Is it possible to declutter the aicraft HUD?

[henrique_rp 10]

Hello guys,

I have been having some real hard time flying online because of the tremendous amount of cluttering information on the HUD of the A10 (that's the aircraft I usually fly).

It appears that with the 1.05 patch a box is drawn over every empty object on the ground, regardless of it having been destroyed or not.

Over cities where lots of tanks have been destroyed on the domination servers, for example, it is extremely difficult to locate what's left and help the guys on the ground, specially heavy weapon emplacements and such, due to the enormous amount of cluttering info in the HUD.

Is there a way to revert the HUD of the aircrafts back to the way they used to be? I mean, without the box being drawn. I see absolutely no purpose on its importance since it will only make to job of the pilot harder.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Steakslim 1]

you running Mando?

[henrique_rp 10]

Hello Steakslim,

I am not using Mando. I only use Arma Launcher because it's easy to launch it and I can skip the splash screen. Other than that it's a regular 1.05 installation.

Let me illustrate it with a few screenshots.

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/9815/arma22010050118465548re.jpg 259 kb

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/8233/arma22010050118471643re.jpg 278 kb

Even after the targets have been destroyed the green boxes are still there. It does absolutely no good, except make it more difficult to spot ground targets.

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/4278/arma22010050118473316re.jpg 196 kb

As you can see, all "empty" objects are highlighted by this box thingy and in target-rich environments such as in the Domination servers, flying an aircraft is an absolute pain. When you fly over a city where you're supposed to CAS the ground troops all you see are this green boxes. Your role becomes rather inefficient for now you have to make out the real targets from the ones that already been destroyed and the green boxes from hell are on your way.

I don't understand the reason to include such a disturbing feature in the hud, when our MarkII eyeballs can do a much better job.

Just wish I could get rid of it completely. :icon_sad:

Edited May 1, 2010 by W0lle
Images > 100 kb

[Steakslim 1]

I see what you mean. It's been a while since I've flown the A10 or other fixed wing in ArmA2, I guess 1.05 changed more than I thought. Hopefully someone might provide more insight.

[jw custom 56]

Well if it's destroyed you can't target it with TAB!

[metsapeikkoo 10]

Doesn't really seem cluttered to me.

[Mafia101 0]

Well this is pretty cool feature actually and those indicators should go off if you destroying object...

Anyway but I have another question... I's there possible to get rid that green crosshair? it's annoying especially when you not zoomed in and it ruins great HUD-s that are all-ready built for planes...

[W0lle 1052]

henrique_rp

Please refrain from hotlinking images > 100 kb here.

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[henrique_rp 10]

I took some more screenshots of a mission you're supposed to destroy some guard posts in a city. This is exactly what we have in target-rich environments.

Honestly, I don't think there's absolutely any use whatsoever to these terrible green boxes, as when you need to make the real targets from regular buildings, those horrible things will stand in your way.

And, Jeez. Does anyone think this HUD is not cluttered with useless information??? :butbut:

@WOLLE

Thank you for the information on the links. I was careful enough to post the images in thumbnail format. Hope this is ok. =)

[Mafia101 0]

Yeah it's hard to see something but, the Idea is good... IMO, HUD and target colours should be different... HUD may stay green but target should be.. I don't know, yellow maybe? And HUD layer should be above target layer :)

[Noraf 0]

@mafia101 :

Being that the target identifier is displayed on the hud, how could it have a different colour that the hud ?

----------------

I can agree on that it's a bit mutch sometimes, yes, but i don't think it should not display destroyed targets, afther all, it's, if i'm not mistaken, a flir input to the hud

[Mafia101 0]

@mafia101 :

Being that the target identifier is displayed on the hud, how could it have a different colour that the hud ?

I don't know :) Just offered one idea... actually I haven't seen yet, how these work in real life so yeah... But indeed... it should not show destroyed targets on HUD

[henrique_rp 10]

This mission I took the SS from is one of those SimHQ missions you can get from armaholic; and I have to say this is not even a REALLY target-rich one.

When you fly on Domination servers, it gets even worse, because the number of ground targets is even higher and more often than not there are friendly troops in the AO and you can't see them. You get the indicator on the screen, but with this much of clutter even that becomes a pain to see. For crying out loud, many times I can't even see the gun crosshair. :mad:

It can't be too difficult for developers to include a switch that could allow us to turn this thing on and off, or get rid of it completely.

[RavoC 10]

At first, which asshole drops so many targets in there, those are all vehicles. Second it are all targets on that position so it shows them all, duh!

[ryguy 10]

This feature is actually quite helpful in air combat if you can only use the radar and not visually see the airplane.

[max power 21]

I's there possible to get rid that green crosshair?

Turn off crosshairs in the difficulty settings, but that also turns them off for everything else too.

[Mafia101 0]

Turn off crosshairs in the difficulty settings, but that also turns them off for everything else too.

Mmm... I play Veteran settings, and I think crosshairs are turned off, but for some reason choppers and planes still have them...

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Yeah, way too many targets at the same location. Seems to be a mission design problem, I wouldn't blame it too much on the hud. Remember that as a pilot you're supposed to work with a CAS operative on the ground directing you, not operate as a soloist.

[HyperU2 11]

If it's square, strafe it. Personally I like knowing where every Kord, etc is.

[henrique_rp 10]

Yeah, way too many targets at the same location. Seems to be a mission design problem, I wouldn't blame it too much on the hud. Remember that as a pilot you're supposed to work with a CAS operative on the ground directing you, not operate as a soloist.

The green boxes idea was nice. Unfortunately, it was not thoroughly tested before release. It's nice indeed when you have a couple of ground targets, like 3 or four tanks and 2 or 3 stationary weapons. However, why would you design a mission like that with 6 targets to be destroyed and still add an A-10 for close air support? That'd be way too much overkill.

An A-10 can easily take care of and entire tank batallion and leave the mopping up to the friendlies on the ground. That's the way it usually works. Now if you even dream of designing a mission like that, you'll make the lives of the pilot such a terrible misery, they'll curse you for three generations to come. :D

The situation gets even worse on the Domination servers, as more often than not there are more than 20 human players, and the situation must be target-rich so everyone gets to do something. If we had only 2 or 3 tanks per city it'd get terribly boring.

And in that server it gets chaotic. It's so densely populated that I can't even make out my crosshair from the rest of the cluttering HUD info.

And what's worse: the green boxes will stay there even after the targets get destroyed. Now, that really makes no sense. :confused_o:

If it's square, strafe it. Personally I like knowing where every Kord, etc is.

The problem here is that with so many green boxes you won't be able to see where your Kord is. When there were no Green Boxes, you could make a low fly-by, zoom in, then orbit around, open the map and check where the fore-mentioned Kord is. Get the mental picture of its position, turn around and try to find that same image down there. Pretty much like navigating on Full-Real IL2-1946 servers. Now, the moment you turn your aircraft to try and locate your soon-to-be-blown-up Kord, all you see is a swarm of Green Boxes. :butbut: And the Kord operator laughing on your face. :butbut:

Well, ironies aside, this thing is pretty nifty, but it does much more harm than good. Just wish I could get rid of it. :confused_o:

[Noraf 0]

imo, the reason the target boxes are still present afther the target is destroyed, is that the computer in the a10 can't differ between a destroyd objeck of interest, and one that isn't destroyed.

Thats for the pilot to figure out :\ if that's a good thing, or bad, i think is a matter of taste.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

The situation gets even worse on the Domination servers, as more often than not there are more than 20 human players, and the situation must be target-rich so everyone gets to do something. If we had only 2 or 3 tanks per city it'd get terribly boring.

Domination is fast paced fun, has nothing to do with realism. Try Domination with a 5 minute respawn period (need to mod it), and you might get more afraid and respect those enemy heavies a little more.

Try Domination without lifting (BHs can't lift most of what they lift in Domination) and teleporting, and be sure to activate limited weapons (not possible in ACE version). Deactivate or reduce enemy armor to get it more sensible. CAS for serious players is a lot more than flying around crazy killing off tanks.

[wamingo 1]

Try Domination with a 5 minute respawn period... etc

And thou shall witness the greatest exodus of arma players to date.

mil sim game != long respawn time, long travel time and other needlessly boring exercises.

mil sim game == Realism minus the boring bits.

Youtube cuts the bull down to the interesting bits + a few seconds of anticipation.

Arma should too. The real world is typically boring.

I agree that a long fight is a fun fight and that being forced to use cover is a good thing and these are arma's strongest points. But the solution is another: An enemy that is more lethal or greater in numbers or a combination.

Sorry for OT. As said in the other thread, I agree with the OP.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Project Reality uses "deterrents" to help improve the gameplay. If deterrents and limited access to stuff via the kit system helps the gameplay on that platform and even attracts players to it, I don't see why similar stuff wouldn't work for Arma.

Anyway, I also said he should try it, not that it should be default, so no exodus :p But a minute might be good enough to help people play more safe. Many here would claim that mil sim game == no respawn, or hardcore. For those that die early here, expect a long wait.

[wamingo 1]

Actually what you said was that there were too many targets and so the fault was on the mission designer.

And I hold little doubt the people you refer to couldn't find the all the hardcore modes they could possibly want -- even if the hud was moderated.