Minimalistic UI

So I just played CoH1 again (a bit).
One thing that I noticed (aside from the atrociously bad grenadier skins, that, prove me wrong, were intentionally made to look terrible to make for better "bad guys" ) is the difference in the UI.

I think CoH 2's UI was overdone.
The CoH 1 UI was simplistic and practical.
CoH 2's UI has unnecessary detail to it like some metal planks at the sides, rusty metal plates as background etc... a bit of that doesn't hurt, but it's just too much. And it takes up so much of the screen, so that it distracts from the game's very good 3d graphics.

CoH 2 looks really good, and the 3d models, lighting etc certainly top CoH 1's models IMO. But with such a distracting UI, they can't shine to their full potential.


I think the UI needs to be redone in a functional way. Without unnecessary "icings".
I don't know what exactly to do (feel free to leave ideas), but the intention should be to decrease it's distracting effect on the eye so that our brains may recognize and acknowledge the beautiful 3d graphics more

(Ideally, that would also include a rework of the unit portraits, especially the pre-WFA unit portraits stick out like a sore thumb)

The problem with bottom part of coh2 UI is the big box in the middle that takes over half of it and gives no usefull information, just outdated unit description. This should be removed or contain units stats in current compilation in readable form.

Even though this is a problem I still think coh2 UI is better than coh1 one, just becouse of how unit lists work now. Whoever thought that its ok to force coh1 players to click in order to show the list and then click again to select a unit was brain dead. I mean, ofc you can use control groups but still what we have now is so much better.

The problem with bottom part of coh2 UI is the big box in the middle that takes over half of it and gives no usefull information, just outdated unit description. This should be removed or contain units stats in current compilation in readable form.

Even though this is a problem I still think coh2 UI is better than coh1 one, just becouse of how unit lists work now. Whoever thought that its ok to force coh1 players to click in order to show the list and then click again to select a unit was brain dead. I mean, ofc you can use control groups but still what we have now is so much better.

I really do think if CoH2 was released just as CoH1 but with that UI feature...I would have still bought it. In spite of all of our complaints of CoH2, that feature is a godsend.

The problem with bottom part of coh2 UI is the big box in the middle that takes over half of it and gives no usefull information, just outdated unit description.

Really seems like the sort of thing that was designed for the campaign first and foremost. It includes way better descriptions there.

The multiplayer ones are half-assed in comparison.

The problem with bottom part of coh2 UI is the big box in the middle that takes over half of it and gives no usefull information, just outdated unit description. This should be removed or contain units stats in current compilation in readable form.

This, it's just so blatantly unnecessary.

The problem with bottom part of coh2 UI is the big box in the middle that takes over half of it and gives no usefull information, just outdated unit description. This should be removed or contain units stats in current compilation in readable form.

Even though this is a problem I still think coh2 UI is better than coh1 one, just becouse of how unit lists work now. Whoever thought that its ok to force coh1 players to click in order to show the list and then click again to select a unit was brain dead. I mean, ofc you can use control groups but still what we have now is so much better.

+1.

I do like how during replays you can resize the thing - that should be available for all areas

COH1 red alerts at the top were so much better than the bland ones in the bottom now. Easier to notice and were easier to click on. I rarely notice "mine detected" for example, you couldn't miss it in vcoh. You don't always hear the audio cue if you are in action or listening to music.

So I just played CoH1 again (a bit).
One thing that I noticed (aside from the atrociously bad grenadier skins, that, prove me wrong, were intentionally made to look terrible to make for better "bad guys" ) is the difference in the UI.

I think CoH 2's UI was overdone.
The CoH 1 UI was simplistic and practical.
CoH 2's UI has unnecessary detail to it like some metal planks at the sides, rusty metal plates as background etc... a bit of that doesn't hurt, but it's just too much. And it takes up so much of the screen, so that it distracts from the game's very good 3d graphics.

CoH 2 looks really good, and the 3d models, lighting etc certainly top CoH 1's models IMO. But with such a distracting UI, they can't shine to their full potential.


I think the UI needs to be redone in a functional way. Without unnecessary "icings".
I don't know what exactly to do (feel free to leave ideas), but the intention should be to decrease it's distracting effect on the eye so that our brains may recognize and acknowledge the beautiful 3d graphics more

(Ideally, that would also include a rework of the unit portraits, especially the pre-WFA unit portraits stick out like a sore thumb)

I totally agree.

I have said it many times, COH2's UI is very bloated and old fashioned.

Each time i try to play vCoH again, i'm stunned at how impractical the UI is. The squads lifebars and "in combat" marker are invaluable imo, and i miss them so much that i play CoH2 again almost immediatly after.

+1.

I do like how during replays you can resize the thing - that should be available for all areas

Too bad that you lose the Minimap when you view it in that mode; not showing the minimap just makes replays hard to watch because you have no idea what is going on the rest of the map.

Totally agreed OP. I hated the COH2 UI with a passion initially, now I just tolerate it.

COH1 red alerts at the top were so much better than the bland ones in the bottom now. Easier to notice and were easier to click on. I rarely notice "mine detected" for example, you couldn't miss it in vcoh. You don't always hear the audio cue if you are in action or listening to music.

Agreed! Also battleinterface in the vCoH easy for perception. And icon with vechicle in my opinion was better, easier to understand what happened with your vechicle (engine damaged or heavily damaged especially). That's why i prefer vCoH interface.
P.S. Can you say the name of mod for CoH 2, which showed in CoH 2 screenshot?

I wrote before that the big box in the middle of bottom section of UI should show something than outdated description, possibly unit stats. But then I came to conclusion that static stats are not important during the match, rather between matches so it would be better to include them in in-game encyclopedia.

But what about that annoying box? I suggest it should contain dynamic stats. What I mean under that term is:
1. Damage delt and taken by the unit through whole match.
2. Hp as a number, instead of health bar.
3. Modifiers that are active at the moment, multiplied together and shown in green for positive and red for negative. For example if you have a unit that gets +20% acc at vet 2, +5% acc bulletin for that unit and aura that adds additional 10% of acc then the number visible in UI should be green acc 138.6%.
This should be done for every stat that is being modified at the moment, so the number should change once you are out of aura.
4. Muni counter, showing how many muni all abilities and upgrades of this unit costed through a match.
5. Possibly time counter, how long the unit was on the field.

And specifically for infantry:
1. Mp counter incremented by reinforcement cost every time model is reinforced.
2. A panel showing hp, as a number, of every member of the squad, and weapon the soldier is equipped with (the fact we have to zoom in in order to check if this is double bar or bar+zook squad is ridiculous).

Disclaimer: it is not aimed of micromanaging squads like in MoW, its just a set of stats and counters that already are part of gameplay decision making but we have to keep them in our heads which is pretty annoying especially, since they change it often.

It is also important to note that such feature should use same stat tables as units in game to show stats of current compilation and situation on the map, instead of additional data, like current units and veterancy descriptions, cousing desync between what is told to a player and what is actually in effect.

Yeah, I know it will never get implemented, but it would be cool if they did it, wouldnt it?

The problem with bottom part of coh2 UI is the big box in the middle that takes over half of it and gives no usefull information, just outdated unit description. This should be removed or contain units stats in current compilation in readable form.

Even though this is a problem I still think coh2 UI is better than coh1 one, just becouse of how unit lists work now. Whoever thought that its ok to force coh1 players to click in order to show the list and then click again to select a unit was brain dead. I mean, ofc you can use control groups but still what we have now is so much better.

This. They could make use of that space by giving useful information to the player, like number of kills, veterancy bonuses, other stats like sight etc.

COH2's UI feels like something from 2000s' RTS and even some of those games have better UI (Warcraft 3, CnC).
For modern UI, something like World in Conflict is perfect.

I wrote before that the big box in the middle of bottom section of UI should show something than outdated description, possibly unit stats. But then I came to conclusion that static stats are not important during the match, rather between matches so it would be better to include them in in-game encyclopedia.

But what about that annoying box? I suggest it should contain dynamic stats. What I mean under that term is:
1. Damage delt and taken by the unit through whole match.
2. Hp as a number, instead of health bar.
3. Modifiers that are active at the moment, multiplied together and shown in green for positive and red for negative. For example if you have a unit that gets +20% acc at vet 2, +5% acc bulletin for that unit and aura that adds additional 10% of acc then the number visible in UI should be green acc 138.6%.
This should be done for every stat that is being modified at the moment, so the number should change once you are out of aura.
4. Muni counter, showing how many muni all abilities and upgrades of this unit costed through a match.
5. Possibly time counter, how long the unit was on the field.

And specifically for infantry:
1. Mp counter incremented by reinforcement cost every time model is reinforced.
2. A panel showing hp, as a number, of every member of the squad, and weapon the soldier is equipped with (the fact we have to zoom in in order to check if this is double bar or bar+zook squad is ridiculous).

Disclaimer: it is not aimed of micromanaging squads like in MoW, its just a set of stats and counters that already are part of gameplay decision making but we have to keep them in our heads which is pretty annoying especially, since they change it often.

It is also important to note that such feature should use same stat tables as units in game to show stats of current compilation and situation on the map, instead of additional data, like current units and veterancy descriptions, cousing desync between what is told to a player and what is actually in effect.

Yeah, I know it will never get implemented, but it would be cool if they did it, wouldnt it?

I think this changes the focus of the game too much and you would be too busy looking at numbers rather than managing your units on the field. I'd rather have less on the UI than more to look at.

I also agree very much with the points made by other posters that vCoH's alerts were much more noticeable and useful and that engine damage types and other vehicle crits can be confusing in CoH2.

I agree that the alerts are a bit too hard to notice and that the large "description" box is basically useless. If they just put like 2 stats in there for tanks - main gun damage and health I honestly think that would help peoples knowledge of the game SO MUCH.

COH1 red alerts at the top were so much better than the bland ones in the bottom now. Easier to notice and were easier to click on. I rarely notice "mine detected" for example, you couldn't miss it in vcoh. You don't always hear the audio cue if you are in action or listening to music.

+1,000,000

One of my biggest annoyances in Coh2 is not noticing units are under fire or something if another unit is already engaged in combat - I'm not sure if I genuinely don't get an alert or if it's just blending into other sounds but this would be a big part of it. For whatever reason, and I can't put my finger on it, it's harder to notice the alerts and shit when a battle is happening.

I made a mockup about a year or more ago regarding this problem but I can't find it anymore. It's in my posts on this board though but I have > 1.000 so finding it is a bit rough.

Unfortunately nothing will be changed and this is a fact.

Never liked that COH2 UI, and spent way too much time pleading and proposing possibilities for the Obsmode UI. I'm still waiting for them to show chat in obsmode, which I pushed for repeatedly, over a year ago. Watching ESL games with no "gl hf" at the beginning, or no simple "gg"s at the end, was pretty lame.

Although the players were muted by Relic, most viewers would just assume they don't say anything, and that the COH2 players are cardboard jerks with no personalities that don't talk to each other. What possible reason could Relic have to not show all chat? Every single E-sport title shows all-chat to viewers (LoL, dota2, CS:GO, etc).

Trying to get Relic to do stuff for their own good can make you wanna pull your hair out.