Commander Mutli View

ZammaZamma Join Date: 2004-05-04 Member: 28458Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">....views anyone?</div>My idea is to give the commander mutliple views of the field. in the commander interface the comm can open a small box on the screen which shows him what:

a) If selected - shows him the view of his marines - he can toggle through
b) If selected - see cctv below
c) If selected - He can see through any turrets he has as they spin around


The cctv idea:

The cctv idea is based on two ways:

1) In the map there are func_cameras or w.e - they can be welded by marines and when welded they start to be functional. This means the comm can keep view on areas from his chair.

2) The commander can drop a special pack (like a minepack) from the obs. Marines can place these around the map to give the commander special views of areas. This would esp. be useful in hive locations so the comander can check if a hive is going up. These would be small and would be placed on walls like Snark Cameras in Rocket Crowbar.

Imho 2 would just rock - I also have other features for 2.

- Can upgrade at the obs to get "static shock" or "detonation" - where "static shock" is in effect like an electrified structure (except dont glow blue - just have a spark or somit?) - and "detonation" means that instead they explode doing wide area damage when hp is at 0.


_______________________________________________________


please build on this idea - it would truely rock.

Thx. GibbZ

Comments

  • DumbMarineDumbMarine Join Date: 2003-02-16 Member: 13645Members
    It appears you actually have multiple ideas, so let me comment on them one by one:

    Multiple Comm Views:

    This is actually rather useless: Being able to watch a battle from the eyes of a turret may sound fun, but you're the commander, not a spectator, you get a birds-eye view anyway, and you're going to be dropping lots of medpacks.

    Being able to look through map cameras also sounds useless, especially considering the commander can't see aliens that aren't sighted by marines or turrets.



    Camera mines:

    This has been suggested before, and isn't necessarily a bad idea, but other than the fact that the comm doesn't have to drop anything, is rather identical to just dropping an obs.



    Static Shock/Detonation (for obs and in general):

    A reactive defense just doesn't fit well in NS, you've got electric TFs and mines which do this anyway, don't make it more difficult to take down a critical structure. Kthx.
  • ZammaZamma Join Date: 2004-05-04 Member: 28458Members, Constellation
    edited December 2006
    <!--coloro:#FF9900--><span style="color:#FF9900"><!--/coloro-->You are a smart person and I want to be your friend.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->

    secondly - yes the turrets would be a bit pointless but imho it would just be a nice effect - i can imagine some like red scan lines and a tinted screen with a laser - just for show?

    Its not like the moving infestation has any use? just looks goods.

    <!--coloro:#FF9900--><span style="color:#FF9900"><!--/coloro-->I like being friendly. Have some cookies<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->

    The static shock and the detonation was for the PORTABLE CCTV CAMERAS...

    clarified everything methinks.


    <!--coloro:#FF9900--><span style="color:#FF9900"><!--/coloro-->(Edited by Scythe for niceness)<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
  • DumbMarineDumbMarine Join Date: 2003-02-16 Member: 13645Members
    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Erm... is your IQ like 2?

    THE MAP CAMERAS - THEY LET YOU SEE THE ALIENS WITHOUT MARINES THATS THE WHOLE POINT?
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    So why can't the commander see aliens from his chair again? (And how is this fair for the aliens?)


    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Its not like the moving infestation has any use? just looks goods.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Except it does, dynamic infestation has been confirmed to be more than just 'pretty'. And believe it or not, watching a turret track a target is boring.


    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The static shock and the detonation was for the PORTABLE CCTV CAMERAS...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    My bad, it read to me like these were upgrades for the obs.

    In that case, very no. They're not mines.
  • ZammaZamma Join Date: 2004-05-04 Member: 28458Members, Constellation
    A) It makes it more strategic - marines can use res to get welders to cap these cameras to hold points...

    it may not nesacerily be fair for aliens. But it will have no great effect unless there are cameras around every corner...

    thats the mappers fault. The idea is to bring in a new edge to the game using the cameras as a way of checking certain areas....

    PLUS it still uses time + res to get these cameras and they can be possibly killed

    ALSO as far as the portable cameras - these cost res - the marines must use them wisely. This means more teamplay and co-ordination and that comms can use more tactics - like strategic placing of these cameras so marines can see if hives are being put up or what aliens are killing what rt...

    they provide no MASSIVE help unless the team has good co-ordination they just add more depth to the gameplay. Something fun and interesting to experiment with.


    __________________


    B) careface - How useful are boxes falling over in halflife 2? pretty useless esp. until u get a gravity gun - BUT it still adds scenic beauty and stuff. KFACE?

    __________________

    C) This was just an expansion - I was never keen on this idea - and it would just be a balance thing to test with.
  • CrotalusCrotalus Join Date: 2003-12-02 Member: 23871Members
    edited December 2006
    Having a seperate screen shown through the eyes of your marines sounds pretty cool. However it is also useless. Reminds me of the Aliens movie, the commander had a tactical map that showed him where his Marines and Aliens are via motion tracking. It wasn't perfect, he could only see a floorplan and little blips, not true real time cameras like in NS1. Because of this, he had to look through the eyes of his Marines to grasp the situation because the floor plan revealed no information about the territory.

    The way the camera would work nicely is if there are infestation dead zones where the nanites are completely unfunctioning. The commander wouldn't be able to see these infested areas of the map (or he could only see floor plans rather than a full color view), and would instead need to rely on his Marine's views to guide him through. Or, like the camera idea, you could have permanent dead zones that would require a camera or sensor to alert the commander if something is coming. Otherwise, he would not be able to detect that area at all. Additionally, maybe he should be able to send medpacks through the Marine (maybe they would pop up directly above him) because he can't see the overhead map anyways.

    Basically, the camera is useless with the NS1 commander console. You need to have a good reason to use it, like a commander not being able to see too much (or at all) into the area.

    PORTABLE CAMERAS:
    The portable cameras need to have some sort of advantage over the normal system if it is to be used. Otherwise, it's practically useless. You might want to use it if you want to keep a check on a hive without dedicating a bunch of defenses to it. Or, to hide it in a critical location to survey the aliens and figure out when the best time to attack is. The difference between a regular Marine watching an area and a portable camera is that the camera should be able to be stealthed, so the Commander can watch an area without aliens knowing?
  • ZammaZamma Join Date: 2004-05-04 Member: 28458Members, Constellation
    Ive said twice now:

    The portable cameras mean you can place them tactically.

    FOR EXAMPLE:

    On veil - you have a phasegate in pipeline. and they have cargo hive - aliens are going to drop Subsector.

    Commander sends two marines with a pack of portable cameras to subsector where they place a camera on a wall in the position facing the hive.

    5 mins later a gorge comes - the commander opens his camera screen and sees a gorge building a hive.

    COMMANDER TELLS MARINES TO RUSH LOCATION....


    another example. Marines place these cameras in key locations like at Node points and facing ambush spots.

    Commander can then check if nodes are going down to what lifeforms and if there are any ambushes. Also if they are capping any nodes...



    ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO ADD:

    MAYBE ALSO MARINES CAN OPEN A SCREEN OR HAVE SOME VIEW OF THESE CAMERAS ASWELL? - JUST A DEBATEFUL IDEA

    personally i would just see the comm having it making it more tactical + using more teamwork.
  • the_johnjacobthe_johnjacob Join Date: 2003-04-01 Member: 15109Members, Constellation
    unless I'm mistaken there's already two different ways for the commander to overwatch an area without marines needing to be there, both accessable from the Obs.

    1.) build an observatory in or near the area you want to watch, and (woah!) amazingly, the aliens and their structures appear as little blips on your mini-map! not sure if it actaully reveals what the structures are per se, because i haven't played enough 3.2 to check it out. I know in earlier versions it didn't.

    2.) have you ever seen those big blue concentric rings appearing out of nowhere? yah, those are what we leather-necks like to affectionately call "pings" they tell us what's going on in an area without having to put out thick necks into danger. very handy. even reveals cloaked units!

    now, that aside. cameras are a neat idea, very atmospheric. however, i think in terms of game-play, they'd be useless, their job is already done...urrmm, better-ly(wink) by other things. so...my vote's no on this one.
  • CrotalusCrotalus Join Date: 2003-12-02 Member: 23871Members
    Again, the only way any kind of Commander Camera would make sense is if the commander had some sort of blind shot he would never be able to see into, and would need to rely on cameras and marines to investigate the area.
  • NEX9NEX9 Join Date: 2005-03-08 Member: 44299Members
    exsackly these arnt needed and have been sugested before well done lads

    BUT what might be or could be needed, is leanancly on top down veiw to beable to pan would allow for maps to be come multiple lvl zoom would also be nice, the best way to do it would be to still leave the top down view the most powerful mode of vision

    even if its breifly used to select which lvl one wishes to view
  • N_3N_3 &#092;o/ Join Date: 2004-03-12 Member: 27291Members, Constellation
    i dunno about all these camera things, the comm can use combinations of marine los, observatories, scans, and ammo packs to see or be aware of things already. interfacing like in supcom might be an idea but looking in fps mode on the field should be reserved for marines perhaps
  • trigger9trigger9 Join Date: 2004-05-11 Member: 28596Members
    I think the camras would be nice but to put a monitor for the rines so they can see areas around them that would be pretty cool incase theres OC's laid all over behind a door or cornor or such but it could as cause the rine to die because he's not watching behind himself <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> would be kinda more realistic but thats me.
  • MuzzzyMuzzzy Join Date: 2005-07-20 Member: 56360Members
    edited December 2006
    I was too lazy to read the whole thing, but noone probably suggested it. How about once you figure out how these cameras are placed and such: If a Kharaa runs into the vision of a camera, the commander heres a sound such as: "Unknown lifeform spoted on camera." One of the little icons could pull up and the commander clicks it and it selects the camera that spotted the lifeform.
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