17 replies to this topic

[DarkTreader]

I've browsed through various topics on the forums, trying to find an adequate section to ask this - finally decided to just start a new topic.

Over the past couple of weeks, as time permits, I've been re-reading the books that deal with the time-period that MWO will be taking place, and something has kept popping up - all of these books reference using multiple crosshairs simultaneously, either for weapon groups, or individual weapons.

Now... I know this may be a) a coding nightmare, and a player nightmare, but what would be the potential for something such as this? (Note: The following example assumes the use of mouse and keyboard, though dual joysticks would work quite well also) It could effectively nullify the entire 'fixed weapons vs. massed weapons' debate if a single crosshair were placed in the middle of the view, representing all of the 'fixed' weapons... and the mouse/aiming device could be the floating crosshair which represents the targeting for arm/missile/floating weapons.

Thoughts?

[juxstapo]

Yea, there's been uber-long, multiple discussions on this at Mektek. It would be nice to see as a, not neccesarily a perk, but an option, for those that desire the more Sim feel.

[Bullet Magnet]

That would be pretty sweet, but how would this work with the limited controls we have such as joysticks and keyboards and such? it would be pretty hard to move and shoot the fixed torso weapons with a setup like that. I've been trying to come up with a control sceme that would make dual crosshairs effective, but I can't really think of anything. Of course, there's a big possibilty that I'm just not thinking properly.

For example, In MW3, I use a joystick with my left hand, the Y axis controls throttle, the x turns, and I use a mouse (because I don't have another joystick at the moment) to control my upper torso movement, which aims my weapons with a fixed crosshair in the center. I'm trying to figure out how you could control two crosshairs at the same time and still be able to move effectively with a setup such as this.

Would this be too difficult to do, or am I just missing something?

[DarkTreader]

Well, what I was thinking specifically was that you'd have 1 fixed crosshair (your front mounted, fixed weapons - e.g. anything, say, torso-mounted), and a floating crosshair, which would handle your arm weapons, missile locks, etc... Your center crosshair would be aimed by torso movement, and the other would be handled by the mouse/joystick you use for normal aiming.

I'm not 100% certain this is how it reads in the books, but it seems marginally accurate. If I could get my hands on a Steel Battalion setup and could rig it properly into my PC, I could try to do a full floating dual-crosshair HUD, with single sticks & aiming for each arm, along WITH a central crosshair... but that'd be more for just the fun of it than anything else.

[HanaYuriko]

Dual axis or XBox controller could do it. Both thumb sticks could be used for the arm weapons (if the mech is set up that way). The D-Pad could be used as throttle and directional control. Shoulder buttons for torso twist, and trigger for weapons. Any other functions could be assigned to the other buttons.

I have a Saitek controller where the thumb sticks also work as buttons 9 and 10. I could aim with each stick, dividing my firepower and press down on the sticks to activate the weapons. I'd have to play with the setup some to get a good feel, but I'm sure I could create a viable profile that'd work for me.

[Dlardrageth]

Step 1: Strip existing weapons off Assault Mech

Step 2: Throw as many SmlLas on it as possible

Step 3: Watch the landscape getting blotted out on your HUD due to each of those SmlLas having it's own crosshair

Step 4: Profit. You can now fail epically each match and have the perfect (true!) excuse that you "didn't see" the enemy before it was too late.

[Ravn]

You could stick with your left joystick set up, except use y-axis for pitch, x-axis for turn, left/right hat for torso, and fwd/back hat for throttle. Use mouse for articulated weapons.

[Dedrayice]

personally i think the load out setup in the Xbox 360 game chrome hounds should be a good setup option where u can switch between defferent weapon use options for example option 1 will have the arm mounded weapons, option 2 will have the torso mounted weapons and option 3 will have missles or hard lockon weapons and have a cross hair for each but have the 1s that are not selected grayed out so u know which one u are using atm that point in time but at the same time they could also setup a outside camera for that weapon options too.

[Pariah Devalis]

Honestly, I had enough trouble with a M+KB setup in MW3 that I ended up just fixing my crosshairs and never used the independent arm control. However, I could see a dual joystick setup working, but it would require having at least one with a z function, preferably both. One for torso twist and one for steering the mech itself.

Might also help to have a "slave" toggle button that slaves one arm's joystick controls to the other joystick if, for whatever reason, you need to take you hands off of one stick to access the keyboard. I always wanted to try my hand at a dual free floating crosshair setup, splitting the weapons roughly down the middle of the mech and binding them to their appropriate joystick. Would make for an extremely high skillcap, but it would be something that would fill you with a sense of accomplishment if you could, say, accurately split your fire, simultaneously, between two targets at once.

Edited by Pariah Devalis, 20 January 2012 - 11:27 PM.

[Ravn]

Nothing beats a mouse for accuracy. You would spend too much time lining up your articulated weapons with a joystick. A joystick would work for fixed crosshair tho since the response would be slower.

[Thorolf Kylesson]

I can see this for guided missiles or specific weapon pods (such as L arm, R arm, torso). Have them queued up then use your mouse to click on multiple targets going down the queue. I don't think you can shoot two torso mounted lasers at two targets at the same time unless they are on swiveling mounts.

Edited by Thorolf Kylesson, 20 January 2012 - 11:45 PM.

[Mordhar]

DarkTreader, on 20 January 2012 - 10:57 PM, said:

Well, what I was thinking specifically was that you'd have 1 fixed crosshair (your front mounted, fixed weapons - e.g. anything, say, torso-mounted), and a floating crosshair, which would handle your arm weapons, missile locks, etc... Your center crosshair would be aimed by torso movement, and the other would be handled by the mouse/joystick you use for normal aiming.

I'm not 100% certain this is how it reads in the books, but it seems marginally accurate. If I could get my hands on a Steel Battalion setup and could rig it properly into my PC, I could try to do a full floating dual-crosshair HUD, with single sticks & aiming for each arm, along WITH a central crosshair... but that'd be more for just the fun of it than anything else.

This is exactly what is done in AT1:BT (fan-made Battletech/Mechwarrior game). And it works pretty well.

2 different crosshairs, one fixed in center (for fixed weapons) and second moving across the screen (for hand/non-fixed weapons). It is not confusing and perfectly logical to use. It playable even with mouse/keyboard controls. Joystick+mouse or controller /dual joysticks+head tracker can make it even more comfortable to use.

I do not know about separate control/crosshair for each hand or even each different weapon however, because it really can turn control system into a “player nightmare”.

[Dedrayice]

Thorolf Kylesson, on 20 January 2012 - 11:43 PM, said:

I can see this for guided missiles or specific weapon pods (such as L arm, R arm, torso). Have them queued up then use your mouse to click on multiple targets going down the queue. I don't think you can shoot two torso mounted lasers at two targets at the same time unless they are on swiveling mounts.

well the idea i had for the multi-optional weapon selection crosshairs was for a single targeting system for everything except for the missle/ hard lockon option everything else will be single target system and for the arty aspect of TAG they can have a HUD display for specific TAG targets but accuracy will be determined by the skill of the pilot and his training in that aspect of fighting, but on the same note tho u can have the options specific to your play style such as if u like to have your lasers fire along with your auto cannons on 1 option setup or u can have it where your missiles is setup on another or even if things get hairy you can have a last ditch option where it can do a all out weapon attack sort of like a alpha strike as in your mech will unload every weapon it got onto a target or multiple targets depending on what weapons is setup for that specific option setup that is made however they can set it up where if u do chose to unload every thing it can either overheat or make your mech lose balance if you always chose to unload everything so it gives players a risk and reward kind of strategy while they are in combat.

[Ravn]

Commas and periods are nothing to be ashamed of. Feel free to use them.

[Nik Van Rhijn]

You might like to look at this http://mwomercs.com/...-do-you-prefer/

[B1ackMag3]

DarkTreader, on 20 January 2012 - 10:35 PM, said:

I've browsed through various topics on the forums, trying to find an adequate section to ask this - finally decided to just start a new topic.

Over the past couple of weeks, as time permits, I've been re-reading the books that deal with the time-period that MWO will be taking place, and something has kept popping up - all of these books reference using multiple crosshairs simultaneously, either for weapon groups, or individual weapons.

Now... I know this may be a) a coding nightmare, and a player nightmare, but what would be the potential for something such as this? (Note: The following example assumes the use of mouse and keyboard, though dual joysticks would work quite well also) It could effectively nullify the entire 'fixed weapons vs. massed weapons' debate if a single crosshair were placed in the middle of the view, representing all of the 'fixed' weapons... and the mouse/aiming device could be the floating crosshair which represents the targeting for arm/missile/floating weapons.

Thoughts?

Great Idea!!! How realistic whould be this?!

That would affect the Choice of choosing a Mech so much! Mechs with inflexible Torso will make diffrence too then. Think about an Awesome and the Possibillitys of a Summoner (Thor) with flex Torso and Arms then!!!

I´m with the Idea of DarkTreader!

Edited by B1ackMag3, 21 January 2012 - 02:47 AM.

[DarkTreader]

Nik Van Rhijn, on 21 January 2012 - 02:10 AM, said:

You might like to look at this http://mwomercs.com/...-do-you-prefer/

... well... balls. =p
For some reason, that's one I completely missed. >_<

[Gremlich Johns]

This would be easy to do with a neural-interface.......