Nice spear.

Like Jotaf, I'm a little confused about the "revert" command, although I understand your drive for concrete equipment states.

My problem with it is that the menu system seems unnecessary when going from merely "equipped" to a "stance". You say that you can have the sword/shield combo equipped or be in the sword & shield "stance". I'm guessing that its' the difference between simply having the gear in your hands and dropping into a crouching posture with the shield extended in front to guard you more effectively. It reminds me of the footmen's "defend" skill in Warcraft III.

That's great, and it adds depth to the fighting dynamic, but if there's only one "stance" per equipment configuration, wouldn't it be enough to have a button assigned to toggle in and out of the formal stance, rather than using the selection menu? "Revert" seems vestigial in this context. Maybe it would be better to just tap the menu button quickly, or to have another button entirely do the job.

Of course, if there are multiple stances for a given weapon set, then a menu becomes appropriate.

Edit: You resolved my confusion even as I was expressing it. Multiple stances make sense. So, how will you cycle through the stances? Will it be linear, like the stand -> crouch -> creep progression you describe above? If so, simply using a crouch/jump button system to cycle down through them might be adequate, and again remove the need for the "revert" command. If there are multiple stances, then perhaps they should occupy the wheel, with "revert" being on there at the twelve o'clock position, or some such arrangement.

I'm against having revert in the middle because it removes the ability to get out of the menu wheel without changing something. The middle should be "cancel" or "return to game" or "close menu" or something. I know you can have a button to cancel out, but I find it easier to use such a system if I can just worry about one button and one directionl input, especially if I'm going to be using this menu system in a hurry in a real-time game.

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Original post by Iron Chef Carnage My problem with it is that the menu system seems unnecessary when going from merely "equipped" to a "stance".

I don't get it. You just tap the equip-ring button from combat mode and revert is activated. It's exactly like having it assigned purely to it's own button. By not holding it down, the menu never appears. If it's not necessary, what would be better? Selecting the same equipment again to toggle it would take much more time.

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You say that you can have the sword/shield combo equipped or be in the sword & shield "stance". I'm guessing that its' the difference between simply having the gear in your hands and dropping into a crouching posture with the shield extended in front to guard you more effectively. It reminds me of the footmen's "defend" skill in Warcraft III.

That's exactly how it works. The base weapon stances are nearly identical to relaxed mode, except there are several types of attacks and blocks. It's a more agile mode, where you can run and slash and jump and dive. Entering a fighting stance, which nearly all weapons will have other than ranged gear, brings you to a slower, more solid stance, with many more tactical moves. Some weapons may have several other stances. But most usually, all of them will revert back to the base weapon 'agile' stance.

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That's great, and it adds depth to the fighting dynamic, but if there's only one "stance" per equipment configuration, wouldn't it be enough to have a button assigned to toggle in and out of the formal stance, rather than using the selection menu? "Revert" seems vestigial in this context. Maybe it would be better to just tap the menu button quickly, or to have another button entirely do the job.

Maybe I did a poor job of explaining it, but that's exactly how it works. You just tap the EQ ring button and you revert. The menu is active as soon as the button goes down, but it grows onto the screen smoothly over time, and won't be visible by the time you release the tapped button. If you're relaxed, tapping it will draw the last gear you used. Tap it again and you exit combat again. Repeat.

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Of course, if there are multiple stances for a given weapon set, then a menu becomes appropriate.

There are multiple stances, but the menu isn't needed. Just tap it :P

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Original post by Iron Chef Carnage I'm against having revert in the middle because it removes the ability to get out of the menu wheel without changing something.

Well, you could always select an empty direction. You don't think it's better to be capable of getting out of combat in one press rather than being able to cancel the ring in one press? I mean I'm assuming you mean you might press the ring button by mistake. That stuff happens. What happens if you press the "throw grenade" button by mistake? :P

This is for everyone who noted that my character was carrying too much junk



I really appreciate all of the help. Thanks!

Except for the pict razor-shields, what is the good of dual-wielding shields? Why does this character have two shields on him at the moment of the screenshot?

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Original post by Fournicolas Except for the pict razor-shields, what is the good of dual-wielding shields? Why does this character have two shields on him at the moment of the screenshot?

He's not dual wielding shields. You can't dual wield shields. I was wearing one shield and picked another up from the ground. He can't store the second one. He would have to toss the spear and shield that he's carrying if he needed to use his hands for something.

I guess the benifit would be no swords or arrows poking into your spine from behind. I fully planned on having the shield and weapons on the back protect the characters, but the idea that someone could keep a shield on the back and then arm another one with hands never seemed to hit me until I did it. Still, it's a pretty cool tactic. I wonder if it has ever actually been done? I mean, IRL.

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Original post by Kest This is for everyone who noted that my character was carrying too much junk

My first thought is those are some sweet looking weapon and shield models you have there, Kest.

My second thought is that he's carrying an awful lot of stuff, but not too much; that isn't unreasonable.

My third thought is how the hell is he keeping that shield and broadsword on his back if all he is wearing is a pair of pants? Has he glued them on? [grin]

The whole thing looks very impressive Kest, by the way.

Hey, thanks for the compliments :D

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Original post by Trapper Zoid My third thought is how the hell is he keeping that shield and broadsword on his back if all he is wearing is a pair of pants? Has he glued them on? [grin]

Ahh. When he puts on thick armor, the invisible weapon 'sheaths' need to be pushed outward. Armor needs to define special padding values for every sheath it covers, etc. If I added a strap or such, I would have to model a brand new strap for every object that can be worn, and a brand new sheath to connect to that strap for every weapon. It's just too much for one guy :P

Some armor may also not work very well with straps (spikey armor). With the sheaths invisible and weapons glued to him, I have very minimal spots to keep clear of patruding armor parts. I know it distracts from the realism, but the result means more dynamic weapons and armor in the game. I'm really looking forward to creating crazy, gigantic, mech-like armor.

edit: Oh, I almost forgot one of the most important reasons. When you're running around picking stuff up in real-time, sheaths would either need to be pulled from dead bodies and swapped through animation, or just vanish and materialize when weapons in hands change. I'm thinking that might be an even bigger distraction than the glue.

How come no one ever mentions his ears? I love that. No one cares if the guy has ears [smile]

But can you "fake" a series of straps by having some sort of vest thingie? At the moment, it just looks a bit weird, at least compared to everything else looking so good.

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Original post by Kest How come no one ever mentions his ears? I love that. No one cares if the guy has ears [smile]

You've never heard of infamous Aussie anti-celebrity Chopper Read then?

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Original post by Trapper Zoid But can you "fake" a series of straps by having some sort of vest thingie? At the moment, it just looks a bit weird, at least compared to everything else looking so good.

Do you mean like modeling something onto the character's body for good? I'm afraid to do something like that because armor can be anything. Breast plate for women, for example. It would look really unstylish if the vest was barely sticking out from the plate but nearly covered. Otherwise, if the vest thing was seperate, I could just make it realistic. I could make it impossible to sheath objects on your back unless you're wearing something there. Might be annoying.

I just don't like the idea of automatically making the character wear stuff. I didn't even like forcing them to wear boxers, but I guess that's a given. The women in the game are topless by default, BTW.