Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-01-23 at 17:44:33
1S3S3F7E: Your questions answered (in no particular order).
What is it?
1S3S3F7E is a team flagging game loosely resembling Squadron!. Although there are some similarities between 1S3S3F7E and Squadron!, 1S3S3F7E is an entirely new map, built "from the ground up", and vastly more advanced than its predecessor.
What features are planned for this map?
-"Lock"-based missile attacks. This will use an un-allying detection system rather than constant alliance for smoother running with hyper triggers.
-Platforms that you can crash into. If you expect to fly over them, die, and waste precious ejecting time saying "WTF?!?!?!" I may have to laugh at you no matter how hard I try not to (which probably won't be very much).
-Team based scoring. This is going to work a lot like how scoring works in Squadron!,
-Anti-camp and anti-turtle, based on completely different triggers than the equivalent systems in Squadron!, but just as nasty (though that pales in comparison to what happens if you don't eject. I have neither sympathy nor patience for people who don't read briefings, so I consider it perfectly reasonable to expect players to know about the anti-turtle and anti-camp, and how to eject, and to be prepared for consequences of suitably dramatic nature if they do not. More on ejecting later.).
-Anti-hack. And not the friendly kind that only gives a "defeat", either.
-Building-based controls for all fighter abilities, including:
>Charge up: all fighter abilities require energy. Manual charging increases player involvement and game intensity level.
>Warp: A Squadron! carryover, warps instantly teleport your fighter to them, but they can be sent back to your spawn by the enemy.
>Jump: If you're heading for a wall and don't terribly feel like crashing into it, activate this to jump over it. Also makes you jump over exhaust trails when in Arena mode (see below). Inspired by the zone "Ambush" from Infantry: Online.
-Arena mode: When you shoot someone with missiles, there's a 50% chance of a missile kill ("MK"), whereby the enemy fighter is immediately destroyed. The other half of the time, the game will go into semi-cinematic "Arena mode", where the entire game temporarily focuses on you engaging your target in close combat within a confined arena. Arena mode has its own features:
>Exhaust trails: As each fighter moves, it leaves a trail of exhaust plasma that can really ruin someone's day. It doesn't really matter who put it there, as superheated, highly radioactive, ionized plasma is notorious for not paying any attention whatsoever to IFF codes. The trails can be jumped over.
>30mm Antimatter Shells: These fire from a turret on the underside of your fighter. They are handled using a "lock-in" aim system: Move the aiming unit to where you want it, then lock it in place with a building-based control. Fire with another key; each shot travels from your fighter to the target point. For the sake of your fighter's dynamic stability, your fire computer's sanity, and for safety with regards to friendly fire and collateral damage, the turret will only fire once the aim is locked in, and unlocking the aim will cause all shells that you have fired to self-destruct.
>Fusion Field: The shortest-ranged weapon on your starfighter, but also the most powerful, the fusion field envelops your fighter in a sphere of destructive energy, allowing it to carve through exhaust trails and enemy fighter alike. The field takes a full battery's worth of energy to activate, and takes up all of your energy while you are maintaining it, but with your fighter protected by it, nothing in the universe can stop you. Except, of course, the walls of the arena.
-Cinematic flag return: When the flag is in your possession, view automatically centers on your fighter.
-Ejecting: When your starfighter is destroyed, you have a short time in which to eject. You'll know it's time to eject when your starfighter turns into a ball of fire and your onboard computer gives you a message saying "Eject! Eject! Eject!". Out of the kindness of my heart, I'll allow that any type of death, whether it's a missile or a shell critically damaging your fighter, or a brush with the edge of a space platform, gives you an opportunity to eject before your fighter explodes. After all, if you eject, you can get another fighter and go on fighting, but if you're still in it when the reactor goes Hiroshima three meters from the back of your head, well...let's just say it's only pretty from the other team's point of view. And I'm assuming you're the type of person who doesn't take it all that badly when they only get a defeat message.
On the technical side of things:
- 1S3S3F7E will use a combination of deathcount and physical (building) timing systems. Don't worry, I'm going to connect the anti-camp and anti-turtle deathcounts to your mineral amounts (gas is energy), so you'll know when to move or be fried.
- 1S3S3F7E is being made with a combination of normal StarEdit, StarFire Edit, and SE_MOD.
Why is it called " 1S3S3F7E"?
Because I felt like it. Actually, it's because "Squadron 2" is reserved for another project. "SSFE" stands for Squadron!: Star Fighter Extreme. Since any version 1.x would refer to a tweaking of the original release version of the map, and since it's coming out before Squadron 2 (which may come out someday in the distant future. Or not. Squadron 2 will require me to work out my display grid concept, my sequenced mobile grid concept, and a few other things, and will require a whole lot of triggers, it couldn't be ready anytime soon even if I focused on it. And, by and large, focus isn't my thing.).
Can I see a screenshot?
No. Once it is in the alpha stage (v. 0.9 or higher), I might take a couple screen captures from testing. Do note the "might" in that sentence, though. I don't really like screenshots.
Can I help test this map?
Sure. Just drop me a line however you wish, and if/when testing time comes around, I'll get back to you. If you want something in the map to be different, this is probably the best way to have that happen, since I'm much more likely to follow your suggestions about a particular feature if we've both actually seen it in action (but no guarantees), though I will listen to any advice that is given.
Will I like this map?
I'm designing this map to my own specifications, not SEN's and certainly not Battle.net's. This means a few things:
1) You have to read the briefing. Although there will not be a test on the briefing as there was in Radial, I do expect people to read it. If you sit there asking "What do we do?" over and over again, not only will I not tell you (if you're lucky. If you're not, expect malevolent action of some sort), but the anti-turtle will get you, and then you won't know how to eject and will get wasted. Fortunately, unlike Radial, there will be no storyline to sit though. Oh, by the way, you can expect me to put crucial information at the end of the briefing, as part of a different "display text" action than the beginning of the briefing, so that people who have pressed "start", even if the game itself has not started, will miss it.
2) The briefing will go a little faster than many people will like. Just keep up. If you still don't understand, go look at the triggers.
3) There will be some controls to master. The building-based controls in 1S3S3F7E are hotkeyable and faster than the beacon controls in Squadron!, but slightly less intuitive.
4) You might have a little difficulty finding people to play against, even if by some miracle SEN does allow it into the DLDB.
5) No map revealers. I like the dark look of space, space platform, and fog-o'-war.
6) This one's related to points 1, 2, 3, and to a degree, 5: Don't expect a high degree of new player friendliness. I believe that part of the fun of any game is in the learning curve, and my maps are designed to be more like stand-alone games than variations on Starcraft. And chances are, I'll enjoy your initial ineptitude too much to want to help you. If you're testing the map with me, rather than actually playing it, you can get free instructions on how to play and on any tactics I may have developed by that point. But please, don't make it difficult. One reason why I don't host Radial more is that I have yet to find someone who will figure it out for themselves without a flying lesson. Since I like Radial and am somewhat pained about never being able to play it (especially with the 6 players that it is designed for), I don't particularly want things to be the same for this map. So I repeat, don't make it difficult.
7) I'm not going to lose much sleep over whether or not it looks especially "pretty" or "neat". If partially overlapping buildings freak you out, go away. The fact is, they take up less space (as a group) than buildings that align to the grid, and they're easier to get at than ones that are all stacked on top of each other.
If you're okay with these things, and you like this type of map, then you might like 1S3S3F7E. You might like 1S3S3F7E even if you don't like Squadron!, since it is designed to be superior to Squadron! in every regard.
Why does this map not have a storyline, when Radial does?
The storyline in Radial was designed to explain why, exactly, that game worked the way it did. This game, although in many regards more complicated, is more straightforward. If you absolutely need a storyline to explain why two groups of starfighters might possibly want to destroy each other, send me a message or something. It's been too long since I had a good starfighter RP.
What progress have you made on 1S3S3F7E so far?
The "terrain", such as it is, is done. Some of the triggers have been implemented. Jumping has been tested, as has anything that will copy over from Squadron!. Ideas (features, system construction, solutions to some expected issues) are done. And, of course, the production thread is up.
What is it?
1S3S3F7E is a team flagging game loosely resembling Squadron!. Although there are some similarities between 1S3S3F7E and Squadron!, 1S3S3F7E is an entirely new map, built "from the ground up", and vastly more advanced than its predecessor.
What features are planned for this map?
-"Lock"-based missile attacks. This will use an un-allying detection system rather than constant alliance for smoother running with hyper triggers.
-Platforms that you can crash into. If you expect to fly over them, die, and waste precious ejecting time saying "WTF?!?!?!" I may have to laugh at you no matter how hard I try not to (which probably won't be very much).
-Team based scoring. This is going to work a lot like how scoring works in Squadron!,
-Anti-camp and anti-turtle, based on completely different triggers than the equivalent systems in Squadron!, but just as nasty (though that pales in comparison to what happens if you don't eject. I have neither sympathy nor patience for people who don't read briefings, so I consider it perfectly reasonable to expect players to know about the anti-turtle and anti-camp, and how to eject, and to be prepared for consequences of suitably dramatic nature if they do not. More on ejecting later.).
-Anti-hack. And not the friendly kind that only gives a "defeat", either.
-Building-based controls for all fighter abilities, including:
>Charge up: all fighter abilities require energy. Manual charging increases player involvement and game intensity level.
>Warp: A Squadron! carryover, warps instantly teleport your fighter to them, but they can be sent back to your spawn by the enemy.
>Jump: If you're heading for a wall and don't terribly feel like crashing into it, activate this to jump over it. Also makes you jump over exhaust trails when in Arena mode (see below). Inspired by the zone "Ambush" from Infantry: Online.
-Arena mode: When you shoot someone with missiles, there's a 50% chance of a missile kill ("MK"), whereby the enemy fighter is immediately destroyed. The other half of the time, the game will go into semi-cinematic "Arena mode", where the entire game temporarily focuses on you engaging your target in close combat within a confined arena. Arena mode has its own features:
>Exhaust trails: As each fighter moves, it leaves a trail of exhaust plasma that can really ruin someone's day. It doesn't really matter who put it there, as superheated, highly radioactive, ionized plasma is notorious for not paying any attention whatsoever to IFF codes. The trails can be jumped over.
>30mm Antimatter Shells: These fire from a turret on the underside of your fighter. They are handled using a "lock-in" aim system: Move the aiming unit to where you want it, then lock it in place with a building-based control. Fire with another key; each shot travels from your fighter to the target point. For the sake of your fighter's dynamic stability, your fire computer's sanity, and for safety with regards to friendly fire and collateral damage, the turret will only fire once the aim is locked in, and unlocking the aim will cause all shells that you have fired to self-destruct.
>Fusion Field: The shortest-ranged weapon on your starfighter, but also the most powerful, the fusion field envelops your fighter in a sphere of destructive energy, allowing it to carve through exhaust trails and enemy fighter alike. The field takes a full battery's worth of energy to activate, and takes up all of your energy while you are maintaining it, but with your fighter protected by it, nothing in the universe can stop you. Except, of course, the walls of the arena.
-Cinematic flag return: When the flag is in your possession, view automatically centers on your fighter.
-Ejecting: When your starfighter is destroyed, you have a short time in which to eject. You'll know it's time to eject when your starfighter turns into a ball of fire and your onboard computer gives you a message saying "Eject! Eject! Eject!". Out of the kindness of my heart, I'll allow that any type of death, whether it's a missile or a shell critically damaging your fighter, or a brush with the edge of a space platform, gives you an opportunity to eject before your fighter explodes. After all, if you eject, you can get another fighter and go on fighting, but if you're still in it when the reactor goes Hiroshima three meters from the back of your head, well...let's just say it's only pretty from the other team's point of view. And I'm assuming you're the type of person who doesn't take it all that badly when they only get a defeat message.
On the technical side of things:
- 1S3S3F7E will use a combination of deathcount and physical (building) timing systems. Don't worry, I'm going to connect the anti-camp and anti-turtle deathcounts to your mineral amounts (gas is energy), so you'll know when to move or be fried.
- 1S3S3F7E is being made with a combination of normal StarEdit, StarFire Edit, and SE_MOD.
Why is it called " 1S3S3F7E"?
Because I felt like it. Actually, it's because "Squadron 2" is reserved for another project. "SSFE" stands for Squadron!: Star Fighter Extreme. Since any version 1.x would refer to a tweaking of the original release version of the map, and since it's coming out before Squadron 2 (which may come out someday in the distant future. Or not. Squadron 2 will require me to work out my display grid concept, my sequenced mobile grid concept, and a few other things, and will require a whole lot of triggers, it couldn't be ready anytime soon even if I focused on it. And, by and large, focus isn't my thing.).
Can I see a screenshot?
No. Once it is in the alpha stage (v. 0.9 or higher), I might take a couple screen captures from testing. Do note the "might" in that sentence, though. I don't really like screenshots.
Can I help test this map?
Sure. Just drop me a line however you wish, and if/when testing time comes around, I'll get back to you. If you want something in the map to be different, this is probably the best way to have that happen, since I'm much more likely to follow your suggestions about a particular feature if we've both actually seen it in action (but no guarantees), though I will listen to any advice that is given.
Will I like this map?
I'm designing this map to my own specifications, not SEN's and certainly not Battle.net's. This means a few things:
1) You have to read the briefing. Although there will not be a test on the briefing as there was in Radial, I do expect people to read it. If you sit there asking "What do we do?" over and over again, not only will I not tell you (if you're lucky. If you're not, expect malevolent action of some sort), but the anti-turtle will get you, and then you won't know how to eject and will get wasted. Fortunately, unlike Radial, there will be no storyline to sit though. Oh, by the way, you can expect me to put crucial information at the end of the briefing, as part of a different "display text" action than the beginning of the briefing, so that people who have pressed "start", even if the game itself has not started, will miss it.
2) The briefing will go a little faster than many people will like. Just keep up. If you still don't understand, go look at the triggers.
3) There will be some controls to master. The building-based controls in 1S3S3F7E are hotkeyable and faster than the beacon controls in Squadron!, but slightly less intuitive.
4) You might have a little difficulty finding people to play against, even if by some miracle SEN does allow it into the DLDB.
5) No map revealers. I like the dark look of space, space platform, and fog-o'-war.
6) This one's related to points 1, 2, 3, and to a degree, 5: Don't expect a high degree of new player friendliness. I believe that part of the fun of any game is in the learning curve, and my maps are designed to be more like stand-alone games than variations on Starcraft. And chances are, I'll enjoy your initial ineptitude too much to want to help you. If you're testing the map with me, rather than actually playing it, you can get free instructions on how to play and on any tactics I may have developed by that point. But please, don't make it difficult. One reason why I don't host Radial more is that I have yet to find someone who will figure it out for themselves without a flying lesson. Since I like Radial and am somewhat pained about never being able to play it (especially with the 6 players that it is designed for), I don't particularly want things to be the same for this map. So I repeat, don't make it difficult.
7) I'm not going to lose much sleep over whether or not it looks especially "pretty" or "neat". If partially overlapping buildings freak you out, go away. The fact is, they take up less space (as a group) than buildings that align to the grid, and they're easier to get at than ones that are all stacked on top of each other.
If you're okay with these things, and you like this type of map, then you might like 1S3S3F7E. You might like 1S3S3F7E even if you don't like Squadron!, since it is designed to be superior to Squadron! in every regard.
Why does this map not have a storyline, when Radial does?
The storyline in Radial was designed to explain why, exactly, that game worked the way it did. This game, although in many regards more complicated, is more straightforward. If you absolutely need a storyline to explain why two groups of starfighters might possibly want to destroy each other, send me a message or something. It's been too long since I had a good starfighter RP.
What progress have you made on 1S3S3F7E so far?
The "terrain", such as it is, is done. Some of the triggers have been implemented. Jumping has been tested, as has anything that will copy over from Squadron!. Ideas (features, system construction, solutions to some expected issues) are done. And, of course, the production thread is up.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by AgenT_Nick on 2006-01-24 at 16:15:37
so much text 
ill test if you want. Oo.AgenT.oO@useast Channel: Clan Oo
ill test if you want. Oo.AgenT.oO@useast Channel: Clan OoReport, edit, etc...Posted by PCFredZ on 2006-01-24 at 17:18:00
There's a production thread template. Use it.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-01-26 at 13:35:42
QUOTE(AgenT_Nick @ Jan 24 2006, 04:15 PM)
ill test if you want. Oo.AgenT.oO@useast Channel: Clan Oo
[right][snapback]412290[/snapback][/right]
[right][snapback]412290[/snapback][/right]
Awesome, thanks! I'll let you know when there are systems or versions ready for testing.
QUOTE(PCFredZ @ Jan 24 2006, 05:18 PM)
There's a production thread template. Use it.
[right][snapback]412329[/snapback][/right]
[right][snapback]412329[/snapback][/right]
Well, I looked at the template, and it didn't really fit what I wanted to talk about and what I didn't. Maybe another time...
Updates:
I've been trying out different systems for the antimatter turret. Right now it looks like I'm going to do it the simplest way, with the shells simply being normal ground units constantly ordered to the aimpoint. Air units are out because of the chance of interference with the plasma trails, and plain "blast on the space" systems don't allow for dodging. Scarabs are out due to the computer player requirements (since scarabs work kinda like interceptors, and unlike MillenniumArmy's Aerial Combat, I'm running 6 players with two computers, which are themselves used for other pruposes). Mobile grid systems are likewise out due to extensive use of air units (which was a hard choice to make, since the original weapon in place of the fusion field was a massive energy blast that you fired by moving your fighter in the direction you wanted it to shoot. But the fusion field will be awesome, too...I hope). The original SFx for the shells slowed them down too much, so rather than tracking them, I might end up hard-gridding the whole arena, if I have the time and patience. For now, though, I'm going to go with the easy way of just leaving the shells as undecorated units. Unnecessarily cool stuff is more of a Squadron 2 thing anyway (just don't take that statement as implying that there is, or will be, a Squadron 2, k?).
Report, edit, etc...Posted by PCFredZ on 2006-01-27 at 09:43:46
QUOTE(Wing-of-no-Wing @ Jan 26 2006, 01:35 PM)
Well, I looked at the template, and it didn't really fit what I wanted to talk about and what I didn't. Maybe another time...
[right][snapback]413483[/snapback][/right]
[right][snapback]413483[/snapback][/right]
That's why it says Copy, Paste, Edit.
The main thing is to put some spaces in between the lines. Really, please.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-01-27 at 11:49:04
It's really perfectly readable without them, it's just different, and (here's the important part) much faster to do than editing the template.
The way people react these days, you'd think they don't read books for fun...
The way people react these days, you'd think they don't read books for fun...
Report, edit, etc...Posted by PCFredZ on 2006-01-27 at 12:15:35
Books have indentations.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Voyager7456(MM) on 2006-01-27 at 12:17:37
Unique name. 
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-01-27 at 12:51:21
QUOTE(PCFredZ @ Jan 27 2006, 12:15 PM)
Books have indentations.
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[right][snapback]414231[/snapback][/right]
I pressed return a few times! Really! And everyone knows linebreaks > indentations, that's why return is bigger than tab.
QUOTE(Voyager7456(MM) @ Jan 27 2006, 12:17 PM)
Unique name.
[right][snapback]414233[/snapback][/right]
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If someone makes a map entitled "2S3F3F7E", can I kill them?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by PCFredZ on 2006-01-27 at 18:48:30
Yeah, I'll get off your case about the format.
Get some screenshots soon.
Get some screenshots soon.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Demaris on 2006-01-27 at 19:41:55
I would love to test.
Demaris[7]@USEast
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-01-29 at 21:14:46
QUOTE(PCFredZ @ Jan 27 2006, 06:48 PM)
Yeah, I'll get off your case about the format.
Get some screenshots soon.
[right][snapback]414457[/snapback][/right]
Get some screenshots soon.
[right][snapback]414457[/snapback][/right]
Yay!
Screenshots are coming. I should have a chance to work on my map a little more this coming week. Maybe some nice pics of physical timers happily burning away....
QUOTE(Heretic @ Jan 27 2006, 07:41 PM)
I would love to test.
Demaris[7]@USEast
[right][snapback]414551[/snapback][/right]
Awesome, thanks!
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Oo.Insane.oO on 2006-01-29 at 21:23:10
Sounds like it will be pretty cool game btw ill be willing to test for you when your dont with the map if you need me @ Mp)Insane @ UsEast
Report, edit, etc...Posted by AgenT_Nick on 2006-01-30 at 16:40:38
i was first tester! plz when ever u need good screenshots call me. im a pro screeny taker. ;D
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-02-04 at 13:08:52
Update:
I got around to getting a little work done on this on Thursday, and hope to get some more done today. Background music is in, as are sounds for warping and jumping. I have also found sounds for capturing the flag, and for flag-run mode (when you run back to your base with the flag, not only will the vision center on your fighter, but the music will be supplemented by a heartbeat sound), to be put into the map when the associated systems are implemented. I still need to find sounds that I like for the turret, for the fusion field, and anything else that might be enhanced by having sound in addition to a text notification.
Charging, warping, and jumping are all implemented for player one only. Furthermore, player one's death, eject, and respawn systems are all implemented. Dying by running into a wall, which will also handle dying by enemy fire in the arena (since there's no kill score associated with being blasted by a trigger) has been fully tested, as has ejecting, and the system that wastes you if you don't eject (though the wastage itself won't be implemented until the end, so that I won't always be getting hit by it during testing). I've started working on the triggers that move you to the arena, though so far I've only done them for player one being engaged by player four, and haven't tested it yet.
Once the arena move and arena combat triggers are done, I'll be in need of some multi-player testage, which will (hopefully) provide a good opportunity for getting screenshots...not that screenshots actually carry much useful information, but we should be able to get a few cool-looking ones just the same...
I got around to getting a little work done on this on Thursday, and hope to get some more done today. Background music is in, as are sounds for warping and jumping. I have also found sounds for capturing the flag, and for flag-run mode (when you run back to your base with the flag, not only will the vision center on your fighter, but the music will be supplemented by a heartbeat sound), to be put into the map when the associated systems are implemented. I still need to find sounds that I like for the turret, for the fusion field, and anything else that might be enhanced by having sound in addition to a text notification.
Charging, warping, and jumping are all implemented for player one only. Furthermore, player one's death, eject, and respawn systems are all implemented. Dying by running into a wall, which will also handle dying by enemy fire in the arena (since there's no kill score associated with being blasted by a trigger) has been fully tested, as has ejecting, and the system that wastes you if you don't eject (though the wastage itself won't be implemented until the end, so that I won't always be getting hit by it during testing). I've started working on the triggers that move you to the arena, though so far I've only done them for player one being engaged by player four, and haven't tested it yet.
Once the arena move and arena combat triggers are done, I'll be in need of some multi-player testage, which will (hopefully) provide a good opportunity for getting screenshots...not that screenshots actually carry much useful information, but we should be able to get a few cool-looking ones just the same...
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-02-16 at 14:29:16
Alright, I got a bit more work done on this today (2/13/06)...
I'm almost done with the triggers that apply to all players, and with the P1 examples of those that don't. This includes charging, jumping, flagging, spawning, moving to the arena (or not, as the case may be), dying, ejecting, score, anti-camp and anti-turtle (using wait + switch array + deathcounts tied to mineral readout), and warping. Smoke trails are in, but the turret and the fusion field are not implemented yet, and the anti- hack won't be enabled until the very end, because it's tied to the system for what happens if you crash with your fighter (short description: you do exactly that). A few assorted systems related to arena mode are also not yet implemented. Also, a lot of testing will probably be required before the existing triggers all work...everything that could be tested alone, has been tested alone, but some things (including screenshots) will have to wait until the player-specific triggers have been copied for all players. A few sets of triggers have been copied for player 2, but more will not be copied until everything player-specific has been put in for player 1 and tested if possible.
A couple of things have been changed from the original plan. The heartbeat sound for capturing the flag will not be used, since I don't think it would add that much to the map; in practice, the system that sticks your view on your fighter adds enough drama to the flag return. Also, the turret system has been changed a bit. It will use a single tank for each player moving around the perimeter of the arena. The turret will fire a burst of four scourges in rapid succession at the tank, if and only if the tank is in siege mode. I still need to find sounds that I like for the turret and the fusion field.
Keep watching this space for future updates...
ADDITION:
Update (2/16/05):
I might change the turret aiming sytem again. Right now, I've allowed the tank to move both around the perimeter of the field or through the centre, since having it just move along the perimeter was too slow. Unfortunately, this means that players can theoretically trap the tanks with the exhaust trails, which I've decided for other reasons to use Dark Archons for.
What I'm thinking of is a system where there are lots of tanks around the perimeter of the arena, one for each computer player. When you go to the arena, it gives the tanks of the computer player that corresponds to your squadron to you. Siege a tank and it becomes your aimpoint, and is instantly replaced by an unsieged tank, then make a shuttle to fire a burst of five scourges at it. It's a vaguely similar system to older versions of MA's Aerial Combat, though with firing seperated from aiming, and scourges instead of interceptors (since I haven't got the space for carriers attacking something to take the interceptors from, and they're a bit hard to dodge for a game where one hit kills). However, using that system will require some trigger changes, but also for me to change the shape of the arena somewhat, to make room on the walls for the tanks.
Other than any changes that might be done to the turret aiming system, triggers are done for p1, so it's just a matter of copying them for all the players and modifying them as necessary for those players. And then it'll be ready for alpha testing...any of you tester types still alive?
I'm almost done with the triggers that apply to all players, and with the P1 examples of those that don't. This includes charging, jumping, flagging, spawning, moving to the arena (or not, as the case may be), dying, ejecting, score, anti-camp and anti-turtle (using wait + switch array + deathcounts tied to mineral readout), and warping. Smoke trails are in, but the turret and the fusion field are not implemented yet, and the anti- hack won't be enabled until the very end, because it's tied to the system for what happens if you crash with your fighter (short description: you do exactly that). A few assorted systems related to arena mode are also not yet implemented. Also, a lot of testing will probably be required before the existing triggers all work...everything that could be tested alone, has been tested alone, but some things (including screenshots) will have to wait until the player-specific triggers have been copied for all players. A few sets of triggers have been copied for player 2, but more will not be copied until everything player-specific has been put in for player 1 and tested if possible.
A couple of things have been changed from the original plan. The heartbeat sound for capturing the flag will not be used, since I don't think it would add that much to the map; in practice, the system that sticks your view on your fighter adds enough drama to the flag return. Also, the turret system has been changed a bit. It will use a single tank for each player moving around the perimeter of the arena. The turret will fire a burst of four scourges in rapid succession at the tank, if and only if the tank is in siege mode. I still need to find sounds that I like for the turret and the fusion field.
Keep watching this space for future updates...
ADDITION:
Update (2/16/05):
I might change the turret aiming sytem again. Right now, I've allowed the tank to move both around the perimeter of the field or through the centre, since having it just move along the perimeter was too slow. Unfortunately, this means that players can theoretically trap the tanks with the exhaust trails, which I've decided for other reasons to use Dark Archons for.
What I'm thinking of is a system where there are lots of tanks around the perimeter of the arena, one for each computer player. When you go to the arena, it gives the tanks of the computer player that corresponds to your squadron to you. Siege a tank and it becomes your aimpoint, and is instantly replaced by an unsieged tank, then make a shuttle to fire a burst of five scourges at it. It's a vaguely similar system to older versions of MA's Aerial Combat, though with firing seperated from aiming, and scourges instead of interceptors (since I haven't got the space for carriers attacking something to take the interceptors from, and they're a bit hard to dodge for a game where one hit kills). However, using that system will require some trigger changes, but also for me to change the shape of the arena somewhat, to make room on the walls for the tanks.
Other than any changes that might be done to the turret aiming system, triggers are done for p1, so it's just a matter of copying them for all the players and modifying them as necessary for those players. And then it'll be ready for alpha testing...any of you tester types still alive?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by AgenT_Nick on 2006-02-18 at 08:08:49
jeese u like to type! lolz well im still capible of testing and im still interested in this map.
[wow a lot of text!] [i saved this thread your welcome]
[wow a lot of text!] [i saved this thread your welcome]
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-02-18 at 13:30:15
Awesome. It's ready for testing, tweaking, etc. now.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Dark_Marine_123 on 2006-02-18 at 14:29:01
I really wanna know about this map so I'd enjoy testing as well. IF you have room that is
Report, edit, etc...Posted by AgenT_Nick on 2006-02-19 at 08:50:29
yay test time!! remember Oo.AgenT.oO@useast
i might be on d2 sometimes but if you ask ill get right on sc cuz i think this map will pwn!!!
i might be on d2 sometimes but if you ask ill get right on sc cuz i think this map will pwn!!!
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Crispie on 2006-02-19 at 16:26:27
Hmm, I hope me losing the game 5 seconds after it started isnt an intended feature 
(oh and you shouldnt rip on peoples usernames, not very nice
)
(oh and you shouldnt rip on peoples usernames, not very nice
)Report, edit, etc...Posted by Javaboy on 2006-02-19 at 17:20:10
I dont understand why people are bugging about this thread having a block of text which describes the map very well(better than some threads which use the templeate). This map sounds like it'll have you doing a lot of things at the same time, aiming firing, dodging, not crashing, etc. It might drive some people insane 
. I'd love to be a tester for this, I love aerial combat games! EntityUnReal @ useast
. I'd love to be a tester for this, I love aerial combat games! EntityUnReal @ useastReport, edit, etc...Posted by Wing-of-no-Wing on 2006-02-19 at 17:43:09
QUOTE(Crispie @ Feb 19 2006, 04:26 PM)
Hmm, I hope me losing the game 5 seconds after it started isnt an intended feature
(oh and you shouldnt rip on peoples usernames, not very nice )
[right][snapback]430615[/snapback][/right]
(oh and you shouldnt rip on peoples usernames, not very nice
)[right][snapback]430615[/snapback][/right]
Anti-turtle + eject system means you can't just sit where you spawn. The minerals get to 20 and you die, then not ejecting is an instant loss. Combination of the two features often catches first timers off guard, but once you get used to it, it never happens.
The alpha version hasn't got a couple of things. The first is a set of victory triggers. The only way to lose is to be in your fighter when the reactor goes up; this allows for test games to go as long as they need to. The other thing is a decent briefing. The existing one is more or less a placeholder and leaves out a lot of important stuff.
Sometimes my friends aren't terribly nice. I can't really do much about it. They were kinda crazy about your username I know.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by AgenT_Nick on 2006-02-20 at 11:23:08
hey aint i a tester? when can i test?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Dada on 2006-02-20 at 13:36:17
This map seems interesting for me. I'll test my name is Mp)Dada@USEast. Gl with this map and Hf doing it.