Onos "pulverize wall" ability
Racer1
Join Date: 2002-11-22 Member: 9615Members
Join Date: 2002-11-22 Member: 9615Members
After seeing that doors could be taken down by the Onos, I am wondering if the same could be said for walls. The Onos could have the ability to pulverize an existing wall. The mapper would be able to define a certain face as breakable (by Onos only). This means that once an Onos had this ability (perhaps with 2 or 3 hives), it would be able to break the wall down.
Note: I'd really like to see the ability for the Onos to break down walls that are a certain thickness (or thinner). However, I'm guessing that this would be too hard for the game engine to support, and may make it hard to fully playtest all scenarios on a map.
Note: I'd really like to see the ability for the Onos to break down walls that are a certain thickness (or thinner). However, I'm guessing that this would be too hard for the game engine to support, and may make it hard to fully playtest all scenarios on a map.
Comments
an easily recognizable "onos smashable" door is one thing, but walls? you go too far, sir.
Because if you want the same level of consistent detail you find in the breakable doors and general map geometry, you need to make a special model for it. if you want many different looking walls to be breakable, you need many special models.
It is not like source where you can simply make a brush or two and stick a particle effect on it and that passes for quality.
It is not like source where you can simply make a brush or two and stick a particle effect on it and that passes for quality.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Perhaps if this were to be added, breakable wall props (flag enabled?) just need to be divided into separate sub models that could have physics applied to them when a wall is crushed. And after the crushed physics animation has finished, they turn into noclip models to relieve the stress on the PhysX system. Or they could just simply despawn using some kind of particle effect, from which you could say the bacteria or nanogrid absorbs/recycles the materials. And just maybe either team that has control of the sector (Powergrid vs Growth) gains a tiny amount of resources from it?
More work for Cory I think, separating the models like this <img src="http://members.home.nl/m.borgman/ns-forum/smileys/tongue.gif" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Or just forget the models entirely, making it simply brush based (Yeah I know, Spark plane based...). However this would look less awesome...
Breakable walls do not build on this mechanic at all. If there is a part of a map that lends itself to the mechanic, a door can be used. Adding a wall as well is just increasing complexity. Between a broken door and wall, there will not be much left in a room to hold the gameplay in.
Apart from the flagging/modelling/aesthetic nightmares that this idea raises (and which are mentioned above), breakable walls would also necessitate the re-design of maps due to the way in which Spark renders visible areas. The framerate in a room could be stable, and then plummet when a wall is broken yielding increased draw distances. Worse, the wall entity could be invisible to the render, and force the reduction in visual complexity of adjacent areas to maintain framerate, whether it is broken or not.
I think this idea is pretty cool, but does leave a lot of things open for discussion. Mostly the fact that it is more work to create the breakable wall models and making the physics look good (modeling/engine workload) and not to mention the render issues it could have (even if doors would probably have the same issue)
I think this idea is pretty cool, but does leave a lot of things open for discussion. Mostly the fact that it is more work to create the breakable wall models and making the physics look good (modeling/engine workload) and not to mention the render issues it could have (even if doors would probably have the same issue)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
you're a modeler, jump on it.
In the context of NS, it's actually an intriguing gameplay idea as well. Instead of the weld to close, then Onos to bust open, this could provide new ways for Aliens to alter the maps.
The tough part in my mind is the modeling/VIS aspects coupled on to making it obvious where they are. In L4D these walls were highlighted for Infected only. In NS2, making them "hidden" is perhaps questionable. Aliens know on the minimap where Marines could weld stuff in NS1. Making it hidden merely forces players to learn every map, which makes the learning curve in general steeper. Sure there's a nice atmospheric element of "oh my gods I didn't know they could break that wall!" but I'm not 100% sure it matches the "OK, now I have to run around each mas as an Onos at least once to find all the breakable walls".
So, I'm still on the fence. Just voicing some gut reactions.
The problems i see is :
* Having to make specific wall models fitting to each breakspot, more or less forcing mappers to learn modelling as well.
* making sure people know they're actually there, without resorting to silly reasons. (some sort of shader might work to mark thin, breakable spots. only visible for Onos ofc).
The good sides are really nice tho :
* new tactical elements, beeing able to create shortcuts to bypass a heap of turrets and go straight to munching soldiers sounds great :D
* Gives the Khaara more character, its always boring to have to identical counterparts.