Universal readyroom
Racer1
Join Date: 2002-11-22 Member: 9615Members
Join Date: 2002-11-22 Member: 9615Members
I've always thought the idea of a server readyroom was a good idea. How about take it a step farther and have a universal readyroom (UR)? It could be implemented as a set of rooms with many doors, where each door would lead (connect) to a different ns2 server. The server could potentially support hundreds of players.
For filtering, each room could be a different type of game (e.g. mods, map types). Additionally, each door could somehow indicate player count, map information, settings, etc. -- for example, an impassible forcefield could indicate the server is full, a hologram could indicate the map, and certain door colors could indicate additional settings. Facing the door could display additional server details to the player. Servers could potentially make their own unique icons to register with UW. These icons would be prominently displayed above the doors.
As a way to make the UR more interesting, players might even be able to select and customize the character that they become when they are connected. Clans/leagues might even be able to have their own rooms, which they could customize (and maybe even host separately).
Of course, there would be limitations. Notably, there might have to be multiple instances of the UR if the number of players or servers got too high. This brings up potential issues with hosting, which would presumably have to be paid for by UW. If this is too expensive, the idea may not be viable.
P.S. It would still be possible to use a server browser. However, the UW could become the de-facto place for ns fans to meet and chat even when they don't want to play.
For filtering, each room could be a different type of game (e.g. mods, map types). Additionally, each door could somehow indicate player count, map information, settings, etc. -- for example, an impassible forcefield could indicate the server is full, a hologram could indicate the map, and certain door colors could indicate additional settings. Facing the door could display additional server details to the player. Servers could potentially make their own unique icons to register with UW. These icons would be prominently displayed above the doors.
As a way to make the UR more interesting, players might even be able to select and customize the character that they become when they are connected. Clans/leagues might even be able to have their own rooms, which they could customize (and maybe even host separately).
Of course, there would be limitations. Notably, there might have to be multiple instances of the UR if the number of players or servers got too high. This brings up potential issues with hosting, which would presumably have to be paid for by UW. If this is too expensive, the idea may not be viable.
P.S. It would still be possible to use a server browser. However, the UW could become the de-facto place for ns fans to meet and chat even when they don't want to play.
Comments
It might be too many shades of MMO, it would be difficult to support that many players, and if there's any sort of public chat it would be absolutely destroyed by bots, lamers, and all the other problems MMO chat's have.
Basically, provide appropriate chat regions outside the game engine where you can talk and socialize and peruse the server list. Then, join a more private server to join an actual game. This also allows people to simply load up the chat/server portion of the game without being forced to load all the caching required for the actual game. This is similar to things like XFire, Garena, BNet, PVP.net, the Heroes of Newerth client.... you get the idea.
you might have to make one universal ready room per major continent however due to lag and player numbers
Hard to communicate with friends due to the mass of people. Need for private chat channels, etc.
A lot of people in one place to be handled by a server.
I imagine the whole "walk into a door to go to your desired server" thing would be hard to implement.
Would make it harder to run a server, and the UR would probably need to be updated every time there's an addition.
Definitely not worth pushing the release date back for.
Still a cool idea, though. :p
Make a room that you spawn in, it is like a command center of the ship. You can walk up to a large computer screen and when you use it the screen turns into a server list. Then for example you can also walk to a bunch of knobs and buttons and such... when you use this, this will be your options screen. If you want to exit... you just take the door leading out of the room and the game exits. etc , etc..
Kinda like the way the new starcrafts screen is going to be I believe.
The same as Starwars: The clone wars menu on XBOX 1. The difference is that in this menu you weren't free you just pushed a button and the camera went to the different screens.
If this is done right NS2 will get alot of attention.
I also wouldn't want to be forced into it, so keep the old menus handy too
Kind of like L4D matchmaking in that it helps speed up finding a good server
how would we represent an unknown and possible limitless amount of server?
I would suggest:
A a repeatedly tiling dungeon that can extend/retract as to the server load,
B no high polygon player models
Maybe each server could have its own little ns1 style RR, with a portal to the master RR?
that would keep the same structure ( server list -> server -> RR -> game) and maybe even segregate skill levels... pro-land
ps didn't someone make a crappy siege map with an awsome playground-like RR
The one that comes to mind is digsiege.
When I first saw 'Universal Readyroom' I was expecting some sort of standard Ready Room layout, that every map uses - then have say, displays on the walls detailing the map and server info.
Would make for a standardized start to the game, with perhaps 'stations' you could walk to and 'use' to change any preset loadout configs, game settings, etc - plus would make for an easier time of "where's the marine spawn?"
Make a room that you spawn in, it is like a command center of the ship. You can walk up to a large computer screen and when you use it the screen turns into a server list. Then for example you can also walk to a bunch of knobs and buttons and such... when you use this, this will be your options screen. If you want to exit... you just take the door leading out of the room and the game exits. etc , etc..
Kinda like the way the new starcrafts screen is going to be I believe.
The same as Starwars: The clone wars menu on XBOX 1. The difference is that in this menu you weren't free you just pushed a button and the camera went to the different screens.
If this is done right NS2 will get alot of attention.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
--- rephrasing quote ---
In Engine Main Menu, similar to the Unreal backdrop flybys on main menu
--- /rephrase ---
I've seen it in front of my inner eye...
Player's frozen in stasis until startup is complete (pre-rendered quicktime (fluid transition from intro to engine?) or simple image).
Player's climbing out... on first run, he's prompted to do a "medical check up" (Tutorial), on following runs able to skip.
I really like it.
...server browser as spiralling <a href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0501/milkyway_garlick.jpg" target="_blank">milky way</a>...
...options are presented in "engine room" (pun half intended)...
...to quit, you climb back into the chamber, press "self destruct" and/or jump into an rescuepod...
Yes, one may be crazy to suggest, but I want to dream of better worlds than the one I'm in.
Anyway, the Masterserver/Serverbrowser may be used as rallyroom, but as all the people above me stated already there is to much load as the server needs to keep track of the servers, keep in touch with them <b>AND</b> the players? no, that's not going to work.
maybe a distributed tree-roots-leafed system could be able to pull this off, but that's still costing a fortune.
if it will be possible at one time in the future, the masterserver's map should be a military shuttle hangar with shuttles and large freighters and gunboats and crap docking and undocking all the time, loading passengers (people wanting to join that server) or being shot down (disconnected, full, etc).
and vicinity text & voice ONLY. It will be an almost perfect illusion of a space station this way.
qft
but I can imagine an unruly mob of pub players swamping servers