Online training
Flayra
Game Director, Unknown Worlds EntertainmentSan Francisco Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 3Super Administrators, NS2 Developer, Subnautica Developer
Game Director, Unknown Worlds EntertainmentSan Francisco Join Date: 2002-01-22 Member: 3Super Administrators, NS2 Developer, Subnautica Developer
<div class="IPBDescription">Would you help?</div>Would you be interested in joining special training servers, where you didn't play NS, but instead you used Half-life voice to teach new players the basics of weapons fire, alien movement modes, the basics of commander mode, map basics, etc? Assume that there wouldn't be any player killing, blocking, or any other abuses happening.
Comments
But no, I would not be interested in doing this.
(BTW, I like that idea about a tutorial map Hida... What do ya think Flayra?)
<!--EDIT|ken20banks|April 01 2002,20:50-->
Also, while I said 'Yes', it'd be more up my alley to do several hours of work every other week or so.
<!--EDIT|Moleculor|April 01 2002,21:21-->
<!--EDIT|Moleculor|April 01 2002,21:30-->
Now I remember a discussion about training maps a while back... it was discussed that there would have to be an alien training map.. a marine... etc.
Hey, and if you did that, you could still use the same concept as the ready room for joining which kind of training you want. Or I guess there could just be seperate maps...
My guess is that the official word on this will be that while it would be a nice addition, it really might not be worth the time involved...
Though Flayra does obviously seem to be interested in the concept of training... so, who knows?
And hey, I wonder if a training level would need all three hives. I bet just a one hive map would be great for [basic] training. That's about where I am right now in my own level. If I don't finish it in time for it to be submitted and considered for inclusion in NSv1, I wonder if it would make a good tutorial map until finished... (In other words, I'd do anything to get a map into the official build, but am not so sure I can pump a full map out that quickly... hint hint.)
<!--EDIT|ken20banks|April 01 2002,21:41-->
If you want the little hologram bit, why doesnt Flayra just get a few of the interesed parties WON ID's and code it dirrectly into NS. That way, the IS no command to be "let out". The Opera is a perfect example of this. The DEV's all have tags by thier names (when you press Tab) when they play, and no one else gets them (unless they code it into the game). I think Sven did this too with paying customers or ... something ... not sure.
Of course then the aliens wouldn't get their special multiple hive upgrades. So it could be like a Starcraft training map (I think it was Starcraft. It's been so long) where only the basic tech is available. But I don't know if there's any way to limit the marines in the same manner.
Good point about the marines... I wonder if a training mode would really be a marines vs aliens competition though..
<!--EDIT|ken20banks|April 01 2002,23:57-->
But I also like the idea of people on the Dev team getting WON IDs in the game for little marks next to their name. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->
Anyway, helping out people new to nS is a nice touch, but wouldn't they learn more on their own, on "real" servers? I never played on a noob server before, and it's my understanding you learn by playing against players that are better than you, anyway if Flayra would liek to go through with this I would like to help, it would be one of those things to keep the community happy and clean and isn't that what we all want ? <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->
But i think in the first release there will not be enough servers for this, i hope there will be some servers, not just 4 or something like vampire slayer has (long time since i played)...
i like the trainer hologram idea... maybe the trainer could be a overall commander (commander view, only he sees both teams, and can order and help both teams..)
Recorded a demo on it, and explained everuthing in the demo.
In that way you dont have to have like 100000lessons <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->
well if Flayra(dag0d) like my idea, i would just luw helping out with it <!--emo&:D--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'><!--endemo-->
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look at my avatar thingyy /me happiii
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also, think of the community bonding you would get going on. you might have ppl see each other later and be like "man, i trained with you! rock on! let's go frag some greasy alien butt together."
...
or something
Hmm but who will be the teachers, the playtesters?
I bagsy the alien homeword!
Hmm but who will be the teachers, the playtesters?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Comprox said he would like to rent five servers, which means that he'll be willing to pay for them,
unless he tells you otherwise. <!--emo&;)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'><!--endemo-->
I think what newbies probably want to train on the most is the commanders mode.
It's unlike anything else seen before with the Half-Life engine and it'll be worse to practice while having responsibility over you team in a 'real' game.
The simplest way to give everyone a try with the CM is simply to take turns,
but it would be much cooler if ten different commanders tried ordering people around on the training servers. :S
Of course it's probably very practical for the trainer to be the commander and get a good overview while
telling people what to do, but if the n00bs don't get to try CM the training sessions will miss a point.
A single-player training mission(s) would probably be nice for newbies to start with, though I guess the dev team won't have time to make it now.
It would be neat if something like that was implemented in a future beta, though. And you could still use training servers to answer questions and teach advanced strategy and such.
When you hit the "Training" button in the menu, you load a single-player, offline, training map that gives you step by step instructions for playing both as marines and as aliens. It teaches you about the resource model, some of the weapons and abilities, and about the idea of the commander. Most players would configure your keys and settings during the course of this training, if needed.
Then I'd like some way to say "Join online training server". This would get you online, in a non-competitive, social environment. The goal of this would be to get the player to meet a few other players, build a basic relationship in the community, and to add one or more players onto their buddy lists (the new HL patch adds a built-in Friends Tracker that lets you add and track buddies both in and out of Half-life). This is your team. You will have found some players at your skill level, along with at least one veteran, who could also serve as your commander when possible. Meeting these people would help you find a good game and have a good experience right off the bat.
The hard part is, figuring out how to use the existing HL infrastructure to have a one-button "join training server" and to make it obvious to players that they should first do the single-player training, then the online training, THEN use the buddy list and/or server list to play from then on out. Also, there should be a way to encourage well-intentioned and knowledgeable players to log onto the training servers themselves, as trainer.
I'm thinking about using the "Quickstart" button, as the "Online Training" button, if possible, but I don't think I have any access to how it finds a server. It's that, or write a separate server browser.
Theres a certain amount of pride in seeing someone you have taught get their fisrt kill in a public server. I have taken quite a few players 'under my wing', so to speak, in both TFC and CS, and they are some of my fondest memories..
Oh for the olden days.... <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->