Some Suggestions for the TT Update
by Dan MacDonald · in ThinkTanks · 07/24/2003 (12:52 pm) · 11 replies
One feature that I thought would make internet play more interesting would be to allow a lot of customization of the game type.
For example, allowing players to specify BattleMode & Scrum, but also some other gameplay types. Like for example the CounterStrike mode, where once you die you need to wait out the rest of the match until there is only one player left. Then everyone spawns and dukes it out, last man standing style. You could perhaps also enforce a spawning delay in CTF matches, so that you have to wait a few seconds before re-spawning. There are are a number of different gameplay mechanics that if tweakable could lead to some very interesting gameplay strategies.
Other things that could be configurable would be power up spawn rates, %Chance of getting each particular type of power up, and even what powerups will spawn. For example setting all powerups besides health and bounce back to 0%. Giving health a 33% chance and bounceback a 66% chance.
This isn't really a coding problem; the engine probably supports most of this stuff. It's more of a UI problem. Exposing it in such a way that it's easy and intuitive for players to modify will be the challenge. However, since bravetree wont be releasing an editor any time soon (right?) exposing the gameplay variables to some tweakablility would allow players to "mod" the game without ever having to change any of the content.
I've listed a few ideas here for things that could be exposed to players, and I know there's a lot more. I don't need to think of them all to know this is a good idea. :) Providing more options and more ways to play TT extends it's re-playablility and it's selling life. If you guys have any suggestions as to what things you might like to be able to tweak in TT feel free to post away. I'm interested to see what you guys come up with.
For example, allowing players to specify BattleMode & Scrum, but also some other gameplay types. Like for example the CounterStrike mode, where once you die you need to wait out the rest of the match until there is only one player left. Then everyone spawns and dukes it out, last man standing style. You could perhaps also enforce a spawning delay in CTF matches, so that you have to wait a few seconds before re-spawning. There are are a number of different gameplay mechanics that if tweakable could lead to some very interesting gameplay strategies.
Other things that could be configurable would be power up spawn rates, %Chance of getting each particular type of power up, and even what powerups will spawn. For example setting all powerups besides health and bounce back to 0%. Giving health a 33% chance and bounceback a 66% chance.
This isn't really a coding problem; the engine probably supports most of this stuff. It's more of a UI problem. Exposing it in such a way that it's easy and intuitive for players to modify will be the challenge. However, since bravetree wont be releasing an editor any time soon (right?) exposing the gameplay variables to some tweakablility would allow players to "mod" the game without ever having to change any of the content.
I've listed a few ideas here for things that could be exposed to players, and I know there's a lot more. I don't need to think of them all to know this is a good idea. :) Providing more options and more ways to play TT extends it's re-playablility and it's selling life. If you guys have any suggestions as to what things you might like to be able to tweak in TT feel free to post away. I'm interested to see what you guys come up with.
#2
What I really like about thinktanks is it's simplicity and creating more game types wouldn't change the dynamics but add more flavors so to speak. The proposals to "fire the flag" in scrum seem a bit dangerous to me as it would change quite a lot. Maybe having a key to drop the ball would be alright tho, can't quite decide.
Well anyways, looking forward to future updates, thanks -spony
07/24/2003 (5:04 pm)
I'd also really like to see more game types. I think scrum is great in its simplicity but battlemode could be much better. In my opinion it's missing a real objective, most of the people in battlemode don't care about the ratio of killing/not getting killed, they are just racing around shooting everything up. For example (as has been mentioned by Foulplay) a "king of the hill" where the objective is to have the most seconds logged controling a certain radius on top of a hill. I also like the rugby game with two opposing goals in this thread, but that would have to be a team game i suppose. Still it's a good idea. What I really like about thinktanks is it's simplicity and creating more game types wouldn't change the dynamics but add more flavors so to speak. The proposals to "fire the flag" in scrum seem a bit dangerous to me as it would change quite a lot. Maybe having a key to drop the ball would be alright tho, can't quite decide.
Well anyways, looking forward to future updates, thanks -spony
#3
Some are bugfix requests, others are game experience enhancements, and some are flights of fancy. Most of the new game enhancement ideas add levels of strategy to this already fantastic game, but the strategy is there for the taking, you are not forced to use the strategies to play the game.
These are not listed in any particular order.
Scrum and Team Scrum
1) The goal emits radiation. The closer you are to the goal, the more life you get sucked out. Add more health powerups on the field. If you SIT near the goal, your life gets sucked out much faster than if you are in motion. Suddenly camping doesn't sound so good. Your life level becomes more of a strategy element, can't make a run to the goal if you are almost out of life, need a powerup first. This could also aid in breaking up the jamups at the goal.
2) The chat area should say who posesses the flag.
3) Spawning should NEVER occur in a goal.
4) The flag should never fall off the world when it first appears...it's good that it appears anywhere, but make it fall toward center instead of toward the edges.
5) Show a life level indicator in the UI. It would add greatly to the experience.
6) Allow zoom out and in on the radar.
7) Allow for key mapping. (I don't want my reverse button to be the S...I should be able to change that.
8) Differentiate the weapons powerups so you know what you are getting (each has a different color beacon?).
9) Add some simple defense powerups. You have strong shields for 30 seconds, or you can fly farther, or go faster, or jump once by hitting the spacebar...etc.
10) Allow for more than one weapon to be carried. Primary and alternate.
11) Add a few islands that are part of the game, the goal or flag could be there sometimes and you have to do a great jump to get there and back.
12)The shooting mechanism feels broken when the gun pauses. Maybe an audible cue like a hiss sound indicating the gun needs to cool after a volly, or a reloading sound for a second.
13) Don't ever let a bot jump over the edge with the flag again, I don't care how stupid they are.
14) Allow a simple team-only chat window so teammates can strategize.
15) Maybe the goal is unstable and is known to vaporize (after a preset time) and reappears somewhere else on the map. (there are always visual cues telling you the status of the goal...i.e. you can tell when it is starting to deteriorate.
16) Occasionally a 'Super Goal" appears in place of the regular goal and it is worth more points or other bonuses like maybe the flag carrier gets full life.
17) Have earthquakes in Frantic that cause a chasm to open across the middle of the field, you can only jump across at a small number of natural peaks.
18) The flag is radioactive and carrying it slowly depletes you of life. (think about it)
19) New weapons.
20) In the online window, sort by scrum and battlemode
21) In the online window, don't show a number of players for bots, only for humans.
22) In the online window, show a list of who is logged on, not just who is in the games...Maybe allow a simple chat outside of the map (like Gameranger does).
23) Allow macros to send messages with a single key. For example, each F key could have a (rewritable) message....(sorry, no problem, thanks, go green, etc) Again, these should be user configurable.
24) The tanks get stuck to each other (briefly) when they hit if they are both driving the same direction. There are times when they should just glance off each other, but instead they kinda get stuck and both tanks slow down.
25) Include a turbothruster that blasts you forward but eats a tremendous amount of life power.
26) You can only respawn a specified number of times within each point. Meaning that if you die (let's say) three times before a point is scored, you are now in limbo until either the point is scored....or a specified penalty period ends.
07/24/2003 (8:01 pm)
Some of my bullet points are ideas borrowed from 1st person shooters, but I think a few would add greatly to this experience. Some are bugfix requests, others are game experience enhancements, and some are flights of fancy. Most of the new game enhancement ideas add levels of strategy to this already fantastic game, but the strategy is there for the taking, you are not forced to use the strategies to play the game.
These are not listed in any particular order.
Scrum and Team Scrum
1) The goal emits radiation. The closer you are to the goal, the more life you get sucked out. Add more health powerups on the field. If you SIT near the goal, your life gets sucked out much faster than if you are in motion. Suddenly camping doesn't sound so good. Your life level becomes more of a strategy element, can't make a run to the goal if you are almost out of life, need a powerup first. This could also aid in breaking up the jamups at the goal.
2) The chat area should say who posesses the flag.
3) Spawning should NEVER occur in a goal.
4) The flag should never fall off the world when it first appears...it's good that it appears anywhere, but make it fall toward center instead of toward the edges.
5) Show a life level indicator in the UI. It would add greatly to the experience.
6) Allow zoom out and in on the radar.
7) Allow for key mapping. (I don't want my reverse button to be the S...I should be able to change that.
8) Differentiate the weapons powerups so you know what you are getting (each has a different color beacon?).
9) Add some simple defense powerups. You have strong shields for 30 seconds, or you can fly farther, or go faster, or jump once by hitting the spacebar...etc.
10) Allow for more than one weapon to be carried. Primary and alternate.
11) Add a few islands that are part of the game, the goal or flag could be there sometimes and you have to do a great jump to get there and back.
12)The shooting mechanism feels broken when the gun pauses. Maybe an audible cue like a hiss sound indicating the gun needs to cool after a volly, or a reloading sound for a second.
13) Don't ever let a bot jump over the edge with the flag again, I don't care how stupid they are.
14) Allow a simple team-only chat window so teammates can strategize.
15) Maybe the goal is unstable and is known to vaporize (after a preset time) and reappears somewhere else on the map. (there are always visual cues telling you the status of the goal...i.e. you can tell when it is starting to deteriorate.
16) Occasionally a 'Super Goal" appears in place of the regular goal and it is worth more points or other bonuses like maybe the flag carrier gets full life.
17) Have earthquakes in Frantic that cause a chasm to open across the middle of the field, you can only jump across at a small number of natural peaks.
18) The flag is radioactive and carrying it slowly depletes you of life. (think about it)
19) New weapons.
20) In the online window, sort by scrum and battlemode
21) In the online window, don't show a number of players for bots, only for humans.
22) In the online window, show a list of who is logged on, not just who is in the games...Maybe allow a simple chat outside of the map (like Gameranger does).
23) Allow macros to send messages with a single key. For example, each F key could have a (rewritable) message....(sorry, no problem, thanks, go green, etc) Again, these should be user configurable.
24) The tanks get stuck to each other (briefly) when they hit if they are both driving the same direction. There are times when they should just glance off each other, but instead they kinda get stuck and both tanks slow down.
25) Include a turbothruster that blasts you forward but eats a tremendous amount of life power.
26) You can only respawn a specified number of times within each point. Meaning that if you die (let's say) three times before a point is scored, you are now in limbo until either the point is scored....or a specified penalty period ends.
#5
I think those are some great ideas, but all together they would make the game too complicated. Yikes! I really like the island idea, though-I can see some great games with that one. Only thing i have to add is that the escape key should really pausegetting shot up while I'm grabbing a snack is no fun. Something like disappearing or fading out would be nice.
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07/24/2003 (10:30 pm)
Wow.I think those are some great ideas, but all together they would make the game too complicated. Yikes! I really like the island idea, though-I can see some great games with that one. Only thing i have to add is that the escape key should really pausegetting shot up while I'm grabbing a snack is no fun. Something like disappearing or fading out would be nice.
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#6
07/25/2003 (8:59 am)
I think an artillary battle with only a few tanks and many different kinds of weapons would increase the strategy factor - maybe something like "pocket tanks" and "think tanks" together with more obstacles to hide behind rather than just rolling hills - a city terrain might work .
#9
07/25/2003 (12:17 pm)
You can toggle between full screen and windowd mode during play. Just use Alt-Enter ;) 
Torque Owner Joe Maruschak