Themes (Preparation)

[grady404]

EDIT: We will probably be using Bootstrap themes, rather than custom theme files, to load and display themes within the game. I have kept the information for the old theme model below, as we may choose to use some combination of both theme ideas if we wish to create truly custom themes.

Here is a list of things you'll need to do to make the new themes functional (no guarantees that this list is complete), along with screenshots showing the current problems. Note that this is not in an order of priority, so fix them in any order that you see fit.

• The color of the board tiles should be inherited from Bootstrap's button colors, rather than set to a specific color (dark gray with the current setup).
• Implement the new top left toolbar, which automatically adjusts size based on the width of the buttons within it. Do the same thing for the bottom status bar.
• Remove the table background from the level grid. I believe you already have this under control since you are removing the table entirely with the overhaul.
• Make the blocks and plates less transparent so that they stand out more against dark tile colors.
• Automatically align the top/bottom of the sidebars in the level select screen with the top/bottom of the grid of level icons.
• Try to align the items in the main menu so that there is an even margin between the top and bottom of the screen.
• Change the Open modal in the level editor to utilize one of Bootstrap's theme colors, rather than a preset gray.
• Change the color of the level editor's bottom bar to a Bootstrap theme color rather than a preset color. Also, consider using a different Bootstrap color for the object icons.

So here's a cool idea for an unlockable feature... allowing the user to select between different themes as they progress in the game. I'm not sure what the criteria for unlocking these themes would be, but I think you should do some preparation for when you do add them later on. Create a .json format for the themes, and store them in a folder next to the levels folder. What you'll need to do to load the theme files is make all the colors within the game editable (background, accent colors, text colors, box colors, etc.). Don't worry about making the theme selection interface look all nice quite yet, unless you want to. All I want is a way to load the themes in so I can mess around with the colors and create some theme files that we can use later in the final game. Don't make the fonts part of the theme (obviously).

Mark this done as soon as you've done the preparation for themes (what I described above), not when you've implemented the final theme selector.

I got the inspiration for this idea from a game called N++ (it's on Steam, Windows only, and PS4) and no, that's not an obscure programming language. But the game is worth checking out, whether you actually play it or just watch videos of it, for user interface/style inspiration, since it has a similar minimalist graphical style.

Here is a list of things you would need to make editable for themes to work (I will add descriptions if I get a chance):

• Background Color
• Interface Background Color
• Menu/Button Primary Color
• Menu/Button Highlight Color
• Menu/Button Secondary Color
• Text Color
• Success/Positive Color
• Warning/Neutral Color
• Danger/Negative Color
• Alternative Color
• Tile Color
• Block Color 1
• Block Color 2
• Block Color 3
• Block Color 4

[grady404]

^^^ See my update above (the list isn't finished yet)

[grady404]

Since the overhauled play screen is contained in a separate menu I'm going to go ahead and assume that you didn't actually do any theme work, and that this was one of the issues you closed accidentally.

[cooperuser]

There are currently no extra themes added, but if we were to add one, all it would take is a name change to activate it, but I guess that is not fully implemented.

[grady404]

But when you change the Bootstrap theme, sometimes some of the layout glitches out, and that's what this issue was really about.

[grady404]

Hence why I called it "preparation"

[grady404]

"hence"

There's a word you don't use often