If you haven't read the current plan so far, please read it now.
[url]http://www.sumea.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2686[/url]
This is just a proposal for the details of mod gameplay and features.
I've had some time to tinker with the engine and get a feel for what's possible, and also how difficult each task is. Unless the team gets lots more active members, many of these features will not be fesable... but I'm hoping that discussion this will spark the interest of more people to fill the ranks.
note: Unfortunatley I don't have time to write this up all at once, so expect this post to come in several installments [:)]
Classes
- each controlled very differently, effectively each is a type of gameplay in it's own right.
- cooperation and co-dependence between the classes is vital, as such teams will likely require 3 or more players. AI for bots in this mod will likely be too difficult to implement and so we'll need to have some kind of multiplayer testing going round the clock. (volunteers anyone? [:D])
Heavy
In essence the heavy is a big guy, in an even bigger suit of mechanical armor who dominates head on combat at medium to long range with exessive splash damage fire.
Movement & Control
- Played from first person
- Heavies cannot jump nor enter small buildings because of their size.
- Cannot accelerate or change direction quickly. Though their top speed is equal to that of a support, that speed will only be reached between fights.
- Heavies are played from first person with a "roaming crosshair" (the aiming direction will follow the centre of the view, not be locked to it)
- A heavy's aiming direction is a tad sluggish, though nowhere near as bad as the onslaught golaith turret.
Combat
- Heavies are very tough, and are not thrown around by explosions.
- When hit a heavy's aiming direction is knocked around. In heavy vs heavy fights the person who can keep better control of their aim will usually win.
- The heavy's rockets can be auto-aimed at very long range by a support player's marked target
- The mortar is practically usless without a support player to mark the target
Weapon layout
- melee: armored fists, alt fire knocks opponents flying to the side (requires charge)
- primary weapon: chain gun (mid range weapon), alt fire uses AP ammo
- secondary weapon option #1: rocket launcher, no alt fire, short pre-fire delay and with warning noise, projectile accelerates midair, slow reload. Explosion will appear on map if seen by a team member.
- secondary weapon option #2: heavy mortar, used in tandem with the support's target painter to give aiming assistance on hud. Remote camera mini-window shows target from support player's view (if present).
Notes:
The heavy is most at risk from undetected coverts at very short or very long range (melee assasination or sniper fire). A detected covert will fight evenly with a heavy in melee, however detected coverts and supports should avoid direct combat with a heavy unless there's no alternative.
Covert
** the below is not going to be easy to implement, and may need to be changed **
Movement & Control
- The covert is played almost entirely from 3rd person perspective with a state based movement system very similar to the one in in Prince of Persia Sands of Time except with allowances made for FPS style level design.
- Coverts move very fast compared to the other classes
- Can hang/leap from, climb up and traverse most ledges
- It's uncertain if "Wallrunning" is possible in the engine, but it is an option
- Will grab the ledge instead of falling from a ledge high enough to take damage from/too high to jump back up.
- Jumping is delayed till the player reaches an edge if running.
Combat
- The covert has no mid range weapons, and relies on stealth, speed and other players to overcome this.
- A covert does not appear on the enemy team's radar if cloaked, and only support players are able to spot cloaked coverts easily.
- Being attacked or performing any form of attack/non-movement action will cause a covert to uncloak.
- If cloaked, the covert can "assasinate" an enemy with a melee attack when their back is turned, which will kill them instantly (to wounded state) and silently (with no death message).
- The covert's sniper rifle is very loud, has a long reload time for each shot and the location that the rifle was fired from appears on the maps for both teams. This is intended to make sure that the primary "sniper" role of the game is filled by having a support player marking targets for the heavy's rockets and mortar. The covert's long range role is intended as a counter-sniper to break sniper seiges.
- The covert's medical unit has two uses, it can be used by the covert to heal a player who is standing still (using it's own energy supply which recharges slowly) and to revive dead "wounded" players. Reviving a player however uses a special type of ammo, and very little of this ammo can be carried. (very similar to the medics in wolfET)
Weapons
- Melee: Dual knives of some scary sort. Uses own 3rd person combat system, so needs to be treated differently from the other weapons.
- Primary weapon: Anti-armor sniper rifle, fired from prone position?, Super loud, announces firing location on map. Kills heavy with a headshot, supports/coverts with a torso or headshot. Very long reload time.
- Special gear option #1: cloak/disguise device.
- Special gear option #2: medical unit.
Still to come
--Support class
--Gameplay rules
--Campaign mode
--Hud design
--Advanced graphical features & effects
looks great Makk, though i've never seen a rock with that many tiny circular bumps [:p].........how ever it's 100% spot on for weathered clay.
I did have a go the activity, but everything turned pear shaped as soon as I started normal mapping[:X]. I?ll have to set aside a weekend and practice for the next one.