DevBlog - Update 01 - UI Overhaul
Tags: showdev, gamedev, devjournal, development
Published: 2023-05-11 17:40:04

#Introduction

Hello and welcome back to this Development Blog about the game "The Farm".
Since the last Blog was used as a way to get everyones understanding to what's already in the game, this blog focuses more on one of the newest updates, the UI-Overhaul! (that isn't the only change I made, but those will have their own Blog so stay tuned for that)

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#What has changed
Since I just wanted the core Mechanics to work properly first, I had decided for the UI being just a few squares with simple colors and that was that.
But since those Mechanics (which can be read about in the [previous DevBlog](https://dev.to/justlevidev/devblog-pilot-blog-everything-has-to-start-somewhere-7cj)) are now working I decided to make at least the UI look good.

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##Trading
###What it looked like
In case of the Trading-UI, during first Playtests I got the Feedback to have a Button for trading faster, which I added via the Button in the middle.

![A picture showing the old User-Interface for Trading](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/gxjm1zk9w1u1r0mzk0s2.png)

###What it looks like now

For the new Version of the Trading-UI there are 2 different Versions.
The first Version will be used to simply unlock certain parts of the Story, new Items or just to get you out of the Tutorial.

![A picture showing the new User-Interface for Trading, specifically the Tutorial Version](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/4lzo8ixwlxnvqp3xhjwf.png)

The second Version will be the mainly used Trading-UI, since it allows for different Trades which will be used to progress through different aspects of the game, each Trade being part of a "Chapter", allowing the Player to decide what Items or what new Information the Player gets first.

![A picture showing the new User-Interface for Trading, specifically the standard Version](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/yg0z5rszjkt0w2rumr0p.png)

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##Chest

###What it looked like
For the Chest there are 2 separate parts to the UI:
The Chest-Inventory and the Player-Inventory.
Additionally the Chest have different types of interactions.
Just clicking on an ItemSlot puts the Item from the Chest into the Player-Inventory, or from the Player-Inventory into the Chest (if there is enough space in said Inventory).
While holding left Shift you can move only 1 Item from one Inventory into the other.
While holding left ctrl/strg you move half of the Items in that Slot into the other Inventory; if the amount is uneven you just move half of amount - 1.

![A picture showing the old User-Interface for the Chest](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0x71czy8pa7hmij7duq9.png)

###What it looks like now
The Chest is still working the same way it did in the Feature-Demo, now only looking A LOT better.
And just to have a little bit of extra *flair* I added those things in the top-left and bottom-right.
Maybe those will be added to all of the UI-Elements at some point in the future, but currently those are only used in the Chest.

![A picture showing the new User-Interface for the Chest](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/y2px4u6z4rgssxuhhx28.png)

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#What next?
In the next DevBlog I will talk more about the other Visual-Overhaul I have been working on: *The Map*.
So if you're interested in hearing about that aspect of the game or would like to support the games development make sure to check out the publicly available Feature-Demo on [itch.io](https://justlev1.itch.io/the-farm), follow me [here](https://dev.to/justlevidev) to be notified of the next DevBlog or just follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/JustLeviDev), where I'll be giving Updates and Teasers about new changes, new DevBlogs and maybe even an Update to the Demo. (but who knows)

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#Outro
If you have any Feedback, Ideas or just want to say something feel free to write a Comment under this DevBlog, message me on Twitter or on Discord, whatever you think fits best.
Thank you for your time, I hope you enjoyed this little Blog and I'll see you in the next one, have a good night.