[Suggestion] Small changes in status bar when out of ammo

[JNechaevsky]

An idea of making some changes in status bar graphics when player is out of ammo. Here's an example mockup: http://i.imgur.com/mIgRC2j.png

I think the most good looking is "Darkened (zero ammo only)", because of following logic:

• We have 6/7 weapons, we have available maximum 600 ammo for this, and they can not be loosed. But '0' ammo is completely useless.

However, darkening must be very slightly for preventing too much "non-canonical contrast" in status bar.

[bradharding]

Not sure about this, to be honest. I'm reluctant to change the status bar (and more than I have already, of course!), leaving such innovations for the HUD and alternate HUD.

[JNechaevsky]

Oh, no problem. I will take take a closer look into alternate HUD, maybe I can offer something interesting there.

[JNechaevsky]

Okay, I have done some research. Not much I can suggest here, since alt. HUD is looking pretty unique and barely require any changes. But maybe this...

• Add icons for amplification visor and rad. suit. Something like on this mockup: http://i.imgur.com/lFa1TRE.png

Since they are tech stuff, they maybe recognized by Doomguy's HUD. Unfortunately I have no idea how to make nice appearance of other artifacts like berserk, invulnerability and invisibility, they are looking absolutely bad with both white only / white+black colors, so maybe this idea is not good at all.

[bradharding]

I've toyed around with this idea before, but couldn't settle on designs for all the powerups (since I'd want to keep them mono). If I was to implement this, I'd put them between the player's weapon and the right side of the ammo bar.

[ryan-sg]

JNechaevsky's mockup made me wonder about the possibility of having bars similar to health/armor/ammo, but for time duration of said powerup.

Putting the powerup in between the ammo and the weapon the ammo bar refers to sounds like it might look a bit confusing? I might not have pictured it correctly in my head, though :-)

[JNechaevsky]

@bradharding, hmm, I was thinking about horizontal placement, but for some reason rejected this idea. Looks likes because of possible overlaying white HUD sprites on wide BFG sprite, which may look not so good.

But okay, I think I have to offer something for horizontal placement. To prevent overlaying on BFG, the logic can be something like - let technical stuff (suit and visor, maybe also gained automap) be placed on the right side, and let spiritual stuff (berserk, invisibility and invulnerability) be placed on the left side, like this:

http://i.imgur.com/PI7eDDQ.png

But yeah, mono color for spheres is bad idea. Maybe just 2-3-4 colors, like on soft fading on health/ammo bars. I think I can handle this, at least I can try, but better to know exact necessary sizes first.

[JNechaevsky]

Wait-wait-wait, regarding @ryan-sg's idea! I think, powerup bars may be placed right below HUD sprites, something like this: http://i.imgur.com/YSr5oUk.png

Another questions are:

• Must they be permanent white or colored just like health/ammo bars?
• Must they softly fade with powerup itself, or be permanent it translucency?
• And most important: will it look aesthetically if automap/berserk will not have these bars?

[ryan-sg]

Those are some nifty mockups @JNechaevsky, both of them!