Clockwork tunnels need clockwork access
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 00:16
BehindCurtai
Legacy Username
So I'm going through some CT's, and I'm realizing:
These are supposed to give the gremlins and other workers access to the gearworks that make up the clockworks, right?
So why are there no gears? No pulleys. Nothing that actually corresponds to any sort of clockwork mechanism?
Maybe there should be alarm systems, to alert the maintenance teams to intruders. Set off an alarm, and in a few minutes, something comes in from the elevators to check it out.
Maybe some gearing mechanism that, if damaged, would prevent the next floor from changing -- or, maybe have it change so fast that you can't predict the next level.
Maybe if you damage the gearings, the next floor is damaged -- what if you only got part of the level? What if you got a piece of world level along with a piece of CT level?
We've got sections that are abandoned, to the point of creatures having moved in. Never mind the questions of: "How did they get into those blocked areas", or "Why are these maintenance passages set up like traps and puzzles?". Better questions are, what are these maintenance passages for, and why are they abandoned? We're seeing some being torn down and rebuilt now (good; some consistency in maintenance and cleanup), but why are there no random wandering "checking out these abandoned passages" parties?
So, some ideas:
1. After N minutes, there's a random chance of a group of maintenance workers checking out the passages, from one elevator on through. Said group might be just a "check out this old passages" (scout) team, or it might be a full deconstruction team. Or it might be a "Clean out the infested level" team -- in which case, after killing you off, they proceed to clean out the rest of the level, robbing you of your yet to be gotten spoils.
2. Special gearing sections, that can be damaged, triggering alarms
3. Damaged gearing alters the next level: something not on the gate map, or preventing the next gate from changing, or making it change rapidly. Or giving a broken next level.
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 11:09
#2
BehindCurtai
Legacy Username
To clarify a
To clarify a misconception:
-No, the devs won't be able to do anything, for now, that changes the speed of wich the level cicles: they cicle for everyone,a t the same time, so, changing only for one person would require a specific class in the rograming, what would slow down and lag the game of wichever one is playing, and considering the state of your computer, it would not be good, and will not be good either if the rooms change because of the actions of other players.
What I'm saying is that what the party on level instance 111328325 see is now different than what everyone else sees. On this one level instance, they see a different "next level" at the final gate than other people do. This is as simple as either:
A: The server never send a "New next level" instruction to the client, or
B: The server sends a "new next level" instruction every 10 or 15 seconds, or
C: The server sends a "show garbled static for next level", and doesn't tell the client what the next level will be.
This only needs to happen for a few clients -- those on that specific level instance.
Case #C is the only one (that I know of) that needs new client instructions -- A and B are just slight changes to what the server tells the clients.
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 12:54
#3
Bolgron
Errrm.
Just saying, there's gonna be a reason for everything eventually. Personally, I reckon the reason for puzzle-effect rooms is for the security.
I agree though, right now is a time to get the game itself right; during the later stages of development is the time to get into the lore of this odd world.
Onto the mechanics of it; I agree. Much too complex. Right now we should be focusing on higher amounts of base content; rather than adding extra things in to make the game more difficult. After all, the new levels often do make the game more difficult; as well as interesting. If we add too much complexity, the lag will kill us all; but by later stages of development these'll be sorted I reckon, maybe then?
So basically, it's all a bit premature; from my viewpoint
Ta for listening.
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 21:19
#4
Kharnor
Legacy Username
>Maybe some gearing mechanism
>Maybe some gearing mechanism that, if damaged, would prevent the next floor from changing -- or, maybe have it change so fast that you can't predict the next level.
This idea I like, very much.
I also think the clockworks should be a little more clockworky.
Your other ideas are a little complex for the current structure of the game, but would make very nice themed levels.
In the long term, yes, more complex gremlin behaviour (as if they were actually members of a society with individual roles) would be great.
Thu, 12/09/2010 - 05:38
#5
Cien_Tao
Legacy Username
what i was saying:
Is that it will be hard to program a way to individually show each party gate as a diferent gate (and you must agree that yo ur idea will change the gate, because will change a level, or the level order). Also, it would consume a lot of server space, as the server would need to get the load of a lot of diferent variants, instead of simply having one telling wich level is the next. It would simply lag our lifes, or make the game require a little higher PC reqs....and i think that it would only make your life harder, curtain (seein other posts about your comp/mac).
I'm not saying at any moment that i didn't liked the idea, and would find it quite interesting to have these aparently random varables, but, i'm thinking here in viable options, that would not require too much of the system itself. Maybe a gear, found before the half of the level, that actually changes the other half of the level, maaybe even changin the tematic if the level (so, depending on luck, and other factors, we could have a CT in the first half, and, after the clockwork jamming, we could have a starlight cradle in the second half, or maybe one or 2 arena rooms. This would require more from the server, but would require far less than the actual idea from this post, but, as a bad point, would require a new loading screen, unless the second area is decided right in the beggining, what would work too.
Thu, 12/09/2010 - 12:45
#6
BehindCurtai
Legacy Username
One of us is not
One of us is not understanding the other. I think I'm not understanding you.
Right now, the server has to track for each level instance what's next for that instance, and inform the clients on that instance. This would simply state that for instance X, instead of looking at the master map for that gate, look at special map for that instance.
This should not cause any significant change to the client -- just altering what picture is displayed in "fuzzy resolution" on the TV monitor. Or altering what's shown when someone brings up the 2d "gate map" display. Heck, if the next floor is yellow-totem, there's only one icon, so there's no change to what's displayed on the TV monitor.
If I have not understood what you are saying, please, can you try once more?
-No, the devs won't be able to do anything, for now, that changes the speed of wich the level cicles: they cicle for everyone,a t the same time, so, changing only for one person would require a specific class in the rograming, what would slow down and lag the game of wichever one is playing, and considering the state of your computer, it would not be good, and will not be good either if the rooms change because of the actions of other players.
-The alarm system is good, i liked it. It might just drop some monsters in the area when everyone enters, and wwoud work more or less like a party button room, but would automatically enter in function when the last party memeber enters, and would set an alarm that would open a door with some enemies behind it, maybe some monsters and a special kind of guard trojan.
-Now, again, it isn't the right time to complain or make suggestions about the lore itself. It's still time to focus on gameplay, so, those questions about "why" aren't any good here, for now. Lock them in somewhere safe, and release them when the time comes.
-Also, just adding: if we really try to think why the rooms are made to look like puzzles, trying to add sense, them we will make a game rather anoying. This is one of the things that you need to say "it is this way because the devs wanted this to their world". Ths enters in the part where you need to use your imagination: rather than seeing some random floors, wwith a lot of holes going to the bottom, i simpy forget about the holes, and see an entire concrete jungle, wth a lot of buildings and grass. If i see a party button, i don't think that whoever constructed the city had the intention to make a button that can only be activated if all the intruders are on it, but rather like to think that someone or something is just waiting for the entire party, to make an ambush, and that they attack when everyone stands in that place (you might know a lot about ambushes, if you palyed D&D. Or this, or you master really didn't knew how to make a good old manmade dungeon). Also, ambushes can be done by every being, even zombies (see the series now, the zombies are growing smarter witht the time). So, resuming: do't sweat your head about it 9the puzzle room), and use some of your imagination with the unexplicable things.
1. Good idea, but i would rather like a end of the level enconter. The part gets to the lift, and, when someone get's near the lift, at a random chance, the fence goes up, and the elevator goes down without anyone in it, going back with some gremlins, that will attack you, if they are labelled (or coloured) like a cleanup team, Ask for you to get out of the way and disperse to begin desconstruct (or reconstruct) a level (only visually, not meaning that the next one that comes to this level will see them deconstructing..it would be the safe lift), and a rescue team, that offers a free lift to the surface of your level, in any level at all (let's say that you are just befor the core, but didn't wanted to spend 10 energy to go to the core, because of the crappy item drops (not now that they implemented red boxes, but i'm using this example anyway). This random chance of a rescue team could be your free lift to the surface, maintaining all the heat gained).
2. Damageable sections that trigger alarms are good, but not if they actually change systematics for other players as well (ther players doing the same gate in another party).
3. already answered 2 times, but, the third: no.