57 replies to this topic

[Felicitatem Parco]

So, heat scale effects have to start somewhere... Why not start at the pilot?

Create a simple set of screen overlays and a pilot health ticker. Ideally, this would not involve modifying the HUD coding (since that is resource-intensive as is) and just be a fully-independent graphical filter that's laid over the normal viewing pane.

1.). As the cockpit gets really hot, the pilot's vision becomes slightly blurry. Effect generated just by adding a minor blur layer.
2.) As pilot is exposed to sustained heat, pilot vision becomes more hindered by vignette. (Basically, screen becomes black around the outer edge, emulating tunnel vision)
3.) Exposure to sustained overheat conditions (Mech shutdown) causes an overlay of "blood vessles" on screen to demonstrate that you're in serious duress. Vessles pulseate and obscure your remaining vision. Maybe add heavy-breathing/wheezing sound effect.

Eventually, pilot death if in an overheat state for too long. So, instead of dealing just damage to the CT when your Mech is shutdown from overheat, you deal damage to the pilot, too. If the pilot sustains enough damage during an overheating session, it dies.

Continual Pilot damage would be incurred as long as heat is over 90%, with expoentially more DPS sustained if heat is over 100%. The pilot would heal at X health points per second while heat was below 90%. If the pilot gets to a certain damage level, you die, but you heal over time when you are cool.

This would not require any changes to Mech mechanics. It would just be 2-3 layers of graphical filters and a behind-the-sceenes health system. This thread is specifically about a low-resource graphical filter set that can bring a VERY MUCH MISSING layer of immersion to the game.

Right now we are just Mechs. With my proposal, we would be Pilots in Mechs



(Think of the DireStar. Firing 9 ERPPCs simultaneously should cook the pilot to death while the Mech is still sustaining slow CT damage in the shutdown state)

Edited by Prosperity Park, 07 April 2016 - 02:10 PM.

[ChapeL]

I actually like this. Expect someone to complain that the blurred vision is causing him/her seizures though

[Afuldan McKronik]

Fun fact; override can and does destroy the head. Pilot death!

[Mystere]

Although I have no issue with this, I think HUD effects and Mech shutdown will accomplish the same thing without too much new system programming.

[Bilbo]

My mechs live between 80-100% heat in any engagement. I'd have to quit playing the game or actually start using alpha strikes for maximum effect.

[Mcgral18]

Afuldan McKronik, on 07 April 2016 - 01:42 PM, said:

Fun fact; override can and does destroy the head. Pilot death!

Specifically, 20 RNGeesus damage to any component when overridden.

It's a bad feature.

[FupDup]

Mcgral18, on 07 April 2016 - 01:50 PM, said:

Specifically, 20 RNGeesus damage to any component when overridden.

It's a bad feature.

I still wish it would deal damage to the locations containing weapons that pushed the heat over the limit, because that would like make sense and stuff...it also gives you the choice of sacrificing one of your own body segments if you need to fire while being at high heat.

[feeWAIVER]

Is this accurate, lore-wise?
In any of the books do pilots feel the heat in their cabin?
Do they ever have heat strokes?

[Afuldan McKronik]

Every time for the last week it has been my head. My unit has taken to making a running joke out of it.

[Felicitatem Parco]

Mystere, on 07 April 2016 - 01:46 PM, said:

Although I have no issue with this, I think HUD effects and Mech shutdown will accomplish the same thing without too much new system programming.

See, I thought about this. The HUD is very resource-intensive based on current programming. My proposal is to add simple graphical filters and/or overlay that may be able to be implemented without adding any HUD coding.

Bilbo, on 07 April 2016 - 01:47 PM, said:

My mechs live between 80-100% heat in any engagement. I'd have to quit playing the game or actually start using alpha strikes for maximum effect.

Um, I don't see how those two statements correlate. You can operate at low heat levels just by not alpha'ing, or only alpha'ing once, and then using chain fire. And also if your opponents are facing the same heat penalties as you, then it would technically be fair game... They would be cooking like you when you ride the redline.

Edited by Prosperity Park, 07 April 2016 - 01:57 PM.

[Afuldan McKronik]

TT purists knoe the pain of having a uncon roll due to heat. -.-

[Elkfire]

feeWAIVER, on 07 April 2016 - 01:53 PM, said:

Is this accurate, lore-wise?
In any of the books do pilots feel the heat in their cabin?
Do they ever have heat strokes?

Yep. In most of the books, a lot of pilots don't even really wear much beyond briefs, a sports bra sort of thing (if female), the neurohelmet, and a cooling vest, if I remember right.

Edited by Elkfire, 07 April 2016 - 01:58 PM.

[sycocys]

Remember the yellow screen/filter bug?

Or how about the black screen bug? Which seems to be the same exact thing just with a solid filter color.

[Felicitatem Parco]

Elkfire, on 07 April 2016 - 01:55 PM, said:

Yep. In most of the books, a lot of pilots don't even really wear much beyond briefs, a sports bra sort of thing (if female), the neurohelmet, and a cooling vest, if I remember right.

Yeah, that's to stay cool during normal operation.

Imagine how hot it would be if the Mechs went above operable temperature and into Overheat-so-bad-you're-no-longer-operable ?

[Mcgral18]

FupDup, on 07 April 2016 - 01:52 PM, said:

I still wish it would deal damage to the locations containing weapons that pushed the heat over the limit, because that would like make sense and stuff...it also gives you the choice of sacrificing one of your own body segments if you need to fire while being at high heat.

Yeah...but my WubShee is concerned by that for a couple reasons.
A the XL...but to be expected, better than RNGeesus fondling my face

B Alpha Strike: Which weapon? Top of the weapon list? Bottom of whichever alphanumeric system they use to place the weapons? Hardpoint IDs?

So, easy solutions...but will we even know the details behind it to min max it?
How about that small laser in an arm you use to alpha strike while at 90%?

Or, I guess as with Ghost Heat, the highest damage available (which you wouldn't exactly want to lose). In GH case, the highest heat value/multiplier.

[Bilbo]

Prosperity Park, on 07 April 2016 - 01:54 PM, said:

See, I thought about this. The HUD is very resource-intensive based on current programming. My proposal is to add simple graphical filters and/or overlay that may be able to be implemented without adding any HUD coding.


Um, I don't see how those two statements correlate. You can operate at low heat levels just by not alpha'ing, or only alpha'ing once, and then using chain fire. And also if your opponents are facing the same heat penalties as you, then it would technically be fair game... They would be cooking like you when you ride the redline.

They correlate because that is how I built and play the mechs. I use three weapon groups and once I've been through them once, I'm waiting for heat to come down to ~80 percent so I can fire another group. In your system I'd be better off just alpha striking and waiting for cooling. I'd spend less time in your danger zone that way.

[feeWAIVER]

Air Conditioners are lostech in the 24th century?

[Felicitatem Parco]

feeWAIVER, on 07 April 2016 - 02:03 PM, said:

Air Conditioners are lostech in the 24th century?

We have not only normal air-conditioners, but also double air conditioners that weigh the same as a normal air conditioner!

But, back to topic, this thread is specifically about a low-resource graphical filter set that can bring a VERY MUCH MISSING layer of immersion to the game.

Right now we are just Mechs. With my proposal, we would be Pilots in Mechs

Edited by Prosperity Park, 07 April 2016 - 02:08 PM.

[Revis Volek]

I have been crying for changes like this to the heat scale for years!


PGI make it so!

+10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000


Also, would you think about making FALL DAMAGE maybe from like a 90 foot drop deal some dmg to the pilot? Maybe have him make a grunt and then pant or react to the injury? Just a thought...

feeWAIVER, on 07 April 2016 - 02:03 PM, said:

Air Conditioners are lostech in the 24th century?

I dont care how good your air conditioner is, no AIR HANDLER in the world can combat an oven! which is basically what your mech is especially during over heat.

Edited by Revis Volek, 07 April 2016 - 02:13 PM.

[Gas Guzzler]

I think they should start with hud effects and like a -10-15% drain to all agility attributes whilst over 85-90% heat. A downside but not an overly convoluted complex list of different effects ever 2% of heat above 50% like some others have posted.