Secret Names
the_spelunker
Join Date: 2009-12-20 Member: 69719Members
<div class="IPBDescription">a suggestion</div>Hello all,
I have a suggestion for a feature that I think should be implemented in NS2. It is called "secret names." The idea borrows from the concept of unlockables, such as achievements or weapons (Modern Warfare multiplayer), or titles/ranks (WoW). A secret name is a name that you may unlock for your personal use by fulfilling specific yet unannounced requirements - think of them as a "secret achievement" type reward.
Example: You kill an Onos, and you were the only player that damaged it (in other words, you killed it by yourself). You unlock the secret name, "Rambo."
Example 2: You are killed without moving after spawning 5 times in a row (basically spawn camped). You unlock the secret name, "Mahatma Gandhi."
Example 3: You kill every player on the marine team with Lerk spores in a single round (including commander, making this harder to achieve since he has to get out of the chair at some point or you have a narrow window when the chair is destroyed). You unlock the secret name, "Adolf Hitler."
Understand the concept? Please let me know what you think of this suggestion!
I have a suggestion for a feature that I think should be implemented in NS2. It is called "secret names." The idea borrows from the concept of unlockables, such as achievements or weapons (Modern Warfare multiplayer), or titles/ranks (WoW). A secret name is a name that you may unlock for your personal use by fulfilling specific yet unannounced requirements - think of them as a "secret achievement" type reward.
Example: You kill an Onos, and you were the only player that damaged it (in other words, you killed it by yourself). You unlock the secret name, "Rambo."
Example 2: You are killed without moving after spawning 5 times in a row (basically spawn camped). You unlock the secret name, "Mahatma Gandhi."
Example 3: You kill every player on the marine team with Lerk spores in a single round (including commander, making this harder to achieve since he has to get out of the chair at some point or you have a narrow window when the chair is destroyed). You unlock the secret name, "Adolf Hitler."
Understand the concept? Please let me know what you think of this suggestion!
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
As a marine, watch as two skulks battle each other to the death without interfering. Unlocks "Michael Vick."
As a commander, watch as your team gets destroyed. Do not offer useful assistance, but rather, make others aware of the situation. Unlocks "Generic Darfur Hippy."
Create innovative and awesome threads on how to make NS2 a better experience! Unlocks "the_spelunker"
It has me simultaneously facepalming and weeping for the state of the industry. Casual gaming gimmicks belong in TF2 and CoD, not here.
I am German. I just saw Chaplin's "the great dictator". And you can be lucky this is the Internet.
Else I'd hit you. Very hard. Very very hard.
Else I'd hit you. Very hard. Very very hard.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
LOL !
That must be hard !
But hey.. I like it what's bad in that?
I have been lurking the forums for a bit (ever since I stopped posting a lot) and I believe that you are against harmless fun. A bizarre position to have.
This thread is funny.
On one hand we have Mr. I dont like harmless fun and I never ever downloaded the cute gorge at any time.
I never participated in a gorge rush and I never tried to weld an onos to death.
And on the other hand we have someone saying Hitler is not fair game to take the piss out of?
Lol...
I believe there is an English saying...
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_World_Wars_and_One_World_Cup" target="_blank">Two World Wars and One World Cup</a>
Lolz...
Else I'd hit you. Very hard. Very very hard.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Why do modern day Germans get upset when someone mentions hitler / the nazi party? You have no control over that as you probably weren't even alive at the time. It would be like a British person getting upset over the mention of the British slave trade. Doesn't really make sense.
Busting out Hitler is a fail safe way to rage a German.
Busting out Hitler is a fail safe way to rage a German.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Probably because the slave trade is well out of living memory whereas the direct results of the second world war were still extremely obvious until after the berlin wall came down and still are in a lot of places. Germany as a whole has done a hell of a lot to fix what happened in WW2 because it basically nearly destroyed the nation, I doubt many people there would appreciate it being trivialised.
On the subject of the idea, I'm not averse to silly stuff in games, it does not prevent you from playing super seriously, you don't have to do it, but most multiplayer games a have a large element of silliness because any time a lot of people are having fun together they start being silly, which usually makes it more fun.
I can't imagine why you'd want to do any of this mind you, earning silly titles is a bit daft, although I suppose it's basically like the UT multi kill thing, where you do something and it comments on the unusualness of it. It might be prudent to pick a set of names which isn't highly likely to offend every single person on the face of the earth, as that sort of defeats the point of it being amusing.
"lurk more"
catbus monorail, LOLcational damage, skulks on crack - you name it, when it comes to NS I've started more zany things than you can shake a stick at.
And that's because I was confident in its intentions, no matter what silly idea cropped up I knew NS wasn't in any danger. However when it comes to discussing ideas about NS2, I can no longer laugh the stupid ones off, because all of sudden they find themselves on the feature list (smaller venues, no hallways, quicker combat, purchased/custom armour, stat tracking, alien commander). Who knows? maybe it'll all turn out great and then we can have a laugh. Until then, when it comes to NS2: "serious business"
catbus monorail, LOLcational damage, skulks on crack - you name it, when it comes to NS I've started more zany things than you can shake a stick at.
And that's because I was confident in its intentions, no matter what silly idea cropped up I knew NS wasn't in any danger. However when it comes to discussing ideas about NS2, I can no longer laugh the stupid ones off, because all of sudden they find themselves on the feature list (smaller venues, no hallways, quicker combat, purchased/custom armour, stat tracking, alien commander). Who knows? maybe it'll all turn out great and then we can have a laugh. Until then, when it comes to NS2: "serious business"<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The examples you listed ("catbus monorail, LOLcational damage, skulks on crack") are just gags. The person who started this thread is recommending a feature, a not bad one at that. Does it bring any significant to the game? No, it does not. Could it be implemented if the existing systems that are already in the game make it a easy thing to do? Most definitely. There is a market for it since a lot of people like achievements and similar things. But I would admit that normal achievements kind of do what the OP suggested.
The things you described as ruining NS2 are the ones spearheaded by the development team, not by community at large. In addition, you listed things that are major gameplay changes; nothing like the "harmless fun" suggestion that is described in this thread.
Personally, I am liking the direction NS2 is going. But they that is my opinion. You can disagree with it. It is rude and just troll-like though, to just degrade other people's ideas (that have little effect in the grand scheme of things) just because you don't like the direction the game is going.
Else I'd hit you. Very hard. Very very hard.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
It could always be an alternate like "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halabja_poison_gas_attack" target="_blank">Saddam Hussein</a>" but then someone would find that offensive too. Of course physical violence over a verbal comment is not a suitable response...
Busting out Hitler is a fail safe way to rage a German.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You don't get the point. We modern day Germans don't rage about anything in correspondence to our Country and History.
We maybe rage about the fact, that in every little dumb joke someone takes the Name of a mass murderer in his mouth that is somehow linked to us.
I don't care about any Nazi Flames and LOLZ HItlerz, but this kind of topic has nothing to to with some "serious game suggestion" or anything else.
People should divorce between causal fun and serious things.
Just wanted to make that clear.
You've contradicted yourself: a "gag" can be considered "harmless fun". Secondly, what you labeled as "harmless fun" you are now considering implementing? I think you've missed the joke: the harmless fun to be had here isn't from the idea being <i>implemented</i>; it's from poking fun at the idea <i>itself</i>. The fact that you even seriously contemplate an "achievement" system for NS2 confirms my fears about casual gaming. Yes you're right, there is a big market for this sort of thing, as there is for CoD, TF2, pop music and junk food.
Because of the attrocities that have been done.
Because "we" still suffer from that "reputation".
Because "we" regret what has been done.
Because its not a joke what has been done.
Because it disgraces the memento of the victims to laugh about it.
Because my great grandfather was in the war, was double crossed and put into a concentration camp he barely survived
Because people proceed to sleep with open eyes.
Because history repeats itself with other faces, other enemys, but the same herd of sheep.
<b>Because no human being has the right to take the life of innocents.</b>
Because.... Well, yeah. Because.
Because I hate that austrian ###### that lost more than a nut from his bag and hope he burns in the deepest pits of hell, if that place exists.
Might I suggest forwarding your suggestion to the Duke Nukem Forever team? Seems more up their alley.
Because "we" still suffer from that "reputation".
Because "we" regret what has been done.
Because its not a joke what has been done.
Because it disgraces the memento of the victims to laugh about it.
Because my great grandfather was in the war, was double crossed and put into a concentration camp he barely survived
Because people proceed to sleep with open eyes.
Because history repeats itself with other faces, other enemys, but the same herd of sheep.
<b>Because no human being has the right to take the life of innocents.</b>
Because.... Well, yeah. Because.
Because I hate that austrian ###### that lost more than a nut from his bag and hope he burns in the deepest pits of hell, if that place exists.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You realize this is the internet?
You very well what I meant. I didn't leave much room for ambiguity if you at the word's context. Stop being petty.
To avoid de-railing this thread further, going to discuss this with you in private. Probably will send a message after I am done work, because now, it's time to sleep.
But then again, last time I disagreed with a moronic meta gimmick like stats or achievements or whatever I was accused of 'hating NS' because I don't want to encourage as many people as possible to buy it.
But when I suggested things like quick-time events and level systems and unlockable weapons, suddenly OMG YOU CROSSED THE LINE.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You realize this is the internet?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, but that's no excuse nor does make wrongs right.
So?
Doesnt mean you have to give them to them.
And probably not considering the NS community are not retards.
You cannot argue that achievements get people to do things though.
Go on TF2 there is an achievement for killing people mid rocket jump...
EVERYONE is rocket jumping.
You give a weld fellow marine achievement all of a sudden people are welding each other.
Dont mean its flawless or even good.
But it is a tool to teach people to play.
Thats my point on achievements I care not whether they are in or not...
I will just be playing the game and having fun.
If anything as an achievement is going in NS2, i want to be able to turn any message regarding that stuff <u>off</u>.
Interesting idea though.
It's really more about foresight. You have to see beyond the "cool" to when you're trying to hold back a siege offensive and NS2Players are too busy trying to receive splash damage from structures so they can achieve "cannon fodder".
(and on the difference between this topic's suggestion and regular achievements - I guess it's all achievements but these ones would give some kind of titles or similar)
TF2 players try to get all the achievements so they can have their list of completed acheivements. If it was temporary there wouldn't be the same 'gotta collect them all' incentive.
TF2 players try to get all the achievements so they can have their list of completed acheivements. If it was temporary there wouldn't be the same 'gotta collect them all' incentive.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I allways liked the idea of a plugin that only displayed special achievements after a round, when everyone did stand in the rr to wait for the next one.
Ah... Yeah. The good old times (%N = Name)
spittoon: %N got parasited way to often
disgusting medic: %N spits on you. And you like it!
geysir: %N has a deadly spit!
The problem with all and any "achievement" is simply they create goals and reward behaviours that compete with or take away from gameplay goals. Some have noble intentions and seem to aid gameplay goals (i.e. teamwork achievements); however they all inevitably backfire because they deviate (no matter how little) from the "true" goals of the game. Mathematically, the discrepancy between apparent goals and "hidden" goals can be modeled with Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), and in the least this topic has given me an interesting thesis idea on predicting the ill-effects on gameplay by the presence of certain achievements. Suffice to say it's still an easy concept to understand: although "teamwork" may be a means to reach the underlying goal of a game, it most certainly isn't the goal itself - so any such "teamwork" achievement would cause deviation from this "true" goal. So what is it? The only "achievement" that encourages proper gameplay? Well it's already present in the game - it's having fun preferably through <i>winning</i>.