HUD suggestions and Satelite Map View

[EmissionGeneration 10]

This is a continuation of the Topics "Ability to hide or Minimize more of the HUD" and "Nice Concept, but Lack of Freedom" with a added extra Suggestion of the ability to use a Satelite Map.

Quotes from Ability to hide or Minimize more of the HUD:

Personally, I would enjoy the Scientific HUD Markers being Removed Completely. Those big bright Circled around the Rock or the Ground just ruin the Beauty of the Game. In all honesty we only need a single Cross like the normal Waypoint Marker on the Rock or the Area, and the rest is self explanatory. This is meant to be a game about Science, so I'm pretty sure the people who will purchase it will not need these bad looking blobs on the area of interest for us to work out if that's what we are meant to be analyzing or not.

Well originally they were not there, however for small areas where you had to take a drill sample for example, it was twitchy, as it did not indicate exactly where you should be analyzing. This was essentially the only way it could be solved in an absolute fashion.

Quote from Nice Concept, but Lack of Freedom:

Waypoints are understandable in many Games, and especially this one, however I believe they could be replaced by Co-Ordinates. This way, you are more on the Exploration side of doing Career Mode rather than following from Point [A] to Point . Although Co-Ordinates will basically be Point [A] to Point , it will add more of a challenge and the need to think and plan your Mission.

So I've been doing some thinking and have put together some Screenshots with added Features and explanations. [Again though, if any of this is already on the Planning Board, just ignore me] =]

Image 1:

In this Image we are seeing:

1: A more Detailed Mission Description that says which Science Equipment needs to be used, and the Co-Ordinates of the Target Location.

2: From bottom to top - Orange Bar is your Current Co-Ordinates. The Green Bar above that is where you can enter in Cordinates for maybe Interesting Locations you or anyone else has found and shared. The button is used for when you enter Co-Ordinates in the Green bar, it will automatically drive you to that location [and I do believe you guys have spoken about adding that feature later on]. Above that, is a compass of course, to help find your way around.

3: Added at the bottom of the Camera's is a Map Option [which is explained more later on].

4: Under the basic HUD menu are a few extra buttons to manipulate the HUD in your own playing style [Explained through Image 2 - 4].

Image 2:

1: So in Image 1, we were in the usual Instrument HUD menu, which showed us the Area of Interest for our Science with the large circle. When we click on the Standard HUD at the top, we still see the Location for the Area of Interest that we need to Analyze.

Image 3:

1 - 2: So while we are in the Standard HUD Mode, we click on the "ANALYZE" button underneath, which while keeping us in the Standard HUD, also brings up our Instrument Screen.

3: Under the Target Distance, we see text that lets us know which Instrument needs to be used.

Image 4:

1 - 2: Turning on the Middle button, will completely disable the Waypoint Markers, but you can still toggle your Science Equipment on and off while in this Mode. This would be for the player who would be more interested in finding their own way around without following Waypoints, and will need to rely on the Compass and Co-Ordinates.

Image 5:

1: So we are controlling the Rovers from our Command Centers, so we have all the information available at our Hands, but we don't seem to while controlling the Rover itself. So using the Satelite Data we have of Mars, we click on the Map button, that shows us the surrounding area of our Location.

2: In the Corner is our Current Co-Ordinates, the Mission Target's, and also a Mouse over Co-Ordinate where you mouse over on the Map and shows us what the Co-Ordinates are. The Map could be used for people who are not 100% comfortable with only using Co-Ordinates for moving around, and would like a "in-between" difficulty.

So with this Quote from Dram:

Well originally they were not there, however for small areas where you had to take a drill sample for example, it was twitchy, as it did not indicate exactly where you should be analyzing. This was essentially the only way it could be solved in an absolute fashion.

I'm confused if you mean that it was twitchy because the Game was not Registering it, or it was just harder to pin point the location without having the markers there. In all honesty though, wouldn't this be possible with setting the Opacity to 0% for some of the Modes I have suggested, so the Game still registers it as being there, but we just cannot see them. Personally, I don't mind if I end up Analyzing the wrong thing, I'll just soldier on and move around abit until I get it correct.

I do hope this is taken into consideration, as I would love to see this Concept go far with a high Replayability level for all who wish to pick it up.

Thanks. =]

[dram 14]

I meant twitchy as in it appeared you were within the correct zone, but you were just outside it, and thus could not complete it. This is not a problem for an APXS with unlimited uses, but a Drill with several uses would be loathsome.

I like your suggestions however, some of those will definitely be taken on board.