Nanogrid in NS2

Silverwing

<div class="IPBDescription">Build grahics</div>I am jotting this down on a phone so I will be brief and add more tomorrow. Anyway, here's the idea.

when the commander drops a building, a ghostly, glimmering representation appears (much like the current graphics) but when a marine is "building" it, the nanogrid manifests in a drop-shaped, quicksilver protrution from the floor. It slowly solidifies and takes on colour and as the cycle completes, the outline disappears and the finished structure emerges.

Comments?

Mr. Epic

I think it would look gimmicky and take away from realism. The prototypes being dropped and "built" behind the scenes and then popping into action when completed is an elegant solution to an otherwise compromising problem.

NEO_Phyte

Reading <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns/static/world/sanjii_1.html" target="_blank">Six Days in Sanjii</a>, this suggestion is about how its meant to work. The commander places a build request, forming a "nano-ghost" of the planned structure. The marines then validate the build request, and the structure begins to construct itself on site under marine supervision, to make sure nothing goes wrong. It doesn't go into much detail as to how the construction works, other than that the internal circuitry is part of the initial stages of construction, and sparks are involved.

MotherGoose

i think if done propperly, this would look soooo awesome.

this is exactly how it's ment to be done' and how i always imagined it back in pre 1.0 days.

silverwing should get something for sugesting this... maybe a glass of fresh O.J.

NEX9

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RoX_AfH8EU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RoX_AfH8EU</a>

Silverwing

<!--quoteo(post=1596577:date=Jan 9 2007, 07:30 AM:name=NEX9)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NEX9 @ Jan 9 2007, 07:30 AM) [snapback]1596577[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RoX_AfH8EU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RoX_AfH8EU</a>
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Relevance?

Buzzou

silverwing is right, the way the system works at the moment is unrealistic, with big things like TF's just materializing instantly, and all marines do to build it is make a few sparks and welding noises.... if the dev's are still going to keep the flexibility of being able to drop marine structures anywhere in the map that doesnt have creep, they need to make it more believeable.
the only other alternative to keep the game realistic, is to have the structures constructed in base, and then moved by marines to the area they need to be placed, which would have an impact on gameplay.

NEX9

wow relavance, i thought it was self exsplainatory, you obiously didnt watch it

those are at least the creator and or vfx producers of the movie representaion of nanites riping steal to peice, consiter it a backwards effect but have a liquid blue shimmer construct the steel out of no where

Lt_Patch

Probably the only reason why the structures drop fully "formed" in a visual sense, is that I'm not sure it's possible to fade in a structure as it gets built in the HL1 engine. Dunno about Source though, or whever they're going to be using for NS2

VideoJinx

SilverWing i think your idea is pretty cool ^^. It inspired me to think of this Similar idea which might be better to some people.


Ok maybe when a commander clips and item and drops it. He really doesn't drop it, but instead it shows up on the marine's Map as a waypoint to build a structure.(Encouraging newer players to use their maps more often)

So once a player comes within a certain distance of the waypoint of the building, the structure *phases in* and the player is automaticly told to build the structure.

If a player is already in a certain distance of the structure when the commander drops it. The structure instantly phases in and orders players around the area to build it.

Silverwing

NEX9, I watched that video and didn't see anything like what you describe, maybe I just wasn't paying attention enough.

EDIT: Ok, I think I see what you mean. At around 1:00, right? I only see metal dissolving though. Nothing is forming as such.

What I ment is similar to the T1000 in Terminator 2.

schkorpio

<!--quoteo(post=1597278:date=Jan 11 2007, 08:10 AM:name=Lt_Patch)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lt_Patch @ Jan 11 2007, 08:10 AM) [snapback]1597278[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Probably the only reason why the structures drop fully "formed" in a visual sense, is that I'm not sure it's possible to fade in a structure as it gets built in the HL1 engine. Dunno about Source though, or whever they're going to be using for NS2
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fading and all sorts of other clear, liquid metal chrome, jelly, shield glow, stained glass type effects are available in hl2 as well as controlling there intensity <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

well in garry's mod anyway - i hope NS2 takes a fair few tips from that mod.


I know its kinda against what the story explains, but it would kinda cool if a building dropped as 3 - 5 pieces and the marine animation would be putting those pieces together - with sparks flying out and all the rest <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> nice big sparks too - like a real welder which briefly would flash and brighten the entire room like lightning.
I've always felt that marines should look even more gritty (as a visual style and as a tough bad*** space marine) I'd really like to see NS2 mature the way HL2 did from hl1

Zerohourrct

Kind of like in Supreme Commander, with that blue empire? That would definately be something to consider for Marines... but I'm not sold just yet.

SpaceJesus

Anyone remember an old RTS game by the name of "Total Annihilation" ? What would look sickeningly cool to me, would be a construction system similar to that. Slivers of nanites fly up from conduits in the floor/walls/ceiling to form a fragile wireframe of the structure, which is then filled out by more nanites until the structure is complete.

Buzzou

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Anyone remember an old RTS game by the name of "Total Annihilation" ? What would look sickeningly cool to me, would be a construction system similar to that. Slivers of nanites fly up from conduits in the floor/walls/ceiling to form a fragile wireframe of the structure, which is then filled out by more nanites until the structure is complete.
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when i read the story about how nanites build structures, the first thing i though of was total annihilation.... it would make more sense to "spray" nanites onto a wireframe and watch it slowly build, rather than "weld" a building to complete it. i'm not sure how hard it would be to implement it, but it would definately be an improvement on the current system

Kaine

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when i read the story about how nanites build structures, the first thing i though of was total annihilation.... it would make more sense to "spray" nanites onto a wireframe and watch it slowly build, rather than "weld" a building to complete it. i'm not sure how hard it would be to implement it, but it would definately be an improvement on the current system
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yes! yes! exactly what i was thinking! i can imagine the marines having a tool that collects and condenses the nanites out of the air (read the backstory re: nano-gridlock) and sprays them on to the nanite-constructed "wireframe" that the commander has instructed the nanites to construct. fits really well with all the backstory; nanites needing marine assistance to construct buildings, more marines = faster building, etc etc. i think a wireframe/shimmering effect should be very possible with the Source engine's shader implementation. if you wanted nice blingy sparks it could be explained as small construction faults being discarded by the nanite construct and/or heat & energy being generated as the nanites fuse armor plates or electronics together.

NSSlayer

Well, its a good idea to use this nanit spray, but if its included, then welder isnt going to be neccesary, cuz you will be able to spray nanites on a HeavyArmored soldier too. Weldable doors and buttons are very exciting, and one of the esences of NS. I dont want to give them up. But if you've got a good idea, how to keep welder, and use this spray, im very interested in it.

Zerohourrct

Nanites in a can? I don't know, and I was skeptical of cheese in a can.

This sounds quite interesting, but wouldn't you run out of nanites? Perhaps Marines could have a sprayer device which inhales air and sucks nanites out of a little box which spawns inside the wireframe and programs them as they go through, so that they know what to build. Kind of like a nanite version of a snow sprayer used on ski mountains. Then the Welder actually generates energy which the nanites already in the structure use to repair themselves, because they are out of energy from building the structure in the first place.