3

The general interface of the game where we can view everything happening, zoom in and out, and interact with the objects.

It includes sidebars for some more information to provide about the object selected.

What is this particular type of interface called? Doing a research on visual interfaces.

Gameplay

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  • 1
    Have you got a screenshot? It's very hard to picture without some context. – JonW♦ Apr 4 '18 at 10:28
  • Are you talking about AOE the game? If so, which one? I know they've changed it slightly over the years. – sclarke Apr 4 '18 at 10:30
  • @JonW added a reference video. – Veer Abheek Singh Manhas Apr 4 '18 at 10:31
  • @sclarke edited the question. – Veer Abheek Singh Manhas Apr 4 '18 at 10:33
  • Are you referring to the HUD (Heads-up display)/ bottom bar where all the secondary elements like Map, action toolbar, and Unit cards are displayed? or the actual game screen where the user performs an action (isometric view). – Aditya Durgude Apr 6 '18 at 8:41
5

Have a read of this article:

https://medium.com/@treeform/strategy-game-battle-ui-3b313ffd3769

It explains the layouts and styles behind different gaming UI's. AOE is mentioned about half way down.

Also, have a read of this:

https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/AnthonyStonehouse/20140227/211823/User_interface_design_in_video_games.php

I believe the answer according to this article is Non-diegetic.

(Oh and thanks for the nostalgia!)

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1

I am not sure about your question,

but if this is about the 3d view, it is called a 3d isometric map.

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0

AoE use a dimetric projection (a kind of axonometric projection). The right term (or just the most common), as already answered, is Isometric graphics.

Others useful links:

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I think this projection is called 2.5D (yeah...) - somewhere in between 2D and 3D...

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  • Interesting. Could you expand on this? Copy and paste the relevant information into your answer. – Mayo Apr 6 '18 at 13:27
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An interface where you can see

  • "everything", or, in other words, all selectable elements, and
  • a detail view with more information about the selection

is called master-detail view.

In the specific case of AoE, the large map that constitutes the main game screen is the "master" view.

As master views can be quite extensive, they often provide additional amenities to find specific selectable elements, such as filtering capabilities. This is also the case in AoE, as you mentioned, by making that master view zoomable.

The selection-specific part of the sidebar thus constitutes the detail view. (The sidebar also contains some general content that would arguably count towards forming another part of the mater view.)

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I have seen it called often as the world view or viewport.

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  • 2
    Could you link to those places (and copy and paste the relevant points). – Mayo Apr 7 '18 at 3:28

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