Floor/Passanger/open/buttoned GUI v4 design

[Vinnart]

I have been refining this design of the GUI area to be able to show FLOOR/PASSENGER status for troops, and OPEN/BUTTONED for armor and vehicles. Having this information shown in the GUI is quicker than having to move, and adjust camera areas around at times to find this info out. In order to fit this information in I recommend the experience level be reduced into fitting to the little box next to it which is wasted space at present. The experience levels follow in line to what the player already associates in the use of white (average),red(bad), and green(good) borders in association of modifiers. Since experience is a modifier it seems to fit logically to putting into the box along with the other modifiers. To fit into the box I feel letters which stands for the experience are distinctive, and concise enough. My boxes are shown a bit heavy because of the way I made them which is with the paint bucket tool, and would be the same weight as the game uses. In following the pattern already established the experience would be as follows:

Red box border and yellow letters for Conscript “C”, and Green “G”

White box border and white letters for Regular “R”,and Veteran “V”

Green box border and yellow letters for Elite “E”(shown in pic), and Crack “K”.

The 3rd feature uses the best of both worlds for the unit ammo area. Integers are good for when more precise information is needed, and color for more general information at a glance. This system uses red, yellow, green.

GREEN = ammo is at least at 50% of what max load out can be for that unit and type of ammo

Type turns to YELLOW for when that ammo drops below 30%

Type turns to RED for when that ammo drops below 15%

What this does is alert the player at a GLANCE of the ammo SITREP. If indicator turns red it will catch the attention of the player, and now may be a good time to be more concerned with the actual integer count. This works basically how colored text is used in the equipment damage vehicle panel. When your eye notices red something is up. Other than that, when something is green it does not require the player much attention when it comes to the actual ammo count as green means they are good. Cmx1 used a similar logic of using both colored bars and integers to give the player a clearer picture of the SITREP both at a glance, and with detail when needed.

I think this is a winner to please all. You see the type stays white, and the AMMO LEVEL INDICATOR is now small circles of red, green, and yellow. This solves the problem for color blind person, while helping those with poor vision like myself who do not want to keep squinting to read the integers especially when not necessary unless ammo is getting low which will tell the player at a glance by the showing of the color indicator.

The colored bars, and icons from CMSF were good in that they told the player the ammo sitrep at a GLANCE, which is especially important for RTS play, BUT this alone was too vague. OK, I am down to 1 red bar, well what does that mean? I’m low but do I have 5 rounds? 10 rounds? 0 rounds left? This is a good use of color red= bad, green = good, but does not give the more detailed story when necessary. So, integers were needed, BUT now we lost the color that gives the at a GLANCE. This gives it all, and once again we see CMx1 had it best, both color and text together to give the at a glance, and detail when needed. NOW WE HAVE IT ALL!

These are just some of those great features from Cmx1 that will make the Cmx2 Gui all that much better.

[Hawkmek]

This looks great! I am using your current UI updates now and they make it so much easier to track things at a glance.

I am especially interested in the OPEN/CLOSE upgrade. I am never really sure and I spend too much time reopening hatches or inadvertently closing them.

Thanks for all your hard work!

[G B Scurlock]

Is this a mod? Is it in the Repository?

[Lt Bull]

These are just some of those great features from Cmx1 that will make the Cmx2 Gui all that much better.

Oh dear. Please don't let BFC catch you saying that.

[Vinnart]

@ Hawk, glad you are finding the animated text mod practical. That is how it is designed to be.

@GB. No it is not a mod, nor is this possible to mod. The pic is a concept design at this point.