Official "Your HUD sucks and you should feel bad" Thread

Discussion in 'Art' started by Devourawr, Jun 18, 2016.

  1. Devourawr

    Devourawr Member

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    A few days ago work began to update some of the UI. It's thanks to Tama's optimism, my massive amount of time to spare fucking around in photoshop, and most importantly thexa4's unending patience to deal with my stupid questions, but slowly and steadily progress is being made.

    Anyway, it's important everyone lowers their expectations before continuing to read, so here's some Empires screenshots to look at from the good old days.

    [​IMG]

    So we might not get around to any sort of an overhaul, but if we do anything, the infantry is definitely first. Many reasons for this, but most of them involve: its what people see the most, we want to give new players a good impression so they stick around, and it's way easier.

    Here's the current UI:
    [​IMG]

    And here's the testing UI I'm working on, with an incredible amount of help from thexa4. The main reason this thread is being made is because I can't decide how to do the ammo bar. We are definitely going with numbers instead of bullets - I've had a lot of people ask for it. It's impossible with the current system to know if you have 23 or 24 bullets in your SMG1, and it's faster and simpler to have a number. However, what I can't decide on is how to place the numbers. Basically, whether to have it above, or beside, or at an angle. Beside might work and would fit in with the other textures, but I feel like an angle shows people want they want to see faster and with a quick glance. Above works well with ammo counts in the 3 digits range.

    [​IMG]

    Squad menu either won't be touched or at least not for a long time, apparently it's a total nightmare. Anyway, if you could give suggestions or ideas, preferable with a little mspaint image to show it better, it would be appreciated. I will work on the top panel to make it a little nicer looking over the next few days, but beyond that there are no promises.


    UPDATE: Futuristicpires! I'm glad people were very pleased with the new panels, so here's what we have when we extend it to eeeeverything. Enjoy! Also ignore the mine counter, that's going to be hidden for non-grenadiers in code but an early update is better than none eh. It's blurry, so enlarge it to make it look nicer AND wait until you see it in-game.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2016
    Neoony and Spike like this.
  2. GregariousJB

    GregariousJB Member Staff Member Web Developer

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    The only things I don't like is the top bar's spacing between each element - tickets, timer, resources, etc - and how the minimap overlaps it slightly:

    [​IMG]

    Other than that, it's an improvement in every way. I especially like that you made the blue areas translucent, and the ammo counter is a nice touch. How would that ammo counter look when the Engineer's Calculator is selected?
     
  3. VulcanStorm

    VulcanStorm Developer Staff Member Moderator

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    It's looking goood :D

    But I kind of got used to the ammo bar thing in the bottom corner... So I'm a bit sad to see it go. Seeing one bullet left has a bigger impact than seeing the number 1, it also shows how many shots you have fired... So you can work out the clip size

    Also, what about the mine counter?
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2016
  4. Z100000M

    Z100000M Vithered Weteran

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    Add a tally of team vehicles to the big map, thanks.
     
  5. Devourawr

    Devourawr Member

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    @GregariousJB
    Yeah, the top menu will be moved around a little, but only if it's a very easy fix such as changing the positions in the res files, which I believe it is. There have been a few hiccups along the way where seemingly easy things to change have been hard for no reason.

    The minimap will continues to butt into the top panel until it's edges are changed. It shouldn't be too hard, but once again, if it is too hard it'll stay the way it is for a while.

    @VulcanStorm
    Thaxa4 has done a new mine counter already. That'll come in the next couple days depending on how long it takes to get an ammo counter I'm happy with
     
  6. Lazybum

    Lazybum :D Staff Member Moderator

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    I rather like the bullet counter too, there's less reading involved with a graphic representation then actual numbers. I mean there's very little difference between knowing you have 13 bullets or 11 bullets at a glance, most people would and should reload at less then 50%. Whatever though, go ahead and take away unique empire things.

    Rest looks fine, but for everyone wanting a new hud I never quite got it, old one is pretty functional and doesn't cover up your view that much at all. At most I would have liked a red version of it for nf to fit themes, but I guess with this gray setup that's less of an issue.

    Was going to also link an older thread where someone was designing a new hud like you for ideas but sadly all the images are dead. I don't think much of it was going to work though, I think that needed the html stuff to look right while this is still using stock empires code right?
     
  7. complete_

    complete_ lamer

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    i was inclined to agree with replacing the bullets with numbers but after reading lazybum's post i kinda get his point that its harder to tell where you are in terms of your clip
    but i also think that if you're going to replace the ammo with numbers you might as well replace the health with numbers too.

    the lettering should either be the empires font or the font used in the rest of the minimap, for consistancy

    and i think the grey looks a little too transparent?

    i also like how nuclear dawn did it
    [​IMG]
     
  8. OuNin

    OuNin Member

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    I'm surprised that the devs are into the numbers than the ammo bar. For me, the ammo bar is much better because you can account for firing rate. I see ammo expended as fractions of the bar, etc. I would like to see the ammo bar retained in some kind of form along-side the number. The coolest cool in shooty design: ammo circle around the crosshair tbh. Anyway: numbers "look" good on screenshots of the UI but bullet bar is much more useful in play for me personally.
     
  9. Z100000M

    Z100000M Vithered Weteran

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    Bullet counter is a thing that also grown on me
     
  10. Spike

    Spike Long Live The King!

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    Great work devo alot better than the current gui <3
     
  11. Devourawr

    Devourawr Member

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    What if we compromised and said we'll keep the numbers but also a representation of the max ammo - so 18/30 and then another number with the ammo left on you? Would that work? I understand people's want for knowing a good spot to reload, but a visual representation of the bullets is simply too much space for not enough information. This way both problems would be solved.
     
  12. Ranger

    Ranger Member

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    Or combine both gui to work together and let there be an option to disable on of the two in settings for those who prefer only numbers or only bullet bar.
     
  13. VulcanStorm

    VulcanStorm Developer Staff Member Moderator

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    Nothing goes in that part of the screen though, and its hardly like its obscuring much of the weapon model...

    But some indication of max ammo per clip may sort this out... I just got used to the pretty little bullet graphics... :(
     
  14. blizzerd

    blizzerd Member

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  15. Lazybum

    Lazybum :D Staff Member Moderator

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    Do people really find that bullet counter taking up too much space? I've never once thought,"man my screen has too much shit on it, I can't see anything at all." Does this actually hinder your playing performance? I really couldn't believe it, not in that tiny ass corner.

    Health counter takes up more space, turn that to numbers too while we are complaining about things that don't affect the game much if at all.
     
  16. Devourawr

    Devourawr Member

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    Won't be turning the health bar into a counter for the very simple reasons that a) it's way smaller and b) the stamina bar would be really, really fucking stupid as a number.

    That being said, while I have re-put in thaxa's max ammo per clip counter, I won't post a new image until I'm happy with the texture, I think some people are going to hate on any change at all so might as well have it looking good beforehand.
     
  17. Z100000M

    Z100000M Vithered Weteran

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    I really would prefer hp and stamina remain bars, its so much easier to know your hp just by looking with a corner of your eye. With numbers you actually have to shift attention constantly, which is not the best imo.

    As far as ammo count goes, i wouldnt mind some sort of indicator for ammo status for weapons not currently held, but only if it doesnt end up cluttering it up too much.
     
  18. blizzerd

    blizzerd Member

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    this thread has regressed into this post

    over and over as it is clear that people do not read what people posted before
     
  19. Lazybum

    Lazybum :D Staff Member Moderator

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    I was making a joke about turning hp bar into numbers, I'm honestly quite surprised that went over people's heads.

    I was gonna say just shrink the ammo counter if it bothers you so much but hmgs actually use most of the space, everything else though could be shrunk down to the size of the ammo counter you have in your new mock up. Maybe I'll do a quick mock up too, I really see no reason to remove neat things.

    I think I figured out a neat way to get what zoom wants in, but this is suddenly going to take me longer then I thought.:(
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2016
  20. Z100000M

    Z100000M Vithered Weteran

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    In 2016 empires forums you cant really tell a joke statement from being completely straight.
     

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