[WIP] FoFiX Theme for 4.0.0 - by the community

[death_au]

Heh, I don't think the concentric circles were intentional. It's just flames
and I'm loving the purple flames idea

[akedrou]

As for the "preload album art" option, whatever method FoFiX uses to load the images appears to be horribly inefficient. It should not take that long to load a folder full of 256x256 jpeg images. There's got to be a faster way of loading them. As a quick completely unscientific test, I copied all of the album art from Guitar Hero I, II, III, and Rockband I and II into a folder and dragged that into Photoshop, it was able to have them all displayed within a second or two.

Well... Okay, basically, there should be a faster way. Let us know when you come up with it. =D

You could include some generic album art for filler, until the user adds their own tracks.

Could be a fun community project as well, get everyone together to make up some fake album art.

Seems easy enough that if you don't have album art, don't show album art. I'd rather this to the kitschy look fake album art would have.

I've toyed with it, but the FoFiX logo simply doesn't translate well into an overall skin, and for a couple of reasons.
[...]
Finally, some food for thought; what do you want users focusing on, the logo or the game itself?

I absolutely agree. However, the background remains too subdued to grab your attention. You get more a feeling you're browsing a media player than playing a video game. That said, the choice of purple in terms of color is great. This is something I've been doing in my designs as well. The logo's colors pretty much end us up in a hospital - whether from the sterile feeling or the subsequent blindness. I really like where you're going with this, and when we say "more FoFiX" we don't mean we want the logo OH MAN THE LOGO everywhere. It's simply to reflect that we'd like the graphical environment to in some way reflect the concept? of the logo. For what it's worth, the FoFiX logo as it is is the "Official" logo. If, for purposes of any given FoFiX official theme, we decide it's worthwhile to change up the logo in some slight way to better fit the theme, then by all means do it. It is not sacred.

Again, that was the idea, hehe. On the main menu it would say "Main Menu >", if you were to select "career" it would say "Main Menu > Career >", and so on.

Also, I didn't even notice the bar with the logo until just now reading death's post. Oops.

Hmm, well here's an idea. How about using shaders to draw dark-purple pulsing flames in the background, instead of the mild purple glow? That would incorporate flames, at the very least.

Maybe base is on the concentric-circles seen in the middle of the FoFiX logo, radiating from the center.

...yes.

[Leapo]

I tried out the flaming background, and I like it. Was hard to keep the flames from competeing with the forground objects, but i think I've got it nailed

(click for full size)



I also mocked up a songlist. I've reused the cover-flow style album art presentation, rotated vertically, so that it ties in with the main menu.

(Click for full size)

Seems easy enough that if you don't have album art, don't show album art. I'd rather this to the kitschy look fake album art would have.

In that case, if no albums are detected, I suggest having the game automatically hide the wheel of album art, then display a bouncing "No Songs in your Library Yet!" message at the bottom of the screen instead.

That way, at least the user has some indication that they need to do something.

[-Nubobot.rus-]

I honestly didn't like so much the fretboard graphics... But man, those menus are giving me orgasms, I'm going to get this for sure. Just proceed, plz. D:

[kristijan_mkd]

Don't like coverflow idea on main menu screen, and the songlist is almost the same as RB2. Nothing original or special.. Nice design for a theme anyway.

[weirdpeople]

Don't like coverflow idea on main menu screen, and the songlist is almost the same as RB2. Nothing original or special.. Nice design for a theme anyway.

yeah that is true
also the menus sorta remind me of windows 7

---- EDIT ----

I tried out the flaming background, and I like it. Was hard to keep the flames from competeing with the forground objects, but i think I've got it nailed

(click for full size)



I also mocked up a songlist. I've reused the cover-flow style album art presentation, rotated vertically, so that it ties in with the main menu.

(Click for full size)

Seems easy enough that if you don't have album art, don't show album art. I'd rather this to the kitschy look fake album art would have.

In that case, if no albums are detected, I suggest having the game automatically hide the wheel of album art, then display a bouncing "No Songs in your Library Yet!" message at the bottom of the screen instead.

That way, at least the user has some indication that they need to do something.

could i have a psd / or if you use gimp an xcf i have an idea and i dont want to re create the Awesome Purple Flames and menu bar

[Bruut]

Wild idea:

You could do the album art rotation on the background of the menu, instead of in front/under like it is in the screenshot. And then let every album cover 'burn down' with purple flames untill it's gone and then rotate in the next one..

On the fretboard; I really like fatdogs 'sketch'. I like the buttons black, but do not like the shape. I prefer a bit lower and more rectangular. Also, I really like the idea of a hidden sp-meter that slides out (maybe with an alarm/code red/missile armed -like sound) whenever you earn sp.

Just throwing in ideas

[Leapo]

Don't like coverflow idea on main menu screen, and the songlist is almost the same as RB2. Nothing original or special.. Nice design for a theme anyway.

Could we please try and be a little more constructive with our criticism?

Ok, so you don't like it; have a suggestion on how to improve it?

In defense of the song list, FoFiX has always offered multiple layout options for it. CD's, List, List/CD, and RB2 layouts are selectable. My above mock-up would be an example of the "RB2" setting.

[weirdpeople]

Some one should sticky this :)

[drihscol]

note idea.

[Jama7301]

I don't know if they'd make good notes but those pictures look awesome.

[weirdpeople]

note idea.

uglyness those are really bad colors you picked

[drihscol]

[cmsk8ter]

I honestly didn't like so much the fretboard graphics... But man, those menus are giving me orgasms, I'm going to get this for sure. Just proceed, plz. D:

that's funny cuz when i saw fatdogs stuff i basically jizzed in my pants!!! and think its a great idea!

[Leapo]

I came up with an alternate menu idea, this time without the coverflow look-alike.

The idea here is that each row of album art slowly scrolls. The first row would scroll to the left, the second row would scroll to the right, the third row would scroll to the left, etc.

Album art pops-up to tell you what the current menu music is and what the next menu music will be.



I, personally, am starting to like this better than the coverflow concept. What do you guys think?