My original idea for an FPS was to have the guns have a few parts that you can customize.

1. Gun Build - determines the accuracy, recoil, and how frequently the gun can fire. This also determines the appearance of the gun and it is what all add-ons are applied to
2. Processor - determines the projectile art, travel speed, damage, and range of the gun. Some processors shoot more than one bullet each time you fire the weapon. Usually don't show up on the gun

The idea was that the Processor can be 'tuned' to have more firepower, which would increase the damage, speed, etc. of the processor per 1 point of firepower. Maybe some would even lose value in certain parts when the firepower is increased. The amount gained/lost would vary depending on which processor you're tuning.

The con to higher firepower is higher energy cost with most processors.
Your energy is your ammo, basically. You have like 2000 or so and every time you fire, you lose some depending on the firepower of your processor.

There is a replacement for 'reloading' in the game, though I'm not sure if I want to keep it or not.
Your processor has exhaust per fire and exhaust capacity. Every time you fire, the exhaust per fire is added to your current exhaust, and when it reaches its capacity, you can no long fire. You have to pull the processor out (gun builds usually have a way to slide it out without detaching it) and stick a 'shot' in it and suck the gas out. Then all your exhaust is lost and you can continue firing.
So pretty much each processor has a specific amount of times it can fire before it builds up too much exhaust and you have to use your shot on it. It's like most FPSes where you have like, 30 bullets loaded and 150 max, only you don't have a maximum, so you can continually fire so long as you unload exhaust when necessary and maintain your energy.

Maintaining Energy:
There are a few ways to gain energy.

3. Aquifer - an optional gun add-on that only certain gun builds allow, the aquifer stores leaked energy each time you fire. They have a capacity for how much leaked energy they can hold at once, a percentage for how much of the payed energy they obtain per fire, and some have a special effect/skill they can use when they reach a certain amount of energy. Like I said, they're optional and some gun builds cannot be equipped with one. They aren't necessary, but if your gun build supports them, not putting one on would be a waste.

Canteens - canteens restore energy upon use. Each one has an amount of energy restored, a number of uses and maximum number of uses (charges, whatever you prefer to say), and a refresh rate (they gain 1 more charge every X seconds).


-----------
So now I'm looking for the opinions of fellow game designers.
Do you think you would prefer just buying a gun with a set amount of everything and with typical ammo like 30 per clip and 150 maximum or something?

The game was supposed to have an AoS style gameplay also, where two teams fight and try to destroy the others' structures and have NPCs that spawn periodically. Also an arena-style PvP setting where you don't have NPCs and just fight the players.

Honestly, I like the idea of customizing your gun and I think the reload and energy system is OK (I'll probably keep it), but...game designers always think their own work is good, right?

So what's your opinion? Keep the gun customization system or just make every gun have set stats like most FPSs?
Also, would you totally hate the energy and reload system if you were playing this game?

Bump.
Made an edit and changed something, but the post had no views before I made it so I guess it's not really even necessary to mention what I changed lolol

I rarely play FPSs, but when I do I do it to shot at things and be immersed with the story/world/landscape. I don't see any place for gun customization there...

So you don't care about your gun at all? Isn't it a big part of combat (who's using which gun), which is like the only thing you didn't list?

Here's a thought that just came to me.

This has never been done before. And I don't think ever. Why don't you have the character have metal or some type of heat glove to wear he can pick up the shells from the gun he just shot and put them in a bag or something to throw at the enemy. I mean have you ever picked up a hot shell after the bullet has been fired. Its hot. Till it cools off for the several seconds your running away from the enemy that is closing in on you if you ran out of bullets to shoot at the enemy with?

I know it sounds silly but it would be interesting to use this extra object to use as a throwing object other then grenades, molotov's, chairs, tables, gasoline from gas cans, Ohh now that would be interesting. Some gas and a lighter and KABOOM!,

Or how about spreading grease all over the floor to have the enemy come running in after you and it slips and falls backward, Instant knock out or a 2 hit kill shot? Just as the enemy slips and falls you blow the enemy or creature away even further backwards back into the room or hallway it just came into.

Your first ideas are fine.

I like upgrading my firearms during firefights or at least changing my firearm with a more higher stopping power.

With each firearm use the real world firearm capacity. Don't overload the firearm with this and that. Keep it real and the players will feel more comfortable than never able to reload. Its like ubershooting. Unless its a particle laser but most of the times you need to recharge the laser gun to reactive it again. Which can be a small portion of character strength and time cunsumption.

Sounds good to me, although I'm more into RPGs than FPSes. I had a lot of fun setting up the characters with different loadouts and tweaking who had what ammo and mods on which gun in Mass Effect. However, you have to either ( a ) allow multiple guns so you can customize them differently or ( b ) allow the mods to be switched in a pause screen or something, instead of only at workbenches or whatever. Or maybe allow all mods to be installed on one weapon but switch between different sets at will or something. Basically if the player bursts through a door and finds something completely unexpected, you don't want them to suffer by having the worst possible gun customizations for that situation when they actually do have the parts available.

Also, I don't care for the whole exhaust thing (or the dust buildup from before your edit). Seems kind of contrived just to make a different reloading animation. Although it's not original, just using heat buildup which temporarily shuts you down if you don't pace yourself sits a lot better with me (although I can't say why exactly). I don't hate it or anything since mechanically it is the same as always (stops the player from spamming bullets continuously).

Just my 2 cents.

Here's a thought that just came to me.

This has never been done before. And I don't think ever. Why don't you have the character have metal or some type of heat glove to wear he can pick up the shells from the gun he just shot and put them in a bag or something to throw at the enemy. I mean have you ever picked up a hot shell after the bullet has been fired. Its hot. Till it cools off for the several seconds your running away from the enemy that is closing in on you if you ran out of bullets to shoot at the enemy with?

I know it sounds silly but it would be interesting to use this extra object to use as a throwing object other then grenades, molotov's, chairs, tables, gasoline from gas cans, Ohh now that would be interesting. Some gas and a lighter and KABOOM!,

Or how about spreading grease all over the floor to have the enemy come running in after you and it slips and falls backward, Instant knock out or a 2 hit kill shot? Just as the enemy slips and falls you blow the enemy or creature away even further backwards back into the room or hallway it just came into.

Your first ideas are fine.

I like upgrading my firearms during firefights or at least changing my firearm with a more higher stopping power.

With each firearm use the real world firearm capacity. Don't overload the firearm with this and that. Keep it real and the players will feel more comfortable than never able to reload. Its like ubershooting. Unless its a particle laser but most of the times you need to recharge the laser gun to reactive it again. Which can be a small portion of character strength and time cunsumption.

There won't really be shells. It's going to be like, energy weapons. Besides, if there were modern-day shells, isn't the gunpowder inside the bullet at first and once fired there is no gunpowder and it cannot be reused? I can't imagine simply dumping a lot of shells on someone is really going to hurt them, either...
--
That's a good idea - adding something like "jerk your mouse next to this object and it'll be thrown in the direction you jerked your mouse" is a good idea. Giving the player bottles of grease as equipment might also be a good idea. Thanks!
--
If I use the real world firearm capacity, I'd have to do what every FPS does: AK47, M4A1, etc. etc...the game is sci-fi - it has different kinds of weapons. Not your typical weapons. No, they look different (just kidding, there are obviously other differences besides appearance, like the use of processors, energy instead of ammo, etc.).
They still have to 'reload' it's just a different system. They can't just keep shooting because they'll eventually run out of energy if they aren't too careful.
It's also annoying in FPSs when you kill 10 people and you're minimized to using a pistol because your primary 2 weapons ran out of ammo. It just means you can't play anymore because you're too good and filled too many people with lead without dying.

Sounds good to me, although I'm more into RPGs than FPSes. I had a lot of fun setting up the characters with different loadouts and tweaking who had what ammo and mods on which gun in Mass Effect. However, you have to either ( a ) allow multiple guns so you can customize them differently or ( b ) allow the mods to be switched in a pause screen or something, instead of only at workbenches or whatever. Or maybe allow all mods to be installed on one weapon but switch between different sets at will or something. Basically if the player bursts through a door and finds something completely unexpected, you don't want them to suffer by having the worst possible gun customizations for that situation when they actually do have the parts available.

Also, I don't care for the whole exhaust thing (or the dust buildup from before your edit). Seems kind of contrived just to make a different reloading animation. Although it's not original, just using heat buildup which temporarily shuts you down if you don't pace yourself sits a lot better with me (although I can't say why exactly). I don't hate it or anything since mechanically it is the same as always (stops the player from spamming bullets continuously).

Just my 2 cents.

The game was originally going to be an FPS RPG where you're on a distant planet with a combat system much like this. I may still try to expand it into that in the future, but for now I'm looking for something that isn't quite as large-scale (MMORPGS are just so big). It was supposed to be a mix of fantasy and sci-fi, which I thought would be interesting in both story, landscape and combat.
Maybe me and YOU should design that and make a blockbuster!!
--
You can have more than 1 gun equipped. Using a two-handed gun with one hand (by using a two-handed gun and another gun at the same time) will raise recoil, lowering accuracy, etc.
I may make it like:

• You have a 'replacement tab' for your left and right hand. If you put a gun in your left replacement tab, hold Alt and left-click, your left-hand weapon will be replaced by whatever was in your left replacement tab and the gun you were previously using is put in your left replacement tab (they swap positions). It's this way for the right-hand tab too - hold Alt and right-click to swap your right-hand weapon with your right tab weapon.Or...
  
  
  
  • Genesis A.D. style. Each gun build has X weight or whatever you'd call it and each add-on adds X to that weight. You can only hold like, 20 weight or so. So you could have 20 weapons with 1 weight if you REALLY wanted to, or two weapons with 6 weight and one with 8 weight. They'll just be hotkeyed to 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. and using those hotkeys will pull a different one out. This may cause problems with dual weapon wielding..maybe holding 1 and right-clicking puts weapon 1 in your right hand, holding 3 and left-clicking puts weapon 3 in your left hand, etc.?This way you can replace what you're using from a sniper rifle to a shotgun if necessary.
    --
    About the exhaust - the only need for a new way of reloading is just to eliminate maximum ammo, since I already have an 'energy' system that sort of replaces maximum ammo (or 'ammo left').
    
    So Krez, your opinion would be to keep the processors, gun builds, aquifers, scopes, etc., right? You like customizing your weapon?
    
    
    

I aggree with the others, but heres my take on your customization system...

Heres some questions you should ask your self?...

1. Do I want FPS where roaming is limited or do I want RPG?

2. Is weapon upgrading necessary?

3. Am I designing this for multiplayer such as some type of Team games CTF (capture the flag) TDM (Team Death Match) etc.

I love the weapon upgrading system idea you have for it. To be honest weapon reloading is essential to modern FPS and the only upgrading is when you find a different weapon and pick it up in a level or match against other players. However what do you mean by the energy? especially when you said something aout canteens and such.... Do you mean like stamina or Health you can refil or do you mean like certain type of ammunition to add more rounds to your weapon? Keep up the terrific work and good luck with it.

So you don't care about your gun at all? Isn't it a big part of combat (who's using which gun), which is like the only thing you didn't list?

I'm extremely casual gamer when it comes to FPS I would not accept additional burden of weapon customization, I have already enough problems which one to choose from the 9 predefined I like various guns, but I want them predesigned.

If you want to grab my heart design something awesomenly useful like slow motion in Max Pain. Or slow falling/flying in MDK (the black bat style hero character), this alone made it the best FPS ever for me. But guns customization... meh, who cares

I aggree with the others, but heres my take on your customization system...

Heres some questions you should ask your self?...

1. Do I want FPS where roaming is limited or do I want RPG?

2. Is weapon upgrading necessary?

3. Am I designing this for multiplayer such as some type of Team games CTF (capture the flag) TDM (Team Death Match) etc.

I love the weapon upgrading system idea you have for it. To be honest weapon reloading is essential to modern FPS and the only upgrading is when you find a different weapon and pick it up in a level or match against other players. However what do you mean by the energy? especially when you said something aout canteens and such.... Do you mean like stamina or Health you can refil or do you mean like certain type of ammunition to add more rounds to your weapon? Keep up the terrific work and good luck with it.

It's a PvP FPS game. You can fight in an arena-style team death match, or you can fight Aeon of Strife style, where each team has NPCs that spawn and travel down a specific path into the enemy's base. You assist your NPCs and attempt to destroy the enemy's defensive structures first (ones that sit in the 'lanes' your NPCs travel and fire projectiles at them) and then onto their more vital structures, like the ones that create the enemied NPCs, until eventually you kill their 'main building' which results in victory for your team.
There will be no roaming, since the maps will mostly be small, though the AoS maps may be a larger than the Arena (TDM) maps.
--
There isn't necessarily weapon 'upgrading'. There are predefined Processors, Aquifers, Gun Builds and add-ons. You don't make them better.
Every processor has a base amount of damage, travel speed, range, exhaust, energy cost, etc. and also an amount that each of those decreases or increases by when you set the firepower higher than it was. So:

Rex:
Rifle Processor
Damage: 29 + 2
Range: 1200 + 5
Travel Speed: X + X
Energy Cost: 25 + 5

Or something like that. So the first value is what it starts with before you tweak the firepower, the second is how much it gains or loses when you increase the Firepower by 1. If it had Damage: 25 - 5 and Energy Cost: 125 - 10, decreasing the firepower by 1 point would add the value instead of subtracting.

So all processors are supposed to be balanced. That way, you don't make them better, you just customize them to be better at a certain task and possibly worse at another one.
--
Energy is paid when you fire. It's like your ammo, but you can recover it with the use of canteens. Canteens have X charges maximum, depending on the canteen (some 4, some 10, etc.) and when the round starts, you have maximum charges left. When you use one, it takes X seconds, depending on the canteen, to recover that charge. So pretty much it gains 1 charge every X seconds, but it has a maximum charges that it won't exceed.

[quote name='GHMP' timestamp='1300408175' post='4787252']
So you don't care about your gun at all? Isn't it a big part of combat (who's using which gun), which is like the only thing you didn't list?

I'm extremely casual gamer when it comes to FPS I would not accept additional burden of weapon customization, I have already enough problems which one to choose from the 9 predefined I like various guns, but I want them predesigned.

If you want to grab my heart design something awesomenly useful like slow motion in Max Pain. Or slow falling/flying in MDK (the black bat style hero character), this alone made it the best FPS ever for me. But guns customization... meh, who cares
[/quote]
I'd actually planned on making a bunch of pre-set guns that you can buy, which would already be equipped with a Processor or Aquifer of their own. That way if you're really lazy, you can just buy one or two of those and jump into battle. You can't tweak their firepower or change the add-ons they have, so that is a consequence to buying them instead of making your own. They would cost less than building the gun yourself, since you wouldn't be able to take the processor or aquifer off and use them in a different gun. You could also add some add-ons if they have space.

I'd planned on making the game have a thrilling, fun way of navigating the map like Genesis A.D. has. You can jump off of a huge building and if you 'boost forward' or something before you hit the ground, you'll counteract the gravity and end up falling from 5 feet instead of 500.
Genesis A.D. also has an extremely slow falling system, but after playing the game for a while, it gets annoying. You're vulnerable to a sniper for 3 seconds if you so much as do a wall jump, and that is irritating because you probably did the wall jump to make yourself harder to be hit by a sniper.
So maybe a falling system slower than normal gravity, but not so slow that you're vulnerable while falling.