Interactables
Abra
Would you kindly Join Date: 2003-08-17 Member: 19870Members
Would you kindly Join Date: 2003-08-17 Member: 19870Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Bring your ideas too</div>A thing I would love to see in NS2 is a larger range of usable consoles, machinery, lifts, other means of transportation (in the environment, not like jet packs) trams, and the like. I giggled when I saw the rail car - concepts. What I am saying is not that I want every room to be stacked with buttons and triggers, but I would like to see some cool devices that have had their purpose in the environment, before the TSA marines' arrival.
A great example of this would be doom 3, and quake 4. Both had a great deal of intractable, and design-wise beautiful machinery, that excited me much. These games had another fun gimmick, that I have also seen in the HL2 mod dystopia - touch displays, that when hovered above with the crosshairs, would present you a little OS like pointer, so that you actually felt like you were pressing buttons there, and not just asking the wall "can I USE something in my vicinity?"
With transportation means mentioned, I would like to empathize that what my wish comes down to is some interactables, which in my dictionary also covers stuff like real time monitors, repairable lights and generators (still environment, not placed items)
Also: I would like to see a lot more machinery models, with cool animations n' stuff.
- What would you like to see in the game, on this topic - stuff you can use or has some dynamic role in the game, small or big?
- Generally, how could the HL1/2 way of "E - using" be improves, If wished?
- Other? Please take the podium!
A great example of this would be doom 3, and quake 4. Both had a great deal of intractable, and design-wise beautiful machinery, that excited me much. These games had another fun gimmick, that I have also seen in the HL2 mod dystopia - touch displays, that when hovered above with the crosshairs, would present you a little OS like pointer, so that you actually felt like you were pressing buttons there, and not just asking the wall "can I USE something in my vicinity?"
With transportation means mentioned, I would like to empathize that what my wish comes down to is some interactables, which in my dictionary also covers stuff like real time monitors, repairable lights and generators (still environment, not placed items)
Also: I would like to see a lot more machinery models, with cool animations n' stuff.
- What would you like to see in the game, on this topic - stuff you can use or has some dynamic role in the game, small or big?
- Generally, how could the HL1/2 way of "E - using" be improves, If wished?
- Other? Please take the podium!
Comments
Well, I guess there's another thing. I'll have my __________ (explosive weapon of choice) equipped and I'll try to interact with the panel... but I'll step back just a step too far and suddenly I've taken off half of my own health because apparently my finger slipped from the panel all the way up to the weapon trigger. Instantly. (More cursing and screaming.)
So if you want to have in-button panels, that's fine with me ... but don't make the attack button server as the use key. Please.
i'd also like to see more interactivity - imagine going into a room which was an assembly line - conveyor belts moving crates around, robot arms lifting, light controls fan controls - (instead of a door have big fan in a vent which you can turn on/off for access) ridable things are always fun, shooting a gun on anything that moves fast easily doubles the fun lol <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
of course there is already the whole makeshift barricades thread.
I think the use button, then getting seeing a cursor move around on the in game object's screen, then hitting use again to exit, would be spot on. That is the marine "using" their hands for more than just holding their weapon then bringing their weapon up again, purposefully. Excellent.
In fact, why not do this in the command chair? You "use the chair" you are effectively doing just this. If we already are used to it in the game, why not expand upon the idea?
I am pretty sure it is possible, do you remember the blog where it was mentioned about "signs" that were procedurally generated or some such? I could have sworn a "game" of Life was described as being possible on one of these signs. Is this much different than the camera screens we would see in Half-Life 2 that were real time?
Other uses for use should be picking stuff up. All kinds of uses there for the inventive marine. Lots of Half Life 2 mods seem to be using this to great benefit: Example - I love the picking up of items in Zombie Master, I put batteries in place to power up generators, I put valves in place to stop the flow of water, place gas cans and motors to power a vehicle, pick up barrels of petrol to explode in the enemies' faces, toss gas cans to light them on fire, place crates and ladders to make my way over an obstacle, carry extra ammo for my weapon...
I would very much like to have to switch on lights, vent a room of dangerous fumes, shut down a engine going nuclear, open gratings on vents, cycle air locks, swing cranes, start up conveyor belts, turn on the grinders, rebuild engines, install lights, re-activate base defenses...
This one idea of improved uses of the "Use" function, opens up so much for map makers and gamers alike. Combined with welding, information gathering, research, and weapons you have a recipe for incredible gameplay possible.
The one thing I HATE about a "use" system like you describe is that I'll be in the middle of a firefight and step too close to something... and suddenly I'm pushing buttons instead of firing.
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Okay, how about the same idea, but instead of pressing buttons with the attack button, you use E?
Easy solution.
I think this idea would be excellent for NS2, especially if it is combined with physics. For example: an idea I had for a room in one of my maps was a Drop Pod Room, where all the Pods are hanging from the ceiling on chains or cables and can move around freely. Then maybe pressing buttons on the doors would open them and drop the pod, maybe dragging players towards the open door and into space. The top of the Pod would be a cool place to hide as a Skulk and Marines might be able to work out where they are by the slight movement of the Pods, then may be they could evacuate the room and the commander could drop the pods. Which might seal the room while it decompresses. Meaning players might get stuck on either side of the room until the doors open again and all or some of the pods are gone.
I also had an idea for a hallway that had an Airlock at the other end, that was directly opposite another Airlock but there was a gap of open space. So when a button was pressed, the inside doors would close and the outside (Space side) doors would open, sucking everyone out and killing them slowly in space. But if a player managed to get to the other door, say if they were a Blinking Fade, they may be able to a part of the map that other players couldn't get to, this may allow them to open new areas of the map and make it easier to win/attack the enemy’s base.
I think ideas like these would add a lot more depth to the game. It would mainly make the player feel like they were in Space and know it is a dangerous place, which very few of the current maps really do.
I don’t want to see loads of useless buttons that just do silly things like change a T.V. screen, although some are quite nice and add to depth. Buttons should do things that add to the game, like welding things do now. Say if the map was based in a military complex in space, there could be defensive barricades that come up in hallways to give players somewhere to hide. They wouldn’t block off the whole hall, just the edges and have gun ports or only be half a marine high.
I would love to see suspended boxes that move along like in HL1 (but the boxes didn’t move) and you would have to jump across them to get to a part of the map that would give you some kind of advantage. I think getting a reward for doing these things is especially important. I mean finding a button that just lifts a crane arm up and down is quite nice, but what if that arm not only killed players under it, but also lifted a platform that other players could stand on and get to some vents that lead to a place above the hive. I think that idea would need a little bit of team work to do.
I would like to see a button in the middle of the map, which moved a Hive in some way, maybe the Hive is on a massive lift that moves slowly between floors and has doors below it. So the marines have to control the room with the floor buttons in and then attack the Hive. (Is it possible to have a moving hive?)
Also, these things shouldn’t be the only way to win the game. In the idea above there should be some way of stopping the hive being moved and the hive going back to its original position. Say for example to the ground floor, where the marines don’t have to climb loads of defended stairs to get to it.
Or for the idea of the airlock, this shouldn’t be the only way to get to an area (like Marine start for example), but perhaps it is a faster way to get there, or is just easier because no one will be there. But then is the risk of death worth the ease of getting to somewhere.
<b>What do you think?<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /><img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /><img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" /></b>
(P.S. Don’t steal my idea without some credit to me and an email, I would love to play maps with those things on, so just tell me you have put one of my ideas in and I’ll come and play your map <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />)
...more like (to be said in that classic female HL Training voice) "Warning Air Lock Opening. Personnel Not Wearing Protective Clothing Please Evacuate The Air Lock. Warning Inner Air Lock Door Closing In 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." First door closes slowly "Air Lock Is Decompressing" Sound of rushing air, player is pushed gently towards the door "Outer Air Lock Door Is Now Opening" Space side door opens and player is violently pushed out, throwing them across to the other airlock, where they have to press the button to close the outer door and Recompress the Airlock, all the time they are being slowly damaged. I may even go and try and make this now for HL2 DM. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
I am not really a fan of stuff that kills you. Might be more annoying than cool. Though, a hive growing under a lift, that could be raised so another level (to the advantage of the marines) could be cool, if done right.
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I'm with Denmark on this one. I'd also like the idea of a canal with ladders that can be flooded, maybe depending on the infestation level.
It didn’t take that long and works really well, I’m just working on making it look good, and thinking about integrating it into a DM map, unless NS2TR comes out soon, in which case I will try and shove it into a NS2 map.
<b>locallyunscene</b> I like the idea of an area flooding depending on DI, maybe an area of a map called Water Storage where giant tanks store a space station communities water supplies, and if the DI gets in the tanks/pipes burst filling the room with an equal level of water. The problem with flooding a room is you can’t build in it and you can’t shoot under water.
I would love to see a room that floods and then it’s possible to get to a lone RT or maybe a group of RTs. I could image a room filled with water and in the middle is a metal island with an RT on it and maybe the Marines can weld something that drops a bridge to it, which they could build on, that could happen even before the water has risen. Or a skulk could climb up to the RT and gestate, becoming a Gorge and dropping the RT which might eventually allow the DI to fill the room. Then this might flood the room and the surrounding corridors.
Yeah I like that idea a lot locallyunscene. What about a Hive room ,where the hive lifts up as the room floods. :S
I would also like to see some maps where computer terminals are used to unlock rooms. For example a Computer Core has locked itself down when it detected something wrong in the air supply, Infestation! Most of the routes to the core are closed even the vents! There is one (maybe 2) lone route to the Core from marine start and the marines must go there, press two computer terminals at the same time and open the core, then weld the terminals so there commander has control of the doors on the ship/space station. The vents might still be able to be bitten open by the alien team, but some might not and others might take much, much longer than normal. Then as the Marines weld the Cores circuit boards and terminals, the doors might go erratic, locking open and then closed again, or jumping open and closed quickly; until the Marines have full control of the Core. The erratic opening of the doors would allow both sides to take the risk of going out into the rest of the map and gathering RTs, while being in constant fear that the doors might not open again. The Computer Core would probably have 2 RTs in it, to give the Marines a reason to go towards it. And not just gather res very slowly at base. It would also be possible for the aliens to bite and slash there way through to the computer core eventually, allowing them to slow the Marines chances of taking full control of the Core. Which would mean the doors stayed opening and closing erratically for longer, allowing the aliens to eventually get to the other Hives (which I image to be placed at the top 3 points of a diamond with Marine Start at the bottom and the Core in the middle). Or the Marines to get into rooms to grab RTs. Of course this is a risky strategy, especially if the alien team just decided to attack the core and the marines leave it half welded and then keep getting locked in rooms all alone.
<b>What do you think of that Map Idea?</b> I imagine it would be hard to set up, with all the doors, but would be crazy to play and would require fast teams who work together to get to the core quickly. I guess there should be some way of the aliens opening all the doors, maybe if they bite down enough of the vents the Computer just gives up the fight and admits defeat, saying something like: “Infestation Critical. Over 90% of air flow infected. Unable to contain... Containment field deactivated.” And perhaps the Computer Core would also say things like “Hull Breach in Sector 14”, “Unknown Life Form Detected in Vent 17” and “Infestation of Lower Docking Bay at 60%” as the aliens break through to the Core, which would also allow the commander to have an idea of where the aliens where on the map and scare the Marines when they are stuck in rooms by themselves with aliens breaking down the nearest vents. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />