5 replies to this topic

[STEF_]

I think that one of the main strategic hex in Bt are wood or heavy woods, used to take cover.
I believe that it would be easily implemented here in mwo.
I'm not suggesting anything that "eat" video resources, such as true trees and woods with a lot of polygons. But, esactly as bt works, something that is "area based", according to its coordinates.

For example, a mech in a tree/wood area (such as the ones in caustic valley, for example) will have a -20% damage when hitted.

Edited by Stefka Kerensky, 19 August 2014 - 12:05 AM.

[Heklin]

I like this idea.

A lot of the competitive players run the game with low settings so they can see through smoke and trees,, it would be good to have a reason to see these features.

[DI3T3R]

Stefka Kerensky, on 19 August 2014 - 12:02 AM, said:

For example, a mech in a tree/wood area (such as the ones in caustic valley, for example) will have a -20% damage when hitted.

I have an idea ...

1. Laser-beams, autocannon-shells, missiles... They are all objects moving from A to B. (Okay, lasers are trickier, because you can sweep them. EDIT: On second thought, lasers are more likely programmed like a rapid-fire gun than a continous beam.)
2. An AMS can intercept and destroy missiles within a radius around it.

Combine that =>

Just like turrets, we would need a new kind of non-player-object:
- It would look like a patch of forest.
- No hitbox or collision.
- It would have an invisible AMS that can shoot down all 3 kinds of incoming fire.
- The AMS can't be everywhere at once, so some of the shots would always go through.

Edited by DI3T3R, 19 August 2014 - 01:17 AM.

[Nightmare1]

Hitted?

Otherwise, sure, sounds good! As they currently stand, woods just serve to obstruct your vision and that's about all.

[9erRed]

Greetings all,

In order for an in-game object to cause 'collision' of any sorts, it may need to be converted to a rigid object. Or at the least have a 'hit box' build around it that can cause a moving object to actually see and impact it.
- Some issues here are which objects can pass through this and which cannot.

Can the Mech's freely walk through some objects and weapons fire not?
- If the 'object' can be collided with, must it now be 'destructible'?

What we have in game now, for trees, are simple art assets and not 'true' objects. That is why we can simple phase through them with no effect. Converting all these items to 'true' objects requires background work in the code as well as all new art work. (for multiple states of items) This could see a change in there actual map placement as there will now be LOS changes for location. As well as the hit to some of the lower end systems in now having to remember all these locations and calculate any LOS changes.

The 'reference' library of objects that PGI is building would need to be updated with many new items of any object that has different 'states'. And with the map and gameplay designers trying to reuse as many created objects as possible this creates 'issues' with all the maps that have these reused objects. The specific location that these objects reside in is where the 'Destructible' effect can only happen. Again engineers and code time now needed for every location.

Karl is working on the code required to build in 'Destructible' items in the environment, this could also effect object collision items.
- So, no it's not a simple thing to do.
- It effects every map that has items that can or could be 'hit by weapons fire'
- Gameplay designers may need to re-assess where items are and if new locations are required for LOS changes.
- Some of this will be addressed with the Attack/Defend mode as new objects may be presented to the defending players.
- CW may also address some of this with the Merc's being able to upgrade a locations defenses and structures.
But everything requires the background code to be present before any additional work can be addressed.

Just some info,
9erRed

Edited by 9erRed, 20 August 2014 - 07:20 AM.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

I'd rather trees offer true concealment rather than cover. Concealment would mean that, when you are behind a certain amount of tree cover, your radar detection range goes down significantly. If someone still spots you (Mk I Eyeball or returning fire at the origin point of your weapon discharges or whatever) and shoots you, then you take full damage. Cover would be a damage blocking or reducing mechanic, possibly in addition to concealment benefits.

However, the ideal would be destructible trees and other small obstacles (those stupid River City statues, for instance).

Give each object a hit point total. Give it a hitbox and collision detection. If a mech runs into it, the mech does and receives collision damage. It might stop the mech, or the mech might knock the object over, depending on if the collision is enough to destroy the object. Mechs might need to use weapons fire to clear paths, or *gasp* just drive more carefully.

PGI has already dabbled with something similar to this, with a few test objects in River City and elsewhere (I think there are a few traffic lights that are destructible). It might take a lot of effort to do a full pass on all the trees on all the maps, but I think it'd be worth it, especially if they rolled it out one map at a time (both to keep pushing content into the live environment and to spread out the workload so it isn't a huge project that feels like it'll never be done).

Throw in the aforementioned concealment effects of being in or behind a bunch of mech-sized objects and I think you'd have some very effective forests.