Minimal or complex hud?

UDM · 03-26-2007, 03:25 PM

Ok poll time

Since I've lost all the files on my previous HUD, I'll just redo a new one. Which would you prefer? Something with few pictures, very minimal but simple and easy to read? Or something nice, very flashy, but can be obstructive sometimes?

Sazabi · 03-26-2007, 03:51 PM

i would like to see both

heh well id like to see simple hud. current one is a bit too complex for me.

madcatmach2 · 03-26-2007, 04:08 PM

as i have no problem with a complex hud i would love to see a simple sleek one to bad thow your old one was awesome

mark2000 · 03-26-2007, 07:28 PM

hmmm.. I dunno. I guess something simple would be nice for a change. I'm fine as long as I see all the meters clearly afterall.

Maxstate · 03-26-2007, 07:31 PM

I want an exact replica of the Jedi Outcast hud

mark2000 · 03-26-2007, 07:38 PM

wow. you're right. It's simple AND cool looking.

UDM · 03-26-2007, 11:14 PM

max: so that means something like my previous one eh...

Well I'll draw out a new design and work on it either tonight or tomorrow then

Now I need some actors too!

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=176944

Maxstate · 03-27-2007, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UDM

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?t=176944

Meesa technician, not thespian, there's a difference

Sazabi · 03-27-2007, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxstate

I want an exact replica of the Jedi Outcast hud

lol yeah that one was great

UDM · 04-16-2007, 08:10 PM

Ok Razorace gave me a good idea: the mishap meter could be represented by the size of the crosshair. If crosshair expands, it means mishap goes up. I think this is a great idea, what say you guys?

Also, I need the consensus as to what HUD you guys think is best. Most people want sleek and sexy. Those who chose that, what kind of sleek do you want? Do you want a something simple like Far Cry's or Quake 3 Arena's? Or do you want something like JO's? Or something else?

If you want something really minimal, the upside is that it's non obstructive and very simple to read; downside is that it's more functional than flashy. If you want something like JO's, game pace may cramp up numbers and bars and make them harder to read; but the positive side is that it looks nice

Your thoughts please!

madcatmach2 · 04-16-2007, 10:41 PM

deff far cry's style

ensiform · 04-16-2007, 11:14 PM

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/908...458ctf4tr3.jpg

Maxstate · 04-17-2007, 04:04 AM

I only really concentrate on bars more than numbers anyway, so JO for me.

UDM · 04-17-2007, 07:14 AM

ensi: That's what I had in mind, but some people didn't like it. So there has to be a general consensus....

mark2000 · 04-17-2007, 07:51 AM

Quote:

the mishap meter could be represented by the size of the crosshair. If crosshair expands, it means mishap goes up. I think this is a great idea, what say you guys?

sounds like a good idea especially for the gunners but this could also make it difficult to measure how close you are to 100% mishap because you're not looking at a meter.

razorace · 04-17-2007, 01:42 PM

Well, there's no reason why we couldn't have the expanding crosshair and a meter for mishap.

bjusterbaarlik · 04-17-2007, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ensiform

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/908...458ctf4tr3.jpg

Yes, I really like that one. That one should become the HUD with some minor adjustments to fit a mishap and DP bar.

UDM · 04-17-2007, 08:57 PM

K if there are no more objections, I'll get to work on that one. Would be a piece of cake for me to do (for me only, dunno how much coding will be involved) since I'm only working on the frame

razorace · 04-17-2007, 10:13 PM

If that's what people really want, we could just have Ensiform port in his custom huds code, which was used for that shot.

Maxstate · 04-18-2007, 03:55 AM

I don't like it personally so I'm probably going to be shifting stuff around for myself if that one gets in

UDM · 04-18-2007, 05:37 AM

razorace: Hmm it's a bit too simplistic, I've got something in mind, I'll do a concept and then show it to you guys first, then let me know if you all want mine or ensi's

maxstate: whai not?

Maxstate · 04-18-2007, 07:20 AM

It's like putting cheap plastic into a maybach.

UDM · 04-18-2007, 07:28 AM

Any disagreements on this from others?

Maxstate · 04-18-2007, 07:30 AM

You'll probably get them after they try them, like with the last one.

UDM · 04-18-2007, 09:21 AM

Better get to work on it then

ensiform · 04-18-2007, 12:34 PM

That hud doesn't use .menu file code so yes it will need to be converted if that is what you want.

razorace · 04-18-2007, 03:18 PM

IMO, I like the one we have, but again, I'm open to change if that's what people want.

madcatmach2 · 04-18-2007, 04:00 PM

im still in favor for a far cry style is small and simplistic and yet it looks good with the vertical bars and the one round thing

ensiform · 04-18-2007, 04:06 PM

I didn't even like Far Cry as a game... let alone its HUD. :<

TheShaman · 04-19-2007, 04:36 AM

(Yo, it's been a long time!)

I actually like huds that are simple, a red bar for the HP, a green bar for the armour, a blue bar for the force, a yellow bar for the DP, no bar for ammo, just a number, and under these bars, the ammount of HP etc should be displayed in its own colour (DP shouldnt be written in purple under a green bar, but green under green bar, or yellow under yellow bar, to have different colours for all things). As for Mishap, rainbow blue2red is fine, so you see your level of danger, no number is fine too, its just an indicator.

That should do fine, to me, no need to add mecanic-looking stuff all around and useless stuff.

Maxstate · 04-19-2007, 08:08 AM

We need something round and sturdy looking like the JO HUD, but maybe a bit bigger in size with bars around it.

Minimal huds just don't suit something like a star wars game and I think it just wouldn't feel right.

TheShaman · 04-19-2007, 12:04 PM

Well for my part, I've always prefered a cool bar, than a line of squares or even rounded, I prefer seeing what is left of my life or force as a progression bar.

Tanqexe · 04-26-2007, 06:21 AM

I'm trying to go for more of an LCD theme in terms of HUDs here, but this is rough design #1, which uses curves and places information to the sides where you won't have to look down; you can easily see how you're doing through peripheral vision (side-side peripheral vision is better than top or bottom). I'm wondering if I should make the curves a bit straighter, squish everything more to the sides, maybe make the bars and frames smaller. Easy to do in Photoshop.

TrueView w/ Clone Rifle | HUD explanation
Third Person view w/ lightsaber | HUD explanation

Another design based on this would be a vertical version, where everything looks straight, and a horizontal version where everything's arranged at the bottom as usual.

TheShaman · 04-26-2007, 06:54 AM

This is nice stuff, but there are a few things I don't understand.
-Why is it Energy/Force bar?
-Where would the fuel bar/cloak bar be?
-Where does the game get the pic of the item you are using from? I don't recall seein this seeker icon anywhere...
-The current force power icon is useless according to me, since I NEVER EVER use force powers like that. I got shortcuts for everything, which is far quicker than selecting the power and using it.
-The currect weapon thing is useless for saber, displaying the current stance is enough since you can't have a stance with melee or gun.

Else, I like the whole thing, the square mishap idea is good.

A few things to make it more nearly perfect:
Health in red !
Dodge in purple, Force in blue.
Then it will be lovely

Maxstate · 04-26-2007, 07:12 AM

Looks good but it might be a bit too obstructive. I don't know since I would have to try it ingame first. Maybe speak to UDM about crossing that with a JO hud? would be even nicer

:

Tanqexe · 04-26-2007, 07:16 AM

- Hooboy, I don't know what I was smoking. Force Meter. Dunno why /energy is there.
- Now that you mention it, I can probably stick the cloak/fuel meter on the left side to balance out the HUD.
-It's not in the game, I just sketched it out in Photoshop.
-Current Force Power is for the benefit of people who do cycle through their force powers. I remember how it can be frustrating when current force power is set on Sense, and I pressed that button for Pull but end up losing 20 FP instead.
-Actually the Current Weapon tab came after UDM told me about how ensi's separated weapons into categories. Just something I was playing with (where you select weapons in categories instead of going through a whole crapload list of things to get to the weapon you want), and doesn't have to work that way. It can just be an empty spot reserved for Saber Form icons for now.

As for the colors...I don't like turning the HUD into a rainbowfest. Red is a really distracting color, and purple doesn't seem to want to fit into the low-key scheme.

Edit: I'd prefer keeping red as indicators for critical ranges for the HP, DP, and FP bars + MP indicator only.

Maxstate · 04-26-2007, 07:32 AM

But...but... rainbows...

Tanqexe · 04-26-2007, 07:41 AM

Have a Hard Gay, Max.

TheShaman · 04-26-2007, 09:57 AM

Well, again I'm for a simple hud, but to make the difference being the stats without having to look at them, having different colours is always good.
To be honest, the currect OJP 009u hud is fine, just one thing bugs me, the fact that DP has same colour as armor. Having it in the same colour as it's value is written in (purple) would make it fine for me.
Another thing, I'd even prefer having a vertical bar for HP and another for armor.
Just like DP, FP, and MP.

Tanqexe · 04-26-2007, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheShaman

Well, again I'm for a simple hud, but to make the difference being the stats without having to look at them, having different colours is always good.
To be honest, the currect OJP 009u hud is fine, just one thing bugs me, the fact that DP has same colour as armor. Having it in the same colour as it's value is written in (purple) would make it fine for me.
Another thing, I'd even prefer having a vertical bar for HP and another for armor.
Just like DP, FP, and MP.

The way I arranged it, in the heat of battle it will be easy to know what you're low on without having to actually focus your eyes on the bars. If you remember that top left is HP, bottom left is shield, top right is DP, bottom right is FP (and below that is MP), then color coding isn't really necessary. Out of the corner of your eyes you'll know pretty much where your stats stand. Add to that the color shift to red for HP, DP, FP, and MP, and you'll definitely know if you've reached critical on something because i.e. if you're getting red top right, it's DP; if it's bottom right it's FP; if it's top left it's HP.

I'm gonna tweak the width of each side and shrink the stuff overall so that the space within each frame doesn't go to waste, but this layout shouldn't be that obstructive because it's translucent, I've tested it against both light and dark environment screenshots and found it pretty easy on the eyes, and it will be very easy to tell stats without them standing out like a sore thumb or getting washed out by bright backgrounds.