New GUI idea (for next empires version) with a picture

"bind ? emp_map_toggle"

 

If you press 'x' it brings the map up fullscreen.

Suggestions for a true minimalist style

- Health is only visible when you are being shot at or are in an armoury.
- Ammo is only visible in armory or when you are shooting or reloading (or is on rifle)
- Stamina is only visible when using it or recharging.
- Tickets and Tanks are on a bar at the top
- commander is only visible when there noone in there, or when someone gets in, for 10 seconds.

 

I can't believe some of you guys actually want the minimap to be removable. It's the most important thing when playing a strategy game. What good is the 'enemy spotting' feature when no one can see it appear on the minimap, or pretty much any feature like buildings flashing when under attack, radars, artillery, ... or simply knowing where the enemy has many people and your team hasn't.
I'd personaly hate anyone who could've helped me but didn't because he didn't see the enemy on the minimap, because he wanted 25 cm² less hud. I would never use these features anymore, because it's quite possible my ally wouldn't see it anyway, while i would lose time trying to make him aware of something he doesn't care about.

So far i still think the current hud is better than the attempts i've seen here, however i've seen elements in nearly every example that i do like. But i still like the current one most because of this:
- hud taking up space at top and bottom of the screen, but not much. I like this definately the most, because nowhere on your screen there's a big part that's hidden. Only the top has a 1 cm thick bar, and the bottom is missing 2 small corners. These locations are perfect, since my enemy has never attacked me from the sky before, and i wouldn't see someone's foot in the right or left bottom corner anyway since it's the part of the screen i don't focus on. Even turning a few degrees while moving would bring him into view anyway, since i think source only uses a 70° viewangle.
- As far as i'm concerned the minimap is simply necessary, and it already is pretty minimal (i tend to zoom in on the minimap already).

To be honest, the current hud seems less obscuring than most examples in this topic: http://users.telenet.be/samhannes/emp/1.08/pr/random action/emp_duststorm0003.jpg
- the top bar doesn't hide things from me
- the bottom corners do not hide things from me
- the minimap could in theory hide things, but it's just necessary, especially knowing that i've survived many times by spotting an enemy close by on the minimap, one i wouldn't have known about without it.

So i think the layout is already pretty optimal. The only thing i would suggest is tweaking it a little:
- the right top bar could be shorter
- the minimap edge could go without that thing above it on the left side
- i'm pretty sure the left bottom ammo display can be cut in half in some way. I'll have to think about that first to come up with something though. Not that this would matter because it's only blocking your weapon model anyway.
- instead of having 3 windows in the bottom left side, you could have 1, which would require a little less space
- the hud could be transparant, which i think is the only thing that could possible be an improvement worth something.

It's not the hud that's taking up space, it's the death messages and chat, and most people will want those to be readable (not font size 2), so there's not much that can be done about that.

Look at the image i linked to. Now imagine the hud to be gone. You wouldn't see anything more, unless possible something behind the minimap. Even making it transparant wouldn't change anything. Now imagine that image filled with chat and death messages, and you should see the real problem.

Anyway that's how i think about it.

 

my main problem with the HUD is that it's not pleasing to the eye at all and the unesscesary scatter of the HUD elements. If we implement these ideas to my second HUD:

and forget out the minimap toggle for a second (I allready wanted to tie it in with the HUD transparancy option and since you're making a big stink about it..) everyone should be happy, yes?

 

My version of the HUD. Almost as the current one but with a few fine tunes. Also I like at Lithium's minimap bind key -thing. It would be nice and it does give quite much more space to your view if you just want to use it.

When aircrafts aren't in:


When aircrafts are in:


Naturally it would need better artwork than that. I just quickly copied and pasted all the needed things in their places. In other words, I like the way how the HUD is now, it keeps nice balance between all the corners on your screen and none of the corners aren't "too heavy" compered to other corners of your screen.

 

Lithiums Idea is by far the best- a massive improvement.

minimalist HUD doesn't at all mean that you have to sacrifice any information that you can currently see. but once you know that top left is the commander's name you really don't need to see "commander: " at the top of each screen.

here are some classic examples of how we don't need a massive HUD. one of the things note worthy is that in all of these HUD's there is a good deal of transparency (while still allowing you to read information) and that things such as health and ammo (especially clear with half life 2) the info gets more transparent when they are not being effected, allowing you to see your health if you need to but not getting in the way all the time.

hl2
halo 3
crysis

 

You know, I linked to an image without the text and arrows right?

but anyways I'm adding that to my first post in the list of HUD ideas. Also I agree with Sandbag all of the most functional HUDs are very minimalist if you cant explain the HUD to your grandpa then its too complicated (never under-estemate the stupidity of noobs)

 

Yes, while I was working on it.

 

Next person to compare Empires to Crysis is dead.

 

Empires doesnt have as good as graphics as Crysis!

zomg i wont bother downloading it!

 

Lith's latest ver Rocks, although I have to say tickets and tanks can go back next to the minimap to unclutter the bottom left - there's tmi there now.

As a style issue, I would like to coloured health and stamina etc but we'll get to that in due time...

 

yeah after we all agree on a HUD we like we can worry about colours and stuff.

 

The HUD alone on crysis has more polygons than a typical scene in Empires. It must be good!

I like the top-right corner on weedy's design, if the map could somehow retract with a nice slidey animation. I would probably keep it open most of the time, but for those who don't want it cluttering the screen, at least make it look good when you hide it.

 

Nice idea broccoli, the only problem i saw with weedy's design was the open area should the minimap be turned of. If the bar moves to the corner again though there's no problem.

 

edited : check further down the page

 

The default squad HUD is better, and the kill messages should go back. apart from that, I it

 

Top looks great, maybe drop down squad is better tho. The bottom looks good if there's enough space for health of engy buildings etc. Maybe would work better with Lith's 2nd hud replacing the bottom elements, while keeping your top ones.

 

Do we really need commander there and the number of tanks/airplanes??? I would say remove those except for the comm view.

 

Definately need the commander one. Tanks/airplanes, I don't use much but it's an advanced feature.