1) I feel I could predict a lot of the criticism I had received about my GUI. As opposed to talking a passive approach to the Gundam's interface, I wanted the player to feel immersed in the game-world and really get into the pilot's psyche. In pursuing a straight-forward, I created a very cluttered interface that became distracting, and eventually annoying, to the player as the GUI interfered with the game's visuals and the player's control of his avatar.
2) Size - The size of my GUI is what really killed me in the end. I could have made my entire interface smaller, but I had modeled the GUI off of a jet-pilot's LCD interface. Jet-pilots aren't playing a game, and they need all the information they can get to pilot their craft; players don't need that much information and clutter, they just want to have fun. I would probably reduce my interface to about half its original size.
Placement of each GUI - Despite the criticism I received for my GUI, I think it's an interesting approach to a Gundam interface. It's not inherently wrong, but it's quite right yet. I do think most of my GUI belongs in the center of the screen, giving it the feel of a jet-interface, but I think I could reduce a lot of the unnecessary data and numbers that exist on screen(and that I put in merely for cosmetic effect).
Overall Color/Color Scheme - I don't see anything wrong with the color scheme I chose, and it didn't receive much criticism in class. A translucent green is a very "cool" color and can be used for passive, common information. Yellow is "warmer," and therefore conveys slightly more intense information, which in my case was a possible enemy target Gundam. Red is the "hottest" color in the visible spectrum, and is appropriate for immediate, important information, like a "locked-on" target.
Iconography - My whole GUI resembles a jet's GUI. I think I nailed it, but probably too much so. If I reduce some of the clutter on-screen, it'll "feel" much cleaner and more inviting.
Style - Almost opposite of the direction current GUI's have taken, I wanted to make a very complicated interface with lots of clutter so the player would feel like he's operating a giant machine, a Gundam. I wanted the player to feel overwhelmed and that every move he made was epic, with tons of data being displayed on screen as he shoots his gun or when he hits his thruster. The "responsiveness" and "immersion" of my GUI would be entertaining, but over-time it would be very obnoxious. I need to find a balance between "clean" and "intense."
3) Vector tools were actually very appropriate for making a GUI. Shortly after starting, I realized I wouldn't want to use any photoshop tool other than pen if I had a choice. I most commonly used the custom shape tool, adding and subtracting shapes from one another to make the rings, circles, and squares of my GUI. I had a lot of trouble with the pen tool early on, so I mostly ignored that tool unless I needed to make a line.