Option for a minimalist HUD

[Vaecrius]

The current KF HUD is very nice for new players - all the stuff is pretty self-explanatory and clearly visible (at least while you're looking at it). But it is HUGE! and - especially when combined with the (also helpful but HUGE!) info above your teammates' heads, really mood-breaking. I've tried playing without the hud, which is nice, but then I'm crippled for want of vital information like trader distance and ammo remaining (not a huge prob for a LAR/xbow-wielding zerker, a huge prob for a LAW user and I suspect any commando.)

So here's my suggestion for a minimal hud that people already familiar with KF's functions might be able to use better.

(Of course, single-shot weapons like the LAW and xbow should just have the total ammo count where the mag count is in the picture.)

 

[SMIFF]

It's probably so big because you have your resolution set really low(?)

But yeah your diagram example would be good.

 

[anthracy]

The current KF HUD is very nice for new players - all the stuff is pretty self-explanatory and clearly visible (at least while you're looking at it). But it is HUGE! and - especially when combined with the (also helpful but HUGE!) info above your teammates' heads, really mood-breaking. I've tried playing without the hud, which is nice, but then I'm crippled for want of vital information like trader distance and ammo remaining (not a huge prob for a LAR/xbow-wielding zerker, a huge prob for a LAW user and I suspect any commando.)

So here's my suggestion for a minimal hud that people already familiar with KF's functions might be able to use better.

(Of course, single-shot weapons like the LAW and xbow should just have the total ammo count where the mag count is in the picture.)

Love your sig

 

[Salad Snake]

Me like, but I wouldn't mind bullet count just being another number to the right.

I also wouldn't mind thinner bars and a smaller perk insignia for the above-teammate's-head info.


Btw, why is the cross blue? Wouldn't that be health?

 

[Sammers]

Why are people always so obsessed with stuff "Covering their screen"?
Fair enough if it really bothers you, but as it doesn't bother me, I'm passing a "no" as my vote.

 

[Deafmute]

I've never had a problem with the HUD. Don't really see the need to make it smaller.

 

[C_Gibby]

I've never had a problem with the HUD. Don't really see the need to make it smaller.

My only problem is that's its so plain and ugly-looking. If it was just a little cooler-looking (like in KFmod) it would be much better.

 

[Olivier]

Is it possible to make a new HUD? (community made) Because if so, i'd volunteer for it.

 

[Zeron]

A new hud would be amazing. I'd love to get the old KFmod UI back.

 

[Vaecrius]

Btw, why is the cross blue? Wouldn't that be health?

I suppose it could go either way... the medic cross is just the simplest of the perk insignia for me to draw so I used it for the example, and I ultimately settled on the chevron being health because it's "underneath" the symbol. (My original idea split the entire insignia right down the middle, with red on the left and blue on the right.)

A new hud would be amazing. I'd love to get the old KFmod UI back.

This was part of what inspired my OP... the other part being that gigantic zed counter/timer thing on the upper right that gives lie to the whole "survival horror" concept with a big friendly arcade score.
(I actually have no problem with the rest of the hud as it currently is...)

 

[nath2009uk]

Don't you play with 'Lite hood' on and the hood opacity set to as low as possible?
Works fine for me.

 

[Compass]

I'm actually making a minimalist HUD right now in Photoshop. I don't agree with everything in a circle. There are things you really don't need to worry about like ammo count and grenade count. You should be able to play fine without those. They help, but they're not required.

I'm also iffy on the importance of actually knowing your class. If you don't know, I'd be concerned.

Does knowing how many ZEDs are left really create that big of a hassle? All you know is that they'll keep coming, and when the trader says you're almost done, you're on the last dozen. Trader time is important, so it'll pop up when the trader appears, and the Trader compass is practical, so I'll add something in that helps with that.

 

[Old Ranger]

Yes. Minimal HUD would be very nice. At least optional one.

Also it would be very very nice if Health and Armor bar (red and blue bar) could be turned on and off. Those bars really block the view in some situations.

For example West London, when under the bridge, and top of the car, you can see that the view is blocked because of healt-armor bars by other players if they are in tunnel entrance. So toggle bars on/off would be very good, handy. When needed to toggle off, just toggle off, and when needed to see, toggle on.

 

[nath2009uk]

I'm actually making a minimalist HUD right now in Photoshop.

Sounds good. Everything is too blocky right now, just numbers without the box, tucked away but readable in the corner would be good.

I do want a Red Orchestra style realistic good though.

 

[Old Ranger]

What comes to minimal hud. I think it would be cool, that when needed to see how much ammo left, there would be key for that. When key (example H) is pressed, animation shows you how much ammo left for that gun you use. For every gun you must check current ammo seperatly.

Also grenades. When no grenades left, you see your bare hands example. (or when you use grenades, you can see text "I have x grenades left".) I use grenades a lot, so i think its very good to know how much left of those.

So in minimal Hud, you cant see ammo. Only when you press key, you would see it for the gun you are holding. Each gun must check seperatly.

 

[C_Gibby]

For every gun you must check current ammo seperatly.

I liek.

Ever play the Wii version of Alone In The Dark?

You have to check the ammo in your gun by removing the magazine and counting the rounds shown by the indicator hole thingies.

 

[Old Ranger]

Ever play the Wii version of Alone In The Dark?

Havent played that.

But i have notised, what comes to most of my suggestions and ideas.. Seems that they all have suggested or used before here or somewhere else, lol.

Minimal hud and that kind of ammo check system suits to KF very good. Horror game, panic with ammo if not checked and cared. At least in KF2, hope to come.

 

[Yomommassis]

I like the idea of combining the Perk icon with the armor/health
I wish they would bring back the feature they had back in the mod where when someone gets biled on his health turns green indicating that he is taking acid damage


but just to clarify you guy do know that there has always been a Light Hud Option in game right?
which takes away some unneeded hud

also try setting opacity to the lowest, I havent played a second of Killling Floor retail with opacity any higher than the lowest

 

[Compass]

My idea of a minimalist HUD, strictly speaking, would fit EVERYTHING into where that current HP/Armor/Weight is.

For reference, the HP and Armor bar that I've made is as tall as this sentence and reaches stretches from the F in "For" to the I in "I've". Right below that is a binary weight bar that is not unlike the one in the store that lists from 1-15 blocks being full. I've also designed 27-pixel tall class representations (approximately the size of 2 of these lines) with individualized dot representations for stars.

Ammo checking doesn't work so well by looking at the magazine, because each class gets the expanding ammo pool. Look at the MP7, which goes from 20 in a short mag, to 40 in a short mag. My idea for ammo would simply be displayed as TOTAL AMMO POOL (stuff not in your gun, out of 100%) and as you reload, it drains from the bar. Would represent your ammo container better because otherwise, the grenade launchers would have a huge amount of magazines, as would a stock MP7.

Basically, we have this on our HUDs standard:

HP - vital
Armor - vital
Weight - non-vital, but helpful
Class and Rank - non-vital, but useful for showing your player status in screenshots.

Flashlight Charge - non-vital, can be either made into a slim bar or removed entirely.
Ammo count - Replace numbers with striped bar for ammo count and solid bar for pool count.
Grenade count - can be represented as multiple icons.
Money count - It should be hidden unless you get cash (shown as a +$XX instead of as a total), throw cash, or buy stuff.

Trader Compass - looks silly and is somewhat inaccurate. Should be replaced with a slimline horizontal compass that points you in right direction, as well as some sort of functionality for vertical height and distance.

ZEDs Left/Time Left/Wave Count - Wave count can be seen in the score sheet, but I guess it can be displayed as skull icons with (/) crossed through for each wave completed, current/next wave should be glowing, pat gets his own icon for 11. Zombie count isn't normally applicable for the game. Simply audio cues is sufficient, and would make the game more hectic. Time left for trader should appear here, but without the silly background.

The HUD breaks the atmosphere as it currently is.

 

[Vaecrius]

I'm actually making a minimalist HUD right now in Photoshop. I don't agree with everything in a circle. There are things you really don't need to worry about like ammo count and grenade count. You should be able to play fine without those. They help, but they're not required.

I'm also iffy on the importance of actually knowing your class. If you don't know, I'd be concerned.

Not all of us have state-of-the-art supercomputers that register every single mouse click and pop up menus in time before the trader closes, so sometimes it is handy to have the selected perk visible right there. But then, the same information is on the scoreboard so I suppose yeah that could go. (I spent a wave and a half one time thinking I was berserker and lagging when in fact I was commando...)

Does knowing how many ZEDs are left really create that big of a hassle? All you know is that they'll keep coming, and when the trader says you're almost done, you're on the last dozen. Trader time is important, so it'll pop up when the trader appears, and the Trader compass is practical, so I'll add something in that helps with that.

Yup. Pretty much what I had in mind with the OP design.

(As for weight... I've had light hud on this whole time and only within the last couple weeks did I realize what that number was. I never look at it and I just sort of eyeball out how much stuff I need to drop to pick something up.)

I'll second most of your other points in your later post, though now that I remember it's there I'd rather have the money always visible by default.

So in minimal Hud, you cant see ammo. Only when you press key, you would see it for the gun you are holding. Each gun must check seperatly.

I'm going to disagree about anything that would require me to bind a new key. This sounds very, very, very fiddly and awkward and cumbersome and [thesaurus for the previous words] in a way that might add to the feel of some other survival horror game, but one where combat is not a primary focus and the protagonist is unfamiliar with how guns work.