If the game is in 3d, mixing 2d and 3d can cause major slowdowns in your game if its a fast paced action game.
I use a 3d panel thats always facing the screen with a texture of the text.
this makes everything in the game including menus, 3d
It stops heaps of print or text commands each loop as the texture is already printed and only needs to show the texture on screen.
it allows you to gain access to all the elements of 3d in regards to ghosting your objects or fading them or sliding them off.
It allows you to create the mouse over events without having to create more graphics for each mouse event via simply using 3d effects like scaling etc..
It allows you have the menu right over the actual game while its running.
each 3d panel can also be managed just like its a 3d object with a type.
you dont have any sprite overheads with regards to coding them or having load any of those sprite Libs into your final game.
3d panels dont have to be stuck to the screen and can be used for in game panels as well, eg over npc heads or floating up saying how much gold you have etc..
Its your requirement to give us more information regarding your game to make a better estimate as to what you require.
example: I want menus in my game, tell me the best wayzors.
see how we cant see if its 2d or 3d or if the menus are for something special in the game.
be verbose, we cant mind read you, or can we ?
