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by dede The system itself doesn''t have to result in cheap, unavoidable hits. Tripping accidently sucks, and shouldn''t be a part of the game(unless you trip running backwards). However, Knocking your opponent over/blackwards has lots of advantages. It would encourage a slower, less arcady feel, but then, there is a whole section of gamers that cannot handle the quick action of most FPS. So having a combat engine where you can knock enemies over may slow things down enough for those people to enjoy it.
This is sort of what i was going to lead to next in the near death experiences'' thread. Although not replacing the health bar system it can make it more dynamic by having it relate to the health bar with people falling down, limping or crawling depending on their health. Example: When you''re on the move you''re health drops a little depending on your speed and when you stop (lying) it comes back up again to its original point.
Having the character fall over is not new, its been done many times in the past and worked well. The trick is not having the player get knocked over without the chance of getting back up or counter attacking when knocked down.
I think falling over could add some real strategy to the FPS genre. If you look at some HL mods like day of defeat or action halflife, falling over is deliberate (diving to prone mode in DOD and the john woo dive in AHL) and works very well.
If you were to take this further, you could give the player degress of control depending upon their prone position. If the player is on their back, they could bend their torso up a little to gain some view of the action in front of them, and even use their weapons. Then they could press jump to get back up when ready. If they prefer, they could roll to either side to dodge an imminent attack before getting up. The method of getting up could be chosen too - either get up normally to the front, or do a backwards/sideways roll and get up from there (a kind of dodge and get up move).
Although you don''t want to go too far unless you are trying to make a first person beat-em-up. But some general additions to FPSs could make the world of difference to game play. Opponents that attack you while you''re down... Could you imagine the joy of playing thief 3, being knocked onto your back, looking up just in time to see the guard winding up a massive death dealing blow and then rolling out of the way just in time? It''s little moments like that, that really embed a game into the hearts and minds of the player.
The other component is that when you add abilities to dodge quickly (like diving and rolling) you can make the more powerful weapons more dangerous. It is somewhat daft taking a missile to the head and brushing it off like a summer breeze. If the projectile was really dangerous, players would be more inclined to learn and utilise the new moves available.
Have you ever played counter-strike? Often, when you get hit, you will be unable to move(actually you can move, but its very jerky and slow). That usually ends up in you dying unless you were looking at the person when they started shooting and you can get in a quick headshot before you die.
It was one of the most annoying features __EVER__. It might be fun to fall over the first time, maybe the second, but I think I would get really annoyed after a hundred or so times, especially if you lose control for even a microsecond. I hate how in CS you lose movility after jumping that makes you a sitting target and is completely unrealistic. Likewise, if I fall over IRL, I can get back up almost instantly as long as I didn''t break anything.
It might be ok if you made getting up automatic, and made it a dodge-type move so you don''t just stand up but you leap/roll/whatever to the side and then get up. Otherwise I think it would massively hinder gameplay if there were any fast-firing(even pistols from most games I''ve played would be too fast imo) guns at all.
"Walk not the trodden path, for it has borne it's burden." -John, Flying Monk
It seems alot of designers tug between realistic vs. fun... and sometimes realistic takes away fun. Falling down in a game could be cool, but may not add all that much to the game, get repetitive, and annoying.
Also falling down or delays in the game take away from the pace of the game. Can you imagine falling down in a Q3 match? It would slow the gameplay down, and take away from the run and gun feel so many people enjoy from that game.
My two cents
Derek Warner Art Institute of Phoenix Video Game Art and Design
Derek WarnerArt Institute of PhoenixVideo Game Art and Design
Falling down slows game play, so make sure the game subject lends itself to slower gameplay, such as a sneaking spy or ninja game.
There should be no extra delays or penalties for falling down. No 'shock', you can get right back up.
If you can fall over accidently, you better be able to also fall over on command, like jumping out of the way. Gamers arn't happy to have one without the other.
Have some large, slow projectils to dodged, and to be knocked over by.
Falling over is more important in Melee heavy games, which explains why most games that implement it, are of the fighting/beat'em up variaty.
I think it could definately be fun if you allowed the player to do things while on the ground. For instance: Player falls backs up the stares and a random number of stairs up falls backwards. The player is in a prone position, so a movement of the mouse left or right rolls the player left or right. A click bings him to his feet. He''s not able to fire, but it''s a dodge.
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An FPS that did movement well(at least in theory - in play the engine didnt handle some of it so well) IMO is the Opera mod for Half-Life. Its purpose was to add style to the FPS genre, and it has lots of things to aid in that purpose, like dives, rolls, jumping off walls, cartwheels, etc.
I think it''s important that a "realistic" game does include falling down BUT for good gameplay''s sake important actions (moving, shooting and using objects) should still be possible albeit from a slighly less convenient position
Suppose that the avatar tries to stand up strait away, but does it more slowly if the player is still trying to move (and even more slowly if the terrain is tricky or hidden).
This means that charging backwards upstairs in a firefight might leave you exposed for a second or two longer than if you ran forwards, but you have the advantage of still being able to see and attack your enemies. However, if you run forwards, your avatar will "see" the steps and quite quickly recover.
Suppose some key combination (eg tapping forwards) makes you roll landing from a jump. Depending on RPG skills, speed and direction of approach, you may trip and fall on your arse, or drop whay you''re carrying. On the other hand if you don''t roll you are more likely to recievce a leg injury. Jumps of different lengths and heights are exposed to compromise, there are more options for a despeate player.
Suppose when you fall you can stay lying down until you issue a "jump" command. If you fall and make some noise in a stealth area, lying in the shadows for a while might help.
You might deliberately throw yourself around Max Payne style to be a tricky target. Skillful melee enemies might push you over. Maybe there''s a whole set of slide and roll movements you can do from lying down so as to dodge around until you get a chance to stand. Maybe bullets do more damage if fired from low down and tear all the way up an enemies chest. In short, a Defender-style change in game dynamics.
If there is a penalty for clumsiness (non-irritating ie you can still move/shoot/interact), it''s another trade-off potential in many situations. Importantly, it''s entirely the player''s fault. Areas with many traps for a skilless oaf become less appealing, encouraging alternative strategies to be sought. Isn''t this what modern designers are trying hard to implement?
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