Enviormental Thresholds though scripting (zero G revisited)

S

Sir Lucius

Veteran XX
Something I'm wondering about the unreal engine. I remeber the final map on UT, if you went outside the ship it would be a low gravity zone. Ok, so you can probably have differnt zones in T:V where the gravity changes (I'm assuming it shouldn't be too difficult).

Now if anyone's ever played serious sam, you know those parts where your entire character is reoriented? Is something like that possible on the unreal engine as well?

What I'd like to see is space maps of course. You could have an indoor enviorment of a spacestation with articial gravity in place, but you could then take the combat outside. And how cool would it be to have fully immersive realistic space enviorments?

Basically, jetting would be like a shirke without balancing. It would send you forward very slowly, but as is a zero gravity enviorment, it's not too hard to get going fast. No need to sustain your jets as there's no friction to slow you down. Since jets are locked into a Y lateral, if you're facing up, you'll end up rotating. If you continue to hole your view past the typical 180 degree lock you keep on rotating and begin to flip upsidedown (would also work opposite direction looking past your feet.. Disorintating fun :p

Anyways, the concept should be pretty easy, though the orintation thing may just be a matter of the unreal engine. But then some other nice features: If you go too fast and run into a wall there would be wall damage which creates some skill in speed managment. Abilty to bounce off walls at moderate speeds: really it's no differnt than jump jetting off of a wall. I think it should require some skill though. If you oriente yourself so your feet are aiming at the wall, first of all you'd take lighter damage if you're going to fast. Then you could jump jet off of the wall after making contact. A faster speed would not translate into a better rebound, just more impact damage.

So to pull this off, you'd have to aim your feet at the wall, then to slow down you'd have to look up and jet, but not flip. After you hit the wall you should be "stuck" on it, and you can just aim a direction and jump jet off.



The only potental problems are weapons. I wouldn't know if they'd be too overpowered or underpowered. I would think the enviorment is slower, but at the sime time it would require mostly MAs to pull of damage.
 
Well, this fits into the superman idea, where some suggested you could hit a key and actually move your character forward, backward, etc. However, I don't think the characters are going to be able to do anything but turn, so I don't think most of those ideas will work. Low gravity is probably possible though.
 
What do you mean nothing but turn? You wouldn't just have open space, there would be objects around to make it like a space map. Do you mean they couldn't engage in combat? It's true that you'd have to divide your attention between movement and combat, but during free travel you can aim wherever you want. Think about it like a shike dogfight kind of.


Also, this is really just a question of, is this possible to script in as a mod.
 
Sir Lucius said:
What do you mean nothing but turn? You wouldn't just have open space, there would be objects around to make it like a space map. Do you mean they couldn't engage in combat? It's true that you'd have to divide your attention between movement and combat, but during free travel you can aim wherever you want. Think about it like a shike dogfight kind of.


Also, this is really just a question of, is this possible to script in as a mod.
Click to expand...
I'm just saying, as far as just a map goes, I don't think you're going to be able to make the players move like shrikes do. And if it is really like space, it's going to be quite a bit more difficult.
 
No see, it's about threshholds. You have a zero G zone, like inbetween the two flag, or something, and then you can have cool setups unconventionl to your typical tribes maps.

Like this:
0g.gif


Now just throw some space junk inbetween and you've got a whole new level of play.

I'll put the mod team together myself if I have to
icon11.gif


I'll need a scripter and a mapper for sure.
 
OK, but how do you roll?

You've got your rotate axis, and your yaw axis... but there's no control for rolling. It'd have to be programmed (or mutated) in somehow.

And then how do you reverse jets? Default jet direction is "up" relative to player orientation. You need to be able to jet the opposite direction for stopping and downward thrust movements.

Controls for this are quickly getting messy...
 
No, see you still have full motion of your aim. The only thing that changes is orintation -- where your feet point. It's really not as complicated as you think, maybe I'm not making it clear. But then perhapes they need some reworking. Hey, it's an idea in progress so you can remodel it how you want.

Let's start over then.
  • Imagine a player model just standing in space. He can look up 180, down 180, and 360 all around.
  • If he presses his jet button he begins to accelerate in the direction he's facing. All that requires is a slight tap to get moving.
  • Next since this a zero G envoirment your directional keys are worthless. You can't really run, b/c there is no where to run. All movement is controlled by jets. EDIT: I modify this point below. But movement is essentially controlled by jets only still, it's just jets instead of running.
  • Sliding on surfaces is a good idea. Let's say if you orintate to a flat and hold your ski key you slide along that surface until you jet off again.
  • So then how do we orintate directions? I should offer multiple examples, many have been discussed in various forms but we will analyze them with KISS
  • Option A Movement keys change oriantation. Forward rotates you down (head goes forward, front flip). Backward Rotates you up (head back, back flip) strafe cartwheel the character.
  • Option B Specialized key locks view, the mouse does not control a free view, but controls orintation instead.
  • Option C Whenever you jet your body begins to reorintate to your lookview.
  • Option D Specialized key oriantes your body to your lookview.
C and D are the most simple methods, but don't allowing rolling (cartwheel). C is the most simple method, but can screw up breaking methods by turning youself around. Really I like D the best. I think it's simple, yet controled. For now I'll assume D is the method of operation.

  • Pressing your forward key reoriantes you to your lookview.
  • Pressing back will be your brake jets. Basically a reverse thrust.
  • NEW THOUGHT If you're going to have back reverse thrust, then forward might be better off as jet and your jet button might be better off as reoriantation from option D.
  • Optional: Strafe Keys -- even use them? If so:
  • Option s1 Strafe jets in space
  • Option s2 Strafe Jets Cartwheel


sorry for the disorganization, I think about it as a type. But with accordance to KISS I think we've cleaned things up a bit.

Now, is it fun? I don't know, it doesn't exist :p
 
God dammit, that's a fucking mess of a post.


Ok. Clean post for controls


[W] - FORWARD: Jet Forward
- BACKWARD: Jet Backward
[A] - LEFT: s1 or s2 to the Left
[D] - RIGHT s1 or s2 to the Right
[MOUSE2] - JETKEY: Reorintate body to mouse look view.
[SPACE] - SKIKEY: Lock onto surface and slide (zero G skiing)
 
umm.....Enders Game anyone.....Yeah having those battles in the little battleroom would be pimp.

Also you ever wonder how ships in like star wars are all like on the same x y plane, and facing the same direction, all angles the same. It would be crazy to think one death star like at an angle while the ...well just yeah...
 
Sir Lucius said:
No see, it's about threshholds. You have a zero G zone, like inbetween the two flag, or something, and then you can have cool setups unconventionl to your typical tribes maps.
Click to expand...
The problem i have with that is its not realistic. That asteriod would generate virtually no gravity, and if it did a zero G dead zone would be miles away.
 
Top_Gun509 said:
umm.....Enders Game anyone.....Yeah having those battles in the little battleroom would be pimp.

Also you ever wonder how ships in like star wars are all like on the same x y plane, and facing the same direction, all angles the same. It would be crazy to think one death star like at an angle while the ...well just yeah...
Click to expand...
They only did that to mirror the films.

If you're in a star system, it makes sense that you would orient yourself (your ship) to the stellar plane created by the rotation of the planets in that system (assuming a somewhat uniform rotational disc). The only problem then is what's "up" and "down"? :p
 
Sir Lucius said:
Ever heard of gravity generators? They only exist in about every science fiction technology in the history of ever.
Click to expand...
normally those involve things spinning though (like babylon 5), unless you live in the star trek universe...
 
Back
Top