Chapter 9Interface

A game’s interface is the door between our world and the game world. A good interface should be informative but unobtrusive. Too many game interfaces are cumbersome and get in the way of playing the game. An RPG is very complex, but some companies don’t seem to try very hard to make an interface that makes it any easier.

An interface covers such things as displaying a character’s stats, skills, inventory, and other vital information that must constantly be monitored. It also usually offers a quick way to select and use spells and items such as weapons and potions. Actions such as trading, buying, and selling are also handled by the interface. Interactions with NPCs are sometimes handled with dialogs, which are another part ...

Get RPG Programming with XNA Game Studio 3.0 now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.