player more freedom.
The 2013 prototype party menu was all about colorful icons and floating elements. As the game grew more complicated so did the need for a more flexible menu design.
Party Menu Design
A huge part of any RPG and especially party-based RPGs, are complex menus packed with stuff to customise and navigate. EARTHLOCK was no different, and this was one of the most challenging parts of the production as the menus and HUDs had to adapt with the gameplay and features as they were added or cut. I wanted to design a GUI that was as minimal as possible and never felt cramped while always giving the player the information needed. The menu itself needs to be fun as the player will spend plenty of time delving into these menus throughout the game.
The HUD was also through several iterations as game design was tweaked and refined. I wanted the combat UI to be quick and fun to navigate and never get in the way of the action. I think we succeeded.