w_GUI Interactivity & Security Cams
the_x5
the Xzianthian Join Date: 2004-03-02 Member: 27041Members, Constellation
the Xzianthian Join Date: 2004-03-02 Member: 27041Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">(idea spawned from ns_eis concept)</div><!--sizeo:2--><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Preface:
This idea is one of many spawned from my thinking about <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=104276" target="_blank">ns_eis</a> (click link to view)<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b><!--coloro:#00BFFF--><span style="color:#00BFFF"><!--/coloro-->Market competitiveness querries<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->:</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
Currently the ways players can interact with buttons and control panels in Natural-Selection is limited. Even older releases like Doom3 and Prey have been creative by making “touchable†interfaces. (i.e.: when you are close and you “aim†over the texture you sudden switch from your gun to a moveable “mouse pointer†on the texture’s “screenâ€)
In one of the Half-Life 2 trailers (like the one below) you can see VALVe demo one of the camera-to-texture displays in the 4:50 mark to 5:30 mark. Note how the output responds <i>correctly</i> when the camera is knocked over by the headcrab and then moves fluidly as you move the camera around. This could be entirely on the client machine without needing to burden netcode and cause lag. (i.e.: this is one of those why the hell not ideas)
<center><object width="450" height="356"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHH5L39YtDE"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHH5L39YtDE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="356"></embed></object></center>
(<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHH5L39YtDE" target="_blank">click here if the youtube tags are broken, again</a>)
Security cameras could be a brilliant way for mappers to add importance to "control station areas" such as the one in this official NS2 concept art:
<img src="http://www.unknownworlds.com/images/ns2/screenshots/envconcept05.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
The Orange Box release saw an expansion of logic entities, yet these are often unfriendly to mappers who are good at mapping but aren’t good when it comes to setting up the logic for a multi-floor elevator or one of those complex interactive screens. I’m reminded how a not so friendly towards mods company, Blizzard, made mapping easier to use and more friendly with creating the JASS script for their maps. There is even a GUI higher overlay for JASS by default which can make things very easy for a novice to make some more complex gameplay triggers.
Yet despite these techniques being a few years old and being proven to be useful in modern games, I worry that these are helpful features that will be forgotten. Thus I mention them.
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b><!--coloro:#00BFFF--><span style="color:#00BFFF"><!--/coloro-->Suggestions to Improve <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactivity#Computer_science" target="_blank">Interactivity</a><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->:</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><ul><li>Better GUI interfaces. </li><li>Interactive textures</li><li>Video output</li><li>A Lua scripting logic entity which can allow mappers to tie limited functions to entities in far more complexity, but being easy to implement (or even download script snippets from community custom sites); as this would be to NS2 is kind of analogous to how JASS is to WCIII.</li></ul>
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b><!--coloro:#00BFFF--><span style="color:#00BFFF"><!--/coloro-->Example Screenshots from Other Games<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->:</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
<img src="http://xzianthia.net/images/prey_screen0.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://xzianthia.net/images/prey_screen1.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://xzianthia.net/images/doom3_screen0.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://xzianthia.net/images/doom3_screen1.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
This idea is one of many spawned from my thinking about <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/ns2/forums/index.php?showtopic=104276" target="_blank">ns_eis</a> (click link to view)<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b><!--coloro:#00BFFF--><span style="color:#00BFFF"><!--/coloro-->Market competitiveness querries<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->:</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
Currently the ways players can interact with buttons and control panels in Natural-Selection is limited. Even older releases like Doom3 and Prey have been creative by making “touchable†interfaces. (i.e.: when you are close and you “aim†over the texture you sudden switch from your gun to a moveable “mouse pointer†on the texture’s “screenâ€)
In one of the Half-Life 2 trailers (like the one below) you can see VALVe demo one of the camera-to-texture displays in the 4:50 mark to 5:30 mark. Note how the output responds <i>correctly</i> when the camera is knocked over by the headcrab and then moves fluidly as you move the camera around. This could be entirely on the client machine without needing to burden netcode and cause lag. (i.e.: this is one of those why the hell not ideas)
<center><object width="450" height="356"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHH5L39YtDE"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHH5L39YtDE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="356"></embed></object></center>
(<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHH5L39YtDE" target="_blank">click here if the youtube tags are broken, again</a>)
Security cameras could be a brilliant way for mappers to add importance to "control station areas" such as the one in this official NS2 concept art:
<img src="http://www.unknownworlds.com/images/ns2/screenshots/envconcept05.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
The Orange Box release saw an expansion of logic entities, yet these are often unfriendly to mappers who are good at mapping but aren’t good when it comes to setting up the logic for a multi-floor elevator or one of those complex interactive screens. I’m reminded how a not so friendly towards mods company, Blizzard, made mapping easier to use and more friendly with creating the JASS script for their maps. There is even a GUI higher overlay for JASS by default which can make things very easy for a novice to make some more complex gameplay triggers.
Yet despite these techniques being a few years old and being proven to be useful in modern games, I worry that these are helpful features that will be forgotten. Thus I mention them.
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b><!--coloro:#00BFFF--><span style="color:#00BFFF"><!--/coloro-->Suggestions to Improve <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactivity#Computer_science" target="_blank">Interactivity</a><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->:</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><ul><li>Better GUI interfaces. </li><li>Interactive textures</li><li>Video output</li><li>A Lua scripting logic entity which can allow mappers to tie limited functions to entities in far more complexity, but being easy to implement (or even download script snippets from community custom sites); as this would be to NS2 is kind of analogous to how JASS is to WCIII.</li></ul>
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b><!--coloro:#00BFFF--><span style="color:#00BFFF"><!--/coloro-->Example Screenshots from Other Games<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->:</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
<img src="http://xzianthia.net/images/prey_screen0.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://xzianthia.net/images/prey_screen1.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://xzianthia.net/images/doom3_screen0.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://xzianthia.net/images/doom3_screen1.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Comments
I haven't tried mapping with Source too much, so I personally don't know how hard it is to pull this off. But, easier is always better! Just don't restrict me or take away options.
I haven't tried mapping with Source too much, so I personally don't know how hard it is to pull this off. But, easier is always better! Just don't restrict me or take away options.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, the source code for the camera is there in the SDK (I think), but the animate control panels is not.
(I'd be nice to know how Prey and Doom3 did it, but I suppose that's a closely guarded secret. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> )
<!--sizeo:4--><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><!--coloro:#00BFFF--><span style="color:#00BFFF"><!--/coloro-->Reminder about the video<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->:<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
4:39 to 4:52 -- witness how cool cloaking would look in NS2!
4:53 to 5:30 -- only the part of the video which pertains to the "Security Cams" video feed display part of this idea