Desperados 3 GDD

UI/HUD

Desperados 3

Status: Released
Year: 2020
Genre: Strategy
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux

Desperados III uses a readable Western-styled tactical HUD that keeps the isometric playfield central while exposing character selection, action hotkeys, resources, quicksave/quickload, objectives, minimap, alerts, tutorials, vision cones, interaction prompts, and Showdown execution controls. The broader UI flow supports pause/save recovery, mission failure retry, badge results, replay analysis, statistics, and mission select so players can plan, execute, reload, and improve stealth runs without losing spatial or systemic feedback.

8 min read

UI/HUD Summary

Desperados III’s interface is a non-diegetic and spatial tactical layer built around one priority: keep the player able to read the stealth puzzle while acting in real time. Persistent edge HUD elements frame the isometric playfield, while spatial overlays project perception, targeting, interaction, and Showdown information directly into the world.

The UI supports four connected jobs:

UI Job	Player Decision Supported	Primary Elements
Read the mission state	What is the current objective, route, risk, and recovery option?	Mission objective panel, minimap, top quick menu, pause map, objective notifications
Command the squad	Who is selected, what can they do, and what will an action cost?	Character roster, selected portrait, action bar, hotkeys, resource counters, targeting prompts
Evaluate stealth risk	What can see/hear this action, and what is about to escalate?	Enemy vision cones, selected viewcones, alert markers, body/objective notifications, tutorial hints
Iterate and improve	Should the player retry, continue, replay, or optimize?	Quicksave/quickload, failure recovery, badges, replay viewer, statistics, mission select

In-Mission HUD Layout

The live gameplay HUD preserves the center of the screen for the tactical map. Persistent controls sit along the edges and bottom, with transient overlays appearing only when the current state requires them.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                     MENU / ESC | QUICKSAVE / F5 | QUICKLOAD / F8               |
|                                                                                |
|                       Isometric tactical playfield                              |
|       spatial overlays: vision cones, prompts, alerts, Showdown markers         |
|                                                                                |
| [roster]                                                       [alert/hint rail]|
| [selected portrait]       [character action bar / hotkeys]        [minimap]    |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Element	Placement	Core Behavior	Gameplay Dependency
Top quick menu bar	Top center	Shows `MENU / ESC`, `QUICKSAVE / F5`, and `QUICKLOAD / F8` during active missions	Save/load availability, pause flow, current mission state
Character roster and selected portrait	Left edge and bottom-left	Shows available squad members and the currently selected character; switching character refreshes the action bar	Party composition, character availability, selected-character state
Character action bar	Bottom center	Shows the selected character’s actions, hotkeys, and resource counters; used for live action and Showdown queueing	Ability loadout, hotkey bindings, ammo/charges/cooldowns, target validity
Gameplay minimap	Bottom-right	Circular parchment map with local terrain/route context and colored position markers	Mission map, party position, camera/map state
Right-side alert and hint buttons	Right edge above minimap	Shows warning/hint affordances, including `NEW HINT! (K)` callout when guidance is available	Tutorial/hint triggers, alert states, input bindings
Mission objective panel	Left-center overlay when opened	Lists current/completed objectives with green check styling and contextual tooltip support	Mission script state, objective completion flags, tooltip data

Spatial Tactical Overlays

Spatial markers are the most important HUD feedback for tactical decision-making because they are anchored to the game world rather than separated into a detached information panel.

Overlay	Visual Language	Player Use
Enemy vision cones	Translucent ground wedges with striped fill; green for evaluated coverage, magenta/purple for selected or marked coverage; yellow/red states are used for suspicion/detection in related mechanics	Judge safe routes, watcher coverage, body discovery risk, and timing windows
Interaction prompts	Compact world-space labels near valid targets or objects, such as a `Use` prompt	Confirm that the selected character has a valid nearby interaction
Alert markers	Floating high-contrast icons, such as exclamation markers above relevant world points	Direct attention to danger, points of interest, or tactical state changes
Showdown markers and lines	Circular queued-action markers plus targeting lines in the playfield	Confirm who/what will be affected by queued synchronized actions
Objective notifications	HUD notifications during objective state changes	Keep the player oriented when mission goals update mid-play

Spatial overlays must remain synchronized with enemy AI, terrain obstruction, ability targeting, and camera movement. If an enemy moves, a target becomes invalid, or line of sight changes, markers should update or clear immediately instead of leaving stale tactical information.

Showdown Mode UI

Showdown Mode adds a planning/execution layer on top of the normal HUD instead of replacing it. The selected portrait, action bar, minimap, quick menu, and spatial markers remain visible so the player can queue actions with full tactical context.

State	UI Feedback	Required Behavior
Showdown inactive	Standard gameplay HUD only	No Continue/Execute prompt or queued-action markers
Planning active	Lower-center `CONTINUE` and `EXECUTE` prompt appears above the action bar	Player can select characters/abilities and assign queued actions
Action queued	Circular marker and targeting line appear at the target/destination	Marker remains tied to character/action data until changed, canceled, or executed
Execute	`EXECUTE` commits eligible queued actions	Actions resolve in real time with normal vision, noise, body, resource, and alarm consequences
Continue/cancel	`CONTINUE` resumes or exits without firing all queued actions	No ammo, movement, or ability should be consumed by leaving planning state

The UI should make Showdown feel like tactical rehearsal, not guaranteed safety. It must still expose invalid targets, resource limits, pathing problems, enemy coverage, and timing risk.

Tutorial, Hint, and Guidance UI

Tutorial guidance appears in two forms:

Form	Presentation	Usage
Contextual prompt	Small translucent label over the gameplay scene, such as movement instruction using the left mouse button	Teaches immediate controls in the exact mission context where they are needed
Instruction slide	Larger framed tutorial panel over gameplay context, with title, example image, explanatory text, and close action	Explains systems such as viewcones, takedowns, knockouts, and other tactical concepts
Hint overlay	Opened from the right-side hint rail when a `NEW HINT!` callout is available	Gives optional guidance without permanently blocking the normal HUD layout

Tutorial text and input labels must follow the current control scheme and localization. Modal tutorial slides should block accidental tactical commands until dismissed; lightweight prompts should preserve situational awareness.

Pause, Save, and Failure Recovery

Save iteration is a core part of the tactical loop, so recovery UI is not secondary convenience UI.

Screen / Flow	Main Components	Design Function
Pause menu and area map	Left column with recent save slots and actions (`CONTINUE`, `LOAD`, `SAVE`, `OPTIONS`, `TUTORIALS`, `RESTART`, `MAIN MENU`); right-side circular mission area map	Lets the player pause, review space, save/load, open tutorials/options, restart, or leave while retaining map context
Confirmation modals	Centered dialog over dimmed pause/menu context	Protects destructive exits or mission abandonment
Mission failed recovery screen	`MISSION FAILED` state, recent save cards, `LOAD`, `HIDE`, `RESTART`, `MAIN MENU`, failure-cause text such as a critical character death	Turns hard failure into a clear retry/inspect/restart choice
Loading/recovery transitions	Loading flow after load/restart/quickload	Must restore saved tactical and HUD state without leaked alerts, stale markers, or invalid resources

Failure and recovery UI should identify the cause when the game can determine it, such as a required character dying. It should also keep recent-save loading prominent because quick iteration is part of the intended play pattern.

Post-Mission and Replay UI

The post-mission UI converts a completed run into replay motivation and performance analysis.

flowchart LR
    A[Mission complete] --> B[Badges results]
    B --> C[Mission replay viewer]
    C --> D[Statistics screen]
    D --> E[Mission select world map]
    E --> F[Replay for remaining badges or challenges]

Screen	Player-Facing Data	Player Decision Supported
Mission Badges results	Badge medallion, mission-specific challenge rows, green completed text, partial counters, `CONTINUE`	Which optional goals were earned, missed, or partially progressed?
Mission Replay Viewer	Overhead tactical map, character route lines, kill/event markers, top counters, timeline scrubber, playback speed, `SAVE REPLAY`, `BACK`, `CONTINUE`	How did the route actually play out, and is the run worth saving or optimizing?
Post-Mission Statistics	Difficulty, completion time, save/load count, alarms, kills, injuries, civilians killed, bodies discovered, most kills/deaths, per-character cards	Was the run clean, fast, efficient, or worth replaying?
Mission Select World Map	Parchment world map, selected mission marker, mission/chapter panel, `PLAY`, replay/tutorial/challenge navigation	Which completed or available mission should be replayed next?

This flow aligns with the challenge economy: badges and statistics do not grant power, but they make mastery goals visible and encourage alternate routes, no-save attempts, no-firearm attempts, speedruns, higher difficulty clears, and other mission-specific constraints.

State and Feedback Rules

State	Required UI Feedback
Character switched	Roster selection, selected portrait/name, action bar icons, hotkeys, counters, and target validity refresh immediately
Ability unavailable	Slot should remain spatially stable but clearly dim/disable; invalid use should not spend resources
Limited resource spent	Counter updates on successful use; zero-resource state disables further use
Objective completed or updated	Objective panel and/or notification reflects new state; completed rows use green/check treatment
Enemy suspicion/detection changing	Vision and alert feedback must communicate escalating risk before/when alarm resolves
Body discovered or alarm raised	Alert/notification feedback should draw attention without hiding core command controls
Save unavailable	Save command appears disabled or denies gracefully through feedback; quick menu remains compact
Quickload/reload completed	HUD, AI, bodies, objectives, resources, camera/selection, and queued/planning state restore only from the saved point
Post-mission data shown	Badge, replay, and statistics screens must reflect the completed run, not previous attempts