Realistic Sprinting

SirotSirot Join Date: 2006-12-03 Member: 58851Members
Humans are not especially graceful creatures compared to our four-legged rivals. This trait is never with one exception is never properly simulated in games which results in players being able to turn on a dime when running full speed. That one exception being the Gears of War series where sprinting reduces the turning speed of the player significantly. I would like NS2 to become another exception.

As a contrast to the superior four-legged mobility of the aliens (in particular, the skulk), I would like the Marine sprinting ability (normal walking/running is unaffected) to be sort of clumsy. When sprinting, the marine lowers his weapon, cannot strafe and increases his movement speed as in any other game. However, in addition sprint will bestow these additional properties:

1. While sprinting, the player cannot rapidly change direction without losing significant speed. The marine needs to make smooth turns to maintain a fast speed. This is implemented by there being cumulative speed penalty for moving the mouse on the horizontal plane (as in moving the mouse to change direction of movement).
2. When ending the sprint, momentum is kept and the marine will need to decelerate for a couple of seconds (shorter if the marine was moving slower). This means the marine cannot stop at the drop of a dime and runs the risk into walls into walls or falling off ledges if not careful.

It's sort of a weird idea but I think it was way of adding depth and immersion to the game. It also introduces mechanics that would be normally seen in racing games or games that have their protagonist ride on horseback (most notable, shadow of the colossus). A marine to fully take advantage of the ability to run away from certain death, needs to be able take the most optimal route in a situation while avoiding obstacles (like skulks and other marines).

Comments

  • Dalin SeivewrightDalin Seivewright 0x0000221E Join Date: 2007-10-20 Member: 62685Members, Constellation
    I only really have one problem with this. We -can- stop on a dime when running, but its often discouraged because it can end up harming our ankles (or something like that.) Now, the Marines have super-duper armor, and stopping on a dime would likely not be nearly as harmful to them. Also, if its taking some pain in the ankles because I wanted to stop on a dime before running into a field of OCs, or being pain free only to be chewed up, I'd go with the pain in the ankles.

    Additionally, what I've always hated with most games is that we can't wall dodge or jump from the wall. If I'm running, shouldn't I be able to jump on the corner to avoid a leaping Skulk? All I want is some simple dodging mechanism - nothing over the top like UT. Also, I may be wrong, but don't you hold your weapon close to you so that the barrel is pointing out beside you, instead of putting it down? And we should be able to run with our guns out but with a speed penalty.
  • borsukborsuk Join Date: 2009-06-06 Member: 67717Members
    edited August 2009
    Gears of War is not as innovative as you think. DooM I,II had very similar mechanic. Player character has a lot of inertia, and running magnifies that. The result is it takes time to switch running direction 180 degrees.

    Never forget about consequences. This would make marines slower, more predictable and easier to hit.

    I may surprise you. In some ways, humans are much more physically capable than great majority of animals. Humans are among very best long distance runners, and long distance travelers in general.

    Did you know you can hunt down a kangaroo by following it for whole day on foot ? You don't even need to run. Walking is enough. Once the sun sets, you and kangaroo go to sleep. In the morning, kangaroo has terrible <i>Delayed onset muscle soreness (muscle fever)</i> and can barely move. You walk up to it and hit it with a big stick.

    And according to wikipedia...

    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->During the persistence hunt an antelope, such as a kudu, is not shot or speared from a distance, but simply run down in the midday heat. Depending on the specific conditions, hunters of the central Kalahari will chase a kudu for about two to five hours over 25 to 35 km in temperatures of about 40 to 42°C (104 to 107°F). The hunter chases the kudu, which then runs away out of sight. By tracking it down at a fast running pace the hunter catches up with it before it has had enough time to rest in the shade. The animal is repeatedly chased and tracked down until it is too exhausted to continue running. The hunter then kills it at close range with a spear.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting</a>
  • SirotSirot Join Date: 2006-12-03 Member: 58851Members
    We're good runners/walkers, but not sprinters. That is represented in NS (and most shooters) by having the humans being able to run non-stop. Regarding sprinting, we generally need have to take a step or two to slow down before we stop otherwise we fall on out faces or get injured. Gears of War didn't have inertia, it had the "tunnel vision" method of running where you can't rapidly change direction.
  • ShalrathShalrath Join Date: 2009-04-20 Member: 67237Members
    "That one exception being the Gears of War series where sprinting reduces the turning speed of the player significantly. I would like NS2 to become another exception."

    SOCOM Confrontation, ArmA (1+2)? I know there are more, but those were a couple I thought of off the top of my head. It's not unique to that series, that's for sure.

    "Also, I may be wrong, but don't you hold your weapon close to you so that the barrel is pointing out beside you, instead of putting it down?"

    Most major military organizations of the world teach the walk - gun forward, run - gun down style. The reason is that you can very quickly bring up a gun, and if it's in line with your shoulders, it wont knock your aim off. Aiming to the side means you have to 'swing' the weapon, knocking off your aim as well as taking up a huge amount of space (that side-to-side running thing that most shooters do is awful - imagine trying to go through a doorway when you're hurling your gun left-to-right like that.)

    I think that these are nice ideas, for the most part, but require a tonne of resources to impliment: Can you imagine the processing power required to check if 32 different characters are transitioning from full-sprint to jump to the side, and the fact that physics are effecting how all this is occuring?
  • steppin'razorsteppin'razor Join Date: 2008-09-18 Member: 65033Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1721697:date=Aug 10 2009, 04:35 AM:name=borsuk)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (borsuk @ Aug 10 2009, 04:35 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1721697"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->During the persistence hunt an antelope, such as a kudu, is not shot or speared from a distance, but simply run down in the midday heat. Depending on the specific conditions, hunters of the central Kalahari will chase a kudu for about two to five hours over 25 to 35 km in temperatures of about 40 to 42°C (104 to 107°F). The hunter chases the kudu, which then runs away out of sight. By tracking it down at a fast running pace the hunter catches up with it before it has had enough time to rest in the shade. The animal is repeatedly chased and tracked down until it is too exhausted to continue running. The hunter then kills it at close range with a spear.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Just throwing it out there, thats probably the worst/stupidest hunting tactic I have ever heard
  • BadMouthBadMouth It ceases to be exclusive when you can have a custom member titl Join Date: 2004-05-21 Member: 28815Members
    You might think it ridiculous, and so do I, but my old school has a rectangular track. That's right. 90 degree turns. All the kids in my school trained to make high speed turns while sprinting. So there, it can be done.
  • BacillusBacillus Join Date: 2006-11-02 Member: 58241Members
    I don't like the general idea of 'predesigned' movement options that lock you up. They often end up being clumsy and inaccurate. Being clumsy discourages moving around and creates a lot of passive gameplay, which isn't NS.

    Sprint isn't the worst case scenario in any way, but I still find it difficult to agree with any kind of realistic movement restrictions and rulesets. I guess I'll wait for the alpha and see how the game goes. After seeing the rough scetch of UWE's plan for NS2 in alpha, I might actually think this suits the game. Right now I've got no clue, even sprinting feels so different from NS1.
  • Tek JansenTek Jansen Join Date: 2009-07-17 Member: 68171Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1721726:date=Aug 10 2009, 12:08 AM:name=steppin'razor)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (steppin'razor @ Aug 10 2009, 12:08 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1721726"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Just throwing it out there, thats probably the worst/stupidest hunting tactic I have ever heard<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Not when you don't have a gun, prehistoric man needed some way to catch animals that were very alert to their presence, running them down seemed to work well. I'll admit I didn't know humans were better distance runners till about 5 minutes ago.

    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You might think it ridiculous, and so do I, but my old school has a rectangular track. That's right. 90 degree turns. All the kids in my school trained to make high speed turns while sprinting. So there, it can be done.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I believe you, I can make a very sharp turn while running full sprint, maybe i'm a natural because I remember always being able to in elementary when we were playing tag or what not.
  • xmainexmaine Join Date: 2009-08-10 Member: 68409Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1721764:date=Aug 10 2009, 07:16 AM:name=Tek Jansen)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tek Jansen @ Aug 10 2009, 07:16 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1721764"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Not when you don't have a gun, prehistoric man needed some way to catch animals that were very alert to their presence, running them down seemed to work well. I'll admit I didn't know humans were better distance runners till about 5 minutes ago.



    I believe you, I can make a very sharp turn while running full sprint, maybe i'm a natural because I remember always being able to in elementary when we were playing tag or what not.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    That's called a juke. its used in football
  • ljcrabsljcrabs Join Date: 2007-11-15 Member: 62924Members
    I think marine agility in general needs to be more realistic. Hopefully the team does some quick/small movement motion capture. For example, a quick sidestep fake requires the use of your whole upper body, which means aiming should be impaired.
  • Dead-InsideDead-Inside Join Date: 2004-09-22 Member: 31862Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1721805:date=Aug 10 2009, 03:20 PM:name=ljcrabs)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ljcrabs @ Aug 10 2009, 03:20 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1721805"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I think marine agility in general needs to be more realistic. Hopefully the team does some quick/small movement motion capture. For example, a quick sidestep fake requires the use of your whole upper body, which means aiming should be impaired.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Sounds really annoying. If you impair the sprint a bit at least you can avoid this by simply not sprinting.
  • spellman23spellman23 NS1 Theorycraft Expert Join Date: 2007-05-17 Member: 60920Members
    This isn't a tactical shooter.

    A simple "Sprint bar" system would be OK, but the extra momentum things and turning tend to get in the way unless you do them really well or are trying to make a game where you're loaded with a ton of armor/equipment in a "realistic" combat environment.
  • ljcrabsljcrabs Join Date: 2007-11-15 Member: 62924Members
    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Sounds really annoying. If you impair the sprint a bit at least you can avoid this by simply not sprinting.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Well you can avoid it by continuing to strafe and not just doing a quick fake.

    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->This isn't a tactical shooter...<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    An argument for having realistic movement in a non-realism focused game is that what you think should happen actually happens. The player's mental model, which they have from real world experience, matches the design, which means the challenge isn't in figuring out how the movement code works and all its quirks, the challenge is in figuring out the enemy player.

    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->... the extra momentum things and turning tend to get in the way unless you do them really well<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    They seem to be going in this direction, what with the motion capture and SWAT/Navy Seal member and everything.
Sign In or Register to comment.