Just wanted to mention that two things that I really missed from CoH when I played other games after the Coming Storm was how clean and sleek the HUD was and how your Hero and your targets didn't have all kinds of "information" animations on the ground all around them. There was the green box and numbers flying, but that was mostly it.
When I played Champions, I found the overdone HUD and overhead cueing of attacks very cluttered and immersion-breaking.
In The Secret world they have a VERY nice HUD--clean, sleek, and non-invasive--but they use attack cueing on the ground and that also really clutters things up visually.
DCUO did relatively ok in both respects, but not great.
So... my suggestions would be:
1) Keep the HUD clean, sleek, and non-distracting. It should be something that you look THROUGH, not AT.
2) Have as little "information" type effects like cueing icons and such as possible. Nothing that's not really necessary.
Things that visually distract from or compete with the action onscreen just detract from the immersion and rub the fact that it's just a game in your face.
Just another 2 inf from another CoH refugee :).
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
I never played The Secret World.. but it feels like they were influenced somewhat by Apples UI look? ;) Looks ok.
Except for the Power trays Reflection. I think it would bug me a little. :/
ex:
[img]http://i.imgur.com/QZwQuZ3.png[/img]
But if i could adjust how translucent the reflection was, i guess it would be ok. :)
Agreed. Though I did like having visual effects on a character when various buffs/debuffs were on them. When I played WoW in a support role, I found it very distracting to have to look at their icon in the team display rather than at the characters themselves.
I guess the answer, as with most programs, is to give the user the option of how much and what style visual cues they prefer. Including the window transparency setting from CoX to go with Empyrean's no. 1.
It's only a matter of personal preference, but I really hope CoT doesn't go with the flat square icons used with such prevalence in other MMOs. I can't quite explain it, but CoX's UI seemed less...flimsy.
Spurn all ye kindle.
Izzy: Yeah, Apple spends millions researching what people respond well to. We don't have to copy them, but we'd be foolish not to watch and learn some basic principles. For example, just slightly rounding the points and adding a touch of curve shading to the triangle shapes that CoT is currently planning to use would soften them and avoid that "flimsy" feel that Cinnder mentioned.
Also, I agree, that reflection is just more visual clutter. in TSW I always just moved the power tray all the way down to the bottom of the screen so I couldn't see the reflection.
Cinnder: True, options is always king. Also less is more, so as long as one HUD option is as visually clean as possible that'll be good. And I hate those flat, square trays and Icons too. Somehow they'er cheap looking?
The other kind of visual clutter that really detracts from the game is ground marking and overhead icons and other such "informational" animations. I hope this isn't used or is kept to the minimum necessary so the action onscreen is as clear and uncluttered as possible so that you can really enjoy watching it.
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
Whaaaaa!?
You No like Champions Online mission heading indicator arrow? :(
Toggle the extra info.
Be Well!
Fireheart
Blech! The giant overhead pointy crystal thing? Personally, no, I hated that thing. But that's just me.
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
hehe.. im just messing with ya. ;) *me doesnt know which smiley means mild sarcasm* :<
I hate it ALLOT! :P
;D
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)
If possible also let players customise it as and how they want.
It is amazing how much better I prefer flat bars right now over the stylised "glows" and slants. For me right now, minimal shading on the bars is the best way to go. Others like fancy, I prefer plain. Almost so plain its boring.
Customization is always good. But I think I would set anything to minimal anyway, since I believe a good display should not distract from the action on the rest of the screen.
I don't know if it is feasible to customize how much "information animations" are used, but I'd like that too.
I really find that overhead icons and patterns on the ground around enemies that are not powers but representations of where or what kind of attack is coming or that tell what state the attacker is in--things other than the actual Superhero action--look cluttered and messy and detract from the action itself.
I think I remember this being customizable in CoH to some extent. Couldn't you choose whether or not to see numbers and such?
FIGHT EVIL! (or go cause trouble so the Heroes have something to do.)