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Chapter 3 Story Composition
Placing some elements of the HUD directly on characters can help reduce
clutter in the HUD. For example, if the health status of an enemy character is
displayed on the character, then it does not need to be displayed on the edge
of the screen. Other elements of the HUD can also be displayed directly on
characters, such as the enemy’s health bar shown in Figure 3-14. Part of the
HUD in Figure 3-14 is also the halo around the enemy character that indicates
a level of aggression toward the player.
Also, the appearance of the HUD must match the game story. For example,
if the game involves flying a spaceship, the HUD should look like the inside of
a cockpit. If the game is an adventure game set in a fantasy world, the HUD
should reflect the environment in the game.
The HUD takes up valuable gameplay area. A feature shown in the HUD
should be more important than the amount of gameplay area it covers. By
ranking game features by importance, a HUD can be designed that provides
the player with needed information while allowing the focus to remain on the
gameplay. Try to make the gameplay standout, not the HUD.
Consider a favorite game that has a story.
Identify how the story is designed into the
game. Write a one-page paper explaining
how the story appears in the game.
UP!
3.4
Figure 3-14.
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher; image: DarkGeometryStudios/Shutterstock.com
One way to reduce clutter in the HUD is to display information directly on
the characters. Here, the character’s health is displayed and the red halo
indicates the character is very aggressive toward the player character.