14 replies to this topic

[DaZur]

Interesting topology idea...

A planet (similar to Tourmaline in aesthetics) where the topology is comprised of hardened crystalline type stone.

Okay... here's the twist... The stone refracts lasers.

​Imagine the fun to be had discovering and working angles to obtain firing solutions on entrenched enemy mechs! It would add a level of tactical planning yet unheard of or attempted and would IMHO be so unique and original that it would be an instant success...

- Topology and rock formations would be crystalline and highly polished.
- Would refract laser fire.
- Would reflect surrounding topology & objects (like mechs) * Is that a mech or it's reflection?
- Unique puzzle aspects to using angle to "bounce" shots.

Thoughts?

[Tom Sawyer]

Could be alot of fun. But seeing how PGI has ignored destructible enviroments, hell even an exploding oil tank, another great idea that will gather dust.

[DaZur]

bump ...well because I'm a glutton for attention.

[LuInRei]

Ha ha ha ha ... oh, wow ... really?

All I can say is ER Large Laser tentacle **** fest ... aaand e-peen laser length contest.

Oh, BTW will you be able to melt your own face (read mech) by shooting in the ground?

Seriously though, while the concept is interesting, it's just to complex to code in and provides too little for those who don't use lasers in their loadouts.

Edited by LuInRei, 04 October 2013 - 01:16 PM.

[DaZur]

LuInRei, on 04 October 2013 - 01:13 PM, said:

Ha ha ha ha ... oh, wow ... really?

All I can say is ER Large Laser tentacle **** fest ... aaand e-peen laser length contest.

Oh, BTW will you be able to melt your own face (read mech) by shooting in the ground?

Seriously though, while the concept is interesting, it's just to complex to code in and provides too little for those who don't use lasers in their loadouts.

LOL! Oh no doubt it would result in all sorts of shenanigans... That said, it would result in some seriously "fun" diversion games.

Oh and "yes" you should be able melt your own face...

[Nathan Foxbane]

A hall of mirrors or prisms style map? I think that would give the poor servers fits. The number of calculations required for angles of refraction from every 'Mech for lasers and only lasers and almost any given angle would be insane. The visual refraction code might be adapted from water refraction code, but it would still be a nightmare for a whole map of giant transparent crystals, which are not all that common in nature to begin with. Ever looked at large quartz, amethyst, or gypsum crystals? The really big ones get fairly opaque the larger they get and any kind of atmospheric erosion would take reflective surfaces off really quick. Do a quick search for tourmaline and find out just how much it varies in opacity for example. It is a cool concept, but extremely unlikely as natural geological phenomena.

This is about as close as you will get in the natural world:

[DoktorVivi]

You could abstract the idea of reflections and have lots of false radar positives (there was a Mechwarrior 2 mission that did that).

[RandomLurker]

Sounds fun. I don't like the idea of a special map dedicated to chaning a single weapon type- unless we could choose maps to drop on, anyway. Then it would be cool.

Totally violates the laws of physics- there's nothing that can reflect enough energy to not be destroyed by lasers as powerful as we are talking about. But it sounds cool anyway.

[CDLord HHGD]

Tourmaline crystals?

[Adridos]

Coding that would be a nightmare. You'd always have to check what kind of weapon is fired, then have it calculate the right angle of where the beam is going to go, calculate the new firing distance (the distance until hitting the reflective surface + the distance the reflected shot has traveled) and make sure it can/can't do more than one reflection. Once that is done, you have to make sure it is efficient enough that the server makes it in time to hit the target correctly (as it currently has problems with basic collision calculations on fast mech, imagine how much problems would you get with this).

And that's only the basic stuff. The reflections of mechs would be a nightmare as it is a heavy performance sink (same reason we're not getting real PiP). Assuming they're not in the mood of rewriting pretty big chunks of CryEngine 3 for about 6+ months, you couldn't see the reflected mechs. And how are you going to aim at them, then?


Is it impossible? No. But it is just plausible. Unless you're someone who's doing a game just out of passion with no real deadlines and budgets to fill, you won't see any gaming company even consider such an idea in a game that isn't built entirely around the very idea of it.

[Edustaja]

Any real world crystals would explode/shatter before reflecting any significant amount of laser due to impurities.

Edited by Edustaja, 10 October 2013 - 11:22 AM.

[Harmatia]

Tom Sawyer, on 01 October 2013 - 08:51 AM, said:

Could be alot of fun. But seeing how PGI has ignored destructible enviroments, hell even an exploding oil tank, another great idea that will gather dust.

I really hope some environmental destruction comes to MWO in the future. Visual damage to buildings, knocking trees and lights poles over. That kind of thing.

[Oppresor]

This would be great! Here's an idea for the start point, it's been discussed before but you may have missed it. There has been a discussion on developing Forest Colony; it's generally accepted that it may have been the first map to be developed, this would explain it's small size. The idea put forward is to extend it in the cave area, left of map. I see this as an ideal opportunity to include your crystal idea in what would possibly become a cavern of mirrors. The twist would be that the light levels vary through natural light coming from the entrance, exit and maybe the odd hole in the roof, plus refracted light from the natural sources and laser fire.

[Owlfeathers]

I like the idea and think it would be a lot of fun.

However.

It would likely be a programming nightmare, and think of the friendly fire complains that would arise from such a thing


So probably not going to happen (but it would be nice).

[Zerberus]

Adridos, on 10 October 2013 - 11:16 AM, said:

---- Unless you're someone who's doing a game just out of passion with no real deadlines and budgets to fill, you won't see any gaming company even consider such an idea in a game that isn't built entirely around the very idea of it.

Hmmm... HMMMMMMMM......