HUD elements: which are essential, delightful, superfluous?

[Wildeblood]

By leaving out all the combat related elements, I've got my green-alert HUD down to a very clean look: just scanner, compass and a few gauges. The most useless HUD dials to me are the yaw, pitch and roll indicators; I never look at them and often just leave them out of the HUD completely. Obviously others will disagree. I'm interested to read others' opinions about which HUD dials are over- or under-rated?

[Cmdr. Maegil]

You forgot to put an option to do both 1 and 2 - that would be my vote. (Oh, it's done!)

I agree that the manoeuvre dials are useless by themselves; besides, if you have to manoeuvre, your eyes are bound to be elsewhere.

[Mauiby de Fug]

The only time I ever get around to looking at the pitch indicator is if I'm doing a manual misjump. Apart from that I have no real use for them...

[m4r35n357]

Firstly, credit to the MilHUD, the foundation on which I start. I like to keep the pixel count down so I can see more of the game (I have even got rid of the gauge surrounds and narrowed the gauges themselves), but I also find it adds to the atmosphere to dim the HUDs according to threat level using the overall alpha settings (red 80%, yellow 60%, green 40%, beautifully understated). Just a few scanner colour adjustments, and there you go, the perfect HUD

[snork]

no vote from me, as I have no opinion on this yet.
But definitely interesting ideas to me.

I agree that the manoeuvre dials are useless by themselves;

But they are also the cutest ones ? (I have roll and dive combined in a cross-style display).

[Commander McLane]

No vote from me as well. I've never desired another HUD since the Cobra Courier types of HUD came out years ago. When someone helped me to put the name and picture of my Imperial Courier on it the issue was settled for life.

[Cody]

I use an opaque instrument panel (Fighter Hud), and the simple pulse laser gunsight... I need nothing else.

[Cmdr Wyvern]

The pitch/roll/yaw indicators are unnecessary, IMHO. The pilot can easily tell how it's turning just by looking out the view or watching the compass.

The most important instruments in a fight are STE, missile stores, weapon temp, shields, and energy.

[CaptSolo]

I can't find a suitable choice either. I have tinkered with huds all too much but happy for the moment. I have adopted Thargoids genericHUDswitch script so when docked the normal hud is replaced with a friendly message from the station. Otherwise, the hud is rather minimalist so I can see more of the action.

[CommonSenseOTB]

I didn't vote. My insights are my own.

[Smivs]

I think the layout is as important as what's shown. When you really need info (in combat) you need specific info (weapons and defences) together where you can take it all in instantly and without distracting yourself from the action. This is why I've spent weeks developing and tweaking my 'perfect' HUD, then adapting it to my ship.
Clearly labelled and logically grouped...elegant simplicity.

[Makara]

Agreed on the pitch/roll indicators - they can very much be tucked off to one side. Although I am used to the binary on/off nature of keyboard maneuvering...

While I do find it interesting to see some of the things being done with HUDs recently (and I may chase up that script of Thargoid's that Capt Solo mentioned) I still haven't seen one to beat the clarity of ClymAngus's MedusaHUD (slightly tweaked for text position in my case):


The info you want, where you want it

[Wildeblood]

The info you want, where you want it

I don' know, it's not immediately obvious which info is which. What are the two red bars in the screen centre, I assume one is laser temperature?

[Makara]

I don' know, it's not immediately obvious which info is which. What are the two red bars in the screen centre, I assume one is laser temperature?

Yep - Speed on the left, Laser temp on the right.
Personally I prefer a gentler approach to labelling - with most gauges you get used to what they represent within a minute or so, so don't really need the labels after then. Possibly the Medusa goes a bit too far in that direction for some people's tastes, with Altitude being the only gauge labelled, but once the Speed/Laser Temp left/right thing has been stated I'd wager most Ooliteers would correctly say which gauge is which for the rest of the HUD (especially if I had been maneuvering in the screenshot )

Edit: Does anyone know where that script of Thargoid's is listed? Couldn't find it as an OXP so assume it is a tweak on the boards somewhere

[Wildeblood]

Edit: Does anyone know where that script of Thargoid's is listed? Couldn't find it as an OXP so assume it is a tweak on the boards somewhere

You can yank it out of KillerWolf's generic dynamic HUD or MilHUD or similar. (Sigh.)