Build a Good Menu for my RPGs Please!
By SmugDarkLoser 79 Comments
In some rpgs, if you go deep into the system and want to make the most of your abilities, you're going to spend a decent amount of times in the menus. That being said, some developers just haven't learned how to make a good menu. Here, I present you with the worst rpg menu this generation.
-Yea pipboy, you are cool and all, but you suck. You have the main sections that feel like huge flips, multiple pages within those, and then an amount of scrolling to be done on those pages. You're just not laid out well. In truth however, you are the Oblivion interface. Why did I not put that instead? Well, although you look awesome in white, you also suffer from glitches. Why are you sometimes stuck in a bright mode where I can't read anything? Come on now.
-Another bad menu is Infinite Undiscovery's for a different reason that being you can't pause the game to go into it. Yea, cool in theory for everything to be real time, but it makes me want to avoid it altogether. It's not really flawed, nor is it good, but it just should be designed differently
- and my final example of a bad menu will go to fable 2 at its launch. No, it's not really to do with your organization, but it shouldn't honestly lag while scrolling through menus, just no. It's been fixed, so I can't hold a grudge, but this is just a big no-no. Same goes with loading to access the menu.
Here's some good menus from this generation in rpgs: 
Besides being super sleek looking, notice how everything is in view and easily laid out. While item lists are impossible to not scroll through, things like
accessory slots/ active weapon, etc. should not be in a scrolling list (think oblivion ). It should all be laid out and once you click on it you should be given the list of equipable items.
And no, when I click on a weapon slot you should not give me the option of accessories only to say "unequippable" when I click you. Wrong. Those go in their respective item listing section.
I think SO4 might fail in this part (not sure- don't have it, don't have screens/videos to prove yes or no). Whenever you equip something that changes multiple stats, you should always have a comparison chart. You should be able to see the stats you have in your current state and when highlights the oither should show the changes with a color code- doesn't matter what though. And the no effect doesn't have to be white either. The key point is that you should be aware of changes being made easily. 
Also, notice the top bar. Notice how it describes some of the key stats. Time played, gold, metal, and location. This isn't fitting for every game, but general important info should be easily displayed.
Hope you actually read it, but if you just looked at the pretty menu pictures, that's fine too. Comments would be appreciated.
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