Using randomness in gameplay

Flayra

<div class="IPBDescription">Via trigger_random</div>Awhile back we had discussed using the NS entity, trigger_random to allow interesting gameplay.  Things like, a set of doors or vents that randomly start open or shut, a pipe that falls down across a hallway 1 in 4 games, etc.  It may be a bit early to think about this stuff, but I think that it's something to at least keep in the back of your mind.

In Counter-strike, the hotspots for a map are often the same areas (the bridge area and hallway on Dust, the market in Italy, etc.).  Much the way that random start locations for the aliens change the hotspots of the map, good use of the trigger_random could provide further variation on the same map with little work.  This would allow NS games to use much more of the map, and might mean that maps stay more interesting for longer.

I could also see neat situations where a team would want to scout a nearby area before committing to a strategy, because the map isn't totally static anymore.

LPC

I agree, random spawn points = WIN

Greedo

Stuff like this has always been in the back of my mind.  I would love to be able to try something like this.

realityisdead

Sounds a lot like Big_Al's idea on breakable stuff... only without the polys (if used like you suggest). So of course, sounds totally awesome. <!--emo&:)--><img src="http://www.natural-selection.org/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'><!--endemo-->

One thing though... while it'd definitely be very cool... I'm not so sure it would be totally necessary to vary "hotspots". The presence of resource nozzles makes every game played at least slightly different. One game you'll be setting up base in hera's warehouse (thus creating a hotspot)... and the next game you expand right into a alien hive room (I can't get over that! hehe). I think hotspots already vary to a great degree. At least more then CS or other similar mods.

But again... It would be totally kickin to have something like this in the levels.

LPC

"One game you'll be setting up base in hera's warehouse (thus creating a hotspot)... and the next game you expand right into a alien hive room (I can't get over that! hehe). I think hotspots already vary to a great degree. At least more then CS or other similar mods."

that's because you just haven't played NS enough. after you played the map for a few months (like people do in CS) you'll bound to see a lot of hot-spots.

Silver_Fox

Im all for random events, even if they end up killing off the whole team or something stupid like that.  Maybe a few bolts fly off and an entire wall disapears and your team gets sucked out into space ... er ... something.

Anyway - back to a more realistic variation.  Yes, something that would block the commonly used paths would be great.  I hate that in maps in any mod, people simply don't go some places.  Regardless of how they look, they're simply not "hot-spots".

Trane

Good idea here!!! well kind of a good idea anyway.  What if a trigger random dictated 3 major doors in a map.  So basically, 2 doors would be open and one 3rd door would always shut, and a random trigger controlled which were which throughout the game play on a map.  That way if you have a map with 3 major routes, you could have the map, in a manner of speaking, dictate which routes were available to the marines or aliens.  Or even take it a step further, and dont have the doors block or open up routes, just have them open up or block main strategetical areas.  So maybe one door blocks/opens a big room which would be a great place for the marines to set up base, or another door blocks/opens a resource node, or even another door opens/blocks the best/closest/easiest way to the command console/hive.  And it could all be explained by bob chewing on the electric cables thus everything going screwy, lol.  But anywho, what do you guys think?

nrby

you could also have the trigger random target a multimanager to set off complex "blocks" such as caved in passageways, or alarm systems going off.

another idea is to have things outside portholes, just to make it seem more realistic

doctopepa

damn, i've GOTTA map!!
Thanx!

btw, flayra, i can find that job topic. i sent you a mail but i don't know if you got it. wanna know if this guy liked my stuff (if it was the right form of stuff at all). please drop me a line anyway...