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Updated "Create New World" experience in Java Snapshot

In the latest snapshot, we introduced changes to the Create New World screen user interface. Here's a reminder of what's changed:

UPDATED CREATE NEW WORLD SCREEN

  • The screen is now organized into three tabs
    • The Game-Tab allows to set the world name, Gamemode, Difficultly and whether to allow cheats
    • The World-Tab allows to set the World-Type and Seed, and to toggle the generation of structures and the bonus chest
    • The More-Tab provides access to the Game Rules and DataPack Selection Screen
  • Removed the Import Settings button and the corresponding Export Settings button in the Edit World Screen

There's still work to do on this before it releases, so we would love to hear your thoughts and feedback as development continues. Have a look for yourself by playing snapshot 23w05a and let us know what you think in the comments! 

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  • 14
    Registered User commented
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    I like the separation into tabs in general, and the given categorizations make sense. The only complaints I have are about the design, as larger displays make the tab buttons feel extremely far away from the actual content of the tabs, with the buttons also becoming very wide. I also feel like the tab buttons should be visually distinct from normal buttons, as they serve very different functionality.

  • 7
    Registered User commented
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    it's a step in the right direction, but i would say that the three buttons at the top are way too disconnected from the rest of the UI. Personally I would place them lower, and make each of them narrower. That way they don't fill the whole width of the screen and can have a bit of a gap between them.

  • 2
    Registered User commented
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    I think it is going in the right direction but should be updated to be more line with the Minecraft Bedrock edition world creation screen. It should have a image of the world some where on the screen and the menu should look more like a menu with different gradients to indicate this. 

  • 2
    Registered User commented
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    The "More..." button is really empty and just redirects to 2 buttons (Game Rules & Data Pack). Why not make a drop-down menu instead of a tab/page ?

  • 9
    Registered User commented
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    I think the concept is cool, but there are a couple things that bother me(and some other people I've seen complaining about it) in the current implementation.

    1. The padding and placement of the tabs compared to the content. The tabs are currently at the very top of the screen at all time, with no padding, far away and disconnected from the content. On large screens especially it can look very wonky when the tabs are at the very top with a massive gap until the content. The create new world and cancel buttons at the bottom are a very similar story.

    2. The tabs don't look like tabs. They look like buttons. and when one is selected, it doesn't look selected, it looks like a disabled button. I think the tabs need a separate look from the buttons.

    3. The 'more' tab feels like it should be a menu, or something else. With only 2 buttons inside that open separate pages, it feels like an extra unnecessary step.

    4. Everything feels empty. There isn't a lot of content under each tab. maybe this will change in the future, but currently there is very little in the first and third tab, and still not that much in the middle one.

    5. The first tab's alignment of the buttons with the text field is weird - the buttons look unnecessarily wide for their content and the text field could be wider.

    That's it for me really. I do feel like the World Creation screen needed an overhaul, hopefully it can get better until release.

     

  • 6
    Registered User commented
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    I feel like if you're going through with these changes, the current design just looks like it was made by a programmer instead of the design team.

    I feel like you should take bedrocks approach and have the tabs be on the side, while also giving the screens a modern UI design update. Maybe instead of having the dirt background, have the screen be transparent and have the panarama background instead to give a much seamless transition (much like bedrocks.).

    Also bring back the import and export worlds options.

  • 8
    Registered User commented
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    Honestly. It looks horrible as is.

    What's wrong?
    - Very boring looking
    - Using buttons as tabs
    - Too much unused empty space
    - From 2 to 3 screens, have to click even more to setup a world
    - Why are cheats, gamerules, datapacks not on one screen, since they all alter how "vanilla/legit" the game is played to some.

    What could be done:
    - More colors and icons
    - Space out the UI elements, closer to what it used to be, instead of cramped together.
    - have a proper tabs ui element (could also be used on statistics screen), maybe inspired by creative/advancement tabs.
    - go back to a 2 screen design (unless you're going to add much more content)

    Furthermore, do not copy the ui from bedrock, it would not make sense to have such controls for a desktop game. However, it's theme, colors, icons and categorization could be a good inspiration for the java version.

    A specific tab for world generation related stuff is definitely a good thing, alongside the tab for general new world stuff. Such as name, difficulty etc.

    Finally, for recommended features to add. Maybe a custom tab for experimental features could be useful, feature flags, or previously the custom world imports.

  • 5
    Registered User commented
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    Although the create new world screen is simple and clearly divided into tabs it just feels really sad and empty. It feels kinda weird only having two buttons on the “more” tab and still feels kinda old like the previous create new world screens.

  • 4
    Registered User commented
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    I feel like the new create world screen is already a big improvement! However, there are some minor issues that should be fixed.

    • The tabs are not very nicely positioned, and using the "disabled" state of a button as "active tab" is not very intuitive. Optimally, Java Edition would have a new tab UI component to be used for this - but at the very least, there should be some spacing between the buttons and the edge of the screen.
    • It does not make much sense for the "More" tab to just have two buttons that bring you to different screens. Instead, there should be four tabs: "Game", "World", "Game rules", and "Data packs"
    • The dirt background is ugly. Some screens (like video options, or the game rule screen) use a different layout where the middle part of the screen is darkened. This would give the world creation screen some more structure.
      (Side note: This affects a lot more screens - why not change the dirt background to something else for once, that could be fun? For example, for the wild update, the background could be mud. Or, even better, have the panorama in the background?)
    • I don't personally mind, but I've seen people mention that they prefer having the description text for the game mode directly as a label below the game mode selection button over using a tooltip for that.

    Of course Java's menu UI could use a facelift as a whole - but that's not really relevant to the new create world screen per se.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    That all 3 tabs are displayed at the top, I do not find Minecraft typical. If, then the buttons should be further down and more compressed.

    A "more..." Tab fits less in my opinion. Especially when there are only 3 tabs. And this one is then also quite empty (only a Gamerule and Datapacks button).

    You should divide everything into two categories. 
    Simple and Advanced. 
    The datapacks in More can also be in Simple. Currently for the 1.20 datapacks you have to go to More, Datapacks and then add the new ones.
    This can also be everything on page 1. Then it will not be overlooked.
    In simple you should also be able to set the world type.
    In advanced the seed, the settings like bonus chest and all game rules should already be listed. (no gamerules button)

  • 2
    Registered User commented
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    The tabs could maybe have a different look to other normal buttons. They could also use some padding on all sides.

  • 4
    Registered User commented
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    The tabs are currently too high. They are out of your field of view, and it feels awkward having to look to the very top of the screen. They also make the menu too top heavy.

  • 2
    Registered User commented
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    Considering the only other tabbed interface in the game is the creative menu, and it does tabs very well, I think the same GUI should be used for the world creation screen.

    The options of every page take very little space in the center of the screen. They can be convieniently placed inside of a compact menu UI, similar to the creative menu, at the center of the screen, on top of the dirt background, with tabs at the top and potentially iconography to represent what each page has. This would once again ensure players with small gui scale and large displays do not have to travel insane distances just to switch a tab, and would also make for consistency with the game's only other tabbed interface.

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    I feel like it needs to be made more clear that the tab buttons are... well, tabs. Right now they share the same design as all other buttons in menus, which can feel a little weird, especially considering their look when you're currently on their tab is that of a greyed out option. Perhaps drawing from a similar design to the Creative inventory tabs would be beneficial?

    Also the 'More' tab being just a screen with 2 buttons that each take you to a different screen is a little odd. Why not make those tabs themselves? If there was, well, more to the More tab then it'd feel a little less weird, so I understand if you plan to add to it later.

    On smaller GUI scales the menus feel very empty, and the tab buttons being at the top makes them quite far away. The tab buttons also taking up the full width of the screen means on smaller GUI scales they feel very large in comparison to everything else.

    Could it be time to do away with the dirt background, in favour of showing the same background image as the main menu, perhaps darkened and with its animation paused?

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    Splitting it into tabs is nice, but gosh that UI design.
    It looks like a debug feature, if at all.
    Make the tabs stand out, give them some margin, and highlight the selected tab.
    The settings themselves should also be separated from the tabs visually.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    The the three supposedly tabs at the top look more like buttons , there is also lack of clear distinction whether clicking it will select 1/3 options or take you to a different section , the "ugly" -ness of it comes from the fact that they're out of the normal space set by the other ui elements, here bringing their length in line with the bottom two buttons could work. There is also too much empty space, especially with just the plain dirt background, more so an option to use a blurred or darkened version of the main screen panorama would be a simple solution.

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    I like the tab idea, and the current attempt does feel like a prototype right now.

    I really really love the Bedrock UI layout, I find it quite intuitive to navigate despite not liking its visual style.
    One thing it does well is the use of tabs, and placing it on the side.
    This has many advantages: it's a good use of space, intuitive (though may need to change side if using a right-to-left language), easy to spot, and has very very good keyboard and controller navigation which tabs on the top do not have.

    I would really love for Minecraft Java Edition to take this approach to layout, especially since it's a proven system already.

    And as a final note, I'm guessing the tabs won't just look like buttons in the final release, but just to be sure, please make them look like tabs instead of buttons!

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    Current iteration doesn't match the vanilla ui style (which tbf, isn't consistent, as it's elements can "jump" from screen to screen, so that might be good to cleanup at some point).

    Adding title for consistency, as most uis. It's nice thing that tells you what screen it is, which can be useul for newer players.

    The world name currently lacks the "saved as" information in case of dupliceted names.
    (Through also other fun idea: randomised world names, but thats not really required)

    The tab/nav buttons lack any margins, being sticked to the top (only ingame ui doing that). So moving them lower and without filling entire width could help (see Statistics ui).

    Same with selected button, instead being displayed as disabled, it could be force highlighted (like stats ui) or a new texture (colored tint, classic java blue one or bedrock green, either works).

    The "More" category as is feels kinda unnecessary, as buttons for gamerules/datapacks could be moved into other two (ideally first one, as both are a "game" options). Alternatively they could be converted into tabs. Not sure if it would fit through, I don't know your future plans. 

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    I noticed that the buttons have changed. However, the pages are cut off too early. I hope this will be enlarged a little. Otherwise resourcepacks are more restricted for buttons in the future.
    https://imgur.com/a/9TIa2jK

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    It's a good idea to declutter the "Create New World" screen, but the current visual implementation is quite lackluster.

    I think it would already be a huge improvement, if the tabs didn't use the same visuals as the buttons but instead looked similar to browser tabs or the tabs in the creative inventory.

    It would also be great if the whole tab system (inclunding the settings) would sit in the middle of the screen instead of the top, so that it's easier to see everything at once.

  • 3
    Registered User commented
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    Maybe it’s just me not being used to the new screen but personally I think navigating the current in game screen is much faster to navigate than the new one. Personally I dislike moving through tabs and having everything just be listed out (like the current menu) feels a lot better to navigate.

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    I think it's a good step to improve this menu, but at the moment it fails in some things: The last tab feels empty as it has only 2 options, they could be added to the game tab! The first one also feels a bit empty, simple with big buttons and strange.. i feel it's similar to the old menu before beta 1.8 but many years later. 

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    I like how simplified it is with the separation, but the top buttons are a little bit distant. Especially on larger screens, they are completely separate from the visual hierarchy and it becomes awkward and tedious to drag the mouse so far

  • 5
    Registered User commented
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    Personally I prefer it the previous way, everything was tidy and in one place and allow for quick access to every costumisation option.

    The new one is pretty much messy and the 3 buttons at the top are the worst part of it and should be changed for sure.

    However I would like the create new world screen to remain the same as it has no issues at the current moment in time.

  • 3
    Registered User commented
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    I like the overall concept, but the design is poorly executed.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    It doesn't look nice. It could be more like the "Bedrock Edition"'s "Create New World Screen". like adding a sidebar to differentiate from buttons and adding icons to make it more colorful, because it looks bland. making it more colorful can help, I think. (Not just update that. All the UI in "Java" should have a rework. 'cause it is super dull in my opinion.)

  • 3
    Registered User commented
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    i think its worse, the old version was much better and much less annoying

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    In my opinion the new GUI needs to be remade.(yes, i've seen today's snapshot)

    as many say it is a step in the right direction, and i agree with that, but i would recommend a few improvements:

    - tabs should be displayed vertically on the left of the screen (like bedrock edition)
    - buttons should be less wide
    -the background lacks of color and vivacity and it needs to be changed
    -tabs should look more like buttons and not just blend into the background.

    P.S. it would be great if the bedrock GUI was implemented into java edition (it still isn't very comfrotable but at least is prettier than the java one)

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    The worst possible design.
    It's better to return the old one, don't even try to improve the new design, it's too bad.

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    A suggestion I would make is to replace the more tab with a Game Rules Tab that displays all the Game Rules and Allows you to enable and disable them because Experiments and Data Packs already have buttons in different tabs.