Level Up.pdf

174 LEVEL 8 Sign Language—HUD and Icon Design
Ammo gauge
Inventory
Whether your ammunition gauge
displays bullets or a simple number,
it will be one of the most watched
gauges onscreen. As some games
sparsely distribute ammo (Resident Evil 2, I ’ m looking at you!), placing this
gauge in an easy to see location is particularly important.
• If you have the screen space, display both clips and individual bullets,
like in Operation Wolf (Taito, 1987).
• If the player has to track multiple types of ammo, such as grenades or
rockets, make sure that they can be brought up with a button press (as
they are in Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction).
• I know this one seems like a no - brainer, but always display the ammo
gauge of the weapon currently armed by the player.
• Even if your player ’ s weapon has infinite shots, you can still display it to
let them know what weapon is armed. (The Metal Slug games do this.)
A staple in adventure and RPGs,
inventory allows players to track
and manipulate objects collected
during the game. Keys, potions,
puzzle items, and weapons are
common inventory items.
• Players need quick access to
items like potions and spell
components. Hotkey or drag -
and - drop systems will help
players grab items quickly.
• Allow the player a location to
see their inventory items in all
of their glory. Tomb Raider
(Eidos, 1995) shows the items in Lara ’ s backpack on a larger scale for
easier inspection.
• Diablo has a limited inventory where each item has a specific size.
Inventory becomes a bit of a puzzle where the player has to fit as many
items as possible into a limited space.