OK, hands up who understood all that <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
The_CheatIt's a The Cheat!Join Date: 2003-11-19Member: 23191Members, Constellation
<!--QuoteBegin-Cagey+Aug 3 2005, 01:18 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cagey @ Aug 3 2005, 01:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Even with a smoothing function the current wall detection would lead to a very jumpy first person roll--walking down a vent could feel like being stuck in an active laudromat machine. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> I just imagined this in-game and I literally almost fell out of my chair. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Nemesis Zero+Aug 3 2005, 02:25 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Nemesis Zero @ Aug 3 2005, 02:25 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> OK, hands up who understood all that <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> The hard part isn't understanding what he means, the hard part is trying to imagine how to implement that O_o
<!--QuoteBegin-Zek+Aug 3 2005, 12:20 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Zek @ Aug 3 2005, 12:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-voulge+Aug 3 2005, 04:34 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (voulge @ Aug 3 2005, 04:34 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-aeroripper+Aug 2 2005, 05:58 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (aeroripper @ Aug 2 2005, 05:58 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I'm interested to see how the new skulk movement stuff works out... i hope you can stay on the walls like in AvP now because its needed that for a long time <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->O Skulk wallwalk has been improved: - Skulks can now vault from walls. When attached to a wall, pressing jump will make the skulk jump in the direction the player is facing. - Precision wallwalking: While holding +speed (aka walk) the skulk will stick to walls much more rigorously then before. This makes it possible to navigate difficult architecture. - Wallwalk is now disabled when walking on the floor.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> YES YES YES YE YE YE YES!!!!!! omg, the alien wallclimb ability in Avp/2/primal hunt was THE BEST... it gave me such a loopy feeling in my head, and you really DID need the little arrows to tell you which way was up and down (though it really didnt matter because the wallclimb/stick ability was almost flawless, so any surface/edge could be whatever you wanted it to be).
The NS game needs more of THIS kind of whack'd out awsome cool special effects just to make it cooler and more difficult (skillwize, not tac's). Drop the eyecandy, just get the skulk wallclimb ability right!!! please! <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Um, don't get too excited, the skulk view orientation is the same as before. That was attempted way back in 2.0's beta I think and it was determined to be too far difficult to make it work smoothly. The only difference in 3.1 is that you can jump away from a wall, and when walking slowly on a wall you'll stick to it without detaching no matter which direction you look in(sort of like how ladders work). <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> I don't really like that. It makes it harder to skulk, as you can't finely disconnect yourself from a wall, but rather, you have to jump (and god knows how far away from the marine that will throw you).
moultanoCreator of ns_shiva.Join Date: 2002-12-14Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
edited August 2005
<!--QuoteBegin-Cagey+Aug 3 2005, 02:18 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Cagey @ Aug 3 2005, 02:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Max's attempt was pretty straightforward. It was causing jumpiness because it was constantly adjusting to new active wallwalk surfaces--when you have a skulk in a corner and it's actually potentially touching 3 or 4 walls at sharp angles to each other you can have real issues with the view to jerking around unless you're very careful about how you transition from touch to touch.
If you watch another player skulk around complex geometry and see the model orientation jumping around, it's pretty much the same issue. I want to convert the wall detection code to use volumetric testing for solid objects near the skulk instead of the current raytrace and surface normal tests to smooth things out and get an averaged wall surface instead of point samples, but that's not a trivial project--the real issue for skulk view rotation isn't a lack of ideas, but a lack of implementation time; I don't have the 3-4 weeks of time blocked out that are required for that sort of research.
My personal ideal view system would be completely unlocked and user driven pitch and yaw coupled with a roll that reorients based on the latest surface data using a dampened exponential decay function for over a year now, but I haven't found time to experiment. Even with a smoothing function the current wall detection would lead to a very jumpy first person roll--walking down a vent could feel like being stuck in an active laudromat machine. There are issues with going over +/-90 degrees yaw relative to the surface you're touching, so that may end up being a locked limit with roll automatically compensating if you do something like fall on your back. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Are the pitch limits things that can be set dynamically?
My thinking involved limiting the surfaces you can wallwalk on to those whose normal has a positive dot product with your up vector (in the openGL sense of being relative to your current view direction) when you were previously on a surface, and keeping it unrestricted otherwise. You can tweak the up vector slightly in the direction opposite the direction that someone is strafing to still allow strafing onto walls. This would cut out the vent case at least, unless you are hopping around a lot.
How does the current code determine what direction to send the raytrace in?
Edit: now that I think about it, if I remember correctly the openGL up vector wasn't always orthogonal to your view direction. So replace that in the above with the vector of the direction you strafe when you strafe right crossed with the vector for the direction you are facing.
<!--QuoteBegin-JmmsbndZeroZeroSeven+Aug 3 2005, 08:34 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (JmmsbndZeroZeroSeven @ Aug 3 2005, 08:34 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I don't really like that. It makes it harder to skulk, as you can't finely disconnect yourself from a wall, but rather, you have to jump (and god knows how far away from the marine that will throw you). <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->- Precision wallwalking: <b>While holding +speed (aka walk)</b> the skulk will stick to walls much more rigorously then before.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Anyone that played Decent should understand most of it - and all the similar problems and pitfalls of forward/backward/left/right/up/down/clockwise roll/counter-clockwise roll. If it wasn't dissorienting and unintutive, everyone would be pilots and we'd all have flying cars.
To correctly implement wallwalking - in my opinion - you'd actually have to get away from pre-fabbed animation and go to a realtime calculation where the paws of the model are actually placed on textures, so you could have a skulk with his left paws on the floor and his right paws on the wall. The orientation of the player view would be simple to calculate then. This, however, is still a very process intensive calculation on modern hardware and not something fitting of an almost 8 year old game engine. You need the same calculations used in ragg doll physics to get it done. The wallwalking in Doom 3 looks like what I'm talking about, it - however - looks very prefabbed.
<!--QuoteBegin-Mendasp+Aug 3 2005, 02:49 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Mendasp @ Aug 3 2005, 02:49 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-JmmsbndZeroZeroSeven+Aug 3 2005, 08:34 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (JmmsbndZeroZeroSeven @ Aug 3 2005, 08:34 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I don't really like that. It makes it harder to skulk, as you can't finely disconnect yourself from a wall, but rather, you have to jump (and god knows how far away from the marine that will throw you). <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->- Precision wallwalking: <b>While holding +speed (aka walk)</b> the skulk will stick to walls much more rigorously then before.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Yes, but it will still be a balancing act to silently disconnect from the wall without making a footstep noise (and no, I don't want to walk to the bottom of the wall first, if that would even help).
tankefuglOne Script To Rule Them All...Trondheim, NorwayJoin Date: 2002-11-14Member: 8641Members, Retired Developer, NS1 Playtester, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
edited August 2005
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->How does the current code determine what direction to send the raytrace in?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The traces are currently sent upwards NE, SE, SW and NW, and one straight downPretty inexpensive
The problem with the wallwalk is two-folded, actually. First, there is the actual detection of which walls to climb on to create the resulting surface normal. Then there is the actual projection of movement so that small ledges and variations won't stop a player. This is the hard part, as NS maps have in many cases very complex geometry.
I doubt we will devote much more time on this before the Source version. The skulk behaves ok now, and you're able to walk around corners and such when you have to now. For Source, we have a bunch of ideas on how to work on it. It still remains to find an inexpensive solution in terms of computional power, though.
<!--QuoteBegin-Nemesis Zero+Aug 3 2005, 08:25 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Nemesis Zero @ Aug 3 2005, 08:25 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> OK, hands up who understood all that <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> /me puts his hand up and runs
urinalcakeCan't work a sound cardUnited StatesJoin Date: 2002-11-08Member: 7799Members
<!--QuoteBegin-XP-Cagey+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (XP-Cagey)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->My personal ideal view system would be completely unlocked and user driven pitch and yaw coupled with a roll that reorients based on the latest surface data using a dampened exponential decay function for over a year now, but I haven't found time to experiment.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'd say I love you Cagey.. but.. ow, head.. hurts.
devicenullJoin Date: 2003-04-30Member: 15967Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
<!--QuoteBegin-JmmsbndZeroZeroSeven+Aug 2 2005, 06:40 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (JmmsbndZeroZeroSeven @ Aug 2 2005, 06:40 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> O Added the ability to toggle off NS's gamma ramp Does this mean I can whitewall now with my ATi drivers? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> No, it means I will actually be able to _see_ the game on my x64 system.
<!--QuoteBegin-devicenull+Aug 3 2005, 04:20 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (devicenull @ Aug 3 2005, 04:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-JmmsbndZeroZeroSeven+Aug 2 2005, 06:40 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (JmmsbndZeroZeroSeven @ Aug 2 2005, 06:40 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> O Added the ability to toggle off NS's gamma ramp Does this mean I can whitewall now with my ATi drivers? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> No, it means I will actually be able to _see_ the game on my x64 system. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> ok gamma hacker
<!--QuoteBegin-im lost+Aug 3 2005, 01:08 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (im lost @ Aug 3 2005, 01:08 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> So apparently cloaking shouldn't be fixed then, it should be left so that it is completely effective against some people, partly effective against others, and useless against others. Or maybe it should be removed completely, but then you have to have an upgrade to replace it. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> No, cloaking should be 100% invisible while an alien is still, 10% visible when he walks, and 60% visible when he runs.
No more skill involved in cloaking whatsoever. Either you counter the cloak with an obs or scan or die. Fun for everyone (by everyone I mean the aliens).
No, they're only 100% cloaked while standing still. That's why it says "blah blah base opacity reduced to 0", rather than "cloaking is now 100% at all times". They'll be a bit less visible than previously, but if you could see them before, surely you'll be able to see them if they're 10% less visible?
a_civilianLikes seeing numbersJoin Date: 2003-01-08Member: 12041Members, NS1 Playtester, Playtest Lead
<!--QuoteBegin-Align+Aug 3 2005, 07:21 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Align @ Aug 3 2005, 07:21 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->No, they're only 100% cloaked while standing still. That's why it says "blah blah base opacity reduced to 0", rather than "cloaking is now 100% at all times".<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Cloaking provides 100% transparency both while standing still and while walking with +speed.
aeroripperJoin Date: 2005-02-25Member: 42471NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators, Constellation
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Cloaking provides 100% transparency both while standing still and while walking with +speed. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-a civilian+Aug 3 2005, 08:08 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (a civilian @ Aug 3 2005, 08:08 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Cloaking provides 100% transparency both while standing still and while walking with +speed. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Also while inside a sensory chamber.
If you guys think it's overpowered, feel free to sign up for Constellation and prove it to us <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Zek+Aug 3 2005, 10:31 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Zek @ Aug 3 2005, 10:31 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-a civilian+Aug 3 2005, 08:08 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (a civilian @ Aug 3 2005, 08:08 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Cloaking provides 100% transparency both while standing still and while walking with +speed. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Also while inside a sensory chamber.
If you guys think it's overpowered, feel free to sign up for Constellation and prove it to us <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> ... You can bunnyhop at someone full speed while invisible?
schkorpioI can mspaintJoin Date: 2003-05-23Member: 16635Members
<!--QuoteBegin-WaterBoy+Aug 3 2005, 10:31 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (WaterBoy @ Aug 3 2005, 10:31 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-Reeke+Aug 2 2005, 07:05 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Reeke @ Aug 2 2005, 07:05 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I've said it before, if its some bloody stats tracking system im gonna go NUTS!!
or, um, sit in the corner and and cry <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> They have already said its not...about 10 times <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> it better not be!!!! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
the 100% cloaking should only be for when you're standing completely still. Being inside the sensory chamber's cloaking radius should have the same effect as if you had gotten the upgrade... that is ridiculous. sensory would be completely overpowered. also if you had gotten silence and were inside the radius, gg invisible silent aliens that give you no notice until you've been attacked first.
Comments
I just imagined this in-game and I literally almost fell out of my chair. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
The hard part isn't understanding what he means, the hard part is trying to imagine how to implement that O_o
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->O Skulk wallwalk has been improved:
- Skulks can now vault from walls. When attached to a wall, pressing jump will make the skulk jump in the direction the player is facing.
- Precision wallwalking: While holding +speed (aka walk) the skulk will stick to walls much more rigorously then before. This makes it possible to navigate difficult architecture.
- Wallwalk is now disabled when walking on the floor.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
YES YES YES YE YE YE YES!!!!!! omg, the alien wallclimb ability in Avp/2/primal hunt was THE BEST... it gave me such a loopy feeling in my head, and you really DID need the little arrows to tell you which way was up and down (though it really didnt matter because the wallclimb/stick ability was almost flawless, so any surface/edge could be whatever you wanted it to be).
The NS game needs more of THIS kind of whack'd out awsome cool special effects just to make it cooler and more difficult (skillwize, not tac's). Drop the eyecandy, just get the skulk wallclimb ability right!!! please! <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Um, don't get too excited, the skulk view orientation is the same as before. That was attempted way back in 2.0's beta I think and it was determined to be too far difficult to make it work smoothly. The only difference in 3.1 is that you can jump away from a wall, and when walking slowly on a wall you'll stick to it without detaching no matter which direction you look in(sort of like how ladders work). <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I don't really like that. It makes it harder to skulk, as you can't finely disconnect yourself from a wall, but rather, you have to jump (and god knows how far away from the marine that will throw you).
If you watch another player skulk around complex geometry and see the model orientation jumping around, it's pretty much the same issue. I want to convert the wall detection code to use volumetric testing for solid objects near the skulk instead of the current raytrace and surface normal tests to smooth things out and get an averaged wall surface instead of point samples, but that's not a trivial project--the real issue for skulk view rotation isn't a lack of ideas, but a lack of implementation time; I don't have the 3-4 weeks of time blocked out that are required for that sort of research.
My personal ideal view system would be completely unlocked and user driven pitch and yaw coupled with a roll that reorients based on the latest surface data using a dampened exponential decay function for over a year now, but I haven't found time to experiment. Even with a smoothing function the current wall detection would lead to a very jumpy first person roll--walking down a vent could feel like being stuck in an active laudromat machine. There are issues with going over +/-90 degrees yaw relative to the surface you're touching, so that may end up being a locked limit with roll automatically compensating if you do something like fall on your back. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Are the pitch limits things that can be set dynamically?
My thinking involved limiting the surfaces you can wallwalk on to those whose normal has a positive dot product with your up vector (in the openGL sense of being relative to your current view direction) when you were previously on a surface, and keeping it unrestricted otherwise. You can tweak the up vector slightly in the direction opposite the direction that someone is strafing to still allow strafing onto walls. This would cut out the vent case at least, unless you are hopping around a lot.
How does the current code determine what direction to send the raytrace in?
Edit: now that I think about it, if I remember correctly the openGL up vector wasn't always orthogonal to your view direction. So replace that in the above with the vector of the direction you strafe when you strafe right crossed with the vector for the direction you are facing.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->- Precision wallwalking: <b>While holding +speed (aka walk)</b> the skulk will stick to walls much more rigorously then before.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
To correctly implement wallwalking - in my opinion - you'd actually have to get away from pre-fabbed animation and go to a realtime calculation where the paws of the model are actually placed on textures, so you could have a skulk with his left paws on the floor and his right paws on the wall. The orientation of the player view would be simple to calculate then. This, however, is still a very process intensive calculation on modern hardware and not something fitting of an almost 8 year old game engine. You need the same calculations used in ragg doll physics to get it done. The wallwalking in Doom 3 looks like what I'm talking about, it - however - looks very prefabbed.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->- Precision wallwalking: <b>While holding +speed (aka walk)</b> the skulk will stick to walls much more rigorously then before.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, but it will still be a balancing act to silently disconnect from the wall without making a footstep noise (and no, I don't want to walk to the bottom of the wall first, if that would even help).
The traces are currently sent upwards NE, SE, SW and NW, and one straight downPretty inexpensive
The problem with the wallwalk is two-folded, actually. First, there is the actual detection of which walls to climb on to create the resulting surface normal. Then there is the actual projection of movement so that small ledges and variations won't stop a player. This is the hard part, as NS maps have in many cases very complex geometry.
I doubt we will devote much more time on this before the Source version. The skulk behaves ok now, and you're able to walk around corners and such when you have to now. For Source, we have a bunch of ideas on how to work on it. It still remains to find an inexpensive solution in terms of computional power, though.
/me puts his hand up and runs
I'd say I love you Cagey.. but.. ow, head.. hurts.
Does this mean I can whitewall now with my ATi drivers? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
No, it means I will actually be able to _see_ the game on my x64 system.
Does this mean I can whitewall now with my ATi drivers? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No, it means I will actually be able to _see_ the game on my x64 system. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
ok gamma hacker
No real balance changes though? Like damage or health or speed...
No, cloaking should be 100% invisible while an alien is still, 10% visible when he walks, and 60% visible when he runs.
No more skill involved in cloaking whatsoever. Either you counter the cloak with an obs or scan or die. Fun for everyone (by everyone I mean the aliens).
So can we make an effort to avoid convincing each other for now, it's going to bore most readers and eventually derail the topic completely.
They'll be a bit less visible than previously, but if you could see them before, surely you'll be able to see them if they're 10% less visible?
nem wins
Cloaking provides 100% transparency both while standing still and while walking with +speed.
that's the way it should be IMO
Also while inside a sensory chamber.
If you guys think it's overpowered, feel free to sign up for Constellation and prove it to us <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Also while inside a sensory chamber.
If you guys think it's overpowered, feel free to sign up for Constellation and prove it to us <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
...
You can bunnyhop at someone full speed while invisible?
nem wins <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
bandaid solution
or, um, sit in the corner and and cry <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
They have already said its not...about 10 times <!--emo&???--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/confused-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='confused-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
it better not be!!!! <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
also if you had gotten silence and were inside the radius, gg invisible silent aliens that give you no notice until you've been attacked first.