This is a thread to post up your suggestions for TBG

Kerm asked me to post up a few suggestions for TBG. So they are.

I kinda went a bit all out, and actually did'nt even add all that I wanted to. But hey, this'll do I guess.

Swivelgames Suggestions list wrote:
Better Switches
    - triggers and triggered Switches(like RTB, make another object the switch and multiple triggered)(also have it so that
    - Rotaters get messed up when you rotate an iGobbed object, maybe make it change the switch direct when you rotate?
    - Multi function (Cloak and Move on one, Move and rotate, Cloak Move)
    - Constant moving and rotating(making it possilbe to constant rotate untill switch is pressed again)
    - Batteries make them go back and forth, and I mean go one way the whole time

Light bricks
    - Lights may configured as pulsing or constant
    - Sequencers (making it possilbe for timed light changing, like stop lights, xmas lights, and police strobe lights
    - Directional lights (also would work well with the constand rotating)

Other/Better effects
    - Fire is a bit wierd right now
    - there needs to be smoke
    - they could be a bit directional

Modern and Sci-Fi vehicles
    - Modern cars
    - Mods and/or Admins can use Police cars(just for fun Wink )
    - Trucks, Vans, Commercial Trucks, just basic traffic cars and what not
    - Menu Spawnable(as they are now, thats a key feature)

Easier to use Special Menu
    - Make it a bit less complicated to do things
    - All functions have a menu, or share a menu, no hidden console codes
    - unless needed of courz

Less Console bassed actions
    - Teams and such have to be console typed right now
    - there are alot of console commands, and few menus

Register-able Names and users
    - To many times you can get your name stolen, its annoying!

PLayer rights
    - I know this is a bit like RTB, but it gets annoying when you have to give
    people admin and mod positions just to use iGob or an ew.
    - Heres what I think....
    - Normal Players can iGob and ew only blocks made by them
    - Mods can iGob and ew blocks made by them and newbs
    - Admins can iGob and ew anyones blocks

Player Ownership
    - Players can own vehicles that they only can use
    - Playeres can grant usage to other characters
    - Admins can grant vehicles, weapons, and others to players(while also being able to spawn them)

Player Health and such
    - Players can designate friges, stoves and others to cook food
    - Players can eat food to get health

Player look and feel
    - Organized inventory
    - More Objects(like seats, and other ones)
    - More shirt decals
    - Make your own Shirt and block Decals

Levels/Missions
    - More More MORE!
    - A Variety
      - Space = Have things floating like astroids in the air you can go build on, make caves in them too
      - City = City, Downtown areas and others

Easy Mod Adding
    - Maybe one file called mods.cs ,and have it auto run it or something
      - Maybe even make a program that does it, kinda like EasyMOD for phpbb

Weapons
    - Modern and Sci-Fi weapons
    - Admin Grantable and spawnable

Player Animations and emotes
    - Wave
    - Kick
    - Raise fist
    - Dance
    - Sit
    - Lay down
    - cry
    - and maybe some others

My suggestion? It doesn't use Torque and uses a completely free opensource engine like Irrlicht (irrwizard will give a framework w/ sound and a basic interface)
Wow, the Irrlicht engine looks nice
For anyone else interested, you can find that at:
http://irrlicht.sourceforge.net/

I must say, it looks pretty spiffy. To tell you the truth, though, chances are that people will stick with Torque due to our current familiarity with it.
Thats exactly what I was thinking. I dont think there going to switch over to Irrlicht, cause they have used to torque alot already.

But whats the differance between Irrlicht and Torque. Its free? is that it?
Irrlicht is JUST a 3d engine - aka, no editor, sound, physics (other free implementations exist for those, tho)

Irrlicht is very simple, is under zlib liscene (less restrictive than GNU GPL or LGPL), and is gorgeous and crazy FAAAASSSTTTTT. Like, a simple quake3 map + some effects + simple models runs at 1,000fps for me (much faster than BL for sure)

and it only takes ~6 lines of code to get a quake3 map loaded with a camera and such. Very simple API that is still extremely fast and flexible

It also supports a large amount of formats (such as models and images) and relies on no other libraries

Try out the demo, it is pretty impressive (Has DirectX and OpenGL renderers, along with two software ones)
Hmmm, I see. In the screenshots, they were getting like 10 fps for 1,000 polygons - that doesn't sound very good.... hopefully it was just a sucky computer though.

Anyway, I certainly would be in favor of this; I'll bring it up with the dev team the next time we talk.
My only question... is there a way to use bandwidth more effectively to prevent lag?

And there should be a way to merge a structure from being say, 50 bricks, and have it become one large brick... this would probably help reduce lag somewhat.
Like I said, Irrlicht JUST does 3D, nothing more. You would have to implement your own networking support (of course, there are already such addons, just look at the Network API wiki http://www.irrforge.org/index.php/Network_APIs )

However, just the number of blocks shouldn't affect lag any, as their positions should only be updated when changed/moved. And since there isn't fancy physics in BL (as in shooting a rocket into a pile of em doesn't send them flying), they shouldn't change positions too often. So technically you could have millions of blocks, and your comp won't receive positional data for any of them unless they are being moved. This is probably just really poorly implemented by Badspot.

@Kerm: what are you talking about 10fps for 1,000 poly's in the screenshots?



That certainly looks like 80fps for 50,000+ polys to me....(don't look at the really old ones, as originally he was using an intergrated graphics chip - or that might have been the software renderer)

Edit: or here's 130,000+ polys at 118fps



Try the demo on your own computer and see what FPS you get

Edit2: I'm about to try out this engine also, which looks impressive. It isn't just a 3d engine, but rather has everything, sound, networking, an editor, etc... http://www.ca3d-engine.de/c_Features.php

Oh, I should also mention that Irrlicht and ca3d are both multi-platform
Those look really awesome kllrnohj!
yeah, and it probably wouldn't be all that hard to make TBG in it (but I am not 100% sure).
So enough about graphics and such, would changing the engine, effect the gameplay? Cause of course, theres a differance between creating good gameplay in a an engine your formilliar with and one you are'nt.

I say, you make a test game in Torque, and try to copy that game in Irrlicht. See how well it turns out. Or would that be a bit to much work?
I have another suggestion for the switches. How about an option for a timer that would do whatever it did backwards afterwards? That would allow for opening a door and then it closing by itself. Another idea would be the option to make a switch have an area that you can switch it in. aka if you go within a few blocks of a switch, in this case an automatic door one, it will do whatever it is supposed to do. Coupled with my other suggestion it could do a lot =D.
timed switches would be GREAT... I get my doors messed up alot by idgets pressing switches in the control room of my build then going and moving the door from the regular switch...
Oh yeah, and how about being able to see cloaked and faded objects in editor mode (maybe a check box). Then i could make a sliding door out of 2 windows, put a switch in the center that has an area effect and fade it with a switch, delete the fading switch, and make good sliding doors =D (you can tell i really like the idea of being able to make sliding doors Razz ).
i wanna be able to move multiple objects with the same switch (different door sets)... like move one door +90 degrees, and the other -90 degrees... it's possibly doable though...
alex10819 wrote:
i wanna be able to move multiple objects with the same switch (different door sets)... like move one door +90 degrees, and the other -90 degrees... it's possibly doable though...


yeah, currently you have to put 2 exactly on each other. And then it is REALLLY hard to edit the first one.
Harq wrote:
alex10819 wrote:
i wanna be able to move multiple objects with the same switch (different door sets)... like move one door +90 degrees, and the other -90 degrees... it's possibly doable though...


yeah, currently you have to put 2 exactly on each other. And then it is REALLLY hard to edit the first one.
Actually, I've done both that and the hidden-door-switch. You should go check out Cemetech City some time. Smile Make sure you load the ThirdCity build.
swivelgames wrote:
So enough about graphics and such, would changing the engine, effect the gameplay? Cause of course, theres a differance between creating good gameplay in a an engine your formilliar with and one you are'nt.

I say, you make a test game in Torque, and try to copy that game in Irrlicht. See how well it turns out. Or would that be a bit to much work?


The second part is easy to answer - thats making two games, so twice the work.

The first is a *tad* more complicated. First, there is the cost issue. Torque isn't free, but rather, its $100 just for the right to distribute it for free. And seeing as only Badspot had an Indie license, someone is going to have to buy one.... Second, using a non-torque engine allows greater flexibility, as there isn't the money investment involved. Developers won't be as "teathered" to the engine, as they didn't pay anything for it, so if its not working out, there won't be as much hesitation to drop it. Third, there will be much higher FPS and less lag, so the game will be noticeably smoother and less frustrating to play Wink
Actually, _all_ of the prospective TBG team besides myself already has the Indie license. Very Happy And I plan to get it eventually. You make a very good point about the engine though and flexibility thereof. I'm going to alert the devs to the presence of this thread.
  
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