Team Identification
by Eli McClanahan · in General Discussion · 01/19/2003 (2:58 pm) · 8 replies
This has been discussed before, a little, but I'm having problems implementing it right now so I figured, "Hey, I have nothing better to do."
So far, I've had the bright idea of identifying one team with the same pulsing lights that the flags currently have. Unfortunately, I don't know how to go about it. I tried adding it armor::onAdd, but just got back some syntax errors. Any idea on how to do this?
I imagine in the future, teams will be identified with icons or just different colors or banners (I'd prefer colors probably, although that really limits skinners to how creative they can be.)
For the time being though, I'm completely clueless as to how to make one team obvious to the other team without limiting the character selection.
So far, I've had the bright idea of identifying one team with the same pulsing lights that the flags currently have. Unfortunately, I don't know how to go about it. I tried adding it armor::onAdd, but just got back some syntax errors. Any idea on how to do this?
I imagine in the future, teams will be identified with icons or just different colors or banners (I'd prefer colors probably, although that really limits skinners to how creative they can be.)
For the time being though, I'm completely clueless as to how to make one team obvious to the other team without limiting the character selection.
#2
[edit]Ok, I just read some threads discussing the whole race idea. Going with the basic 3 races would be a good start. But, my opinion is to still keep the teams based on race even though people have balancing issues with it. This keeps the identification issue simple. AvP2 multiplayer did an OK job with this aspect even though we are looking at having more choices by having classes among the races. And, I believe adding the classes that are comparable between races would help with the balancing issues.
01/23/2003 (3:33 pm)
Will the team be of mix races? I thought the idea would be wars against different races and therefore team identification would be just based on race. For now, only character choosing and then choosing red or blue team can cause confusion if there are mixed race teams, but why implement a team color identification (unless it's a quick hack like the colored names over the heads) when the team choosing might be based by race?[edit]Ok, I just read some threads discussing the whole race idea. Going with the basic 3 races would be a good start. But, my opinion is to still keep the teams based on race even though people have balancing issues with it. This keeps the identification issue simple. AvP2 multiplayer did an OK job with this aspect even though we are looking at having more choices by having classes among the races. And, I believe adding the classes that are comparable between races would help with the balancing issues.
#3
01/23/2003 (3:47 pm)
I believe one of the major limits on this at the moment is art resources.. to truely do the multi-race multi-class system you would need several models for each race. The art generation pipeline for RW just isn't in place to handle that need at the moment.
#4
Badges could be cool. We could devote an area on the front of all the skins for the badge. It would have to be pretty visible a distance though, meaning pretty large. Later, badges could be customized with clan insignia in heraldic style. You'd have the team color around the outside of the shield, and the clan insignia inside. Actually, that would work really well for players with a shield equipped. Maybe players with shields can use badges and others can use pennants.
I think that the hud map could also be pretty useful in determining friend and foe, if we used distinctive friend/foe indicators in the overhead.
02/15/2003 (5:28 pm)
I personally like the idea of banners indicating team allegiance. Visually, I think they look good and give skinners a lot of flexibility. A pennant could also be animated to flutter along behind the player as they run, which might look cool.Badges could be cool. We could devote an area on the front of all the skins for the badge. It would have to be pretty visible a distance though, meaning pretty large. Later, badges could be customized with clan insignia in heraldic style. You'd have the team color around the outside of the shield, and the clan insignia inside. Actually, that would work really well for players with a shield equipped. Maybe players with shields can use badges and others can use pennants.
I think that the hud map could also be pretty useful in determining friend and foe, if we used distinctive friend/foe indicators in the overhead.
#5
Banners would be a problem particularly in CTF, for obvious reasons. It'd also be kind of gawdy to have all of the players on the map running around, essentially carrying signs labeled "Hello, I am ___."
The problem with basing team identification on skins is that you may be wearing one that no one can see, or the server may require a skin that you don't have.
Personally, I think the best way to go is to just draw the health bar and name of your teammates on-screen and leave your enemies' status alone, so you can't spot them a mile away. I suppose there could be a spell that revealed that info for your enemies though.
02/15/2003 (7:30 pm)
Race vs. race is too limiting, since you'd have to always fight Orcs if you were an Elf, etc.Banners would be a problem particularly in CTF, for obvious reasons. It'd also be kind of gawdy to have all of the players on the map running around, essentially carrying signs labeled "Hello, I am ___."
The problem with basing team identification on skins is that you may be wearing one that no one can see, or the server may require a skin that you don't have.
Personally, I think the best way to go is to just draw the health bar and name of your teammates on-screen and leave your enemies' status alone, so you can't spot them a mile away. I suppose there could be a spell that revealed that info for your enemies though.
#6
That is what we are doing now. Enemy names appear if you are looking directly at them and they are fairly close and not cloaked, ally names always appear. (Might make them cut off at some far distance)
One thing to remember is that you can see very far, so things like skins and emblems don't work all that well. I would like to have different skins and crests for shields and things of that nature, but those are for flavor as much as for actual identification. You lose a lot of detail very quickly when you are far away from people, and in the TGE engine you are far from people quite a bit.
02/15/2003 (9:20 pm)
"Personally, I think the best way to go is to just draw the health bar and name of your teammates on-screen and leave your enemies' status alone, so you can't spot them a mile away. I suppose there could be a spell that revealed that info for your enemies though."That is what we are doing now. Enemy names appear if you are looking directly at them and they are fairly close and not cloaked, ally names always appear. (Might make them cut off at some far distance)
One thing to remember is that you can see very far, so things like skins and emblems don't work all that well. I would like to have different skins and crests for shields and things of that nature, but those are for flavor as much as for actual identification. You lose a lot of detail very quickly when you are far away from people, and in the TGE engine you are far from people quite a bit.
#7
07/18/2003 (11:40 pm)
Have it like the Day of Defeat mod for Half-Life like the germans would have a transparent small swastika floating over their head and allied force would have a green circle logo kinda thing floating above their head , works pretty well for me
#8
07/20/2003 (3:25 pm)
I think they should cut off at a certain distance, certain classes and races can see this affect further than others, giving the advantage of friend/foe identification as an extra choice when chosing who you want to be. 
Torque Owner James Margaris