The HUD? | Forums

[coltcat]

Pretty good idea you have there, I like a deeper AI, regarding Hitman I am excited about it, but don't take devs word for anything about AI, actually that is for any dev, if they say they will make a graphical out break believe them, they got tons of mechanics believe them, they will support their games believe them, but when it comes to AI you need to try it cause most of the time it falls flat

talked with my friend mins ago, we had a perfect picture of the pre-alert guard stage

pre-alert stages
1.normal
2.hun? lets you knows to careful about some noise you've made.
3.hun? then come to take a look (hearing footsteps or slightly sees you in the dark)
4.sensed multiple activities in a row will causing gun wielding. if the area his checking is dark enough, turns the flashlight or weapon light on if they had one, call the near by friends and search the room. but will reset after nothing happens.
5.AI determent theres signs of other pll (you've left permanent trace, a broken lock , a bullet hole on light source that CAN be reach, so the ceiling light dosent count) the level will be informed. whole level's AI will become more sensitive and wielding. (but will reset after certain time passed).
6.any activities being detected while over 4th stage will cause the whole level weapon+flashlight search, so you cant jump into another room as a save zone. and reset to normal route wielding and sharper sense after certain time passes.but AI do realized there they have guest but still couldnt ID you.

one thing in Hitman:A is guards needs to be informs, so if you can KO a guy before his gets on his radio(say it needs 1~2 secs), the whole level wouldnt knows anything.
and if guards dont have radio, they needs screaming and to go to another guards to tell them somethings wrong. you can shut them down by just chase him down before anyone heards it. only effects the scoring system. but not the gameplay.

post-alert stages
since this is a stealth game. not more variation in this one.
1.AI found out a KOed guy or a dead body, started the alarm and start conviction-like sweep in whole level.
2.they've engaged or really ID you and lets you get away. all the AI will hold on fixed cover positon with all lights on just to block you going anyway further, but this shouldnt be the end of game like in CT, they only blocks doorway, so you still might have a little chance to pass them but since they got perfect sensing ability now. using guns will be more risky than ever.

[Andre202]

Actually, the only information you always need is the Light&Shadow meter. The Soundmeter isn't needed when the Sound Designers do their job well and you can hear when you are to loud. As far as I can judge about that, they always did a very good job there!

Other information in the HUD could fade out just like in SCDA.

[Jazz117Volkov]

@ Sage:

I think desaturating is probably a good way to go, at least as far as allowing us to view the shadow area with the naked eye. There would have to be a good disparity in distance of vision so that the NVG's would be really needed.

Umm, remember the Spies NVGs in Pandora Tomorrow versus. Perhaps something like that for the naked eye...? ...for the view-distance I'm talking, not the greeness or that.

I played with Sgt Brent a while back and he pointed out how much it sucked to be hidden in shadow and then, because of the b&w filter, not be capable of viewing scenic sky lines and other environment elements in color. We should have difficulty viewing whatever obstacles are IN the dark places with us without NVG, but illuminated areas outside of the dark place should be available in color.

Absolutely. Also, one of the main factors is so difficult to see with the B&W filter (and is why I propose only 'semi' desaturate) is because our eyes need color to properly distinguish geometry and detail--in a gameworld at least.

I think we would actually NEED the suit lights OR the hidden meter in conjuction with the desaturation, just to ensure that the difference is readily noted during play...maybe that's why they went with the b&w, due to it's drastic difference, ensuring no error.

I'm really keen on suit lights and 85ish % desaturation. Perhaps something in the HUD as an optional extra would help too. Just till you sink into the new feel or whatever... some people need extras
Having your avatar dynamically desaturate etc. would work as a sort of visual/in-game light-meter too.

(cuz you are always getting spotted like a noob!)

[codenameeric]

As far as simulating how your eye's react to changing light levels, I wouldn't like it if the visual change was as overpowering as the black and white filter was when it switched back and forth. And, they should be careful to not just make it "on" or "off", since that would be very unrealistic. Here's some things I think would be sweet:

• When you're in the light, dark areas seem really dark and it's almost impossible to see detail. If you stand in the dark for a while (and do not look into the light), you'll gradually be able to see detail.
• If you're walking around in pitch black and someone shines a light in your eyes, you'll be blinded for a while. The same thing happens if someone turns on the lights while you have your goggles on.
• When you're outdoors in the daylight, the contrast and brightness change when you're in the shade or walking towards the sun. Racing games are really good at this effect.
• If you step/look into a light area after being in the dark, you're blinded for a few seconds (but not fully).

All that said, I'd rather not have this feature than have it done poorly. That would be immensely irritating and distracting since it would effect your entire screen every minute of the game.

[SolidSage]

@Coltcat
That's certainly an appropriate amount of depth to the alert/search phases. I would like a good variety of visual and audible differences for the phases, make the AI feel like different people, rather than clones.

@Jazz
Didn't have a cat pic for that?

@Codenameeric
Your approach seems to parallel reality closely. I don't know how well it could work, or how challenging it would be to incorporate, but it sounds good. I think it directly affects the difficulty of the game, in regards to full stealth.
I really found the way B&W facilitated play to be very appealing, transitioning expediently through shadows and light without having to equip a tool was an improvement for me. Access to the tools and a real reason to need them is important, but I think I prefer the adjustment of B&W to Desaturation, more appealing at the moment.

@Jazz&Eric
Would it be better if they built the light/shadow effects realistically, for the naked/hardcore play through difficulty to be fully achieved, and then offered all the existing goggle tools...ALL of them, and then also added the option of the B&W (desaturation modified perhaps? Resident Evil 5 had a few view effects in there, could just be that easy to please everyone. How much work is there in including multiple view models?

[coltcat]

Sam has a glowing NVG and a glowing opsat becuz from the begining of SC, devs wants you able to tell where character is in total darkness.
if in any reason we needs to get rid of HUDs
why not using it as DA dose?

for the sake of discussion, lets pretend there are 3 major lighting stage, hidden, suspicious, and IDed.

so in the total darkness, all your gear glows green brightly.




when comes to the edge of a shadow, the gadget light reduce, and become more white or grayish green





when under lights, gadget stop glowing, and shows unnaturally black in NVG to remind you, becuz you dont have sense of color.


and to make sure player can notice that, just make Sam has more gadgets on his outfit to glow.
his goggle with a little light at the back like DAs
opsat that face outward. a watch or something on right wrist, some sort of radio or emp device attach to the backside.
and both guns have little lights, or a glowing c more or laser/OCP.

and normal bloody screen for health meter is actually fine. even if we got unregenerating health back.
no one can miss that,
for realism, just wish we dont have a real meters that tells you how many blood you still have
i.e. in previous game perform some speeding run deadly jump down from 3 story high cut of 95% of your health and still runs/jumps like crazy to finishing mission with last drop of blood.

if anyone thinks those are too cliche for the game, just make Sam really shows injured.
holding arms, pressing on stomach or shoulder,got limp, and some heart beat heavy breathing sound effects.

[codenameeric]

Here's a novel idea I had a while ago... You know how they could eliminate the light meter and still make it easy for people to tell if they're in the dark? Make the shadows look dark. Just sayin'.

[Aiden-Jayme]

Here's a novel idea I had a while ago... You know how they could eliminate the light meter and still make it easy for people to tell if they're in the dark? Make the shadows look dark. Just sayin'.

Naw, that's crazy talk. People are too stupid to comprehend that "darkness" = good, safety and "light" = bad, get shot in the rear end.

Tell you what, let's make it easy for them. Let's implement a feature that automatically turns the screen monochrome when you put your big toe in the shadows and polychrome whenever you're in the light. And to top this off, let's make this a non-optional feature that cannot be toggled under settings.

Why, you ask? Well, I'm an amateur photographer and I love black-and-white photography. I don't know what relevance this has to Splinter Cell, but darn it let's just put it in anyway! :-D

[Jazz117Volkov]

LoL, ah you guys gave me a chuckle...
(@ Aiden-Jayne) I don't think the mods will approve of your primitive pokes at Beland though.

[codenameeric]

I didn't know that a certain someone liked black and white photography. If that effect was just added because of someone's personal taste, that ticks me off. The focus should be on what players want, not what developers like. Anyway, I shouldn't bicker about the past... I just hope Splinter Cell 6 has HUDs/systems we can all enjoy. The filter was a huge deterrent for me and my gf. We played (and loved) the co-op campaigns from CT and DA before Conviction was released but we didn't even finish the first co-op mission in Conviction. It just wasn't enjoyable with the filter. I really, really want to be able to enjoy the next game.