Game interface, are we REALLY in 2010?
by Kyrah Abattoir · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 03/29/2010 (2:50 pm) · 15 replies
--NOTE: I started these as a serie of blogs, but that wasn't the proper place so i'm copying them here--
With games becoming more immersive today one may wonder why interfaces seems to be lagging a good decade behind. We now have breathtaking FPS games with gorgeous animated arsenals, but for some reasons the interface remain the typical "glued on" 2D HUD.
Now, don't get me wrong, there ARE games where the 2D interface is justified, but in many immersive FPS games, you can see some of your character, it's weapon, it's hands, sometimes it's feets.
Obviously, fading out the interface is not easy, and in many cases it isn't as practical as a 2D interface, but this isn't about being practical, if your game is all about the experience of the player, freeing the "glass window" from the usual clutter (health bars, ammo count, etc), that's also part of creating an immersive game.
It seems to be easier in futuristic games, mainly because the game objects can be tailored to this effect:
DOOMIII:
-the machine gun has a little liquid crystal display under the sight to track ammo count.
-Most computers and keypads are drawn in 3D directly on the object and let you interact with them with your cursor as soon as you are close enough.
METRO2033:
-The gas mask filter level is symbolised by your wrist watch, which you can bring up (colored dials show you how long you have left and the character set the watch each time he puts his mask on), your breathing also becomes more and more laborious as your filter gets depleted.
-Likewise, your gas mask glass show impacts and scratches as it degrade in combat.
-You wear a set of 3 LED lights on your watch that tells you if you are hidden in the dark.
-There is no life bar, your character vision and sounds give you a rough evaluation of your health.
-most weapons have "open" clips and magazines, while not always giving you an exact count you can clearly see when you are about to run out of ammo.
Strangely these two games STILL have a 2D HUD for some information, which tend to support my theory that those attempts at fading the interface are nothing more than gimmicks or "failed" attempts.
I feel that having subtle, vague indicators instead of precise gauges and counters slightly change the player dynamic in an interesting way. Evaluating your vital signs and the current state of your equipment becoming a game of it's own.
"Will you take this painkiller syringe right now or would you rather wait?"
Right now I'm waiting for a game that heighten this concept way past the level of a simple gimmick, here is an example, but keep in mind it's an extreme case:
As soon as the start up screens/intro movie are gone you are sent directly in the game, maybe in some kind of little shack, if there is a tutorial on the controls it would be a good moment to play it.
There would be a bed offering you to exit the game, a tape player to see the game credits, a stack of radio equipment with dials to adjust your sound, video settings and controls. And the door of the shack would let you start a new game/continue to your last save point (if there is such a thing), a pile of files on a disk would represent your save files and let you manage them.
In the game itself, accessing your inventory would make your character take a knee, and unroll his backpack in front of him, where you could see all the stuffs you are currently carrying, the game wouldn't pause during backpack time (this is in many games, and i can understand the reasons, but lets stick to our immersive fps concept), but you could stand back up immediately without packing up if a threat present itself (you would still have to pack up later).
Facial equipments (glasses, masks, night vision equipment) would restrict your vision in a more subtle way than the plain "cardboard cutout", scratches in the glass, warping of the peripheral view, an actual "3D" frame that would shake lightly when running, maybe some frosting on the side (if the game is in a cold climate)
I got a little carried away, but i think i presented my point. It's 2010, interfaces shouldn't take screen space anymore. Make us forget that we are playing a game!
With games becoming more immersive today one may wonder why interfaces seems to be lagging a good decade behind. We now have breathtaking FPS games with gorgeous animated arsenals, but for some reasons the interface remain the typical "glued on" 2D HUD.
Now, don't get me wrong, there ARE games where the 2D interface is justified, but in many immersive FPS games, you can see some of your character, it's weapon, it's hands, sometimes it's feets.
Obviously, fading out the interface is not easy, and in many cases it isn't as practical as a 2D interface, but this isn't about being practical, if your game is all about the experience of the player, freeing the "glass window" from the usual clutter (health bars, ammo count, etc), that's also part of creating an immersive game.
It seems to be easier in futuristic games, mainly because the game objects can be tailored to this effect:
DOOMIII:
-the machine gun has a little liquid crystal display under the sight to track ammo count.
-Most computers and keypads are drawn in 3D directly on the object and let you interact with them with your cursor as soon as you are close enough.
METRO2033:
-The gas mask filter level is symbolised by your wrist watch, which you can bring up (colored dials show you how long you have left and the character set the watch each time he puts his mask on), your breathing also becomes more and more laborious as your filter gets depleted.
-Likewise, your gas mask glass show impacts and scratches as it degrade in combat.
-You wear a set of 3 LED lights on your watch that tells you if you are hidden in the dark.
-There is no life bar, your character vision and sounds give you a rough evaluation of your health.
-most weapons have "open" clips and magazines, while not always giving you an exact count you can clearly see when you are about to run out of ammo.
Strangely these two games STILL have a 2D HUD for some information, which tend to support my theory that those attempts at fading the interface are nothing more than gimmicks or "failed" attempts.
I feel that having subtle, vague indicators instead of precise gauges and counters slightly change the player dynamic in an interesting way. Evaluating your vital signs and the current state of your equipment becoming a game of it's own.
"Will you take this painkiller syringe right now or would you rather wait?"
Right now I'm waiting for a game that heighten this concept way past the level of a simple gimmick, here is an example, but keep in mind it's an extreme case:
As soon as the start up screens/intro movie are gone you are sent directly in the game, maybe in some kind of little shack, if there is a tutorial on the controls it would be a good moment to play it.
There would be a bed offering you to exit the game, a tape player to see the game credits, a stack of radio equipment with dials to adjust your sound, video settings and controls. And the door of the shack would let you start a new game/continue to your last save point (if there is such a thing), a pile of files on a disk would represent your save files and let you manage them.
In the game itself, accessing your inventory would make your character take a knee, and unroll his backpack in front of him, where you could see all the stuffs you are currently carrying, the game wouldn't pause during backpack time (this is in many games, and i can understand the reasons, but lets stick to our immersive fps concept), but you could stand back up immediately without packing up if a threat present itself (you would still have to pack up later).
Facial equipments (glasses, masks, night vision equipment) would restrict your vision in a more subtle way than the plain "cardboard cutout", scratches in the glass, warping of the peripheral view, an actual "3D" frame that would shake lightly when running, maybe some frosting on the side (if the game is in a cold climate)
I got a little carried away, but i think i presented my point. It's 2010, interfaces shouldn't take screen space anymore. Make us forget that we are playing a game!
About the author
3D artist, programmer, game designer, jack of all trades, master of none.
#2
Interfaces are my passion. The problem is that most games treat them as something you do just because you have too. And the easiest way to do an interface is simple 2D graphics. I was talking to JC Smith about this very concept back in june or maj 09 for repop.
I would love to see a more FPS like MMO where the interface is merged in the world. Unfortunately the interface is a vital part of the game that can make or break the game. And immersion savvy interfaces might not always be the best for the game.
When you design an interface, you have to take in to consideration the expectations of the player from what he/she have experienced in the past. The learning curve can't be too steep, or else the player will simply quit the game before he/she ever gets started. Bad interface design have turned many promising titles to dust.
Case:
Take Tabula Rasa for instance. Their interface was well polished, and from a design perspective made a lot of sense. But since it was ahead of it's time the players had a hard time grasping how they should interact with the game. And I would say that, that fact was one of the main reasons why they never got a steady player base.
Doom III
Quake IV
Metro 2033
Farcry 2
shattered Horizon
gears of war(?)
and I think Crysis
all have integrated interfaces in the game world in one way or another.
It is definitely the future of GUI to be integrated in the game world. But should for now only be used where it makes sence.
One more game I came to think about is 'Vietcong', in that game your heartbeat was your critical health indicator. While the idea worked a lot of the time, it would fail in some situations.
03/29/2010 (4:24 pm)
Bookmarked.Interfaces are my passion. The problem is that most games treat them as something you do just because you have too. And the easiest way to do an interface is simple 2D graphics. I was talking to JC Smith about this very concept back in june or maj 09 for repop.
I would love to see a more FPS like MMO where the interface is merged in the world. Unfortunately the interface is a vital part of the game that can make or break the game. And immersion savvy interfaces might not always be the best for the game.
When you design an interface, you have to take in to consideration the expectations of the player from what he/she have experienced in the past. The learning curve can't be too steep, or else the player will simply quit the game before he/she ever gets started. Bad interface design have turned many promising titles to dust.
Case:
Take Tabula Rasa for instance. Their interface was well polished, and from a design perspective made a lot of sense. But since it was ahead of it's time the players had a hard time grasping how they should interact with the game. And I would say that, that fact was one of the main reasons why they never got a steady player base.
Doom III
Quake IV
Metro 2033
Farcry 2
shattered Horizon
gears of war(?)
and I think Crysis
all have integrated interfaces in the game world in one way or another.
It is definitely the future of GUI to be integrated in the game world. But should for now only be used where it makes sence.
One more game I came to think about is 'Vietcong', in that game your heartbeat was your critical health indicator. While the idea worked a lot of the time, it would fail in some situations.
#3
For example, I'm looking at using a combination of breathing and heartbeat as a health indicator in my project... however, I also want to use both of those to indicate stress and stamina levels :P. A screen-strobing effect might be more appropriate for health, but at some point it will just get irritating (no regenerating health... so do you just let the screen effect sit there for as long as the character's health is low?).
Inventories are an interesting issue - how do you deal with your knowledge versus the character's knowledge? When I'm carrying something in my backpack, I can usually reach in with one hand and find it, without having to look at each individual item - because I know where the item is stored, and my proprioception allows me to reach that spot without looking at what I'm doing. Same with pockets. The character is supposed to know where each item has been stored, and the player is supposed to know - but it's difficult to translate a request across. Having a 'reach into X pocket or Y zipper' minigame doesn't seem immersive or fun when you could just have a UI to let me tell my character 'draw the pistol', since both he and I know where the pistol is.
03/29/2010 (8:40 pm)
I guess the core reason for having a UI is to get across information that is obtained by senses other than sight or sound. Health is a good example. While you can definitely do visual and audio indicators of health level, sometimes they make as little sense as using a number on-screen.For example, I'm looking at using a combination of breathing and heartbeat as a health indicator in my project... however, I also want to use both of those to indicate stress and stamina levels :P. A screen-strobing effect might be more appropriate for health, but at some point it will just get irritating (no regenerating health... so do you just let the screen effect sit there for as long as the character's health is low?).
Inventories are an interesting issue - how do you deal with your knowledge versus the character's knowledge? When I'm carrying something in my backpack, I can usually reach in with one hand and find it, without having to look at each individual item - because I know where the item is stored, and my proprioception allows me to reach that spot without looking at what I'm doing. Same with pockets. The character is supposed to know where each item has been stored, and the player is supposed to know - but it's difficult to translate a request across. Having a 'reach into X pocket or Y zipper' minigame doesn't seem immersive or fun when you could just have a UI to let me tell my character 'draw the pistol', since both he and I know where the pistol is.
#4
It made me feel this kind of "oh shit" moment where you briefly search your med key on your keyboard because you feel that if you do not take it now you won't last the next 10 seconds, that was awesome.
To draw a comparison to real life, i'm sure everybody's pain threshold is different and we would take meds earlier than really needed by our physical condition, based our perception of pain. So in a way it makes sense :)
But yes, i'm not saying to get rid of interfaces, but if you try to create a game (especially FPS) that immerse you in the game world, it's one element you should make disappear in your quest for immersion.
03/30/2010 (3:34 am)
To go back at metro 2033, only after reading strategy guides did I realise your health regenerate slowly, I found the sense of danger it gave you of not having a life bar, and not knowing exactly how much punishment you can take quite refreshing.It made me feel this kind of "oh shit" moment where you briefly search your med key on your keyboard because you feel that if you do not take it now you won't last the next 10 seconds, that was awesome.
To draw a comparison to real life, i'm sure everybody's pain threshold is different and we would take meds earlier than really needed by our physical condition, based our perception of pain. So in a way it makes sense :)
But yes, i'm not saying to get rid of interfaces, but if you try to create a game (especially FPS) that immerse you in the game world, it's one element you should make disappear in your quest for immersion.
#5
03/30/2010 (6:31 am)
A perfect example of a immersed Game interface is Ghostbusters. All of the details are displayed on the pack. If you havent played, i recommend. But even the PKE measurements is shown on the character rather in a 2d display. of course you can go to a 2d screen, but its not totally nessasary for some parts. 
#7
It requires tighter communication between the design team and the interface team. In some cases, this just isn't possible (compressed production schedule, for example.)
Your games primary focus has to be immersion to hit this correctly, and not many games do this well. Some games "say" they're about immersion (Halo, for example) but really they're just multiplayer shooting games. Games like Metroid Prime or even as far back as Silent Hill were focused on immersion, but did it right. Silent hill had a sort of "heartline" Hud that you could only see on the pause screen. Prime had some great post fx based on environments.
But those were both immersive experiences FIRST, shooter/action games second. I don't think it's fair to say most games HUD's suck when they perform correctly.
04/09/2010 (2:50 pm)
Well, a lot of work goes into the interface, and it's hard to achieve the effects you're suggesting.It requires tighter communication between the design team and the interface team. In some cases, this just isn't possible (compressed production schedule, for example.)
Your games primary focus has to be immersion to hit this correctly, and not many games do this well. Some games "say" they're about immersion (Halo, for example) but really they're just multiplayer shooting games. Games like Metroid Prime or even as far back as Silent Hill were focused on immersion, but did it right. Silent hill had a sort of "heartline" Hud that you could only see on the pause screen. Prime had some great post fx based on environments.
But those were both immersive experiences FIRST, shooter/action games second. I don't think it's fair to say most games HUD's suck when they perform correctly.
#8
I found this paper interesting:
"Beyons the hud user interface for increased player immersion in fps games"
http://www.slideshare.net/DICEStudio/beyond-the-hud-user-interfaces-for-increased-player-immersion-in-fps-games
04/13/2010 (1:38 am)
Well i've never been very fond of 2D interfaces, mainly because they eat away my screen space, when i'm playing a game i like to have an unobstructed view, especially in the case of fps games, where the screen space is supposed to be my own field of view.I found this paper interesting:
"Beyons the hud user interface for increased player immersion in fps games"
http://www.slideshare.net/DICEStudio/beyond-the-hud-user-interfaces-for-increased-player-immersion-in-fps-games
#9
04/23/2010 (8:24 pm)
Fable III is currently slated to have no interface. It's not a FPS but I think it might be interesting.
#10
05/14/2010 (3:40 am)
Deadspace never had any 2d hud. All items were on the character or around him.
#11
It IS pretty, but it doesn't strike me as a HUDless design.
To go back on Metro2033, the gasmask glass shader was an awesome effect in itself, it really gave you this feeling of having your head on a glass jar, this made the game world outside of it more real somehow, it was a nice feeling.
I believe this effect worked too in the new Metroid games where you see your face and the inside of the helmet reflecting in the visor when shooting (i think)
09/06/2010 (2:07 am)
I did check deadspace, but i have to disagree, granted it's not pasted on your screen like a sticker, it's still a hud concept, even if it's in 3D.It IS pretty, but it doesn't strike me as a HUDless design.
To go back on Metro2033, the gasmask glass shader was an awesome effect in itself, it really gave you this feeling of having your head on a glass jar, this made the game world outside of it more real somehow, it was a nice feeling.
I believe this effect worked too in the new Metroid games where you see your face and the inside of the helmet reflecting in the visor when shooting (i think)
#12
On to the rest....
If your character isn't wearing some sort of goggles (or implants) which give them a HUD, I really don't see much of a point in having one - a simple health bar type indicator might be fine; or you could just have the screen get darker (or more red) as health goes down.
Concerning vehicles - as someone who has flown in military aircraft monitoring all kinds of indicators/gauges, I want the information presented in the most efficient and easy to read manner as possible. This means that a 2D interface will do for most things, and quite frankly, a simple line drawing does fine as long as it doesn't get lost in the background. I don't really care for the eye-candy 3D "instruments", holographs, etc in some games. They look really nice but aren't efficient (I'm not referring to items such as the above example of how much ammo you have in your clip being displayed the gun model - that's realistic and doesn't detract from the game if implemented properly). The same can also be said when a player's character is wearing a HUD display of some sort.
The example I have of a display in a vehicle I had tried to do was a 3D radar used when the player was flying. On the surface it sounded good, but I played a game with a 3D radar and quickly decided that it flat-out sucked trying to represent a 3D item like a radar on a 2D screen.
Phillip hit the nail right on the head when he spoke of those stinkin' animations. Get rid of the @#$% things.
One of you mentioned that you must give the player a simple way to "feel" what is happening to their character, since the player cannot put himself into the game world to feel such things with all senses. I think this is the central role in the interface (other than making the character do what you want it to), and it should be done following the "keep it simple...stupid" principle.
09/11/2010 (4:18 am)
I think the interface really depends on what your character is wearing or is in. To make it short, any information pertaining to what keeps my character alive and in fighting condition should be able to be read at a very quick glance, so my eyes can remain focused on what I am doing. This also means that audio cues are a very important way to give the player information - such things, like "Bitchin' Betty" exist in the real world. Voice cues and simple tonal cues are very helpful.On to the rest....
If your character isn't wearing some sort of goggles (or implants) which give them a HUD, I really don't see much of a point in having one - a simple health bar type indicator might be fine; or you could just have the screen get darker (or more red) as health goes down.
Concerning vehicles - as someone who has flown in military aircraft monitoring all kinds of indicators/gauges, I want the information presented in the most efficient and easy to read manner as possible. This means that a 2D interface will do for most things, and quite frankly, a simple line drawing does fine as long as it doesn't get lost in the background. I don't really care for the eye-candy 3D "instruments", holographs, etc in some games. They look really nice but aren't efficient (I'm not referring to items such as the above example of how much ammo you have in your clip being displayed the gun model - that's realistic and doesn't detract from the game if implemented properly). The same can also be said when a player's character is wearing a HUD display of some sort.
The example I have of a display in a vehicle I had tried to do was a 3D radar used when the player was flying. On the surface it sounded good, but I played a game with a 3D radar and quickly decided that it flat-out sucked trying to represent a 3D item like a radar on a 2D screen.
Phillip hit the nail right on the head when he spoke of those stinkin' animations. Get rid of the @#$% things.
One of you mentioned that you must give the player a simple way to "feel" what is happening to their character, since the player cannot put himself into the game world to feel such things with all senses. I think this is the central role in the interface (other than making the character do what you want it to), and it should be done following the "keep it simple...stupid" principle.
#13
I have played Rune on top level for years, its fast paced as nothing else I've played. In good matches someones players caracter dies every 4th second or so. So it is vital to be able to see ones health, armor, berserk level, rune power, timeleft, etc. with but a mere glance of the eye to know when a hit with a weapon will kill you, or not.
Had it been plastered in interaction elements, fluff, gadgets or anything else -Rune would have been unplayable.
PS: A static 2D HUD is just like a pair of glasses, they are there, you use them, and they dont annouy you at all.
09/12/2010 (8:12 am)
You cant simply compare rpgish and fpish game huds.I have played Rune on top level for years, its fast paced as nothing else I've played. In good matches someones players caracter dies every 4th second or so. So it is vital to be able to see ones health, armor, berserk level, rune power, timeleft, etc. with but a mere glance of the eye to know when a hit with a weapon will kill you, or not.
Had it been plastered in interaction elements, fluff, gadgets or anything else -Rune would have been unplayable.
PS: A static 2D HUD is just like a pair of glasses, they are there, you use them, and they dont annouy you at all.
#14
I don't think there is such a thing as a clear cut RPGish/FPish delimitation, at least not when it comes to this, the RPG genre does not demand number crunching, the same way FPS games do not demand twitch skills.
They are the current dominant trends yes, but that by no mean makes them the only good way to proceed.
If anything i would do anything to step away from number crunching AND pure twitch skill games.
09/12/2010 (10:08 am)
It's a good point Christian, but I never said every games out there would "just" work without a 2D HUD, like every elements of a game, if you want to make a HUDless game you need to adapt the game to it a little, a game that rely a lot on number crunching won't be useable properly with a "vague" HUDless feedback.I don't think there is such a thing as a clear cut RPGish/FPish delimitation, at least not when it comes to this, the RPG genre does not demand number crunching, the same way FPS games do not demand twitch skills.
They are the current dominant trends yes, but that by no mean makes them the only good way to proceed.
If anything i would do anything to step away from number crunching AND pure twitch skill games.
Associate Phillip O'Shea
Violent Tulip
I'm a big fan of the notion that game huds should be removed completely. It isn't just about immersion, either. Game data can be represented in such interesting ways, its so disappointing to see your remaining ammo count as a single number in the corner of your screen.
On the same side of the coin, however, I don't like the idea of waiting 2-3 seconds for some animation to play just to access an item in my inventory. "Features" like that get repetitive/frustrating really quickly.
Its a tough problem to tackle and I see why many developers just opt for the standard 2D gui representation. Most in-game guis are going to be game specific, so there is a significant cost involved in their development as opposed to a textbox.