Randomize entity spawn !
Pipi
Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69550Members
Join Date: 2009-12-09 Member: 69550Members
<div class="IPBDescription">just another idea</div>I was thinking about this right now as I was building a "cargo storage" room for my map and it seems not many games use things like procedural or randomized generation of items, maps, etc.
One thing that I think would be great for the game is to be able to 'flag' on or off an entity (mostlty props) like barrels, crates, tools, in the editor so that they can be randomized at the beginning of every game. Either they are spawned or not. That could also work with breakable doors or even weldable doors.. stuff like that. Actually it could be added to many things to be "on" or "off, just by randomizing every items that are flaged at the beginning of a game.
One thing that I think would be great for the game is to be able to 'flag' on or off an entity (mostlty props) like barrels, crates, tools, in the editor so that they can be randomized at the beginning of every game. Either they are spawned or not. That could also work with breakable doors or even weldable doors.. stuff like that. Actually it could be added to many things to be "on" or "off, just by randomizing every items that are flaged at the beginning of a game.
Comments
1) % chance of spawn
2) if a spawn relies on another spawn (i.e. there's a 50% chance this box spawns, but only if there's that box beneath me so it's not floating in midair)
I currently plan to include 3 Readyroom-Buttons in my hopefully sometime finished map, wich change the shape and strategy of the map, ex: Lava in DoubleRes, broken-ground corridors to a hiveroom, a closed door.
I think once the players get used to variating-map-strategys, they will accept it for league-games too.
1) % chance of spawn
2) if a spawn relies on another spawn (i.e. there's a 50% chance this box spawns, but only if there's that box beneath me so it's not floating in midair)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well there is a physic algorythm in the engine so if a barrel spawns in mid air it will fall on its side or something and still be randomly placed .. unless it is visible from the marine or alien start at the beginning of a game. A % of chance is a bit superfluous but it is really easy to program too so I guess it could be added.
All this is up to the developers and it would surely be far bottom on their priority list. :D
Giving mappers decent scripting options would be great. Elements depending on each other could allow mappers to create somewhat balanced and yet randomized starting setups.
For example in NS1 terms the a badly positioned starting hive could be balanced by better vent routing, some OCs or even an extra node right when the map starts. Of course balancing the game with such features is difficult, but it still gives mappers a lot more options for fighting off the problems of gameplay.
It is not supposed to add much either .. but it adds to all the immersive feelings. Although, if they'd consider applying it to, for example, breakable doors so let say, an onos doesn't have to take time to break the door since it's not there (at least the doors wouldn't but the frame still) or other things like lights.
It could change a bit the gameplay without unbalancing the whole thing, the mapper would have to judge what to randomize and what not.