8 replies to this topic

[Rayl]

EDIT: UPDATED POST WITH SIMPLIFIED MENU

I feel that the combat HUD is rather lacking in customization and options. My suggestion is a very simple, straightforward one which would hopefully involve minimal development time to implement: Give players an option menu to toggle which elements of the 'Target Overlay' they wish to have visible (for both locked and UAV/friendly spotted targets). The options could also be divided between friendly/enemy options. The following mock-up image shows how this could be implemented in its simplest form:



The problem with the target overlay is the excessive clutter caused by information overload and the black background boxes behind the text, which obscure vision and often completely cover 'mechs behind them. Allowing players the simple option to select which informational elements for friendly and enemy 'mechs they wish to have visible would greatly reduce clutter, and go a long way toward making the game more customizable. Here is a mock-up example of the clutter reduction using above settings:



I believe that allowing players to toggle these elements would not provide any unfair tactical advantage to anyone, nor do I see any other reason why this could not be implemented, as it it essentially a matter of turning selected elements transparent. Keep it beginner friendly by having all options ON by default and let veterans choose what they want. Personally, I have never had any need to see player names and particularly TITLES, which are a complete waste of screen real-estate. If were added to the game I would be truly overjoyed.

These kinds of very simple ON/OFF options could be easily extended to the other overlay elements: RANGE, DESIGNATION LETTER, VARIANT and HEALTH%. Similarly, this could easily be used for other UI features such as disabling cool-down boxes around the cursor, or disabling critical alert ect.

Thank you for your consideration.

Edited by Rayl, 25 February 2019 - 12:35 PM.

[D V Devnull]

Hi there, Rayl... I could support the "kill switch" for the Player Titles ONLY.

But I would not support the rest, because that information is needed in combat to identify and take down certain Enemy Targets. In particular, those Enemy Targets who can be recognized as being "Drop everything! Get rid of that one NOW, or we lose!" are ones needing to be made painfully clear to Teammates. Allowing disable of anything more than the Player Title would work completely against that, which means that Teams filled with those who disabled their UI Display would be more likely to lose too easily. I don't want to get stuck with Teams who have been able to disable too much of that needed UI Information, because that means I'll get forced to lose along with them, and that is NOT fair to anyone who is actually trying to play and win. People should NOT have to put up with yet another reason that they would have no control over getting forced into repeated losses.

~Mr. D. V. "I'm sorry, but your Idea just goes a little too far. Restrict it to Player Titles ONLY, and we're fine." Devnull

[Rayl]

D V Devnull, on 25 February 2019 - 10:15 AM, said:

In particular, those Enemy Targets who can be recognized as being "Drop everything! ... Allowing disable of anything more than the Player Title would work completely against that,

Allowing disabling of name and title would in no way hinder calling targets, 99% of the time people just call the designation letter(s) anyway. I can see the potential for problems with the other 4 options if people don't know what they are doing, that's why I recommended all options be ON by default for players. But if nothing else, I don't see any harm in disabling name and/or title for those who choose it. EDIT: I've updated OP to keep the options simpler

Edited by Rayl, 25 February 2019 - 12:25 PM.

[Zimm Kotare]

I love the idea, but I see where DV is coming from.

Your example image is quite nice, and a decent compromise. No one needs the player name, and a majority of players might not translate variant into much of value. Leaving distance, chassis and health up should be fine and you could have the rest just when you lock an enemy.

Can't say it's ever been too much of a bother for me as is. But more options, in this context and with some balance, needn't be bad.

[Corqund]

Most players are not developing in this game because they are not looking for and wanting to beat the best enemy. I always want to shoot the best players first. Weaker players don't follow or protect their best teammate. I always want to be near the best players. The information in the hud would be just what it would do, but you don't want to look at it either?

If you remove this information from PGI, players will be even worse.

[Levenstein_]

confused as to how you guys always have those info boxes on, in my game i only have the mech class indicator, no names, what mech, title, etc showing, they only show up when i aim at a guy for a few seconds

[D V Devnull]

Levenstein_, on 25 February 2019 - 05:49 PM, said:

confused as to how you guys always have those info boxes on, in my game i only have the mech class indicator, no names, what mech, title, etc showing, they only show up when i aim at a guy for a few seconds

It's NOT that they're always on. It's that, when the "Target Overlay" Key is being pressed, some people want less things to display on their screen. This would also affect the Target Cursor (or "Reticle") Float when you're pointing at anyone.

Now, I can personally understand that over the clutter of Player Titles. But the rest of that information is very useful, and I tend to pick up on the highest priority and/or deadliest (or most dangerous to ignore) players with it. If people turn off the Player Names as well, then I won't be able to help my Teammates ensure their shots are going on the highest priority and/or deadliest (or most dangerous to ignore) targets whenever we have clean shots on them. One thing's for sure, and that's if you don't cut those highest priority and/or deadliest (or most dangerous to ignore) targets down quickly, then your own Team is going to suffer unwanted (and/or unintended) losses. I'm not the only person who handles battles in this manner however, so leaving too many things to be turned off is going to negatively affect a large number of people.

~Mr. D. V. "There is some merit to this Idea, but it just can not be taken too far in implementation." Devnull

[Worker]

Ok but you're not calling out, "hey guys, shoot at bestMWOplayer3000", you're calling out "focus bravo". I don't care what bravos name is. I don't know mwo players by name. You want to force me to have them on my UI, which they have been for years, and I just don't care what their names are. You want to evaluate targets by name, fine, I'll focus your callouts. But I'm not looking at their names, and if you call out by name it's not going to be as effective. So why do I need them again?

[D V Devnull]

Worker, on 26 February 2019 - 11:12 AM, said:

Ok but you're not calling out, "hey guys, shoot at bestMWOplayer3000", you're calling out "focus bravo". I don't care what bravos name is. I don't know mwo players by name. You want to force me to have them on my UI, which they have been for years, and I just don't care what their names are. You want to evaluate targets by name, fine, I'll focus your callouts. But I'm not looking at their names, and if you call out by name it's not going to be as effective. So why do I need them again?

Guess what... You just ran afoul of one of the people who looks at a Pilot Name, and hollers to the Team to get after that Pilot's Mech on the battlefields, because otherwise we will lose the Match completely if they're ignored. Further, I sometimes miss calling the Target's Designator because of how important it is to squash that one quickly, so it helps for others to be able to see that Pilot Name in order to allow fast focusing. Yeah, I get panicked a little, but isn't that something which happens to most of the Human Populace of our home planet anyway when we're having to hurry? Why should I (or anyone functioning in a similar manner to myself) have to suffer others making the alarm to the Team meaningless because they didn't want to take notice of a very prominent and dangerous Pilot's Name on the battlefields? We should NEVER have to suffer such a choking of the Information Pipeline, and it's literally that simple in terms of Information Warfare if one wishes to survive and win on the battlefields. PGI is NEVER going to hand-hold players and tell them where the biggest threats are, so it's up to us in the Community to help each other in defeating them and surviving beyond. Disabling of Pilot Names ACTIVELY PREVENTS this, and additionally makes it a lot harder to catch and report people who break the Rules, and results in misery for all.

~Mr. D. V. "Maybe NOW you see why I get all worked up over anything more than Disabling Player Titles?" Devnull




[Quick Edit by Post Author because of a single character being accidentally typed in caps.]

Edited by D V Devnull, 28 February 2019 - 05:30 AM.