First sorry, not trying to derail the subject. Still about Urbie leg size.
I've referenced the animation models before and always thought they should have two modes of movement.
- Normal walking and the associated ease of operation for the Pilot. (from driving to weapons use)
- Running mode and presenting more difficulty with all aspects of Piloting.
For the normal movement mode all elements for the Pilot are rather easy to complete, pretty much what we see in the game now. Standard walk mode with it's associated 'cruise' mode. But introduce the run mode and advanced cruise mode and everything just gets a bit harder to operate.
- With advancing speed and movement to the run mode the 'Mech starts to extend it's leg strides, this has a somewhat two fold change for the Pilot. Over rather level ground it may be a sometimes smoother ride and just as easy to acquire targets and operate the weapons. Introduce diverse terrain at this speed and the 'Mech can change heights and positions rather quickly, the Pilot needs to be keenly aware of this change.
~ What we originally had (early Beta) with cockpit sideways transition during fast movement would actually be truer to what would really be happening for some of these models. (removed due to 'car sickness' syndrome issues)
For the animators and model creators, this would require building two sets of movement dynamics for each similar 'Mech design. The walk and the run mode.
- Due to this being a game and requiring the Pilots to actually need to be able to acquire and shoot on the move, some aspects of the Pilots view mode could be 'smoothed out' as it's the targeting computer and sensors that the Pilot is viewing through.
- But the 'Mech model should have these changes embedded for it's method of movement and changes to profile.
An aside here on movement:
(the whole Pilot/'Mech movement would be akin to a rider and a horse dynamic. The Pilot directs the 'Mech where and how fast he wants the 'Mech to move, and it's quite capable of doing all that is necessary to fulfil that requirement on it's own. From moving around structures to jumping over obstacles.)
~ and not something we are seeing or have use of in the game now. Far too much direct control required for everything 'Mech required. Zero Ai ability for the 'Mech and completely out of the Lore and stated operational dynamics of this vehicles operation.
(I'd just like for once the 'Mech to stop and not walk me off a cliff or walk directly into a building, face first. Just a little Ai built in to 'know' to avoid these. Yes, the Lore states that the 'Mech will obey the Pilot even if it means destruction of itself. But just a little Ai for the 'stupid' mistakes I make. Like walking or running around a building not into it, a little 'path finding' here, thank you. But I diverge.)
Perhaps this 'smart movement mode' could ONLY be used if the Pilot sets the movement mode to 'cruise mode' in the two different stated speed ranges. Dynamic changing of the speed 'turns off' this mode and ability to drive around or over obstacles.
(similar to modern vehicles and radar cruise mode, change something and it turns itself off.)
- This allows the Pilots to concentrate on fighting and not needing to 'micro manage' the 'Mech every inch of it's movement.
- Requiring a simple Ai path finding mode for the 'Mechs operation in this mode only.
With PGI working on new Ai elements for introduction into the game they may already have something in this line of required code completed. Adding some 'smarts' into our 'Mechs would only be a step forward to following the Lore on how these elements operated and how the Pilots control them.
Just some divergence and observations here,
9erRed
Edited by 9erRed, 24 January 2015 - 12:32 AM.