To give as much context as possible, imagine you’re playing a round based game that has the features such as trading, daily shops/lootcrates, settings, etc.
Would you rather walk around a small lobby (where you can also see other players) or would you rather have it all be on a menu?
Small lobby means you walk around into stores and such to buy items. Menu means it’s all on the UI.
I always prefer a world space to access this content to an interface. It’s just the feeling of being able to travel around, see other people, appreciate a decently built area and not have interfaces cluttering my screen. It may also help your game feel more alive.
Of course, this all comes down to preference. I’ve seen some very good games with solely an interface during intermission to access your content and I’ve never had a problem with it as long as there isn’t so much to keep track of. Regardless of which method is picked, it should be simple and to-the-point.
I prefer a Menu Screen only because I appreciate UI’s much more than building (for no specific reason). I think both are amazing, however it depends solely on the type of game. One main reason I think UI’s are better for both the player and developer is how it is imo much harder to get a good builder than a good UI designer. This isn’t to say neither take talent, however I have met more people who are good at UI design than building. Menu’s are much more creative and such, but the best solution to this… Well, I think a mix of both is great. A small lobby with diverse and interesting GUI options would be great! It fits most games and gets the best of both worlds. Anyways, gl with your game and I hope to see the outcome.
Well, funny thing is, I actually made a similar post, just with a different title.
Mainly, the responses I got were that a 3D based lobby would be a better idea, but I actually prefer menus, or a mixture of both. I feel like menus are more maneuverable, and it is not as tedious to hold the W key to start a match (just my opinion).