UT3 HUD - Things that need fixed

Post by **R.Flagg** » Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:53 pm

This is probably an incomplete list of the things that ought to be Options that players can remove from the UT3 HUD, but sadly, they are not. At least not yet, as far as I know.

These should have been standard options in a game like UT3. Actually, some of these things are so ridiculously redundant that they never should have existed in the first place (ie: Vehicle names that pop up when you enter them are an example that comes to mind. I can clearly see which vehicle I entered - as a matter of fact, you could tell even if the vehicle was invisible). Just how dumb does Epic thing the average gamer is today?

In-Game User Manual (HUD text instructions telling you how to play the game)
weapon and vehicle 'pickup' names
middle-screen death message
white arrows
billboards over players
shine-thru-the-map node signs
player VOIP portraits
HUD 'doll'
crosshair changing with each weapon
crosshair color changing when you damage someone (bugged anyway)
crosshair "growing" when you pick up stuff
Glowskins (remove or at least ability to adjust)

and we need;
custom crosshairs
option to scale down HUD size
sorta related, the ability to scroll view when in vehicles

And there just might be more I forgot. I'll be watching for fixes through Epic or mutators and share with you if I find them. Please do the same if you see something. Or maybe something I have listed actually can be turned off? If so, please correct me.

Edit: Here is a mild example of what I'm calling the In-Game User Manual;

None of those text messages should be there. Or at the very least, allow them to be turned off. Each of them you should already know, or are redundant because you're already being shown in the mini-map. You should know how to play, and you should know the map.

One possible exception - with the current HUD - is the one telling you are carrying the orb. Obviously in 3rd person (on the hoverboard) you don't need the message, but in first person maybe you do. But that's only because with the current HUD, you can tell your orb is being carried, but they could improve it so that you could tell if it was you or not. And do away with the in-game user manual.

And again, that's a mild example. If we really tried, we could come up with an actual in-game screenshot that is practically filled with instructions (text or otherwise).

Deathstorm · Post by **Deathstorm** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:26 pm

Well it matches console games, but they could have kept the PC version undumbed down. I hate how "limited" the settings are. Really epic, PC users can understand settings, I have UT3 tweaker so I can get to more settings.

XYZ8000 · Post by **XYZ8000** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:08 pm

I agree, Epic should have made all these options deactivable. I really don't like how this game turned into a kiddie shooter for consoles, Epic should have worked a lot on providing customization rather than standardizing everything to make it suitable to consoles.
Some of the stuff listed can be useful (for example crosshair color change on hit, or shrink when picking up stuff), but it should definitely be deactivable anyway - while playing UT GOTY I didn't have any of that stuff, yet I found the game very fun nonetheless...
The thing I dislike the most are the menus, why not UWindows in the PC version???

Post by **R.Flagg** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:50 am

XYZ8000 wrote:The thing I dislike the most are the menus, why not UWindows in the PC version???

UWindows may actually be coming. Won't be from Epic of course, but SolidSnake is working on it. So sure, not as nice has having it built into the game, but at least we might still be able to have them.

Deathstorm · Post by **Deathstorm** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:45 pm

Plus the annoncer says the f word instead of f*ck right? Then there is the blood issue, I have it at full gore on UT3 tweaker & can I say it "wow" good thing it is so toned down I might of had nightmares!!! Come on epic, rate a game M & give us that!!!! Sorry off topic. I just want to know why we got the consolized menus? Q4 has a console version also, but the PC version has the PC options menu in the game.

Kyllian · Post by **Kyllian** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:48 pm

I've noticed the "xhair growing when you pick stuff up" gripe in a lot of different forums.
What I find odd about that is that 2k4 did the exact same thing, the xhair would pulse up to a 2x scale then shrink back to normal

After a while, I stopped noticing it in 2k4 and I barely notice it in UT3

Bruce9950 · Post by **Bruce9950** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:42 am

I agree Flagg those darn white arrows are driving me nuts,And i know this is old news but they outright stole our hooverboard.Are we going to keep the hooverboard in Chaos for UT-3? they really after all this time could of bundled some better maps ,i quess that will come with time.

Kaboodles · Post by **Kaboodles** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:56 am

Bruce9950 wrote:I agree Flagg those darn white arrows are driving me nuts,And i know this is old news but they outright stole our hooverboard.Are we going to keep the hooverboard in Chaos for UT-3? they really after all this time could of bundled some better maps ,i quess that will come with time.

Oh come on now. Hoverboards aren't really an original Chaos idea. Plus, the implementation was better, in my opinion.

Post by **R.Flagg** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 6:17 am

Ya, and sentient goo made perfect sense.

Anyway, that's old news.

As far as the UT3 usage, I'd have to disagree. Anytime you introduce 100% auto-aim - as well as the in-game user manual (Fire Grapple Now!), that's a combo platter of suckage. In my humble opinion of course. I believe that's UT3's console design showing itself. Not sure why, I keep hearing about how even on consoles average age of gamers keeps climbing... but I guess that's another conversation entirely.

Bruce, as far as CUT3 hoverboards, that probably depends on if we get around to HyperCTF again or not. Because if we do, it might involve a custom hoverboard. I would very much like to, but we'll have to see how things go.

Kyllian · Post by **Kyllian** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 8:58 am

R.Flagg wrote: Bruce, as far as CUT3 hoverboards, that probably depends on if we get around to HyperCTF again or not. Because if we do, it might involve a custom hoverboard. I would very much like to, but we'll have to see how things go.

I wouldn't mind seeing a CUT version of the hoverboard, change some stuff from default and add new tweaks

Post by **R.Flagg** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 12:18 pm

Definitely have something in mind...

Just depends on whether or not we get that far.

Forgot to reply to this last time;

Kyllian wrote:I've noticed the "xhair growing when you pick stuff up" gripe in a lot of different forums.
What I find odd about that is that 2k4 did the exact same thing, the xhair would pulse up to a 2x scale then shrink back to normal

After a while, I stopped noticing it in 2k4 and I barely notice it in UT3

To be fair, I wasn't trying to list things that would make the game the same as UT2004. These are merely things that this game needs. Sorta like mid-game map voting. It may not have been standard in UT2004, but that was a few years ago. We have every reason to have expected Epic to include it this time around. But sadly they didn't, and somebody else is taking care of it for them. I'm hoping the same can happen with options like these.

XYZ8000 · Post by **XYZ8000** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:19 pm

Looks like White Arrows Of Death will be deactivable in patch 2. There are also some other nice fixes... but not everything is solved yet.

http://forums.beyondunreal.com/showpost ... ostcount=1