Removal of taskbar
 

I propose the total removal of the taskbar in Graal.
First of all, I don't think it serves a high enough benefit to justify it being there. Right now all it really does is give access to the start menu... but all those options could just as easily be mapped to an F# key instead(F8 is already mapped to F1, so it could be moved there).
Being a scripter, I have so many run-ins with the damn bar it's not funny. It screws up most scripts that involve the screen level detection, and also requires you add additional checks for if the bar is shown/hidden so it doesn't leave a big empty space at the bottom. I find myself attending to the damn bar while I'm scripting than to the script itself, because it just adds a bunch of different problems to the whole scene.
Then you add the fact it's invasive... for what purpose? To show what server you're on? It shows me right down on my ACTUAL WINDOWS taskbar, and on the top of the window. It's been said it's not possible to add playing on multiple server's so that's useless as well. It shows the server time... great, I guess. It can be hidden... but then it just leaves a button there and it opens back up everytime I open the serverlist. The startmenu is useful, I suppose, but I'd rather that just be mapped for a shortcut. I guess there are other buttons down there, but really, I don't think it's worth it.

I'd really like to just see it gone, for above reasons. Summarized? It's invasive to the screen, even when hidden. It adds complications with scripting. And it just doesn't serve enough purpose. In the end it just seems like a gimmicky addition to... I dunno... compete with other games that have similar features? I think we'd all be happier with out it, though.

I'm totally for this idea.
The taskbar lags me & it's annoying.

Pretty much impossible. But yea, I'm all for this idea.

Like Crow said I don't see how the taskbar could make you lag unless your running Vista on a low spec computer and the text adds to the lag because I had a similar problem before i upgraded my graphics card. But even then I don't see how it would make too much of a difference.

What scripting complications does it add? I have yet to encounter any.

I completely agree, 100%. Even if my computer isn't getting lag from it, it's LAGGING MY GAMEPLAY TIME HAVING TO CLOSE IT EVERY TIME I LOG IN.

Other cons that Dusty didn't mention:

• The interface, although customizable, is still ugly in nearly every single skin, even ones that are downloaded from outside sources.
• The default skin does not match Graal at all, and neither does the one used on the games server. I was a new player visiting Graal for the first time, I'd think this were an amature game. Disregarding the obvious, Graal shouldn't be sending out that message to new players.
• The start bar makes every screenshot look awful. I think there should probably be a nice little transparent watermark in the corner of screenshots, just to send the message to outside people where it's from, but not this.
• It doesn't just disappear, and there is no option to disable it currently, but to be honest with the other mentioned factors I'd rather it was just completely gone.

It's a pointless feature, please remove it in the next Graal version.

There are usually a lot of problems when it comes to messing with GraalControl and such. It also adds problems when it comes to drawing things at the bottom of the screen. For example, hiding the taskbar and THEN logging onto a server can cause problems with things drawn on the screen. Forcing a script to hide it doesn't really help though, and sometimes just adds complications.

I know how to hide it :P
It's just a matter of why go through all the trouble of hiding something that shouldn't even be there in the first place?

I kind of like it, I like to be able to add buttons to it, etc.

I'm still not seeing how its causing problems, your scripts should be aware of the size of the GraalControl and be drawing correctly.

On Vesporia I just did like Serverlister_TaskBar.destroy(); or whatever to avoid complications.

You're not 'allowed' to destroy it though. Not to mention it's recreated on the serverlist again anyways.
As for adding buttons to it... ya that's cool I guess. But really... is it needed? You wouldn't be able to find another place to put the button?
It's not adding 'problems' per say with scripting, but it's adding unneeded complications for something with no purpose. Why should we really need to go through all this trouble to hide the taskbar, then make sure all our scripts are drawn properly now that it's hidden... The taskbar serves no purpose. Like I said, it's just gimmicky.

F-f-f-FLASHBACK!

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/1...orrchatbt4.png

The script I provided is legal and it also hides the little button in the bottom right corner too. :)

Disregarding the fact that there may or may not be scripting issues with the taskbar in place, from a player point of view (and what seemed to be the crux of Dusty's argument) the taskbar is completely pointless, and why should it be up to your local home server to set it on auto-hide? It doesn't seem to be anything innovative, or useful at all and most of the players I've spoken to about it have had nothing but negative comments for it. It may not come in as an issue with scripting, but to be quite honest the players come first and this blue bar is a waste of screen space and even the minimal effort needed to close it.

From what I recall, you can't hide the button AND the taskbar, they have to be able to recover the taskbar.

It said at the beginning something like 'Continuing will delete your task bar until next login'.

If they don't like it, cry about it.

Stefan said to use the function I posted previously to hide the Taskbar, you're not supposed to destroy it.
When the Taskbar is hidden or shown it is resizing the GraalControl. It is also resized when you resize the Graal window. If your scripts are not adjusting to this then its your own dumb fault.

function GraalControl.onResize(newwidth, newheight) {
}

Didn't mean to revive an old thread, but would it be possible to make the task bar, transparent slightly, so it wouldn't hinder game play when it is open, It gets very annoying on Zone, Era, and other servers.

How? It resizes GraalControl, it shouldn't cover anything up ...

I'd assume it's possible to move it from GUIContainer into GraalControl, but why anyone would do so is beyond my thinking.

He's saying that for some reason it is covering up his screen instead of resizing it.

It does cover up the screen. On Zone if you open it you lose a small amount of screen space.

It should be resizing GraalControl?

Is it only an error on some servers?

I think he's talking about how it covers the empty screen space, not GraalControl. Solution: press the button and don't complain :).

Oh, okay. But still, it isn't covering anything up.

Sorry, I'll be more clear, I meant to say, would it be possible to make it transparent, so you don't lose the small portion of vision.

You don't. Making it transparent would just make you see black.

What server do you have this problem on? The task menu resizes the screen so it won't cover up anything.

If they won't take it out, at least let us keep it hidden from login to login.

I agree, allow an option to automatically disable it.

I think Era has this, last I checked. And Vesporia just hides it since it looks like crap and doesn't work at all with our design.

That would be cool, but some servers are trying to adapt it to game play, I would like it a lot more of I could bring it up as a small, tool bar or something inside of graal, by hitting a key, like the player list (f7).

A tool bar could be easily scripted by a playerworld.

I agree, if playerworlds need one they can make one.

Would be nice to see more customizability for servers of the task bar since it's obviously not going anywhere.