Mist / Fog ideas for Aliens
afratnikov
Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18931Members
Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18931Members
<div class="IPBDescription">In what ways could particle effects impact gameplay?</div>NS2 alien hives are going to release a mist, which will make the game rather atmospheric. However, fog also has a lot of potential to affect gameplay as well and this is what this topic is about. Use your imagination to come up with some interesting applications for particle effects and their impact on gameplay.
I've checked the search function and found a few reactions to the announcement of mist inside hives, but that is all. I believe that particle effects could be come an interesting gameplay element if it partially blocks player vision.
EDIT: See photoshopped images below.
I've checked the search function and found a few reactions to the announcement of mist inside hives, but that is all. I believe that particle effects could be come an interesting gameplay element if it partially blocks player vision.
EDIT: See photoshopped images below.
Comments
Gameplay impacts:
First of all, fog would (obviously) be beneficial to aliens, since it would allow them to avoid getting shot from afar. Two questions are: (1) how would a fog be set up and (2) how dense is the fog going to be?
(1) What creates fog?
1a The hive is going to create fog
1b Lerks will definitely create fogs as in NS1.
1c Map artifacts such as blown air vents
1d Others: other creature, alien structures etc
(2) How dense is the fog?
This is a much more tricky question and this is where gameplay will be impacted.
2 a) Atmospheric fog:
If the fog isn't dense, then it will simply add an atmospheric effect. The fog will liven up the hive areas, but the aliens would still be easy to hit. Also, fog could be used as an indicator, without hindering vision, such as lerk spore and umbra in NS1.
2 b) Fog that hinders vision:
- If the fog is dense, though, it could become a powerful tool in aliens' arsenal. For example, it could be made so after a lerk gasses a room, the marines not only take minimal damage but also can hardly see anything 15 feet away.
- For map artifacts, imagine a vent with steam blowing ahead shielding the view - is there a skulk behind the steam or not?
- I a hive, there could be pockets of dense fog that would make it more difficult for marines to camp the hive: if you're inside the pocket, you're basically blind and when you're outside, the skulks could run in and out of these pockets out of marines' sight.
This post is meant as a conversation starter. I haven't seen any games that have used smoke/fog as a significant game element (if you have, please let me know). NS2 could be the first...
I can say from what I've seen so far, the particle effects will be above that of CSS. Many ways of implementing this are arround.
Most favored, enviromental reasons are a key one, alien causes second.
Because if something really prejudicates marines, should be DI, controlable feature, not limited to hive range.
And you inspired me a new idea <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />, thanks. Going to post it soon.
Because if something really prejudicates marines, should be DI, controlable feature, not limited to hive range.
And you inspired me a new idea <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />, thanks. Going to post it soon.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Chances are that lot of the cool things posted in the ideas/suggestions forum will not be implemented in NS2. However, all of them have a potential to be modded into the game after release <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
I agree that aesthetical fog would fit better into the game and easier to implement. Dense fog would would be a difficult thing to balance and may produce technical challenges. Let's see what you come up with.
<img src="http://s5.tinypic.com/2alvkj.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
<img src="http://s5.tinypic.com/2mwbktv.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Post your comments please.
It seems to me like everyone focuses on the poorly written section "I a hive, there could be pockets of dense fog...." and ignores the rest of the post. Ok, that idea might create more problems than it solves. So, what about the suggestion on lerk gas and map artifacts?
So far most of the reactions are negative. I like criticism, especially constructive criticism, because it allows an idea to be improved. Best criticism lists both pros and cons of an idea and offers advice for improvement. Right now, i am unclear what exactly the criticism is.
Here's a criticism i would understand:
- It is an intriguing idea, but... Player vision should never be restricted, because it is not fun. Players should always have complete vision of the target (except cloaked aliens). When shooting, the hitting of the target should only be hindered by player's aim, weapon spread, and a little lag - not any visual blocks. Thus, the only way that mist could be implemented is if it never completely hinders vision. An alien would have to always be visible through smoke. A similar idea to what you're suggesting is shooting through walls in CS, and everyone hates that, so NS2 shouldn't have it.
Now, that kind of criticism would be useful, even if i don't agree with it. It would be possible to discuss what is "fun" and it also offers a way of improvement.
For fog around the hive, let's say it should be a upgrade made by the alien commander so it is not avaiable from the start but it will be very usefull to defend a hive rush or something like that.
I think fog can really enrich the game, but you need to know how to implement it correctly, most of you think of a constant spam of fog on any given area so that a marine player has no chance to do anything at all but it shouldn't be like that, even if his vision is completly blocked probably the marines motion tracker could set in to give him a clue where the alien is in the fog.
For the Areas on the map those loose vents and stuff can be easily fixed by Marines welders or broken by the Alien Comms Infestation, I don't see any problem here, besides also a marine shotgunner can use the fog for its own purposes, if he is not parasited, he can hide from a fade in the fog and can march on later and build some ninja PGs or something. So it's just fine imho.
We shouldn't be so pessimistic about new features, I think if you implement it well and think through the whole mechanic it will work well and I'm sure if the devs implement something like that they will take a close look on it and how it will work.