Various graphics tricks

[Igoreso]

Here I suggest to discuss various graphics tricks (effects, HUD etc) you would like to see. Discuss and post you own ideas!

For example I suggest to use HUD movement as in Bullerstorm. It means

1) floating messages - adjust messages' position relatively to event's position (watch this video, pay attention to messages and how they move)

and 2) "inertia" - adjust whole HUD position according to a camera (in this video around 1:40 pay attention to bullets counter and how it moves when view turns or screen shakes).

IMHO static HUD is the past. Just imagine this in Carmageddon: someone bumps you and HUD shakes, some event happens (e.g. you kill someone) - you see floating message. Not only it looks nice, but adds a bit of immersion.

So what do you think of that? And also don't forget to post your own ideas!

[Kamikadze]

I quite like static hud with minimum necessary information. I think that the "event´s position" will be usually around the front bumper a I really don´t need to know, which one just gave me +300 splatter and which one +600 artistic impression bonus, making mess on my monitor with messages popping all around. When done properly, it might be OK, but I like these things clean and simple. There will be enough action, no need for extra action on the hud.

[sixor]

just give us options, i want cero HUD, unlike NFS shift 1 2 it fill the screen with so much crap

i want only blood on my screen, but if i want i can add more stuff, just don´t force it

[Asphalt Snake]

I vote for dark and static HUD. No stupid flashes please. Only metal and blood on my screen.

[Igoreso]

Well making big messages and big HUD elements already makes a mess on a screen, SO if whole HUD will be kept small & minimal and floating messages would be small (e.g. half the size of ones from Bulletstorm) - it all would look pretty nice.

And about minimalistic HUD. This idea can be found in same Bulletstorm and a bunch of other games. Idea is:

1) Keep number of HUD elements minimal. E.g. do we still need speedometer? We could only show it in cockpit view. Map? Do we need it at all? If you want it - it could be replaced with something more interactive. Our "current" opponent? What, really? Our current amount of upgrades? That's sooo important. You got the idea. Trim the fat.

2) Hide elements when they're not in use. For example I don't always need to know if one of my wheels got hit. Same about money, number of kills & wasted cars etc.

All in all having minimal and seeing only necessary elements at a time + blood on a screen would make perfect immersion and fun. Don't get me wrong here - I don't like the idea of turning games into movies, no thanks, but keeping distractions to the minimum and adding little effects is always nice.

[Errol]

In C2 you could adjust the hud through many different modes, even turning it off completely. Minimal hud removes most of the things you mention Igoreso and the map could be toggled on and off too.

So really, you're just asking for the Splatter bonus/Nice shot sir/what a punt messages to appear over the ped in question. Personally I'd find text appearing all over the place as immersion breaking, a nice consistent location allows me to tune it out if I want to.

Each to his own though.

[Carmageddon]

I hate when the HUD moves around or changes unnecessarily, it's both a distraction and can make it harder to have a quick look at information you want since it's bouncing/moving/changing etc.

Making the HUD "part of the game" rarely works and even then it has to be the right kind of game, for example with something like Crysis where the HUD is part of the suit you're wearing. Otherwise it's at best a distraction.

[jimccar]

eh, I could go either way, but I would like some kind-of damage feed back. Perhaps similar to COD or NFS Shift when you get hit the screen goes blurry and B&W