Alien in warehouse screenshot

Flayra

<div class="IPBDescription">Just a quick shot</div>Hey everyone,

I was playing around with the new commander mode and thought Merk's new warehouse looked especially cool from on high.  

That red blip is drawn for the commander because there is an alien nearby that no one is looking at.

There is a player standing on a crate firing his machine gun...the wrong way.  This is one way we're hoping to promote listening to your commander.  He may know something you don't!

UnCritical

Damn, that looks good!

But one question, is that blip just in the center of the screen to warn the commander, or actually pointing out where the alien is?

ChromeAngel

Does that mean that the commander only ever sees red dots not the actual aliens?  Maybe if you made the dot more transparent the commander could prioritize warnings based on the class of alien he can see.

* notices the huge open area on the minimap *

[edit] There are bits of that shot where I can't tell if it's part of the the map or part of the HUD.  But then i'm tired, it's late. [/edit]

Greedo

Okay, um.  Wow.  But I'm having trouble figuring out the difference between this and the previous commander mode (I'll just assume it's got something to do with the entities or something).  And I hope that blip isn't pointing out the alien, because the marine isn't looking at it (or whatever, it really doesn't matter, I guess.)

Flayra

Oh, I wasn't clear.  The blip shows the position of every alien.  If one of his marines can see an alien, the blip isn't drawn, the regular animated alien is.  The blip is only drawn when no one on the team can see an enemy.  

These blips are only drawn for the commander and they're ONLY drawn when they are close to a marine (say, around 10 feet).



<!--EDIT|Flayra|Feb. 08 2002,18:34-->

tommyd

does this mean the "new" commander technology is working? <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

Comprox

Looking good! Now all we need is:
a- The NSTR2
b- How the heck does the new commander mode work? <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->

Scythe

Lemmie get this straight, every alien in the map is visible to the commander as a red blip, untill it comes within sight of a marine?

If this is true, this is going to suck really bad. The aliens wouldn't be able to set up ambushes or anything of the sort.

I have an inkiling of a suspision that the red blip was manually put there to hide the new alien models!

[EDIT]
I just read Flayra's edit and I stil think it would be unfair for the aliens if the commander could warn marines that an ambush was coming, even if it was only 10 feet (grr, stupid imperial) away.
[/EDIT]


--Scythe--
<a href="mailto:the_only_scythe@yahoo.co.uk">the_only_scythe@yahoo.co.uk</a>

UnCritical

Hehe i think ive got a fair idea about how the new commander mode will work, but ill keep quiet <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

Scythe - The aliens are only visible to the commander as a red blip when they get close to the marine, about 10 feet.

MariNe

Everytime i see a new commander screenshot i just keep thinking this is too cool.It almost looks like the mod is almost done.......or maybe not. <!--emo&???--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'><!--endemo-->

Flayra

Actually, today marks the day that the last big problem for the new commander mode was fixed.  The NSTR2 should be released imminently, along with the info on how it works.

mr_Nebel

I think I speak for the ENTIRE mapping community when I say: "WOOT!!" <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->

realityisdead

<!--QuoteBegin--Flayra+Feb. 08 2002,18:57--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> (Flayra @ Feb. 08 2002,18:57)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteEBegin-->Actually, today marks the day that the last big problem for the new commander mode was fixed.  The NSTR2 should be released imminently, along with the info on how it works.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Wow, I wasn't prepared for that... almost spilled my drink. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

Moleculor

Ach, I bet the commander floats in a large brush. No longer an empty space, just a big brush. Either a special one, something like func_seethrough, or just a normal one, like everything else. Or that's what I'm betting at least.

Now, my only question is: Is the red blip the tiny red dot, or the glowy red dot? <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

CyonPro

I thought that the NULL texture was going to be used in some way to allow the commander to float around in the void above the map?

Or have I said too much......?

Comprox

Ehh, lets just say...Cyon Pro is a little close Moleculor <!--emo&;)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'><!--endemo-->

Merkaba

I am currently making an example map on how to implement the new commander mode. I'll also include a documentation listing the improvements, and limitations, over the previous commander mode.

Don't let your expectations rise <i>too</i> high, as the new method is still not 100% user-friendly, but then this isn't what the HL engine was designed for, and this is probably the best method we're going to get. The pros of this method over the last one *greatly* exceed the cons <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

Merkaba

Oh, and CyonPro is NOT close. In no way does the NULL texture allow the commander to fly around in the void.

CyonPro

I think the NULL thing was in reference to some other mapping trick, not even sure if it was NS-related. I'm getting my secrets mixed up <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->

Moleculor

The thing with having a 'void' though is that all that empty space has to be VISed which ups the r_speeds, which is what having a new method is trying to avoid (or at least should be). Which is why the commander will probably be hovering in a large brush of some kind, much like how someone outside the level can look in through the walls.



<!--EDIT|Moleculor|Feb. 08 2002,20:52-->

Hand_Me_The_Gun_And_Ask_Me_Again

I know how it works, and what the func_illusionary doodah does.

At least, I know how one potential implementation worked. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

UnCritical

Ahhh but the null texture does allow you to make one way portals (i think) which can replace all the  func_seethroughs allowing the commander too look down from a room above <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

Am i even close?

Moleculor

We'll know when the NSTR2 comes out.

Shuvit_Viper

This is ####### AWESOME!!!!!! wiehoo! NS... were coming for ya!

CyonPro

<!--QuoteBegin--UnCritical+Feb. 08 2002,22:40--></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td><b>Quote</b> (UnCritical @ Feb. 08 2002,22:40)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"><!--QuoteEBegin-->Ahhh but the null texture does allow you to make one way portals (i think) which can replace all the  func_seethroughs allowing the commander too look down from a room above <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

Am i even close?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's what it was! The NULL was used on the top of the cieling brushes to allow the commander to see thru, and the func_illusionaries were used to give the walls around rooms/corridors the illusion of thickness/depth.

KungFuSquirrel

If you've hovering in the void, you see through ceilings anyway. Null texturing only works on faces that aren't thrown out in CSG in the first place, then... well... throws them out, heh. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo--> Try noclipping above a regular map and looking down -- subtract the GUI and you get something fairly comparable to commander mode. <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->

CyonPro

I think just about every mapper has used noclip at some point to view their map from the outside.

Bob_the_Alien

So will NSTR2 be released somtime this week or somtime this month?

pielemuis

*Drool*
*slurp*
*swallow*
er....nice
*drool some more*

Hida_Tsuzua

Jimmy look behind you!  Jimmy!!!!

Neat pic there Flayra.

RhoadsToNowhere

All right, so I'm still a little confused about this.  I presume that the green dot with the grey guy on top of it is a marine, the red blip is a kind of "alien indicator," and the arrow is the commander's cursor?  Stop me if I'm completely wrong here.

BTW, this is my 100th post <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->