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Thoughts on the HUD Art Style

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Thoughts on the HUD Art Style

  • The current HUD is fine.

    Votes: 12 17.9%

  • Change the colors, leave all else.

    Votes: 5 7.5%

  • Redo the hud, going for a more simplistic look (sim level, similar to ARMA).

    Votes: 13 19.4%

  • Redo the hud, going for simplistic historical nuance (similar to Miro's design posted by Nimsky)

    Votes: 33 49.3%

  • Redo the hud, still going for an artistic style.

    Votes: 4 6.0%
  • Total voters
    67
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#41
I like the current propaganda theme, however, I think that it should be more inbetween maps. It would get you in the mood. It would also work well in the main menu, cycling the propaganda posters. The map screen itself however, when you are picking teams, picking class etc should follow miro's design and look more like a briefing.

in short
Main menu and shots in between maps while loading: propaganda

In game (picking class, etc.): miro's design
 
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#43
I don't really like the huds and menu's for one part because it does not feel consistent in style, and that for instance the hud does not feel like a hud but just random displays and counters.

Tbh regarding hud design I've never really liked the things that TWI did. In RO and KF they are not exactly that nice either.

However I believe twi recently hired some person that did some box artwork for TWI in the past. So we might get new menus and and that stuff.
 
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#44
Sorry, but the huge distracting capture bar drives me nuts! It's like so in your face. It interferes with the weapon model. Why can't it be off to the side, and much smaller. It's my only serious complaint. The bar width should be very thin and and green light going across it. A large red bar is too distracting. The suppression bar can go away and I like the stamina shown in RO1. It's too busy even for relaxed mode. I hope this gets changed.

Amerikaner said:
I didn't see a topic on this, sorry if there is one. In the grand scheme of things this isn't one of the biggest issues but presentation values can be extremely effective in making a game feel more immersive. So, with that in mind, I have some concerns on the current HUD we see in the footage. This could very well be placeholder stuff but since it's been showing up in videos for awhile I though't I'd address it.

First issue: Neon color
The color is overly drastic. Check out ArmA (I know I know, another ArmA comparison).

4-man-squad.jpg


The green overlay stands out perfectly fine but isn't in your face neon bright. It also does something else that serves to make the visuals look more...mature? The font is plain, simple, easy to read. The font in RO2 is going for a propaganda look which could potentially look great but when combined with the neon colors it looks like WW2 and Dystopian art had a baby. This could look better if the size of the font is lowered, the colors are subdued, and messages are put off to the side so the player always has their line of sight.

Second issue: Cartoony art style of the lower static HUD
In particular I mean the cap status bar, suppression bar, stamina bar, and mini map icons. Screenshot from the fact thread:

Tacticalviewexplained.jpg


The bright, basic colors combined with the cartoony art style kinda makes it look like a WW2 coloring book doesn't it? They are grabbing for too much attention. The damage indicator, current stance, and mag pouch style fit the style of the game substantially better imo. They are a simple sketch/model style that gives you the info you need without jumping out at you.

I don't mean to be harsh and this all may be placeholder. Just trying to give some feedback on my only major irk of the footage we've seen. For such an amazingly detailed game I'd hate to see it bogged down by budgety looking presentation values. (Sorry to whoever designed it ;)).

I'm not trying to present the viewpoint that only simplistic utilitarian HUDs ala ARMA are acceptable either. But the main goal of the HUD in a realism game should be to give you information and then get the hell out of your way. No fluff, no flair, just give the information as easily and nonobtrusive to the core game visuals as possible. I think this should hold true in relaxed realism, you'd just be seeing more information at once. When you go for an art style HUD it has to look very good or it can all too easily fall into the budgety camp. So with that I give you fellow fans a poll to see if I'm the only arse being concerned about this ;).

PS. Shot in the dark... I have some graphic design experience. I'd be willing to work with you on a HUD completely free of charge TWI

EDIT: Can only add poll options 3 min after posting thread? Damn. If a mod would allow me to do the poll, that'd be sweet.

Poll is:

Which HUD option do you prefer?

1) The current HUD is fine.
2) Change the colors, leave all else.
3) Redo the hud, going for a more simplistic look (sim level, similar to ARMA).
4) Redo the hud, going for simplistic with subtle historical nuance (similar to Miro's menu design posted below by Nimsky)
5) Redo the hud, still going for an artistic style.
Click to expand...
 
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#48
I like the new menues, but the hud needs stance stamina and damage all in one. suppression bar is silly. font size and hud element positions should be options to.

I like the more looking at papers and old feel.

id post a mock up of my capture bar but im away from my pc for a few weeks.

the team symbols on the side of it should just be Incorporated into the actual bar to save space.

edit: btw clicked the wrong vote
 
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#51
Another vote for at least something like Miro's style and basically repeating what has been said here before (the current style bothered me 6 months ago already; apologies for quoting myself):
aktionman said:
Another thing that bothers me slightly is the font type and size of the announcements on the screen. IMO the font type is too modern for the era, i.e. anachronistic.

vlcsnap-2010-09-10-11h37m40s223.png


Also, will we be able to make this smaller with a setting? Often, even currently in RO, the messages interfere with gameplay and your aim is spoilt because this message obscures the target. It now looks even bigger and more intrusive in RO:HOS.
Click to expand...

IMO the HUD now looks really bad: should there be huge, garish, neon-coloured icons and text all over the the place in an Eastern Front setting? Should these be filling the screen, spoiling the atmosphere of otherwise excellent-looking maps and obstructing your vision and aim? :(

Hopefully we will be allowed to change the size, colours, font type and opacity of icons and text, or switch off all/most of it?
 
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#53
I'm sure they could combine the stamina and damage indicator into a single HUD element, just like ROOST. They could probably also make the suppression bar part of it as well (though I'm not too fond of a suppression 'bar' in the first place).

I'm not sure a stance bar is even needed, since most of the time you can tell what stance you're in simply by how low to the ground your camera is and by how quickly you move.

The objective timer and manpower count would be better off if they were just left in a menu that can be pulled up, just like ROOST.
 
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#54
If I had my way the HUD would be totally minimal and invisible until you need it. I don't want to see my health until I'm hit, I don't want to see my ammo until I reload, and I don't want to see the cap bar until I'm in the zone - and capping (never made sense to me to have a magical bar that tells you how many enemies are about in a realistic shooter). Having no visible HUD does wonders for immersion, something I'd say is quite important in any shooter aiming for realism.

I don't care if the menu is a bunch of black text on a white screen, it's just a menu, but I have to admit I find the propaganda style menus attractive. Would be even better if they had random real propaganda slogans from the war each time you load up, like the ones you see in the Dawn of War menu.
 
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#56
Yoshiro said:
Alot of our menu/hud system is being redesigned. I have passed along the more constructive posts to the team. Other posters have been told to have an eye kept on by the moderator team for being less than constructive.
Click to expand...

It would really be too bad imo if you guys changed everything around completely. Especially on account of some people thinking it's "arcadish" or "not historical looking". I really like the look you guys are going for and it would be a shame to change the art style because of that. But that is business I suppose.
 
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#57
Dogfacboy said:
It would really be too bad imo if you guys changed everything around completely. Especially on account of some people thinking it's "arcadish" or "not historical looking". I really like the look you guys are going for and it would be a shame to change the art style because of that. But that is business I suppose.
Click to expand...


I agree here.

P.S.
OffTopic
An Agree Button in place of the Up/down Voting would be nice to have imho...
Would mean i'd wouldn't have to clutter the Forum with useless "I agree" Posts.
 
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#60
Yoshiro said:
Alot of our menu/hud system is being redesigned. I have passed along the more constructive posts to the team. Other posters have been told to have an eye kept on by the moderator team for being less than constructive.
Click to expand...
I think that the majority of us that are giving constructive criticism assumed that you guys were still experimenting and working on the HuD. Thanks for taking our thoughts into consideration!
 
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