I'm working on a 3D web based city builder, and I'm in need of a HUD. I'm wondering if anyone can make recommendations on the look and feel of it?

The nature is this. Human's future, Earth is ruled by one corporation, that pretty much does its own thing, with one rule, no one else can have technology past a certain point (self defense). Most of the world is nomadic, and typically no more advanced than the Dark Ages.

War has broken out between the corporation and dragons on other planets. (Both have warp technologies, and are fighting over claim on habitable planets.) The corporation is giving out technologies to other humans to help build tanks and train troops under strict control.

You are starting a city under their control.

Any ideas on how I might setup the HUD?

NOTE: This is similar to my other post: http://www.gamedev.net/topic/641308-how-do-you-design-a-hud/ - but that one is more generic to design principals. I'm looking for ideas more specific to graphics and layout here. The concept of each is close, but not identical.

Thanks.

Are both sides controllable?

I think there are two general directions you could go, stylistically:

• Go pure Tron:Legacy shiny sci-fi to contrast with the low- people you'll be managing in the tech people beginning.
• Combine the low and high-tech sides so you have a mix of high- and low-tech in the HUD styling itself.

How to set it up depends on what the gameplay focus is... but since your project is kind of several games in one, I would lean towards really minimalist decorative parts so you won't have to modify them as much. Start with dark polygons to write text over then add pretty frames as necessary.

Here's what I came up with for a hybrid-type HUD:

[attachment=14667:HUD.jpg]

I dont think that hybrid gui works very well...

Maybe you can advance the gui with technology. At the start its all rusty, then slowly becomes a fancy scifi hologram thing.

Perhaps you can advance the guis in different order. Research building and the buildings menu becomes shinier.

A HUD's graphics can make a pretty big contribution to the atmosphere of the game. In this case I'd think it would have the colors/logo of the ruling corporation stamped all over it, maybe with a suggestion that the user is expected to be dumb. Rounded corners on everything. Something "helpy", like Clippy but with a condescending attitude.

I dont think that hybrid gui works very well...

No yooouuu!! Yeah, I agree, it didn't work very well. I think a futuristic one is a better bet having tried the hybrid. I also agree with Sunandshadow, corporate branding should be everywhere, whether it's a satirically goofy character or something more sinister.

Thanks, these were some good ideas.