Also the health bars could use some working. E.g. as showed in the first beta demo they are not clear enough. I would change it using the main color with a lighter version of that color as overlay to indicate the health percentage.
6 Likes
Health bars seem kinda too high above the units. In @anon63664082 AOE 2 DE screenshot it is hard for me to relate health bars with corresponding units because health bars are so high above, that if multiple units are vertically close, then I have to pretty much count those units till I find the one with specific health bar.
In both AOE 2 HD game and in @anon63664082 AOE 2 HD screenshot it is easy to relate units to health bars because they are much closer together.
Also I advise to remain using AOE 2 HD green+red health bars, because those are easy to differentiate from units and identify health percentage. That can be seen on AOE 2 HD screenshot. I kinda understand why DE health bars are so high above units, because they use same color as units do and are very hard to differentiate when they overlap other vertically close units.
I think that green+red health bars near units is the best solution which already works great in AOE 2 HD.
Or maybe green+red health bars are too intrusive and @PCS70 idea of using lighter version of player color would be aesthetically better?
2 Likes
Every civ has a different base color, just take a light and dark version of that color, but dark red would be fine too. You can spot the health of your own as well as of your opponent’s units better. I just think that using the base colors follows certain aesthetic clean and logical design principles. Less is more.
1 Like
I discovered that AOE 1 DE uses perfect system for health bars.
Screenshot from 50:50
Like can be seen from the screenshot, units have health bars near them, which use light version of player color + black. I believe this is the same thing that @PCS70 mentioned. It is easy to relate units to health bars and they seem comfortable to eyes, not too intrusive like HD green+red bars.
For comparison AOE 2 DE:
Screenshot from 1:00
Like can be seen from the screenshot it is hard to relate units to health bars and 3 health bars which are positioned overlappingly at left-uppermost row of cataphracts are impossible to differentiate unless looking really closely for longer period of time. At first I saw only 1 overlaping health bar, but by the positions of units I knew, that 2 more has to be and only then I found them by heavily concentrating at left-uppermost units.
I believe that AOE 1 DE health bar system is much better than AOE 2 HD or AOE 2 DE system and it already works, so please also use it in AOE 2 DE 
2 Likes
Also I would love to see skin themes for in-game UI and HUD. Like Minimalistic, Classic and Definitive and Custom. Also using skins streamers can be more unique while all still playing the exact same game. This will attract more new players for sure.
1 Like
We will have to get to participate in beta quick so we can overflow developers with feedback! I could already open 4-5 threads to them about different issues/ideas 
1 Like
They’ll go nuts. 
Better not talk too much about this, else we will be put to a beta blacklist 
Somehow I don’t worry about that at all.
2 Likes
is normal at this point.
1 Like
You are correct. It also proves to me that they uplift each and every engine one by one. A lot of work.
Made reddit post about health bar appearance problems - https://www.reddit.com/r/aoe2/comments/c10xrx/de_unit_health_bar_appearance_problems/
1 Like