Development Cycle Archive

First off, I agree with a good majority of the suggestions listed in this thread.

Now, what i've been dying to see added to the Game:

1) Ingame Drinking/Eating Animations

What's a cantina if only the NPCs can sip the ale, eh?

2) Holstering Animations

It's always a nice bit of eyecandy to see a player strolling around a cantina with a pistol holstered at his side.

Heya,

when i just visited the redesigned/improved image designer tents on TC, this idea came to mind:

There's lots of music in the game already, but you only hear it very seldom basically. So the idea would be, to either have a craftable device or a houseterminal-option to have the same thing for player houses:
House music

The player could choose a music style or track to be played when someone enters the house, just like the ID tents do now. Imho this creates a really nice atmosphere inside, and together with the junk dealer quest, houses would finally be some more comfy. This music option could either be available to merchants or to everyone (i'd prefer the latter). For example, Musicians could create the current synthesizer module and the _architect_ could place those optionally into the house while building it. The only difference would be, that the music played back is not playermusic but a list of the normal music tracks that exist with the swg gamedata (and there's quite a bunch).

Lighting
Also, with all the lamps and lights available now, there could/should be an option to turn the default lighting off within a player house, since it would create a much nicer atmosphere inside as well (imagine a quite dark cantina with colored player lights inside etc). Currently, the lighting in houses is very bright and sometimes even bugged (f.e. medium naboo house lights itself properly but not dynamic objects such as players). If you could turn this off and place your own lights instead, i'd guess that your home show pictures would be even cooler than they are now.

Decorations
Everyone not only using a house as storage, will want to decorate their houses. The problem here is, that every decoration counts as normal item towards the house's maximum item limit. Of course, this is a huge limiting factor to home decoration. Why not apply a flag to any deocrative item to not count towards the item limit or at least have two different limits in the house, one for normal items, one for deco.
Also, some more decorations would be nice as well, such as curtains/jalousies (i know there are no real windows, but one could create nice effects with stuff like that), ceiling(!) lamps, small(!) fountains, more plants. A lot comes into mind

What do you think about that?

[quote]
Lunatic Fringer Here,
Ok, aside from the petitioning to show rank on our character bios and in overt status, we should also see Rank shown on the Uniforms! Now, we know that there is enough solid content that shows what the ranks insignia looks like; so it shouldn't be that hard to implement.
Here's a suggested way to do it too:
For each rank you earn on either side you automatically get a Uniform with that rank on it put in your inventory. You can wear this while overt or covert either one. Either have an autoupdate for the rank on the uniform; or just give out a new uniform with new rank with each rank achieved. This also presents a great opportunity to put Full Rebel and Imperial Uniforms in game through means of the Rank system through our Factional Recruiters.
An alternative is to use the same concept for the Special Edition Glasses and some Armor types. Re-construct the Imperial Uniform and construct a Rebel Uniform with a Radial menu to display Rank. What would probably have to be done is list all ranks on the menu but only allow it to display the rank you are at the moment.
Well, yet another start to an idea and one I think would improve the looks from time to time to see a few acknowledged Captains and Privates alike roaming around.
[/quote]

Hear, hear! I think (I'm not certain though) that the NPC mods in Bestine and Theed (whom I was talking to yesterday) are wearing the correct rank insignia...for those who's ranks are shown by their name, anyway.

** NOTE: I'm talking about Imp uniforms, here...I don't know enough about Rebel ones to comment in that regard properly **

There is only one issue with your suggestion. The uniforms that are worn by Imperials in the game, and availiable to Imperials are Officer uniforms. In fact, I believe they are Navy ones. So Army officers should wear something different...I believe the uniform is slightly more gray. Also, NCOs and Enlisted crew (anyone below Second Lieutenant) *should* have a different uniform style. They don't, but the Rank insignia system doesn't reach down below 2nd Lt (at least, I don't think it does), so that is a problem. However, I'm not all that sure that a definate set of ranks is availiable, and there is a certain element of flex in it, with more than one way of showing each rank. With a little research, you could probably come up with something usable.

Not everyone knows what the rank for "Lieutenant First Class" is, for example, or a "Staff Sergeant". I personally don't know what the dots for Staff Sergeant look like...I'm not even sure there is a "badge" that represents it (it might be to do with comlinks, or something). Anyway...in game, not every character will understand the ranks. So, we should come up with a "Comprehend Ranks" language, like with Mon Cal, Rodian, etc. If you have this language, you can read other people's rank insignia. If you don't, you can't. You'd automatically get it when you join a faction, because you'd know about the ranks of your fellow people, and the ranks the Rebels use are the same as the Imp ones. But it means that, unless Pirates and civilians learned it, they wouldn't know the rank of the overt people they encountered.

I agree that you should get an Imperial Uniform in your inventory. I would even go as far as to recommend that "Imperial Uniform" becomes a single entity, perhaps with only the hat as separate. With one inventory item, you can put on the gloves, boots, jacket and trousers of an Imp uniform. It would be a new item...that means current Imp uniforms can be reserved for display purposes. The uniform could have a "Set Color" option, like with Compound armour. You could select the uniform most applicable to you...Army (slightly brown-grey, I believe), Stormtrooper (Black), Intelligence (Red), Navy (Grey), Starfighter (also Black?), plus a few other colours (I've seen a mustard, which I think was for technicians, and a white, which I guess was medical). The field you have selected would show up next to your name. You'd maybe only be able to wear ones that were applicable...you need to hold "Novice Medic" in order wear a medical uniform (ok, so most people have it, but it still makes sense), "Novice Artisan" for Technician, Novice Marksman for Stormtrooper, Novice Pilot (or whatever it'll be called) to wear a TIE Pilot's uniform...etc. The alternative is the "Factional Professions" thing that I mentioned a while ago. You'd get the grey as basic, and then the other colours if you took any Factional Profs (as well as any related armour). This means you can dress yourself appropriately.

On each uniform would be a rank badge. This would automatically update with each promotion, and would be a permenant, irremovable part of your Imperial uniform. Wearing your uniform
would add the option to "Read Rank" to the Examine option on the radial menu (the menu would give "Examine Target" and "Read Rank"), which would tell you "This is the Rank insignia for a -insert rank-". The rank badge wouldn't actually have to look like the "real" thing (I don't think the ranks go down to Private anyway). It could just have an Imperial or Rebel symbol on it, or a pre-determined sequence of red, blue and yellow blocks. However, when you "Read Rank", it would flash up as the rank the officer is, which would be automatically updated when they get promoted, without the need to change the dots on the badge. Seeing as Imperial NPCs keep calling me "Staff Sergeant", I'm sure the badge would be able to work that out.

With those overtly Imperial or Rebel (ie. those wearing the badges), you would see their rank (and perhaps their field, if they had selected one on their uniform to display) above their name, next to "(LD)" or "(AFK)", for the duration of their overt status. When they become covert again (which should, I think, be five minutes after they remove their rank badge/uniform, so it works similarly to a TEF), it will disappear. Even if you are in the same faction, you will not know their rank unless they are displaying it. If you know the person, and know their rank, then you will know (as the player) what it is, just like your character would, so nothing would need to be displayed as a "memory".

Just my 3 cents (I say "three", because there's a little too much to be two cents...)

Second one. This is one I think will be VERY useful. I'll keep it short.

Right now, I have a load of macros set up for clothing. I hit a function key (F2, F9, etc), and I automatically wear my armour, or a pre-set outfit. However, the macro requires them to be on one of my menus. I have two menus taken up with armour and clothing. Its lame.

Solution? Item groups. You can create them in your inventory, and they sit there. They don't take up space, but they look just like a pack. Or, they could go in a separate "groups" tab on your inventory, just like the "Waypoints" and "Data" tabs on your Datapad. You can drag items into them, and the item will be added to the group (it'll show up when you access the group, but it will only be "copied" into the group container). The group would be able to hold 20 items or something like that as a maximum...but that is about all it will need. The group adds together those items, so they become (effectively) a single item. You could then drag the item group onto the menu, in place of all of the armour pieces. You get a quickly applied suit of armour, or outfit, or something, all with a single command. That will let you use the menu as they are meant to be used - for macros that make you putting on your compound armour look like you're morphing into a power ranger (Long story)

Once you have a group set up, you can take items out of it just by radial menu and "remove"ing them. You could also have a redial menu showing up with all of the items, so you could unequip just the helmet, if you wanted to. The alternative would be to not group the helmet, and have that on the menu on its own...but that would take up an extra slot.

Just quickly...

[quote]
All I want to do is sit out on my front porch in my reclining chair and craft my meds...would it be possible to allow us to place furniture on the front porches of our houses? It's not too big of a deal but I'd love sitting out there (although not on the ground) and crafting.
[/quote]

Similar idea from me. The patio on the roof of some houses...it counts as outside. You can activate droids in there, and vehicles, and such. But, you can't place items there, because its outside. Being able to would be nice...plant pots and patio chairs. And also, all of the houses (well, the Tatooine ones, certainly) have an area of platform outside the door. That should count as house too, for the placement of hanging baskets or rocking chairs. If the house doesn't have a pre-set "patio", then maybe you could add a little area down the side or in front of a house, so you can sit on the "front lawn"?

Last one, promise.

I heard from someone the other day that you were planning on nerfing armour to put a time delay after you don a piece of it or something. Why?! If you're bothered about too many people wandering around wearing compo armour, then make composite armour more expensive or something. Not that it is a problem...we don't represent the entire population of the Star Wars universe...we don't even represent the tiniest fraction of it. And, us with compo armour are a fraction of a fraction.

What I heard is that you wanted to put a time delay after equipping each piece. That is NOT a good idea. What would be more sensible would be to put a period of "unbalance" after you equip a piece. Something like, for the next few seconds, you cannot attack. You can equip another armour piece, but you can't attack. Depending on what piece of armour it is would vary the time. I mean, I reckon that, unless it is obsenely complicated, it won't take more than a few seconds an item on average to put it on IRL. Ok, so you've got to get it out of your pack, but lets face it - the whole thing wouldn't fit in there anyway! Unbalance would be better. Once you've put something on, you don't just sit there and wait before you put on another. However, while you're getting dressed, you don't go shooting or kicking things. That would be a more reasonable limit to put on. Otherwise, if you set a macro up, it'll take hours for it to complete, and if you drag armour on item by item, you'll be sat waiting for the time to go down before you equip another. A "between armour pieces" time limit would be stupid, IMO.

Also, if I had to wait between each piece of armour, it would screw up my "morphing" macro. (Oh, come on...can you honestly say that people in Compo armour DON'T look like power rangers?!)

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oldmanpanda wrote:

Other random ideas of mine include:

Having Droid Engineers (or armorsmiths, just seems more mechanical) a "cloaking device" that acts as an armor or clothing segment.

Allows people to not appear on the Radar for a short period of time.

I know the radar is both unrealistic andwould allow low level TEFed players to survive an unkillable player camping a nearby base.

Where would Luke be as he rescued Leia if the stormies had radar?

Wouldn't they realize it wasn't TK-421 if he showed up red on their radar?

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I like the idea of something of that sort, but remember... "No ship that small has a cloaking device!" Cloaking devices in SW are huge, it would have to be something of the sort but not exactly a cloaking device; perhaps a comms jammer, like what was on the speederbike in Episode VI.

I'd say mark all targets on a map as white, until they are within 64ft of you (aka the average max range on ranged weapons). Then make them red/yellow/blue/purple/green/pink. That way, you are close enough to attack them, and they close enough to attack you, but it gives you a chance to get away.

With the Luke thing...how do you know that the thing that projects a "dot" isn't actually reflective on what you're wearing? Some items make you overt...maybe the stormie armour in the films made you overt imperial, so nothing was out of place.



ANOTHER THING...

A few posts ago (well, a fair few, seeing as I did a load since), someone spoke about movement types, and "climbing" up objects that are too steep to walk. Well, I tested it out. OK, so I don't have Scout 1000 yet (but am aiming for) which gives to +20 on walking up hills, but to us normal people, prone-climing up a steep slope (I did the one to the right of Theed Waterfall...the one that goes to the back door of the Starport) is actually only slightly worse than walking. In fact, it looks cooler. I just walked the same path that I prone-crawled, and I got there a tiny bit faster walking than crawling. If prone were made a little faster (ie. the current speed is "walk", and there were a "run" speed), it would be good...you can actually move a little faster than crawling if you go prone...you just need to get the technique right. Prone could then "run" up walls, and some means of "Sorry, thats too steep for you to walk up" could be added in once things get too steep...or if you try and walk forward, you're automatically forced into prone. Try climing up something steep. As you start moving forward, you automatically start grabbing with your hands and helping yourself up...its practically impossible not to go prone when you climb.

Also, I think a "crouch" and "crouch-walk" would make a good new type of movement. Instead of standing up after you have knelt, you could go into a crouch walk. Crouch-walk would move you at more or less walk speed, but it would give you the same cover bonus as kneeling. It might even give you a bonus against being spotted. You wouldn't be able to fire in crouch - you'd have to drop to kneel (which is realistic...firing a gun while you're crouched is stupid - the kick would knock you over). There are places where crouching would hide you behind low walls and things, giving you cover.


On that note, I have to agree with the complains of some people...make it so you can't fire through walls. It would allow you to use cover in a far more tactical way, making running around with a gun just that little bit more engaging. Also, objects such as speeders should be made weapon-proof, so you can hide behind them, and they take the damage instead of you...and people. You could run behind a crowd of people, and they'd get shot, not you. That would TEF the person firing in their eyes, and they'd attack, if they weren't planning to already.


Following on in the "give us extra protection theme": Riot shield. Well, something like that, anyway. If you have a pistol, or a 1-handed sword, Or are unarmed, you could have a riot shield in one hand / on one arm. It could act as an extra bit of armour. It'd decrease your accuracy with a pistol, and it'd make it so you can't do any punch special attacks (the regular attack does either a kick or a 1-handed backfist, so that would be ok, but lunge, stun, and I think blind, which are all I have so far, involve punches). With a 1h sword it'd be ok...but I've never seen someone fight with one, so I wouldn't know. If you were in a situation where defending yourself was more important than attacking something else (if you were guarding something, for example), then you could equip your shield, and be more protected.

You could have different types of shield. Shields could act as a bracer replacement...a buckler actually clips onto the arm. The benefit all of the shields would add could give extra defense, but also take into account that some parts of the armour are actually covered, and therefore redundant. You could even introduce a shield for each (or at least most) armour types. You couldn't hold a two-handed weapon with a shield equipped.


Last thing...two-pistol fighting. Also, maybe two one-handed swords wielded at once. The second weapon would have a penalty when equipped. You could choose from "Equip On-hand" and "Equip Off-hand". The off-hand (Left if you're right-handed, right if you're left) would be weaker than a normal one, but would maybe add defense. There would need to be a "two-weapon fighting" proficiency, which I would probably put in Novice Fencer, Smuggler and Pistoleer. All of the basic attacks (I'll say the Pistol stuff, because I don't know about swords) with those weapons would work with two weapons (point blank shot, point blank area, overcharge shot, etc), as well as a few of the more advanced ones (diving shot, maybe), but some of the more advanced ones (eg. body shot, roll shot) would still be one weapon only, as they take more aiming. In fact, I think that for those shots, the character rests his other hand underneath the gun - he could still do this, and it would also provide a visual reason for why he wasn't using the other gun. Two weapons could decrease accuracy, but increase rate of attack, and the power the attack does. You could also add a couple of two-weapon attacks, such as double-shot (fire one pistol, then the other), just to flesh out the ability. The same ability would tally over to Jedi, so you can get a Jedi fighting in the same two-weapon style that Anakin did in Episode II. I assume (judging from the fact that I own one of the componants to make one) that Jedi can have two-bladed swords, so having two sabers would complete the trio, as seen in Jedi Academy, and on-screen.


I can't think of anything else right now...but I'm sure I will have something before long.