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Turning the Ship Around - "Tools"
By:FyreWulff
Date: 5/28/13 10:18 pm

Really, this one is straight and to the point.

Gametype Editing

This area, while it has expanded in some ways, still needs improvements.

Within the standard options:
- Values need to become directly editable. Instead of presets like 1,2,3,5,10,20,25,50.. people just need to be able to set it to exactly what they want. This goes for score limits, time limits, bonus points, etc. Perfect Dark just had a slider for this, which would work well.

- Expose as many options as you can. Let us set weapon parameters, from damage to reloading speed. It's time to let the public play with this stuff.

Scripting:

There's two ways to do this.

Option 1: Make a program where you can upload scripts via XNA or some other framework and test them immediately in a lobby. Probably the best option, but needs a PC. Similar to how they're done by Bungie or 343 today.

Option 2: Make an in-game script editor. This has actually been done on console! Timesplitters 3 notably had the feature:

While the screenshot shows it as editing a story script, the same idea applies to multiplayer scripts. It'd require a bit of learning to use, but that's fine, as mostly advanced users will be the ones interested in it and needing it anyway. This functionality existed on all platforms the game was on (PS2/Xbox/GameCube) and was flexible enough to do pretty decent scripts. I made a completely working tic-tac-toe game two players could play, with actual win conditions (there wasn't much script memory) with a combination of the scripting interface and the game's map editor.

This would let users come up with scripts and save 343 the time of having to budget work hours for coming up with scripts. They could just fish the most interesting scripts out of the userbase, spitshine them, and release them into matchmaking where sensible. Which leads into the next thing..

Map Editor

To the point: Forge as it exists no longer cuts it for Halo. The Far Cry map editor eats Halo's for lunch, and it's a multiplatform title on console.

We can retain Forge as the 'object editor' for novice users. Advanced users need something more. You can read numerous posts by me, Karl2177, NOKYARD, and many other HBOers, HaloGAF users, Waypoint forgers, etc if you want to get an idea for suggestions. The key points you'll find are:

- We need to be able to edit the landscape in some way, or create it. A heightmap editor will work. Setting up the ground of a map is where Forgers tend to lose a lot of budget.

- We need to be able to edit foliage and have water

- Time of day and weather type is also needed.

- Really, just look at the Far Cry map editor. Copy that. Nobody is going to hate you if you do. That thing is AMAZING.

- Let users do debug stuff while Forging. Allow us to change and grab anything that can be changed in the Forge variant. Let us noclip out of the map and enable all kill zones and disable them at will. Etc.

Screenshots

Simple. It'd be nice if we had the same DoF, saturation and whatever other tools you have. Let users take screenshots further.

Game Films

Game Films need to become proper debug tools for Forgers. I and many others have heavily reverse-engineered each game's spawn system already, so it's not like being secretive about it helps.

In Game Films, the following changes would make Forging maps a lot faster and easier to debug. Let us press a button and have the following debug tool stuff happen in real time:

- spawn weights displayed above each spawn point.
- LOS cones coming out of each player
- respawn timers above each weapon
- display the spawn influence radius of objective objects
- As the film is played, death spots are recorded. At the end of the film, we can then view every spot where someone died.
- At the end of a film, we should be able to press a button and get a 3D Gameviewer like Bungie.net had from predetermined angles, but in full freecam 3D. Just a bunch of lines that go from killer to victim all around the map.
- show the exact player and vehicle HP amount when highlighted, or just above them.
- performance meter according to what the engine has (Far Cry map editor has this)

Bring the community these tools and you'll see a community can do bigger and better things, faster, and even more creative gametypes, without 343 having to manually make them happen. Let the community do your outsourcing!

Next topic: Respect


Messages In This Thread

Turning the Ship Around - "Tools"FyreWulff5/28/13 10:18 pm
     HHNNNGGGRC Master5/29/13 2:07 pm
     Re: Turning the Ship Around - "Tools"Karl21775/29/13 10:35 pm
     Re: Turning the Ship Around - "Tools"General Vagueness5/31/13 8:14 pm

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