Health Display Concept

[sparhawk]

I don't like any of them (an option you didn't include)

It looks lazy just to have the lightgem coloured red and used as a health bar, and it's also too big and clunky for a health meter no matter which way you cut it.

The cloned celtic knot motif doesn't work on it either, it somehow looks unecesary and added soley as a blatentt attempt at coherence.

I have some ideas for health meters as well, but I don't think it's urgent.

 

Would be nice if you could show it. Since this is not nailed down right now, we can still eave this open and not close down on a solution to early.

 

Cory wants me to work out the Models and anims for the AI ATM< ad I'm getting the new player ams ready and fixing the weapon anims.

 

Yeah. The model anims would be good, because Cory can work with them once they are finished, and this would be another big step forward.

 

IMO the arms are currently not so urgent. And which weapon anims are this? The bow and blackjack?

Since we currently have no use for the arms, I would prefer to have the priority on the guard model and then the weapon anims, so we have one feature finished, instead of opening a host of problems and none finished.

[oDDity]

Ok, I threw together my initial idea for the health display.

My design goal were:

Unobtrusive and subtle

Unique yet chohesive

A step away from knowing *exactly* how much health you have, which is not necessary in a non-combat game.

 

This can be altered as needed depending on exactly how much you inisst the player needs an exact knowlesge of his health. For example the crossbars could be removed before the entire cross to indicate a half. So if one whol cross stands for 20, removing the corssbar means 10. I'm not sure yet what the minimum amount of damage is that the player can have inflicted at once, but it'll proabably be 5 or 10.

 

As you can see, this will pop up and down only when needed (whan damage is inlficted)

There could be a hotkey to pop it up I suppose, but I can't see why that would be necessary.

Edited March 13, 2005 by oDDity

[Fingernail]

I like it...they could be more prominant...perhaps with little red jewels or something.

[New Horizon]

How would we implement this with the compass/gem combo though? It's a cool idea but shouldn't we work towards something that is going to be cohesive with both gems and doesn't require us to create two distinct sets of huds? Springheel was taking this into account when he created those three options. I can only see this working if we're moving away from the compass/lightgem combo, which admitedly isn't such a bad idea, as it would help us create something that is more original.

 

As for the existing examples by Springer. Any of the three will work nicely with either of the lightgems. Actually, the round health gem would work nicely with the compass/gem combo. Again, perhaps this is something that is going to need to be discussed if we wish to pursue something that goes against the grain?

 

Nice work oDDity.

[oDDity]

Well, for the combo HUD the crosses can pop up on the side (where the health shields were in the original games)

THe lightgem on its own and the one with the compass attached are already pretty different anyway, I don't see anythign wrong with having two different HUDS. It's not as if people will be chopping and changing between them, they'll choose one or the other and stick with it.

OF course, I hated the gem/compass combo idea from the very beginning, it doesn't look as good no matter which way you cut it, takes up more room, is more ditracting and has no essential purpose. WHo gives a fuck where North is. I've never used a compass in any game ever.

[oDDity]

I vote to do away with the compass entirely and have a hotkey you press if you absolutely need to know where north is for some bizarre reason. It turns you to face north.

[New Horizon]

I vote to do away with the compass entirely and have a hotkey you press if you absolutely need to  know where north is for some bizarre reason. It turns you to face north.

I don't think we would go so far as to remove having a compass at all. Having a compass on hand is a little more realistic than having a hot key that activates the players "thievy" sense and points him in the right direction. oDDity, you're scaring me...that almost sounds like something they would have come up with at Ion to streamline the game.

 

Quiet day on IRC.

[sparhawk]

I odn't want to be turned by gamecode, but our current lightgem doesn't have a compass anyway, so we need a seperate compass. If we have such a small healthbar, we can easily put the compass next to the healthbar and the inventory selection would be on the right side.

[New Horizon]

I odn't want to be turned by gamecode, but our current lightgem doesn't have a compass anyway, so we need a seperate compass. If we have such a small healthbar, we can easily put the compass next to the healthbar and the inventory selection would be on the right side.

Yes. Snapping the player into place isn't cool. Needless to say, I'm enjoying the minimalist theme we've got going here. Since the compass can be toggled off and on, we are pretty much wide open where we can put it.

[oDDity]

So we're ditching the gem/compass combo idea completely?

Good.

I still have to design a solo compass that'll fit in with the rest. The only thing left after that are the weapon and item icons. Are they going to be still pictures, or slowly spinning animations?

[sparhawk]

The only thing that I still want is to have the compass staying on all the time, so it should not be a inventory item. You can still toggle it though, for those who don't like it.

[Springheel]

Oh good, another thread that starts rehashing what we already decided.

[sparhawk]

Just like the healthbar?

[Springheel]

We hadn't decided exactly what the healthbar should look like. We DID decide to support a combined compass/gem and a T2 style gem and inventory compass.

[Ishtvan]

If we need to know where North is, we can just go outside and navigate by the stars. Or, if it is day out, put a stick in the ground and see which way the shadow moves. If it is night and cloudy... you're screwed.

[_Atti_]

i dont like those crosses too much..

 

what about using the round design but indicating health like Bright red = healty Dark =low health it could glow when healing with potions..go green if poisoned by trap,and pulse while get hurt..so you would know how well you are only if you manage to escape from the attack:)

Edited March 13, 2005 by _Atti_

[sparhawk]

We hadn't decided exactly what the healthbar should look like. We DID decide to support a combined compass/gem and a T2 style gem and inventory compass.

And yet our current lightgem has no compass in it...

[oDDity]

Having a separate object for the health bar is nonsense. I think we definitely agreed minimalism no matter what, and you won't get any more minimal than the design above.

The exact design can be changed of course.

You say we agreed on a compass/lightgem combo, but it's pretty silly to make a decision and then doggedly stick to it no matter what. THe main thing is that we now have the healthbar/lightgem combo, which are the main things, and they take up hardly any space at all.

The compass is just a trivial additonal thing which should not be a part of the HUD, but can be viewed if desired.

[Springheel]

And yet our current lightgem has no compass in it..

 

We have both compasses. Just because one has been uploaded to CVS and the other hasn't we're suddenly not supporting it?

 

http://forums.thedarkmod.com/index.php?showtopic=1192&st=100

 

You say we agreed on a compass/lightgem combo, but it's pretty silly to make a decision and then doggedly stick to it no matter what.

 

It also doesn't make sense to change a decision reached over many, many discussions because one or two people restate their objections to it.

 

THe main thing is that we now have the healthbar/lightgem combo, which are the main things, and they take up hardly any space at all.

 

Well, I'd like to hear what more people have to say about this. The last time we had this discussion there didn't seem to be much support for a combined lightgem/healthbar. I don't have strong feelings either way, although I don't care for the particular design you posted above.

 

BTW, can I just mention how excited I am that we're arguing over the lightgem again? And here I was worried that we might have finally settled that issue.

[sparhawk]

We have both compasses.  Just because one has been uploaded to CVS and the other hasn't we're suddenly not supporting it?

 

Well, I have yet to see one which looks really good.

 

It also doesn't make sense to change a decision reached over many, many discussions because one or two people restate their objections to it.

 

You mean like the healthbar? Somehow I have the impression that you use doublestandards here. We already agreed on the healthbar. I have no problem rediscussing them as I don't think that they look good as they are and always saw them as a placeholder. Now you raised the issue and we are re-discussing the HUD again but somehow the compass doesn't fit in because you like it, while the healthbar does? If we rediscuss the HUD again we can also talk about the enitre HUD on not a single element, because as you noticed in your initial posting, it should fit together.

 

Well, I'd like to hear what more people have to say about this.  The last time we had this discussion there didn't seem to be much support for a combined lightgem/healthbar.

 

I already cast my vote. I prefer the vertical healthbar. Period.

 

I don't have strong feelings either way, although I don't care for the particular design you posted above.

 

It doesn't look so bad and is in sync with the theme, but a "real" healthbar would be preferable for me.

 

BTW, can I just mention how excited I am that we're arguing over the lightgem again?  And here I was worried that we might have finally settled that issue.   

 

At least were not discussing the lightgem but the HUD in general.

[New Horizon]

Well, if it helps. I'm going to cast my vote behind the vertical health bar that Spring posted.

[Springheel]

You mean like the healthbar? Somehow I have the impression that you use doublestandards here. We already agreed on the healthbar.

 

We agreed on *a* healthbar, but we never had any finalized art for it. The one we were using was always considered placeholder art.

 

We have both compasses.

 

Well, I have yet to see one which looks really good.

 

Your response to the lightgem/compass model:

Looks good. At first sight I didn't even notice it is the pointing one, which means that it is very consistent.

 

So you'll forgive my confusion about how you now don't even realize it exists?

[New Horizon]

Yes, we've had the compass/lightgem combo for quite some time now. I just don't know if it has been uploaded yet.

[Darkness_Falls]

I would prefer the horizontal bar if we have to choose one of these concepts. I don't like the frilly wires extending out from any of them, though. Actually, same with the light gem. Adds unnecessary frills, when we're trying to minimalize.

EDIT: In-game, I'm sure the subtle frills will be fine.

Edited March 14, 2005 by Darkness_Falls

[Macsen]

I think we might be taking this 'minimalist' thing a bit too far. We don't have to squeeze everything onto a postage stamp.

Edited March 14, 2005 by Macsen