Kouji_SanSr. Hινε UÏкεεÏεг - EUPT DeputyThe NetherlandsJoin Date: 2003-05-13Member: 16271Members, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue
He did say "early" beta... Cory is being vague! Good for him my minions are already on a cookie stealing mission somewhere else, so I'll let this one slide...
<!--quoteo(post=1805658:date=Nov 15 2010, 04:59 PM:name=Zeno)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Zeno @ Nov 15 2010, 04:59 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1805658"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->This is pretty disappointing. As i understand it, the beta will be a stage of the game where most things are implemented and the game just has to be balanced. This would mean that DI doesn't have much impact on the game-play or maybe even none at all<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
DI isn't needed immediately. The only real core thing I can think of is that it's the alien "Power Grid." In that sense, we don't even need DI to be in the game, since the power grid is fairly obvious (made so by the lights and any minimap representation). DI itself would just be visual.
Now if DI were to increase regen slightly or make alien footsteps softer (less clik clak for skulks), that might be a balance thing. But really, those things weren't needed in NS1, and they're not needed right away in NS2. They're tweaks that can be balance in later after a release and after UWE has lots of time from getting stellar launch sales :D
If I am interpreting SLAP's post correctly, DI will be added as an update to the Beta, in "some form" i.e. the graphic effect will probably be placeholder but you guys will get to playtest the <u>gameplay effects</u> before the end of the Beta. Perhaps we won't see the final effect until the game is released?
Flamethrower probably needs its dance partner at some point. Either that or some feature that adds its value outside the DI business. I can't see it having too much future as an "I fire in your general direction" type of damage dealing gun, it simply lacks anything that would allow it to grow in similar way as the traditional NS tracking accuracy based guns. Also, the GL seems to be versatile and avaible for any kind of thing requiring indirect fire that your basic hitscan weapon can't offer.
They can just have the DI-mechanic look like the squad-system does right now as a simple outline for testing-purposes intersecting on the level only on the Y-plane, giving the aliens whatever boost that is planned and the marines can use the Flamethrower to diminish that line if they so wish. So personally I'm excited that DI will come in at all for release, it felt like one of those features that they couldn't afford to spend the time on in time for release.
-Grow around the tech point where a Hive resides, prevents repair and Command Station construction by MAC until burned off. -Grow around Harvesters, prevents Extractor construction until burned off.
If DI is not precedual, maybe Gorge can spread it on doors and power nodes for similar effects:
-Grow on and around disabled Power nodes, prevents repair by MAC until burned off. -Grow on and around Doors, prevents closing and welding until burned off (unless smashed by Onos), as well as unlock welded doors.
I can see it as some sort of upgrade or secondary for Health Spray. Who knows?
<!--quoteo(post=1805651:date=Nov 15 2010, 08:16 PM:name=DaveKap)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DaveKap @ Nov 15 2010, 08:16 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1805651"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The culling was fully done, it just had a very major bug.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1805685:date=Nov 15 2010, 11:48 PM:name=Triggerman)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Triggerman @ Nov 15 2010, 11:48 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1805685"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->So personally I'm excited that DI will come in at all for release, it felt like one of those features that they couldn't afford to spend the time on in time for release.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Really? A feature that they showed off in-engine 4 years ago felt like one of those features that they couldn't afford to spend time on?
For quite a while, they couldn't, one of the earlier news posts from around the time pre-ordering was announced did say that they were considering cutting a lot of features at one point because of money issues, if I remember correctly this included cutting DI and HA completely. It was only because of the number of pre-orders that they realised they had the money to continue with the original plan.
Don't forget that those clips of DI from years ago are mere proof of concept, its one thing to show a bit of green texture growing, its another thing to implement it in a way that doesn't kill client/server performance or need massive amounts of work from the mapper. I would imagine that it exists in some form in the codebase but probably won't be a major focus until engine performance is at a level that can support DI.
<!--quoteo(post=1805747:date=Nov 16 2010, 12:05 AM:name=zex)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (zex @ Nov 16 2010, 12:05 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1805747"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Really? A feature that they showed off in-engine 4 years ago felt like one of those features that they couldn't afford to spend time on?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well technically it's a pretty huge task. That they haven't shown any development on it for the last 4 years also tells me at least that maybe they had reconsidered. - snip -
It would be awesome to see, but I think it will be a huge task. It is probably so client/server intensive that (as has been mentioned) it will come in at a point where everything else is working so smoothly that they will be able to easily identify problems for implementing such a code when it comes to testing.
Throwing it in at this stage would probably make finding the source of lag issues very difficult, and I am guessing is why all the art work is done before implementing game play mechanics in stages of code.
I am no programmer, but I am guessing that is fairly correct.
Indeed. It's better to get the networking/game engine all sorted properly, so that when DI is implemented they can attribute the bugs to that or accordingly.
DI is like the most ambitious technical aspect of spark, everything else is fairly standard engine functionality, but that kind of procecural geometry is something I don't think has ever been done before, certainly I can't think of any game that does it. To make it look good and work well is a huge task, better to make the game first and then work on the gimmick feature.
Comments
As i understand it, the beta will be a stage of the game where most things are implemented and the game just has to be balanced. This would mean that DI doesn't have much impact on the game-play or maybe even none at all<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
DI isn't needed immediately. The only real core thing I can think of is that it's the alien "Power Grid." In that sense, we don't even need DI to be in the game, since the power grid is fairly obvious (made so by the lights and any minimap representation). DI itself would just be visual.
Now if DI were to increase regen slightly or make alien footsteps softer (less clik clak for skulks), that might be a balance thing. But really, those things weren't needed in NS1, and they're not needed right away in NS2. They're tweaks that can be balance in later after a release and after UWE has lots of time from getting stellar launch sales :D
So personally I'm excited that DI will come in at all for release, it felt like one of those features that they couldn't afford to spend the time on in time for release.
-Grow around the tech point where a Hive resides, prevents repair and Command Station construction by MAC until burned off.
-Grow around Harvesters, prevents Extractor construction until burned off.
If DI is not precedual, maybe Gorge can spread it on doors and power nodes for similar effects:
-Grow on and around disabled Power nodes, prevents repair by MAC until burned off.
-Grow on and around Doors, prevents closing and welding until burned off (unless smashed by Onos), as well as unlock welded doors.
I can see it as some sort of upgrade or secondary for Health Spray. Who knows?
or things like big mech suits of heavy armror
will add some good halo features to the game which might be glitzy and unique enough to get the attention of new players
/random
No, really. The culling isn't fully done ;)
Really? A feature that they showed off in-engine 4 years ago felt like one of those features that they couldn't afford to spend time on?
Don't forget that those clips of DI from years ago are mere proof of concept, its one thing to show a bit of green texture growing, its another thing to implement it in a way that doesn't kill client/server performance or need massive amounts of work from the mapper. I would imagine that it exists in some form in the codebase but probably won't be a major focus until engine performance is at a level that can support DI.
Just my $0.02 anyway :)
Well technically it's a pretty huge task. That they haven't shown any development on it for the last 4 years also tells me at least that maybe they had reconsidered.
- snip -
Throwing it in at this stage would probably make finding the source of lag issues very difficult, and I am guessing is why all the art work is done before implementing game play mechanics in stages of code.
I am no programmer, but I am guessing that is fairly correct.