Simply a suggestion:
- Make changes to target lock information and visualizations.
Too often, especially in large battles, target locking is exceedingly difficult to manage in a quick and concise manner. For instance, sometimes the lock falls to a nearby ship that is not the desired target, or the lock misses entirely. Of course, there are hotkey assignments to help with more precise target locking, but these are also not accurate in some cases. Additionally, the locked target can be difficult to identify, especially when there is a large battle raging.
Suggestion: Visually make targets stand out against background components; add a rotating marker around the locked ship or provide extra decals to help expose hard to see locks.
2) Alter the HUD peripheal information to highlights objects of interest.
Sure, the HUD can be customized to feature/hide certain information, but the symbols are too difficult to see (mostly in very large battles) and react to quickly. For instance, when trying to locate a bomb or beacon in the midst of allies/enemies, one must scan for a moment to locate the small symbol for the object in question. Even for target locks, the symbol is very small and hard to locate in fierce battles, making it difficult to track information quickly.
Suggestion: Revamp scaling of objects in HUD to indicate importance, and enhance graphics for objects of interest.
3) Overall, simplify the HUD elements into a clear, controllable system that contains adequate information that one would expect from such a futuristic game.
The HUD feels somewhat basic, and of course, it can be made to contain a lot of information. However, the mass of information is overwhelming, and the minimal information is REALLY minimal. Perhaps there is a way to change the way the information is presented in the first place to give enough information to the pilot without infringing on screen space.
Suggestion: Rework HUD layout and promote Developer-Player collaboration and discussion for the development of the new HUD. Since the release of Open Space, there is much to be revised and added so players can be made more aware of their surroundings with a more controlled HUD and UI environment.
Opinions, thoughts?