25 replies to this topic

[Dramastorm]

9erRed, on 17 November 2014 - 07:29 AM, said:

Greetings all,

Most of the problems with very large map areas is a CryEngine code issue.
- After the spawn location the information can only be correctly calculated out to about 8 km for accurate gameplay.
- Anything beyond that and the engine starts 'fudging' some of the numbers.
(you'll see this in games that show, 'new spawn location saved'. This is not just a gameplay mechanic for the player, but a new start for calculating the current map dynamics.)

So we have a 32bit bottleneck with single precision calculations for the maps. (one other game is 'blowing the limits off' by starting 64bit double precision and expanding the limit to 100's of km's for map size.)
- So we are engine limited to current map sizes unless the code changes.
- But with the number of Mech's we have to have 'Live' for dropship mode, 96 Mech's, there's a lot of number crunching that's needed. How PGI handles this, the map sizes, as well as somewhere around 30 minute games, may be pushing this engine a bit. We'll see.

9erRed

I love this response as it tells me that other people are thinking about it as well, inlcuding people with knowledge of cryengine = ) Annnnd if people are thinking about it that tells me that there may be hope for us yet

[Eddrick]

[Cyberiad]

Would the open world be like the Falcon 4.0 multiplayer campaign? Would be neat since it would give light mechs real value due to speed and abundance. Mechanics like ejecting would also be meaningful since it would save your faction pilots.

[s0hno]

I really like the idea - but honestly, this would be a hole new game concept, and PGI seems still to be working hard to fix major bugs and develop a proper UI. All in all, I don't think they have the capacity for such an investment. If all existing features are working properly, maybe...

Let's not forget that community warfare is under development, let's see what that will bring.

Edited by s0hno, 20 November 2014 - 07:29 AM.

[AbsUserName]

Greetings

Sarna March anyone? Or, as it came to be known, Chaos March!

This would be one perfect starting place for the Open World Content Front. Short jumps, many rich worlds, incessant warfare.

Other fronts could be opened as the idea gains momentum: the Clanwar Open World front, the War of 3039 front, the Capellan downfall/rebirth at the FS boundary front, the Marik Civil War front! So many possibilities...

The mechbays would be at one front at first, and those queues would be specifically for the Open World. As more fronts are opened, one would be able to relocate some mechbays elsewhere.

And pilots can jump around the galaxy really fast through the pirate points! One just needs recharged jumpships at the pirate points to jump real fast.

Thanks

[50 50]

@9erRed
That is really informative and interesting.

Here's a thought based on that limitation.
The spawn locations are effectively orbital drop points, dropship landing zones and mechbays.
If we have a limitation in game of 8km from a point, then it seems that what we would need in a massive world environment is staggered capture points on a map which once captured allow players to spawn at those points from either orbital drop, a dropship landing or from a captured mechbay.

The effect of this would be to create battlelines and territories to control on a planet to have a more open and ongoing conflict.
The match timers would need to be removed to allow for a longer conflict, I would suggest leaving the match open for the attack phase.
There are a few other considerations that would need to be looked at.

• Being able to drop into a match that is already underway.
  
• Player numbers
  
• Being able to 'Retreat' from a match without loosing the mech which leads to...
  
• Some form of attrition which in turn leads to...
  
• Some form of repair

It certainly seems possible and having this sort of match as a second stage after eliminating X orbital cannon sites on a planet would be amazing.