Enhancing Our Directions: PR Compass

[sfscriv]

After thinking over the initial proposal and the feedback, I have produced two new versions:

This breaks the 360 degree circle into 22.5 degree sections. This makes the divisions between cardinal directions equal and highlighting:

West, Northwest, North, Northeast
Southwest, South, Southeast, East

The color coding would be semi-transpartant and backdrop: NW, NE, SW, SE

or in the last image each cardinal direction has a darker semi-transparent backdrop and NW, NE, SW, SE have light semi-transparent gray bottom border. Just to make it easier to determine which direction you're facing.

The initial post to this thread has been modified to include this update.

[Sadist_Cain]

the colour coding is good simply because of the way our brains work, people will quickly relate certain number ranges to the colours, so at long ranges when using bearings it just means people will snap to the general direction quicker because of the association in their brain (you need not say the colour, the visiual que is enough...)

However in close combat I can imagine "CONTACT!!!" being very quickly replaced with "BLUE!" or "GREEN!!!" when panicking, causing everyone to snap to the direction.

Seriously on a psychological level I think this can massively improve gameplay simply because of players reactions being improved

[Wilkinson]

fuzzhead;1172079']Interesting and unique idea, these dont around too often here lol


So what colors to pick

NW N NE E SE S SW W NW

hehehe well it might not work out I dunno

Heheheheh

Now I would have put this in game. but I got lazy

[Salmonella]

and what about the color blinds? huiaheuihaiuea

i agree with him

I can read bearings and NESW, don't need any fancy colors.

its the same as painting the minimap quadrants, "cause its to hard to memorize the sequence"

is much instinctive memorize the positons than associate then to colors.

[Rudd]

Maybe the colour...only in training mode. I quite like the non colour version one

http://spartanwarfighters.net/2top/3for ... mpass2.png

[Jigsaw]

If you need things to be colour coded to understand them. Id rather you weren't in my squad.

Agreed 100%

People get confused with bearings alot. While it isn't difficult, neither is this simple solution. People will learn directions through colours. I think it is a really neat idea. My only criticism would be to differentiate the Orange and Yellow, they seem to similar.Perhaps red?

I don't understand how people can get confused with bearings, its not like there is any complex arithmetic involved in calling out a number displayed at the bottom of your screen... Not to mention that the compass already has N/S/E/W markings on it to make it easier, all you'd be doing is colouring in those markings. I cannot see how that makes it easier. See above quote from crAck_sh0t for more info.

But I believe that this suggestion would be a little bit of an immersion breaker...

If you mean that colours would be an immersion breaker I very much agree. I don't want my squad members shouting out "enemy tank green moving into orange" it just makes little sense, sounds childish and ruins a lot of the immersion of the situation.

I'd much rather that my squad mate said something like "enemy tank NE, 30 moving to East". Just is so much more professional, takes no extra time and seems far easier to me.

[sfscriv]

I really do not want people to be yelling out a color when making enemy contact and I understand the whole emersion thing. For those who are color averse, please at least acknowledge the existence of the non-color option.

The idea is to make it easier to quickly orient and, therefore, call out a direction to orient your squad to a threat.

Each basic cardinal direction has a darker semi-transparent backdrop and NW, NE, SW, SE have light semi-transparent gray bottom border. Just to make it easier to determine which direction you're facing.

[BogusBoo]

I dont really the think PR compass needs improvement.........

[sfscriv]

Here is the newest version:



The different color directions concept has been replaced by the grey/white bar under NE, NW, SE, SW. The yellow reticle lines would make it easier to see in most cases.

[Midnight_o9]

Well that's quite ugly... I think the current version works well enough, never had trouble finding a bearing fast enough.
As a colour blind myself I'm highly against the coloured versions, plus good luck finding the green when standing on grass, even if it's not the same green, it might be a problem anyway.

The grey background on cardinal points is nice, but still, not necessary at all IMO.

[cyberzomby]

I do think the white lines beneath the directions are helpfull. Makes guessing which one to chose easier.

[Midnight_o9]

One thing I'd like to see changed in the compass is the little arrow pointing at markers, if it could stay on the compass all the time, even when the 3D marker appears on screen that would be lovely. I find it annoying that suddenly at 100m the arrow disappear and you then have to look where the goddam marker is, and when you're really at 100m, it's not on the compass and it's very transparent on the screen, making it quite hard to spot sometimes, if it was always on the compass even when it appears on the screen you wouldn't have the problem of being lost when you hit the 100m line.

[zloyrash]

Dont like color idea, because its too easy, its like a toy.
"Contact! Green!" is that real? Its a Bf3 style

We need hardcore! We need our brains to work!
Btw, you can say "Contact! North!" instead of "Contact! One five", cause everyone knows where N is, but it took some time to find 15, or 345.

Giving correct, compact, understandable info is a kind of player skill. And it must stay a player skill, but not compass feature.

[Mineral]

One thing I'd like to see changed in the compass is the little arrow pointing at markers, if it could stay on the compass all the time, even when the 3D marker appears on screen that would be lovely. I find it annoying that suddenly at 100m the arrow disappear and you then have to look where the goddam marker is, and when you're really at 100m, it's not on the compass and it's very transparent on the screen, making it quite hard to spot sometimes, if it was always on the compass even when it appears on the screen you wouldn't have the problem of being lost when you hit the 100m line.

the devs have explained millions of times that this is a limitation of the engine. the compass is already made threw a separate executable, and they couldn't make it work in a 100m radius. Learn to live with it. There is nothing wrong with the compass. Don't make it too easy now

[sfscriv]

The different color directions concept has been replaced by the grey/white bar under NE, NW, SE, SW. The yellow reticle lines would make it easier to see in most cases.

[Oskar]

The different color directions concept has been replaced by the grey/white bar under NE, NW, SE, SW. The yellow reticle lines would make it easier to see in most cases.

Sure, yellow lines are easier to see, but they are also a very irritating distraction. I think most people would agree with me that yellow is an irritating colour. You don't want a HUD element to stand out more colour wise than the rest of the game or become a distraction. I don't want it to catch my attention. The white isn't difficult to see. It becomes subconcious and you stop thinking about the fact that there is a large obtrusive compass at the bottom of your screen.

Personally I want as little shit on my screen as possible so I can focus on the game world. If it were possible I would do away with all text chat and have it in a separate, hidden or extendable window just for immersion's sake. At least make it smaller and less in the way of things.

Basically, yellow is ugly. Don't want!!

[Steeps]

Yeah, the yellow takes away too much from what you are actually doing in the game.

[Mineral]

Basically, yellow is ugly. Don't want!!

Oh come on oskar, look how cool yellow is!!!


But yeah, agreed.

edit:lf you keep staring at the picture the super black eyes become kinda creepy.

[Mouthpiece]

Agree with Oskar.

[Mikemonster]

I like the compass as a compass to be honest, not fussed about the colours (Just say left, right, or N, E, S, W etc). Having colours on TOP of the polar heading just looks silly to me, like a clown. But no big deal either way and it's good to see a healthy discussion.