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:warning:First Watch this
Make sure to take note of the map Terrain, and the HUD Display.
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<a href="http://www.moddb.com/mods/earths-special-forces/videos/burning-sky">Earths Special Forces Mod for Half-Life Burning Sky video - Mod DB</a>
ESF Dynamic Gameplay:
Goal: to evolve ESF's gameplay for the better and make use of the ESF's terrain.
Looks, like ESF's graphics have upgraded nicely, and hopefully it can pull off an upgrade equal to its' graphics if not better, but for gameplay.
Here is how it "could" be done in my opinion. First of all, do you remember looking at the HUD display in the video? Remember the Large Red Curve?
My suggestion is to greatly, GREATLY improve gameplay,by turning that into a "Flight Meter".(Before you start flaming, just stop and think about it.)
I'd like to see ESF take advantage of all those new maps/terrains. If ESF sticks with the air only mentality then all those new maps, would just be different size boxes that players fly around in. Practically the same feel for every map. A huge space or a crowded one, this would be the only variation between maps that players would experience.
In my opinion, ESF should consider bringing the fight down to the ground / air. That's right, 50/50. I want to see a fight constantly switch between the air and ground. Allowing players to make use of that terrain thats Unique to every map. I want to see players perform special attacks that don't slow down gameplay but add to it. I want to see ESF's gameplay become more dynamic, MORE free, and less limited.
So, how could this be possible? Well I have some good ideas bouncing around in my head and maybe this thread could act as means to perfect the ideas into to something great, or even create a better idea.
So now that you know the basic concept that I'm trying to achieve, here are some fundamental gameplay changes that could achieve it.
Flight Meter: This Red Boomerang-like Bar controls how long you're able to fly. The time for being able to fly is short enough so that if you started on the ground, and attempted to fly into the clouds the meter would hit zero before reaching the clouds.
You're character would then lose momentum before falling at a free fall speed, unless he or she begins to charge/fire a beam attack 1 to 2 seconds after the meter hit 0. If the player cancels a charging beam or stops firing beam attacks and attempts to charge or fire it again, the second or any attempt after that will not work until the player has hit the ground.
The Flight Meter directly correlates with the stamina meter. Full stamina = Full Flight meter capacity, Half-Stamina = Half of your flight meter's capacity, etc. Stamina doesn't effect the rate in which your flight meter drains tho, just the capacity.
Also, players may only begin their flight when the flight meter is filled 90% of its current capacity. So if you're knocked out of flight, you must use the ground until your flight meter if full.
If a player on the ground hits a player in flight, not only will they be knocked out of flight, but they'll take extra damage to their stamina.
Note: Tired players will end up using the ground more frequently. This doesn't mean they're more vulnerable tho.
The meter recharges fairly quickly, so that the gameplay isn't air based or ground based, but a balanced mix of both.
Another option players can use during their flight, is to perform a jump(This new jump is described below). This new jump can only be performed once per flight, because it actually cancels your flight so if used you have to land on the ground and wait for your flight meter before taking off again.
New Changes for Jumping:
Jumping would no longer be the slow and drawn out high arching leap. It would now be the main acrobatic movement while on the ground. Pressing jump while holding forward would cause you to teleport a very very short distance before reappearing in the direction you're traveling(It would look as if you quickly jumped off the ground).After you're reappearance you'd continue moving with your momentum in a fluid motion without any stops or delays. Since the forward direction was pressed your player would travel in direction of your mouse. If a different direction was press(Back,Left,Right,up=not optional) then your character would travel in that direction.
This would be commonly used to quickly jump back to the ground after a flight if the player is a high up in the air. Yet, some players could find this a useful move to attack someone while in the air.
Note: Each kiblasts and gen ball give you small but a noticeable push backwards each time they're shot. This applies when on the ground as well.
New Changes for Teleports:
Teleport would be only possible during counter-attacks.
New Changes for Basic Melee:
In ESF 1.2 Basic melee was a great success, but didn't appeal to the less "Hardcore" ESF players. From interviewing many players, they didn't like it because they only saw it as spamming a "ram" move over and over. The idea I'm suggesting will give the melee some depth so all players can see it as an "actual melee".(This is just a rough idea of how it could work, suggestions are always welcome)
The new basic melee is no longer just a push back maneuver(although there are situations where it will be this way), its now an accuracy based melee system that doesn't lock players in a bubble, but allows free\slightly limited movement, beam attacks, and players of all skill levels would definitely feel the pressure/intensity of a fight.
Melee Design:
Accuracy: Accuracy now contributes to melee game play, making it difficult to dominate any player without giving him/her opportunities to return some damage or completely change the pace of a fight.
What happens after a player engages another player in basic melee, depends on which area of the enemy's hit box that you've hit.
Hitboxes are now divided into regions(specifically 3 to 5) just like a bullzeye:
http://bullzeyewsr.com/images/logo.jpg
The center bullzeye is the smallest and hardest to hit, and would be located at the stomach of each player model.
If player manages to hit this sweet spot he/she will perform 1 of 4 different specials depend which side they hit you from (front, back,left, right)
dogs gotta pee..
I'll add more later if I can. (gonna require examples)
Make sure to take note of the map Terrain, and the HUD Display.
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<a href="http://www.moddb.com/mods/earths-special-forces/videos/burning-sky">Earths Special Forces Mod for Half-Life Burning Sky video - Mod DB</a>
ESF Dynamic Gameplay:
Goal: to evolve ESF's gameplay for the better and make use of the ESF's terrain.
Looks, like ESF's graphics have upgraded nicely, and hopefully it can pull off an upgrade equal to its' graphics if not better, but for gameplay.
Here is how it "could" be done in my opinion. First of all, do you remember looking at the HUD display in the video? Remember the Large Red Curve?
My suggestion is to greatly, GREATLY improve gameplay,by turning that into a "Flight Meter".(Before you start flaming, just stop and think about it.)
I'd like to see ESF take advantage of all those new maps/terrains. If ESF sticks with the air only mentality then all those new maps, would just be different size boxes that players fly around in. Practically the same feel for every map. A huge space or a crowded one, this would be the only variation between maps that players would experience.
In my opinion, ESF should consider bringing the fight down to the ground / air. That's right, 50/50. I want to see a fight constantly switch between the air and ground. Allowing players to make use of that terrain thats Unique to every map. I want to see players perform special attacks that don't slow down gameplay but add to it. I want to see ESF's gameplay become more dynamic, MORE free, and less limited.
So, how could this be possible? Well I have some good ideas bouncing around in my head and maybe this thread could act as means to perfect the ideas into to something great, or even create a better idea.
So now that you know the basic concept that I'm trying to achieve, here are some fundamental gameplay changes that could achieve it.
Flight Meter: This Red Boomerang-like Bar controls how long you're able to fly. The time for being able to fly is short enough so that if you started on the ground, and attempted to fly into the clouds the meter would hit zero before reaching the clouds.
You're character would then lose momentum before falling at a free fall speed, unless he or she begins to charge/fire a beam attack 1 to 2 seconds after the meter hit 0. If the player cancels a charging beam or stops firing beam attacks and attempts to charge or fire it again, the second or any attempt after that will not work until the player has hit the ground.
The Flight Meter directly correlates with the stamina meter. Full stamina = Full Flight meter capacity, Half-Stamina = Half of your flight meter's capacity, etc. Stamina doesn't effect the rate in which your flight meter drains tho, just the capacity.
Also, players may only begin their flight when the flight meter is filled 90% of its current capacity. So if you're knocked out of flight, you must use the ground until your flight meter if full.
If a player on the ground hits a player in flight, not only will they be knocked out of flight, but they'll take extra damage to their stamina.
Note: Tired players will end up using the ground more frequently. This doesn't mean they're more vulnerable tho.
The meter recharges fairly quickly, so that the gameplay isn't air based or ground based, but a balanced mix of both.
Another option players can use during their flight, is to perform a jump(This new jump is described below). This new jump can only be performed once per flight, because it actually cancels your flight so if used you have to land on the ground and wait for your flight meter before taking off again.
New Changes for Jumping:
Jumping would no longer be the slow and drawn out high arching leap. It would now be the main acrobatic movement while on the ground. Pressing jump while holding forward would cause you to teleport a very very short distance before reappearing in the direction you're traveling(It would look as if you quickly jumped off the ground).After you're reappearance you'd continue moving with your momentum in a fluid motion without any stops or delays. Since the forward direction was pressed your player would travel in direction of your mouse. If a different direction was press(Back,Left,Right,up=not optional) then your character would travel in that direction.
This would be commonly used to quickly jump back to the ground after a flight if the player is a high up in the air. Yet, some players could find this a useful move to attack someone while in the air.
Note: Each kiblasts and gen ball give you small but a noticeable push backwards each time they're shot. This applies when on the ground as well.
New Changes for Teleports:
Teleport would be only possible during counter-attacks.
New Changes for Basic Melee:
In ESF 1.2 Basic melee was a great success, but didn't appeal to the less "Hardcore" ESF players. From interviewing many players, they didn't like it because they only saw it as spamming a "ram" move over and over. The idea I'm suggesting will give the melee some depth so all players can see it as an "actual melee".(This is just a rough idea of how it could work, suggestions are always welcome)
The new basic melee is no longer just a push back maneuver(although there are situations where it will be this way), its now an accuracy based melee system that doesn't lock players in a bubble, but allows free\slightly limited movement, beam attacks, and players of all skill levels would definitely feel the pressure/intensity of a fight.
Melee Design:
Accuracy: Accuracy now contributes to melee game play, making it difficult to dominate any player without giving him/her opportunities to return some damage or completely change the pace of a fight.
What happens after a player engages another player in basic melee, depends on which area of the enemy's hit box that you've hit.
Hitboxes are now divided into regions(specifically 3 to 5) just like a bullzeye:
http://bullzeyewsr.com/images/logo.jpg
The center bullzeye is the smallest and hardest to hit, and would be located at the stomach of each player model.
If player manages to hit this sweet spot he/she will perform 1 of 4 different specials depend which side they hit you from (front, back,left, right)
dogs gotta pee..
I'll add more later if I can. (gonna require examples)
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