   Equipped HUD elements
  Would this be an interesting concept to solidify aspects of HUD displays in a futuristic first/third person RPG environment?For an example of an equipped HUD element, the player could find or buy a watch device that displays his status, which might put data on-screen to show vitality, trauma, and shock in three lines with a heart-rate monitor type display. He might later find another (arm) device that displays just vitality as a simple color circle that fades in and out, and swap that out for the watch.You could pretty much go crazy with it, allowing absurd amounts of any generic information to be displayed on screen at once, while letting the player choose which are the most important, and how to display them (without going through a cumbersome HUD editor interface). If helmets often show certain information, each helmet type could display that information with a unique HUD display. There could also be advantageous devices that cost extra money, such as something that displays a targeted enemy's motion, vitality, or stamina.Any thoughts or ideas on this concept?   
  I would be worried about intentionally breaking your user interface, and then selling it back to the user as they go through the game. For me, the user interface is always a dangerous part of game play design, the last thing you want is difficulty to stem from poor user interface - that's just frustrating. I think it can work, but only if it is not so much enhancing the thing, just changing it. Think more skins than access to more information, a matter of preference over a matter quality.   ;  i don't like that idea from any perspective i take on it...Obviously whatever you are wearing is capable of all the stuff so why would you need extra pieces to display it? If you can change you're HUD from an in character point of view it should all be there from the get go other than maybe theme changes or something that isn't what would be considered vital information. like maybe an alarm. You can set it to go off when it's a specific time so you can do something at a specific time. It's useful and you can build things for it, but in character i can see how that wouldn't be defaultly there... it's not so much what the suit is doing but how it's using the information.The other point of view is as a player i wouldn't want to have to search for something that tells me how close i am to death or how much ammo i have left when that type of thing I wouldn't be needed and if i did have the capability to read it it would be built in... in essence you are telling you're player this does not exist in game and then penalizing for assuming it doesn't.   ;Quote:Original post by thk123I would be worried about intentionally breaking your user interface, and then selling it back to the user as they go through the game.There's no reason it would need to start broken. The character could start the game wearing items that show whatever information is vital, and go from there.Quote:For me, the user interface is always a dangerous part of game play design, the last thing you want is difficulty to stem from poor user interface - that's just frustrating.In many games, there are a lot of gameplay elements that are highly optional. For example, stealth in Deus Ex. There could have been an audio monitor gadget, which shows the player exactly how loud the actions they take are, or shows them the distance that enemies could have heard that action. Players who run around blazing all of their enemies wouldn't care about it, but someone who's trying to avoid killing in the game might find it useful.And for freestyle games that don't force you to play a certain way, it doesn't just go that way for certain types of players. I may want to play one mission stealthy, then the next in a rampage. I could make specific HUD gadgets part of my uniform for each mission type.   ;  I like it. I'd carry on about it but you probably have all that covered with the "go crazy with it" part.;Quote:Original post by krezI'd carry on about it but you probably have all that covered with the "go crazy with it" part.Well, in case you change your mind, I'd appreciate any possibility-brainstorming you (and others) have to share.   ;  I remember the Wing Commander serie where the HUD changed a lot when you changed the spaceship you were piloting. All the same functions were there, they worked the same way and had almost the same name, so you could be operational immediately, but the difference in look and feel really helped immersion : the shiny new vessels had a clean interface, the hacked-up captured enemy ship was weird with some function deactivated, the rebel ship was functional but old (buttons were dirty, some commands responded a bit slower)In the context of a FPS/RPG, I could see some equipment functions having different HUD renderings : you get an AK-47 and the security, the clip releaser, everything is mechanical, they are displayed as their mechanical part in a part of the HUD. You get the latest Uzi-2020 with laser aim ? everything is a slick electronic interface.Same when using computers : the old parts hacked together may have a very specific function unavailable anywhere else, but some things work badly and you can see wires coming out of the HUD.   ;  Hmmm... I'm half for, half against, which I'm sure is oh so helpful. [smile]I really like the idea of extra gear, especially when it's so obviously functional. You could really create some good strategic tradeoffs in loadouts, giving players say a choice between sensing motion, seeing through thin walls or being able to see stealth. It would be cool to be able to tell things like armor resistance (if you have that) versus maximum movement speed, for instance.But on the other hand, the UI is sort of a covenant with the player to give them functionality and information that they would realistically already have were they members of your made up world. And although realism isn't automatically a compelling argument for including any given element, some sort of internal consistency should be. If you're a hard core mercenary, for instance, you may not know EXACTLY how close you are to death but you should have SOME idea.I think a compromise would be to always provide minimum information regardless of gear. Health and ammo is probably enough. Then everything else after that is candy.;  I agree, you'd have to include by default the important stuff (health, ammo, things the character should intrinsically know, etc). But it would be neat to include the ability to upgrade them, and add new functionality.I envision it as fully customizable, meaning the player could move the HUD elements around and possibly even resize them (and offer a quick way to pop them up, enlarge them, center them, hide them, set transparency, etc). Almost like those wonderful holographic interfaces they always have on TV :)So the player might like to leave his mini-map (which might show only areas explored, or areas where the map has been downloaded) up in the corner, but can easily zoom in to check something of interest; or hide it to get more screen space when he knows he is staying in one large room for a bit, blowing away the security team that just busted in and is setting up snipers. And he could use the scanner module to see the (estimated?) health of enemies, but with a button press or click get more detailed data (a la how the Terminator sees things, assuming he bought the advanced scanner module). It would have to be easy to operate these things though; I get the impression your game is action packed, so pausing to fiddle doesn't sound as nice as trying to do all this while dodging plasma bolts.That's easy to say since you have to do all the hard work :)As for what types of modules to have, here's my random list:* Mapping - Default or cheap one would allow a mini-map to be displayed, showing areas explored and downloaded maps. Upgrades could also include markers for notes, points of interest, enemies (maybe require an enemy scanning module for this to work), maybe a path drawn if you set a destination.* Character Status - Default or cheap one shows health bar and status effects (if your game has those). Upgrades can include the things you mentioned in the OP, maybe armor damage / status, things like that.* Weapon Status - Default or cheap one shows ammo count. Upgrades can include stored ammo count (whats left in inventory), weapon status / damage, heat (can they overheat), etc.* Enemy Scanner - Default or cheap one simply marks enemies / hostile characters, so as not to be confused with innocent bystanders. Upgrades can include enemy health, alertness, status effects, equipment assessment, etc.* Character Scanner - Default or cheapo one shows an NPCs name or role (fishmonger) assuming the PC knows it. Upgrades can include further data on the target, e.g. faction affiliations, background info, pretty much a dossier.* [some other type of] Scanner - Default or cheap one highlights points or items of interest (e.g. a switch), and maybe can give rudimentary info on items selected. Upgrades can include diagnostics and compositions of said items, maybe a trace (to what said switch controls for example), etc.I also like the other ideas for on/off types of scanners Wavinator mentioned, like sensing motion and seeing through thin walls (I'd throw in infrared vision as well as proper night vision, and I'm not sure what seeing stealth means :)) although those aren't exactly HUD elements.   ;  As an example, in Chrono Trigger, Lucca comes with an item called the 'sight scope' which allows you to see the hitpoints of enemies. Without this item, this information is hidden from the player. It is immensely useful.   