Many gamers (especially those who have come to games recently) often come across concepts and terms that do not tell them anything. This may be some excerpts from slang or special terms used by game developers. Be that as it may, newly-made players have to broaden their horizons and get acquainted with new concepts. One of them concerns almost all games and is called HUD. What is this HUD? Where can I find him? Why is he needed at all? We will try to give answers to these questions and try to illustrate everything with concrete examples.
Definition of the term HUD
Let's start with the basics. First, we will understand the origin of the abbreviation HUD. What is this HUD, we will tell a bit later. So, the abbreviation HUD arose from several English words - Head Up Display. The literal translation sounds like a title display. But this incomprehensible phrase explains little. If you dig deeper, then this is information about the state of something that the user sees right in front of his eyes without the need to open an application, climb into the settings, and so on. Initially, the phrase was used exclusively by pilots astronauts. And soon you will understand why. This term came to the world of computer games, mobile applications and virtual reality much later. But here he settled quite tightly. Now let's look at the origins of the term HUD. What is this thing previously available only to pilots?
HUD in Aviation
Initially, HUD denoted the information that the pilot sees on the windshield of the helmet. This technology began to be used with the advent of the first displays that could be built into the glass of the helmet. Only military pilots flying modern fighters possess such convenient things. Information on the general condition of the aircraft, the amount of fuel, and the ammunition load is displayed on the helmet visor. And during the battle, the sight is displayed on the glass of the helmet. The pilot can control it by turning his head. This useful thing is called HUD. In the game, this concept migrated much later and received a special interpretation, in no way connected with flights. What is a HUD in games? This is information about the character's state (the amount of health, mana, ammo, current weapons, and so on), which is displayed in such a place on the screen so that the user can always see him. Now consider the main types of HUD in games.
HUD Views
Currently, there are several types of user interface, which informs the players about the status of the character and his combat kit (HUD). What types are these? They differ in performance styles. And it depends on the style how much information the user receives, without resorting to a special menu. So, here are the main types of HUD.
- Graphic. All the necessary information is displayed in special icons, pictures and other graphic information (for example, a health bar without any text).
- Text The information that the user needs is displayed exclusively in the form of text (percentage designation of health, mana, number of rounds, and so on). At the moment, it is practically not used independently.
- Mixed. Text-graphic display mode of the necessary information. At the moment it is the most common, as it has much better information content.
These are the three main types of HUD. There are also special user interfaces in which the status of some character parameters is also indicated by sounds (as in Half-Life 2), but there are very few such HUDs. In modern games, text-graphical interfaces are most often used. Now consider the examples of HUD on specific games.
HUD in Counter-Strike
What is a HUD in CS: GO? This is a display of all the information the user needs within the computer screen. Moreover, it is implemented so as not to interfere with the player aiming and shooting. A mini-map, type of weapon, number of rounds, list of player and opponent teams, current score, game time and so on can be displayed. However, a key feature of the HUD CS is the ability to fully configure it. You can remove objectively unnecessary components and add new ones. And you can completely disable HUD as a useless rudiment. But doing this is recommended only if you know the game like the back of your hand. Otherwise, your ammunition may end at the most crucial moment, and you won’t even know about it. This toy uses a text-graphic type of user interface. It also has minimalism and practically does not affect the comfort of the game. So you can not turn it off.
HUD in STALKER
Another popular shooter, but from Ukrainian developers. What is a Stalker HUD? This is a very compact user interface that practically does not distract the player from the breathtaking landscapes of Pripyat and Chernobyl. By default, the Stalker’s HUD contains exclusively a display of the health and armor, stamina and condition of the character’s body. As well as the number of rounds and a mini-map. Everything else cannot be seen without traveling to a specific menu (backpack, settings, and so on). However, there are numerous HUD mods for Stalker that increase the amount of information displayed on the screen. Then playing this post-apocalyptic shooter becomes easier, but not so interesting. "Stalker" - this is one of the few games that could do without HUD. There would be more realism. However, we will move on.
HUD in poker
Few people know, but there is such a term in poker. What is poker HUD? This term refers exclusively to online poker. And no matter, "Texas Hold'em" is this or some other type. HUD is a display of information about a player and his state above his name at the table. Almost all the necessary information can be in the HUD field, allowing the player to analyze the situation and make the right move. But the trouble is that you need to be able to correctly interpret this information. By the way, in poker you can turn off the HUD mode, but it is absolutely not recommended to do it, since without the necessary information you can easily lose everything that is on the account. What is the HUD mode in this case? This is one of the tools to achieve the goal. If in shooters this mode is for informational purposes only, then in poker it is a whole tool that you still need to be able to use.
Conclusion
So, we have examined in detail the term HUD. What it is is already clear. It is also clear that HUD can be not only in classic games, but also in games such as online poker. And the fact that this concept came to the computer world from aviation. Only there it was used to indicate a completely different. Not related to toys. At the same time, there are toys that would do well without a HUD. But there are very few of them. Most masterpieces of the gaming industry require a user interface. And such products are the vast majority.