# UI icons = Traffic Signs?

**URL:** <https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/ui-icons-traffic-signs/134362>\
**Category:** IV - Discussion\
**Created:** [June 17, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/ui-icons-traffic-signs/134362 "2021-06-17T20:36:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 68

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**Author:** ![Darkness01101](https://forums.ageofempires.com/user_avatar/forums.ageofempires.com/darkness01101/32/214966_2.png) [@Darkness01101](https://forums.ageofempires.com/u/Darkness01101)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2021, 5:55am UTC](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/ui-icons-traffic-signs/134362/68 "2021-06-21T05:55:33Z")

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> [@LostCord3](#):
>
> From what I have seen in this forum, most people preferred the more personalized, traditional UIs that we knew with every previous game. Beautiful, colorful, detailed and unique for each civ.

Yep, far preferred for me. I made a thread (‘[The HUD’s not my fav](https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/the-huds-not-my-fav/133470)’) commenting on the ‘bright yellow/gold’ aspect of everything. Simplistic icons were touched upon there, but I didn’t want to get into it since I already typed a lot. I’m glad you did 🙂

I have a feeling every menu button in AoE4 will be bright yellow, too… akin to AoE2:DE’s red/gold button infatuation:

 ![image](https://forums.ageofempires.com/uploads/default/original/3X/d/1/d1c59040e19d0cba569dd7727b30d24885903778.jpeg)

Colors play an integral role in many humans’ ability to quickly identify where to click in a UI. When every icon (or button) is the exact same color, and a highly simplified 2-D graphic (i.e., traffic light) like in AoE4, and the same size like in AoE2:DE, it really doesn’t help.

Thankfully, online bank statements understand the value of color by making at least credits appear green, and certain debits/withdrawals red. When everything is one color, nothing stands out; it’s harder to locate certain transactions… you have to read through practically _everything_… _every_ _time_.

> [@AndyPXIII](#):
>
> This (portraits, not symbols) helps bridge the divide between the player and the units on the screen…  
> It (the UI) has absolutely no value to the game and only makes it feel distant and cold.

Very true

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