aeroripperJoin Date: 2005-02-25Member: 42471NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
edited November 2011
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I was about to hit back on the "you idiot, you don't listen" vibe with a complaint about the minimum spec being a big fat fraudulent lie - but I couldn't see it any more so either I've forgotten where it is or UWE has finally decided not to have something so clearly misleading up. Which is nice.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This isn't needed. It was changed\removed some time ago b/c it didn't accurately reflect current beta requirements, but more of an admitably, optimistic target goal.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I've said this a few times now, but we aren't looking to have darkness be a sign of an alien presence. Alien territory should be infested, and misty, with ground fog and glowing structures, and probably there will be some post processing color grading for the colors and lighting, the longer an area has been taken over. That is the look and feeling we want for being in alien territory.
The darkness is a sign of an area that is being contested.
--Cory<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like the idea of complete darkness much more than the standard red emergency lighting. How it could work using the current model:
1) Marine controlled - lights are on, and marines can build structures with power socket placed. A low "hum" of power flowing to the structures could be added.
2) Neutral state - lights are on, but marines cannot build structures. Map begins in this state. Marines can place power sockets, or aliens spread infestation over them to short them out and cause darkness. Marines can always build a new socket once infestation is removed.
3) Contested state - complete darkness. Marines could use scan to light up the room (a better and cooler version than what we have now) along with their flashlights and AI units. Aliens already have alien vision to counteract this.
4) Alien controlled - Bioluminescent structures and infestation and other things.
Without a commander scanning and marines moving in multiples with their lights, darkened rooms will favor aliens. I am curious to see how the power grid will affect the entire map. Will these power sockets be in every room\hallway? Or are tech point room sockets going to cover much larger areas?
I dont really get it. So the main change is to add an effect to the power nodes and also power nodes are empty at round start.
Adding an effect to the power nodes is no gameplay change at all, it is more of an accessability change. Making power nodes empty at start basically seems to me like a cheap "hack" on the gameplay design.
I think the whole power nodes / lighting system needs a major overhaul rather than duct tape. Especially there needs to be a clear and understandable vision. Players need to understand the rules of the game and when gameplay is hacked together like this, only hardcore people who know the game by heart will enjoy it.
alien controlled area must be defined better. And Cory needs to define this "fog" better, is it the same fog we see under the hive?
alien territory doesn't have be pitch darkness but it also doesn't mean it has to completely exposed with amazing lightning to help the marines when they're within ALIEN territory. Infestation should darken the lightning, create more shadows - allow the aliens to blend it within their own environment. If you want to light up alien buildings, but exposing the whole hive room for easy aiming which is controlled by aliens will just be bad idea by design.
And making things pretty is fine but remember gameplay has to fit into it as well. I feel we focus on better graphics more when these design ideas come out.
I think we need to step away from dimming the existing lights to 0% or 50% or anything like that based on power nodes. I don't believe it's ever going to look "right", which is going to keep us spinning in circles over the issue of atmosphere.
I really think mappers should be creating two sets of lights: main and aux. The aux lights are usually on, the main lights require power nodes to function. This is extremely different to turning the single set of lights to bright red, or turning them off completely (which does destroy the atmospheric lighting effects in the room).
With proper aux lighting, mappers can make an area look moderately well lit while still providing corridors of shadow for skulks to sneak through. Mappers can create this set of lighting specifically to complement the look of infestation & alien structures (which are dominantly green), while the main lighting can be focused on complementing the look of marine structures (which are dominantly blue).
Comments
This isn't needed. It was changed\removed some time ago b/c it didn't accurately reflect current beta requirements, but more of an admitably, optimistic target goal.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I've said this a few times now, but we aren't looking to have darkness be a sign of an alien presence. Alien territory should be infested, and misty, with ground fog and glowing structures, and probably there will be some post processing color grading for the colors and lighting, the longer an area has been taken over. That is the look and feeling we want for being in alien territory.
The darkness is a sign of an area that is being contested.
--Cory<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like the idea of complete darkness much more than the standard red emergency lighting. How it could work using the current model:
1) Marine controlled - lights are on, and marines can build structures with power socket placed. A low "hum" of power flowing to the structures could be added.
2) Neutral state - lights are on, but marines cannot build structures. Map begins in this state. Marines can place power sockets, or aliens spread infestation over them to short them out and cause darkness. Marines can always build a new socket once infestation is removed.
3) Contested state - complete darkness. Marines could use scan to light up the room (a better and cooler version than what we have now) along with their flashlights and AI units. Aliens already have alien vision to counteract this.
4) Alien controlled - Bioluminescent structures and infestation and other things.
Without a commander scanning and marines moving in multiples with their lights, darkened rooms will favor aliens. I am curious to see how the power grid will affect the entire map. Will these power sockets be in every room\hallway? Or are tech point room sockets going to cover much larger areas?
Adding an effect to the power nodes is no gameplay change at all, it is more of an accessability change.
Making power nodes empty at start basically seems to me like a cheap "hack" on the gameplay design.
I think the whole power nodes / lighting system needs a major overhaul rather than duct tape.
Especially there needs to be a clear and understandable vision. Players need to understand the rules of the game and when gameplay is hacked together like this, only hardcore people who know the game by heart will enjoy it.
In RTS you have a field of vision you have to get past.
In NS2, you have to build power nodes for as far as you want to build.
alien territory doesn't have be pitch darkness but it also doesn't mean it has to completely exposed with amazing lightning to help the marines when they're within ALIEN territory. Infestation should darken the lightning, create more shadows - allow the aliens to blend it within their own environment. If you want to light up alien buildings, but exposing the whole hive room for easy aiming which is controlled by aliens will just be bad idea by design.
And making things pretty is fine but remember gameplay has to fit into it as well. I feel we focus on better graphics more when these design ideas come out.
I really think mappers should be creating two sets of lights: main and aux. The aux lights are usually on, the main lights require power nodes to function. This is extremely different to turning the single set of lights to bright red, or turning them off completely (which does destroy the atmospheric lighting effects in the room).
With proper aux lighting, mappers can make an area look moderately well lit while still providing corridors of shadow for skulks to sneak through. Mappers can create this set of lighting specifically to complement the look of infestation & alien structures (which are dominantly green), while the main lighting can be focused on complementing the look of marine structures (which are dominantly blue).