[NEWS] GameEx 14.82

[Draco1962]

I like the new Setup Wizard much better. Thanks Tom and Ben!

[RedDog]

There are some interesting ideas here. Is this an appropriate place to give some constructive feedback?

[Tom Speirs]

GameEx and GameEx Arcade Edition 14.82 released.

A new version of the setup wizard by Ben Baker is included which fixes several reported issues and also shows some of the new design of the setup wizard that will be available in GameEx Evolution.

Also with this release, game manuals are now not a registered only feature.

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[Draco1962]

1 hour ago, RedDog said:

There are some interesting ideas here. Is this an appropriate place to give some constructive feedback?

Yes.

[tthurman]

I like the menu on the left side for quick navigation.  The only negative I have is just personal preference, it's awfully bright.

[fRequEnCy]

Thanks for the update! 

[RedDog]

17 hours ago, Draco1962 said:

Yes.

Thank you sir.

Here are my thoughts on the changes to the panel. Please keep in mind that I only want to help make (my beloved) GameEx better:   

The removal of the colored panel (teal for GameEX and gold for GameEx Arcade) makes the GUI look plain. I like the idea of having different colors for each of the different Setup Wizards as they help to differentiate them a bit.

I was surprised to see the removal of the GameEx logo from the panel. Removing the branding really takes away from the identity of the software. I can understand that space is at a premium for users with small screen resolutions, but I still think a small space should be reserved on the bottom of the panel for the logo. I still remember when the colored panel and logo were added to the Setup Wizard. I thought the new look was great.

I like the functionality of the links on the panel, but how they fit into the flow of the GUI feels clunky. Their purpose overlaps with the Basic, Advanced, and Custom mode since all of the sections will be displayed on the panel. Some new users will probably be confused by this. My suggestion is to not display links on the sidebar until the mode is selected. Then, when the page is advanced only the sections belonging to those modes are shown. For Custom and Search, the links displayed on the panel would be based on the options chosen or the search results returned. Also, having the links on the landing page does make it more cluttered. In my (limited) experience, it is generally better for landling pages to be simple with options to help guide users where they want to go.

I also suggest adding a bit more width to the titles on the panel to eliminate the need for a horizontal scroll bar.

The orginization and flow of the prior version of the Setup Wizard worked pretty well and I do think the addition of quick links is a very worthwhile addition; I just think the implementation needs some tinkering.

 

PS: Updates are always appreciated. I know the dev team works hard at making GameEx better and better.  

[Draco1962]

I have nothing to add, @RedDog. I think you nailed my observations perfectly. It is improved over the previous in many ways, but could use more to make the current iteration better and easier to use for the new user based upon your recommendations.

[stigzler]

Great update. A Nav panel on the LHS is a great addition.

+1 on tthurman's suggestion. A Light/Dark theme switch would be cool beans. I like all my software black