Droppable Work Lights

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Comments

  • FocusedWolfFocusedWolf Join Date: 2005-01-09 Member: 34258Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1766475:date=Apr 13 2010, 12:37 AM:name=ryknow69)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ryknow69 @ Apr 13 2010, 12:37 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1766475"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->long long long long long long ago, som1 made a topic, i listed all possibilities, but this topic hit 1 i didnt hit, 'turret' lamps

    I even talked about water included maps(zomg yes, water included maps) and what the lights would do with the water<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Hmm i didn't think about the effect of lights on water. (I hope we still will have water/lava in NS2!!! :P)

    I started this thread with the words: "This is an old idea, thats probably been reposted a million times" because i know everyone has thought about and re-requested this.

    So feel free to add your ideas to the pile :P
  • NeoSniperNeoSniper Join Date: 2005-06-02 Member: 52976Members
    edited April 2010
    I've posted elaborately on my support for lighting being made and active gameplay element. Being supporting this ever since they showed that video with the dynamic lighting(Video cast #5?).

    My favorite approach was to have them work much like the mines in NS1, where a marine carries it in a weapon slot and is able to place them on the floor/walls. May also work well as a commander only thing.

    Gameplaywise these are my 2 favorites ideas of many posted.

    1-Lights that shine bright colors on aliens (cloaked or not), not the full alien but certain parts like white body paint patterns shine under black light. Would look super cool with cloaked aliens and I know this engine can pull it off having all those lighting layers

    2-For a certain amount of time the light burns brightly (like a little gas lamp) dealing damage-over-time to aliens in direct line-of-sight. Destroyable by aliens but explodes with damage proportional to fuel left inside, otherwise fizzles out with no explosive damage).

    [EDIT: I'd also like to add that neither of these ideas produce annoying visual effects on the affected player and also, while being lighting related, neither could be bypassed by some gamma hack)]
  • BCSephBCSeph Join Date: 2005-02-24 Member: 42384Members, Constellation
    I support keeping ideas as least annoying as possible. I know that if I frequently get light glares on my screen (like the white-washed screenshot above), I will be annoyed, regardless of the gameplay aspects it facilitates.
  • FocusedWolfFocusedWolf Join Date: 2005-01-09 Member: 34258Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1767020:date=Apr 14 2010, 10:12 PM:name=BCSeph)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BCSeph @ Apr 14 2010, 10:12 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1767020"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I support keeping ideas as least annoying as possible. I know that if I frequently get light glares on my screen (like the white-washed screenshot above), I will be annoyed, regardless of the gameplay aspects it facilitates.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Maybe just have light for the normal reasons one would need light. And maybe add a flashbang grenade? :P
  • Lemming JesusLemming Jesus Join Date: 2010-04-13 Member: 71385Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1759669:date=Mar 16 2010, 09:50 PM:name=schkorpio)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (schkorpio @ Mar 16 2010, 09:50 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1759669"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->i'm going to guess that all marines will have flashlights so maybe this won't be necessary. and also i have a feeling that no areas, even places with heavy infestation growing everywhere will still have plenty of light, while more dull and atmospheric they will never be areas as dark as say doom 3.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    This. What's with all the crazy elaborate ideas to fix such simple "problems"? If you check the demo maps they gave us, you can see just fine. If it's really THAT difficult to see, the maps can be changed or a flashlight could be added. I love all the suggestions for marines, but how about the aliens? Why would an alien break a light when he can't create his own?
  • FocusedWolfFocusedWolf Join Date: 2005-01-09 Member: 34258Members
    edited April 2010
    <!--quoteo(post=1767914:date=Apr 19 2010, 08:19 PM:name=Lemming Jesus)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lemming Jesus @ Apr 19 2010, 08:19 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1767914"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->This. What's with all the crazy elaborate ideas to fix such simple "problems"? If you check the demo maps they gave us, you can see just fine. If it's really THAT difficult to see, the maps can be changed or a flashlight could be added. I love all the suggestions for marines, but how about the aliens? Why would an alien break a light when he can't create his own?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Maybe the aliens have alien-vision and can see in total darkness and therefore don't need to create their own lights. The marines however (always the fish out of water) seem to lack NVGs which doesn't make any sense. However if we keep this limitation, then people like the idea of that space-survival-ish feeling of lighting a flare (Aliens), snapping a light stick (Pandorum), and/or plugging in a halogen work light (ugh... someone working in a garage, err i mean mine!) :)
  • Chris0132Chris0132 Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
    Blinding players is a silly idea, it's possible the most annoying thing you can do apart from playing annoying sounds and messing with the controls.
  • DaimoninDaimonin Join Date: 2010-02-26 Member: 70748Members
    I like this idea, either the glow sticks or the work lights.

    And if one balanced the light emitted by the lights properly, maybe we could get an effect where if your gamma is set to a reasonable level, you just get the normal effect of seeing whats going on.
    If on the other hand you are a cheater whose upped gamma to the max so you can see in complete or near complete darkness, you get a nice case WAY too much light to see anything.
    Result is a useful tool for all of us, and a f*** you to the cheaters.


    Slightly on a tangent, but I've always felt that not including a known and obviously useful technology in a game for no other reason then game balance was a bit of a cop-out. Balance should be created by imagining new technologies for the "underpowered" side, rather then imposing a nonsensical restriction on the "overpowered" one.
    (In this case, any commander who sends his man into a mine/abandoned ship/etc... occupied by aliens without giving them at least nvg deserves to be court-martialed.)
  • FocusedWolfFocusedWolf Join Date: 2005-01-09 Member: 34258Members
    edited April 2010
    <!--quoteo(post=1768138:date=Apr 21 2010, 09:28 AM:name=Daimonin)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Daimonin @ Apr 21 2010, 09:28 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1768138"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I like this idea, either the glow sticks or the work lights.

    And if one balanced the light emitted by the lights properly, maybe we could get an effect where if your gamma is set to a reasonable level, you just get the normal effect of seeing whats going on.
    If on the other hand you are a cheater whose upped gamma to the max so you can see in complete or near complete darkness, you get a nice case WAY too much light to see anything.
    Result is a useful tool for all of us, and a f*** you to the cheaters.


    Slightly on a tangent, but I've always felt that not including a known and obviously useful technology in a game for no other reason then game balance was a bit of a cop-out. Balance should be created by imagining new technologies for the "underpowered" side, rather then imposing a nonsensical restriction on the "overpowered" one.
    (In this case, any commander who sends his man into a mine/abandoned ship/etc... occupied by aliens without giving them at least nvg deserves to be court-martialed.)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Agreed!!! And it's a nice way to stop the gamma cheaters on BOTH teams!
  • Matt_BLahMatt_BLah Join Date: 2006-11-02 Member: 58269Members
    I like the idea, maybe not make it part of the release but make it something that the engine can handle (which I think it can) so it can be a community made mod.
  • ryknow69ryknow69 Join Date: 2008-03-24 Member: 63952Members
    My idea included Flares(inplace of glowie sticky) and placeable Flood-Lights.

    Flares would do fire damage if u stood on a lit 1, and Flood light was only a directional light, killable in 2 skulk bites.

    i'd elaborate, but I'd rather just go search for my posts.
  • FehaFeha Join Date: 2006-11-16 Member: 58633Members
    People thought of alien destroying lights, DI blocking lights, and even map lights that could be affected.
    But noone thought about the fact that skulks could be a great unit for blocking a light? After all, they are dynamic and cast shadows.

    So think about this, the mapper make the light originate from one of those fans, this makes a skulk to try and climb in there possibly leading it to die by fan. If it suceed however, the mapper was smart and made the fan hard to shoot into, so the skulk would be mostly safe. Ofcource some light would escape and show location of fan, but then people throw in grenades.

    If you ask me, that sounds like a pretty interesting tactic to take into account, suicidal animals that are strongly attracted to lights. However, as you guys also might think, is that this could be op and abusive. Thats where glowing sticks actually would come in real handy.

    An entity that the player throw, which has a dlight parented to it, and for lag issues could look for sticks close to it for creating a single one but stronger.
    For yet another twist, those sticks could be eaten by aliens, and make the aliens glow faintly, not enough to illuminate any but the closest aliens, but enough to be spotted in the dark.



    Wonder how the marines would react if they stormed into a room, the light suddenly disappered, and they heard lots of jaws crushing the bones of their friends. Would they try to kill the one that block the light, would they throw a light stick at their feets, would they turn on their flashlight and try and score some kills, or would they just start firing madly around themself?
  • Chris0132Chris0132 Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1768952:date=Apr 28 2010, 03:23 PM:name=Feha)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Feha @ Apr 28 2010, 03:23 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1768952"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->People thought of alien destroying lights, DI blocking lights, and even map lights that could be affected.
    But noone thought about the fact that skulks could be a great unit for blocking a light? After all, they are dynamic and cast shadows.

    So think about this, the mapper make the light originate from one of those fans, this makes a skulk to try and climb in there possibly leading it to die by fan. If it suceed however, the mapper was smart and made the fan hard to shoot into, so the skulk would be mostly safe. Ofcource some light would escape and show location of fan, but then people throw in grenades.

    If you ask me, that sounds like a pretty interesting tactic to take into account, suicidal animals that are strongly attracted to lights. However, as you guys also might think, is that this could be op and abusive. Thats where glowing sticks actually would come in real handy.

    An entity that the player throw, which has a dlight parented to it, and for lag issues could look for sticks close to it for creating a single one but stronger.
    For yet another twist, those sticks could be eaten by aliens, and make the aliens glow faintly, not enough to illuminate any but the closest aliens, but enough to be spotted in the dark.



    Wonder how the marines would react if they stormed into a room, the light suddenly disappered, and they heard lots of jaws crushing the bones of their friends. Would they try to kill the one that block the light, would they throw a light stick at their feets, would they turn on their flashlight and try and score some kills, or would they just start firing madly around themself?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Alternative: everyone turns off shadows.

    You can't have dynamic shadowing and lighting be a prominent gameplay feature and also have the ability for some people to not use it, otherwise it's like having the option to disable alien camoflage colours, or marine armor lights, or whatever.
  • FehaFeha Join Date: 2006-11-16 Member: 58633Members
    Why would people be allowed to turn off shadows? Thats like allowing people to let people disable camouflage, lighting (all same brightness) or such.

    Also, I just noticed there were 3 pages :P. And I saw ppl talking bout flashbangs. I hate flashbangs (flash someone and they cant do anything but die).
  • ryknow69ryknow69 Join Date: 2008-03-24 Member: 63952Members
    *snap snap* psst, hey, uh, not everyone has a 1000000 dollar computer with up-to-date-fancy-pancy-incredible-resolution-and-processing

    so shadow turn off switch is included.
  • FocusedWolfFocusedWolf Join Date: 2005-01-09 Member: 34258Members
    edited April 2010
    <!--quoteo(post=1769014:date=Apr 28 2010, 05:26 PM:name=ryknow69)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ryknow69 @ Apr 28 2010, 05:26 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1769014"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->*snap snap* psst, hey, uh, not everyone has a 1000000 dollar computer with up-to-date-fancy-pancy-incredible-resolution-and-processing

    so shadow turn off switch is included.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Are you sure? Because didn't left for dead 1 not allow people to disable dynamic lighting or something. I got a new video card now so i could care less cause i can run everything under the sun. :P

    <!--quoteo(post=1769014:date=Apr 28 2010, 05:26 PM:name=ryknow69)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ryknow69 @ Apr 28 2010, 05:26 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1769014"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Wonder how the marines would react if they stormed into a room, the light suddenly disappered, and they heard lots of jaws crushing the bones of their friends. Would they try to kill the one that block the light, would they throw a light stick at their feets, would they turn on their flashlight and try and score some kills, or would they just start firing madly around themself?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    You just gave a description more or less of the "aliens" in the "Alone in the dark" movie. For those that don't know what i mean... whenever these <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0dBQNzMizA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0dBQNzMizA</a> xenomorph-looking demons were around, they were kind of invisible and their very presence would cause lighting nearby to flicker or go out temporarily until they left. Would make for one sick alien ability for the fade or something lol. We could have it where that only happens for the maps lighting, but the marine-droppable-lighting is unnefected, and furthermore exposes the invisible aliens... just like in the movie :P Or what the hell... have this ability mess with all lighting that the map offers + the commander lights, and only chem marine-throwable glow-sticks aren't effected! Which will lead to those shootout scenes where the only lighting comes from those flares and muzzle flashes! (btw i think the marine weapon model has a flashlight lens in the front).
  • FocusedWolfFocusedWolf Join Date: 2005-01-09 Member: 34258Members
    edited April 2010
  • Chris0132Chris0132 Join Date: 2009-07-25 Member: 68262Members
    edited April 2010
    <!--quoteo(post=1769057:date=Apr 29 2010, 03:03 AM:name=FocusedWolf)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (FocusedWolf @ Apr 29 2010, 03:03 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1769057"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Are you sure? Because didn't left for dead 1 not allow people to disable dynamic lighting or something. I got a new video card now so i could care less cause i can run everything under the sun. :P<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    l4d1 hs the sum total of one dynamic shadow in the entire game, apart from the 6 year old drop shadows source uses which hardly counts. The flashlight, of which there is only ever one and which has next to no gameplay impact if you enable shadows for it, is the only possible dynamic shadow because by default source doesn't even support multiple dynamic shadowing lights in the same scene, flashlight included. Even if L4D did disallow shadowing turnoff it wouldn't make any difference, as it still uses the also 6 year old baked shadow maps that all source games use.
  • ryknow69ryknow69 Join Date: 2008-03-24 Member: 63952Members
  • Racer1Racer1 Join Date: 2002-11-22 Member: 9615Members
    If we are talking about light sticks, maybe the skulk could eat it, but that would make him glow for a while (from the stomach).
  • FocusedWolfFocusedWolf Join Date: 2005-01-09 Member: 34258Members
    edited November 2010
    After seeing the video mentioned in the twitter regarding the purpose of the power nodes (basically a rooms surge-protector which everything from the lights to the equipment apparently wirelessly draws electricity off, and it is damageable so the room and equipment inside it can be disabled <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL4fM_d2pZY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL4fM_d2pZY</a>), and also after seeing this thread "Light effects and flares, How can the gameplay make use of the engines light effects?" that i felt like bumping this thread due to the relevancy :P
  • SN.WolfSN.Wolf Join Date: 2010-03-29 Member: 71115Members
    What i have been doing is installing axillary emergency lights (spots) aimed at key points in a room that fall outside the power point trigger so when it goes down you still have light where it counts. But it's still not a bad idea to make a weldable ambient light source but then again why not just repair the power-point. bah, anyways lets wait a bit longer to see how lighting and particles effect the vis in game.
  • echsechs Join Date: 2002-12-27 Member: 11568Members, Constellation
    This could be an excellent feature as a backup destroyable light source if the power node gets taken out, it would add alot to the atmosphere I reckon. NS2 has an excellent lighting system and I'd love to make it more a part of the gameplay.
  • peregrinusperegrinus Join Date: 2010-07-16 Member: 72445Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1769057:date=Apr 29 2010, 03:03 AM:name=FocusedWolf)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (FocusedWolf @ Apr 29 2010, 03:03 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1769057"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Are you sure? Because didn't left for dead 1 not allow people to disable dynamic lighting or something. I got a new video card now so i could care less cause i can run everything under the sun. :P

    You just gave a description more or less of the "aliens" in the "Alone in the dark" movie. For those that don't know what i mean... whenever these <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0dBQNzMizA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0dBQNzMizA</a> xenomorph-looking demons were around, they were kind of invisible and their very presence would cause lighting nearby to flicker or go out temporarily until they left. Would make for one sick alien ability for the fade or something lol. We could have it where that only happens for the maps lighting, but the marine-droppable-lighting is unnefected, and furthermore exposes the invisible aliens... just like in the movie :P Or what the hell... have this ability mess with all lighting that the map offers + the commander lights, and only chem marine-throwable glow-sticks aren't effected! Which will lead to those shootout scenes where the only lighting comes from those flares and muzzle flashes! (btw i think the marine weapon model has a flashlight lens in the front).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Would be awesome if the Fade could create some kind of electrical disturbance that shuts off nearby lights.
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