PC Developer Discussions: Alpha 17

[Doombringer101]

Preview A17 Hud

Argh don't remind me... I actually forgot how cluttered that UI got with all the mods

 

[Tilleen]

Preview A17 Hud

This is why I run with 3 monitors.

Actually, 3 monitors is great for giving you peripheral vision, but not so good for the status and building queues. I did try moding the screen display so that they appeared just off the centre monitor, but then hosted a game and all the stats for everyone else were in strange places.

 

[Maharin]

I would hope that they eventually add in a UI HUD Settings tab under options that allows you to pick and choose what you want to see on screen, allowing you to position them as you see fit. Even without the latter they could serve a lot of the community, and literally make everyone happy. If someone wants to see an XP bar or hunger/thirst indicators why should anyone else care except them?

And as for what should the default game offer, that's easy... it should offer options.

 

[Roland]

Preview A17 Hud

I barfed onto my screen when I saw this and it literally looks the same. THIS would be my “uninstall the game and break the rules with a melodramatic goodbye forever post” if it ever came to pass.

 

[Tilleen]

I would hope that they eventually add in a UI HUD Settings tab under options that allows you to pick and choose what you want to see on screen, allowing you to position them as you see fit. Even without the latter they could serve a lot of the community, and literally make everyone happy. If someone wants to see an XP bar or hunger/thirst indicators why should anyone else care except them?
And as for what should the default game offer, that's easy... it should offer options.

I have never seen a game that does this. It is generally take what you get, maybe mod it later. Options add complexity, complexity adds bugs.

It would be very nice however, I just can't see it happening.

 

[Maharin]

I have never seen a game that does this. It is generally take what you get, maybe mod it later. Options add complexity, complexity adds bugs.
It would be very nice however, I just can't see it happening.

EQ2 had a great interface that did exactly as I described. You could add or remove toolbars and just about every other UI feature. You could fill your screen with them if you chose. Oh, and you could move every one of them around on screen to arrange them however you wanted.

 

[meganoth]

Does a pleasant voice speak to you through your comm system and say "Sensors indicate blood moon will initiate in t-minus 4 hrs"? Because THAT would totally fit the HUD you are describing right now....

What they really should do is remove the time entirely and let you scratch or paint hash marks into the wall of your base to keep track of the days, that would be more fitting of the current survival game.

But isn't there a sense of time someone has in reality because he is living his life 24 hours a day. How could this sense of time in a continuous existence be translated to a game where you stop the game, sometimes for hours, sometimes for days?

By 1) a simple time display or 2) by strapping the player into a straight jacket and force him to play the game without any pauses. Seems you are a proponent of solution 2.

 

[sillls]

Preview A17 Hud

Wait. This isn't right. I can still see what's going on in the game.

Roland, this screen is so you. jk lol

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for the update Roland!

 

[Aldranon]

That is indeed an xp bar cluttering up the screen...

I would rather have hunger and thirst bars cluttering up the screen. Once a person is near to loosing wellness, the bars should take up half the screen and be flashing because that's all your character would be thinking of.

Where I am at to my next level is not something I find important.

 

[Aldranon]

I barfed onto my screen when I saw this and it literally looks the same. THIS would be my “uninstall the game and break the rules with a melodramatic goodbye forever post” if it ever came to pass.

No no, your not thinking it though. That is when you run bots to get your character maxed out and sell the account on Ebay for $300 bucks to some tard.

/ Respecting the value of idiots since the dawn of time.

 

[ozzysfang]

Does a pleasant voice speak to you through your comm system and say "Sensors indicate blood moon will initiate in t-minus 4 hrs"? Because THAT would totally fit the HUD you are describing right now....

What they really should do is remove the time entirely and let you scratch or paint hash marks into the wall of your base to keep track of the days, that would be more fitting of the current survival game.

Now if we were being depicted as wearing power suits with projected heads up displays on the visor of our armored helmet then I'd be all for clocks and compasses floating in the air in front of me. We could have all player status data displayed on the screen and color overlays to show heatmap status and structural integrity and ore deposits underground, and radar blips on an overhead minimap to know where all the zombies are around us.

Don't forget windspeed, temperature, altitude, target lock-on and lead assistance reticles...

Damn straight.I was loving the war of the walker mod but was disappointed that things magically appeared in my inventory . the inventory management is king in that game.

I thought a cool indicator would be a swarm of vultures (in the distance) on the day of the horde. make it roughly 7 days, but make it subtle to notice that it's that night.

 

[Tilleen]

But isn't there a sense of time someone has in reality because he is living his life 24 hours a day. How could this sense of time in a continuous existence be translated to a game where you stop the game, sometimes for hours, sometimes for days?
By 1) a simple time display or 2) by strapping the player into a straight jacket and force him to play the game without any pauses. Seems you are a proponent of solution 2.

I think 2 would add to the immersion.

- - - Updated - - -

EQ2 had a great interface that did exactly as I described. You could add or remove toolbars and just about every other UI feature. You could fill your screen with them if you chose. Oh, and you could move every one of them around on screen to arrange them however you wanted.

Can I have that for Elite?

 

[zackss]

I thought a cool indicator would be a swarm of vultures (in the distance) on the day of the horde. make it roughly 7 days, but make it subtle to notice that it's that night.

It could be a series of indicators becoming more and more definite as you get closer to night. During the day it could just be something like no animals spawning (or some other effect that could just happen naturally), then subtle changes in ambient noise, then a swarm or vultures in the distance, then finally the red sky and thunder at night.

 

[PiercedFromWithin]

Changing the ambient noise would be a nice touch. Always one of the key tells that something dangerous is coming is that all the forest noises go quiet, songbirds run and hide, time to grab your guns.

 

[Odetta]

Joel man what were you thinking uploading that pic of yourself lol. I'm tempted to post it here but i won't, not sure if that was for The public's eye or not. We all are looking forward to A17, keep up The good work!

Now you have to upload it.

 

[Aldranon]

Since the week doesn't matter at all anymore, I would simply call it "Tuesday". Easy to grasp, no numbers at all. Simple.

I don't know. I think having horde night on Monday to replace Monday Night Football is the right thing to do. Our European friends (and everyone else in the world) will think of it as Soccer Night.

/ Giving beer a reason to live since... wait... what was I talking about again?

 

[Menace312]

What's with all the hating on lots of HUD info?

I'm a huge fan! I need food, water, height, temp, compass and what ever else I can get on my HUD.

Ok, the picture shown by Royal is a little extreme (have no idea what game that is), but half that would be just fine with me...

I like information! Lots of information

 

[Luzifer]

-Snoop-

I really hope we get the option to Randomize the Hordenights.

If this happens a Day to horde Bar would be problematic/senseless

Well i guess they wont make that happen, otherwise they would probably have to change the games name to "Random Days to die".

 

[Odetta]

Well i guess they wont make that happen, otherwise they would probably have to change the games name to "Random Days to die".

It could still work, just make the first horde be on day 7, after that, random.

 

[KingSlayerGM]

Honestly I think that the less indicators on the HUD, the better. Fewer indicators mean deeper immersion.

I don't need to know the exact value of my health or stamina. I just need to know if I am reasonably healthy, or injured.. rested or tired. Maybe there cold be 3-4 levels to describe your status.

Certainly knowing my level and xp progression isn't necessary.

Also knowing the time and day number is helpful, but not required. I would prefer a lot more, a wearable item, like a watch, that has to be found or bought, and tells you all that.

But I am all for letting players decide. Adding settings to enable and disable single HUD widgets would be sweet.

Go Zombies!