Re: gnome-games tango application icons

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Sun, 2 Jul 2006, Daniel Derozier wrote:

> On 7/2/06, Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie> wrote:

> > On Sat, 1 Jul 2006, Daniel Derozier wrote:

> > > Hello,
> > >
> > > I'm proud to announce that I've completed a set of Tango-style (
> >
> > Thanks for putting the time and effort into creating this icon set.

> The SVG graphics in the game are outdated. I can make the tali icon use a
> red die (using a tango-red), but I took out the rounded edges as I didn't
> see them as being in keeping with the modern feel of the set. If popular
> opinion is for rounded edges, I'll do them.

> The bomb used to represent minesweeper isn't like the icons used for the
> > mines either which I think would be better.  If I recall correctly other
> > applications use that type of bomb icon for other purposes (to indicate
> > core files I think).

> There was some discussion on Tango-Artists about what metaphor to use for

I did read those messages before commenting. It is only a shame you didn't
ask also ask on the gnome games list sooner.

> minesweeper, and it was decided that either a bomb or an icon like
> microsoft's minesweeper would be best. Since I didn't want to copy
> microsoft's metaphor, I used a bomb. If you'd rather, I can use the spiky
> mine metaphor that microsoft uses.

My suggestion was not about Microsoft.  It was all about using the same
icon in the menu as the game uses by default.  It certainly doesn't hurt
that the icon is visually distinctive, scales extremely well and hardly
needs manually generated pixel icons at all.

> The Klotski icon is a little too abstract for my
> > liking, from the icon alone it is hard (impossible?) to tell what it
> > represents.
>
> No offense, but Klotski is an extremely abstract game.

None taken.

> The metaphor I used is no better or worse than the current icon.

It is a difficult task, no doubt about that, but is it worth changing to
'not worse'?  It might be better not to change it at all until there is
something better.  At least keeping things the way they are at least that
way there is no disruption to those who do already recognise the icon.

Perhaps an icon which suggested the idea of two blocks sliding past each
other and the underling pegs might work?

. --
-- .

It is only a very rough suggestions and still horribly abstract but I hope
you get my suggestion that the icon could possibly give a little more of a
suggestions of Klotski and come up with an even better idea of your own.
Sticking strictly to the Tango theme might not be so helpful since in this
case the colour of the game and icon gives another form of association
(albeit an ugly one, but then again maybe the colours need to be changed
anyway to improve accessibility?).

> I am confused; my blackjack icon is a black spade and a red heart over a
> green card table with chips in the background. The icons that are similar
> are the freecell and aisleriot icons, and those icons are simply the old
> icons updated in the tango style, with no changes.

As Richard explained the current icon clearly shows two cards with a face
value of 21, which specifically suggests blackjack.  The proposed Tango
icon is a good icon for other card gambling games which include both cards
and betting chips suhc as Poker, but the older icon which ignores the
chips and shows just two cards is a stronger metaphor.

> The Tetravex icon is lopsided, it doesn't fit it in with the consistent
> > angles I thought Tango icons are supposed to have.
>
>  I thought that turning the icon to the side would make it more interesting
> than just sitting straight.

The big benefit of Tango is greater consistency.  Your icon may be more
interesting but doesn't offer any big advantage over the existing icon.

> The gnibbles icon looks eerily familiar, is it based on some existing
> > artwork or have I been playing Worms too much?

> It's based on the gnibbles logo by jimmac. There's no reason to fix
> something that isn't broken, so I just updated it using tango colors and
> style.

Right of course, I'd seen it before in the new Gnibbles artwork.

> The glines icon is very similar to what went before but it seems like the
> > best candidate for a new and different icon.  The game is described as
> > "five or more" but I do not think the 4x4 layout of the current icon helps
> > convey that concept.

> The only thing I have to say here is that dividing a 48x48 (or 32x32 once
> you get into the menu) icon into five rows is that the content will be
> obscured. I don't really get how to play glines anyway, so if anyone has a
> better way to represent "glines" by all means let me know.

Well the game was also called "colour lines" so you could go for a much
more abstract icon which literally shows coloured lines, which would at
least look distinctly different from connect 4.

> I'd feel better about the gnect icon if it actually illustrated a theme
> > shipped with the game (the red and yellow colour scheme for example).
> > You can take that as a suggestion to adjust the icons or as encouragement
> > to use your skills to create a new theme for Gnect, whichever you prefer.

> I was actually going to offer to update some of the game themes to the Tango
> style. If you notice, btw, most of the current icons don't match the in-game
> themes either.

It is not a big deal but that would be great if you can manage it.  The
final decision isn't mine so now that the criticism/suggestions are out of
the way I guess it is up to the maintainers of the applications to
welcom the new icons and commit the best ones.

> I didn't really intend for you to use the SVG in the project, I just
> included them as source. If you intend to ship the SVG files, then I will
> definitely clean them up.

Gnome games does already include quite a few SVG files and in in the long
run it helps to have the originals just in case.  YOu never know, if Tango
were ever to be replaced by some future "ognaT" style they could be very
useful ;)

> I'm not sure what features you are talking about; the Tango project
> generally uses an Inkscape-only workflow.

Okay forget about it, I didn't realise they were faking it with the
shadows as Nicu explained.

The decision is up to the Gnome Games maintainers but I hope they will
take on my suggestions on hold on to some of the better existing icons for
now but start to include the good work you have done.  Thanks or your
efforts.

Sincerely

Alan Horkan

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