General Design a better FSD indicator into the HUD.

[Boff'in]

The FSD is such an important part of the game but we get only the very basic feedback the current Jump-State

• We get the mass-lock - Can't jump with this blue light on.
• Cargo-scoop indicator - Can't jump with this blue light on.
• We get a little FSD cooldown animation ( a circular arrow) hovering all by itself in the hud with no gestalt grouping under the cargo-scoop indicator

Then we get all the drama about it charging up to jump.

We get no information in the Helm, about the actual Status of the Frame Shift Drive Module itself, as this is left to the internal panel pannel for power prioritizing and repairs.
But the module state can ALSO affect the drive's ability to frame-shift



You may or may not be able to frameshift into supercruise or form a hyperspace conduit to another system. (both take equally amount of time and effort of the driver apparently).

• Frame-Shift-Drive is mass-locked - [ A Binary checkbox, not a scalable graph, showing much further you got to ]
• Frame-Shift-Drive is cooling-down - [temporary arrow-circle that can appear and dissapear]
• Cargo Scoop Deployed [Binary check-box, a ships utility function that affects the FSD)
• Hardpoints deployed - [no indication - a ships utility function that affects the FSD Some, ships are not armed but do have deployable utility hardpoints with regards to scanners.
• FSD module is powered OFF (internal Panel)
• FSD module is powering UP (internal Panel)
• FSD module is powering DOWN (internal Panel)
• FSD module is powered ON (internal Panel)
• FSD module is Damaged or inhibited Thar-Guard-ian way.
• FSD Injection is currently being synthesized (it actually doesn't prevent you from jumping but maybe it should). Actually, synthesis (in any form) is also another "progress" bar hidden from view.
• FSD Injection is complete.
• Target Destination is obscured.
• Fuel supercharged (temporary message)
• Not enough fuel (exceeds mass).

I might have a whole host of reasons why I can't jump, from a damaged drive, an obscured target that I don't have the fuel to jump to as my synthesis is not done (as it got cancelled unbeknownst to me),
and my drive isn't even turned on, as it has been under- repair, whilst I've been scanning with my hardpoints deployed.

I'm getting messages all over the hud from just one problem at a time, not a friendly reminder of the state of the FSD itself.

 

[Sylow]

Hmm. While i think that a bit more info would be useful, i also believe that this suggestion is a bit too big. Sure it would provide veteran players very granular information. But the new player would have to learn several more symbols and animations. And unless the display for the FSD status would grow a lot, these symbols would be small and hard to keep apart at the start.

So for the average player, this suggestion would create symbol overload, making the game feel more cryptic than before. If you want to keep the HUD clear, you'd have to keep the clutter low. What could be used would be:

• Color coding. (So red/yellow/green probably. )
• Full or hollow square.
• Possibly a timer circle running around it.

Any of the states expressed above then would have to be classified into a combination of these the given options. So yes, several different states might then look the same, but the HUD would remain readable for everybody.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

One way to do it might be to have a "system status" panel on the primary HUD. Normally, this would be blank or show "systems OK".

If things were malfunctioning, disabled, or otherwise offline, they'd show up here as little one-line descriptions
"FSD: No target"
"FSD: Hatch open"
"FSD: Obscured"
"FSD: Rebooting"
"FSD: Critical Damage"
with only the highest priority error for each module being shown. Some of the lower-priority ones might only show up (e.g. "No target") if you've recently tried to use the module - no point in a miner having "Hatch open" show continuously, since it has another indicator anyway.

Modules which have taken significant damage (enough to potentially malfunction?) but not currently malfunctioning would also be shown
"FSD: 68%"
"Drives: 20%"

In a really damaged ship it might well fill up the panel and get a last visible line of "More: see info panel"

That should cover both the detailed information which is occasionally needed - if you're in a big fight you don't really have time to check the modules panel and take your eyes and hands off the main controls and displays, but it'd be really nice to know how much integrity you had left on key modules - without being an overwhelming display for most cases where most things are fine, or having tonnes of "what does that icon mean again?" questions when you need it most.

 

[NorthernDevo]

One way to do it might be to have a "system status" panel on the primary HUD. Normally, this would be blank or show "systems OK".

If things were malfunctioning, disabled, or otherwise offline, they'd show up here as little one-line descriptions
"FSD: No target"
"FSD: Hatch open"
"FSD: Obscured"
"FSD: Rebooting"
"FSD: Critical Damage"
with only the highest priority error for each module being shown. Some of the lower-priority ones might only show up (e.g. "No target") if you've recently tried to use the module - no point in a miner having "Hatch open" show continuously, since it has another indicator anyway.

Modules which have taken significant damage (enough to potentially malfunction?) but not currently malfunctioning would also be shown
"FSD: 68%"
"Drives: 20%"

In a really damaged ship it might well fill up the panel and get a last visible line of "More: see info panel"

That should cover both the detailed information which is occasionally needed - if you're in a big fight you don't really have time to check the modules panel and take your eyes and hands off the main controls and displays, but it'd be really nice to know how much integrity you had left on key modules - without being an overwhelming display for most cases where most things are fine, or having tonnes of "what does that icon mean again?" questions when you need it most.

I like this approach. My only hesitation would be placing it on the HUD - quite frankly it's already cluttered enough as it is. I would personally place a "System Status" light on the instrument panel, along with the gear, cargo hatch and Mass-lock lights. If it's out, there's nothing to check. If it's lit, the pilot can check the "System Status" tab on the RH panel.
Oh - and I'd get rid of that #%&#$!! FSD charge indicator right in front of your face - place it vertically in the lower corner of the HUD and a lot smaller.
Cheers!

 

[Boff'in]

FSD-UI-Frame-wrapper	Module unpowered	UI orange frame with empty contents.
(module state)	Module powering up / down	progress bar of the whole interface
	Module powered up	Jumpdrive states shown.
	Damage	flickering of ui and the	[ progress bar]
Messages can appear over the interface. (like the cargo hatch error messages)
UI-content panel
Jumpdrive state	Mass-Lock	counter	[ progress bar] Red-covering blue bar (resulting on a clean "good to go blue")
	Cool-down	counter	[ progress bar] Red-covering blue bar
	Synthesis	counter	[ progress bar] Orange-covering blue bar
	Fuel-consumption	counter	[ progress bar]
	Target Occluded	binary	Grey out of UI
	Cargo hatch	binary	Grey out of UI
	Hardpoints	binary	Grey out of UI

Spoiler: rectangular progress bar FTW

Combined Circular progress bars felt cool,

However, the Interface has 3 circles in the middle, the primary circle is the Radar,
with two auxiliary circle motifs of
the Pilots ships with hull and shields and
The target body with hull and shield.

The outer edges of the Helms UI are flat rectangular panels, meaning a more rectangular visual language to maintain consistency.

So fancy combine pictograph thingy?
Where the multiple blues "good to go" toggles and progress bars,
finalises in a "Jump ready" look and feel to the FSD UI.

But since we are keeping it rectangular, I have to say....
I'm a sucker for old buttons, knobs, switches and dials (and they're beeping and screaming..and screaming and beeping.....and I can't take it anymore....)

The modern day equivalents don't look as cool

Spoiler: flat-design UI

Not exactly my prefered thing.
I'm sure FDEV can think of something more retro-sci-fi inspired.

Self - Destruct sequences are the closest I can think of for inspiration.

Spoiler: Warning Self Destruct coolness

So many more sci-fi Interfaces to drool over