CUEmu - Thread Posts

Vampiric_Hoshi

Fri May 28, 2004 4:24 am

Yes yes I know, we've gone over this a million and1 times but I'm bored and we currently have a "new breed" of DE on this forum so I thought I would re-live one of my favourite topics, that being the inclusion of "Holo Communications" into the game and how they would relate to droids.

In my concept of Holo Communications, droids would be essential for the most part. This would come in the form of 2 modules. But before I get to these, I'll first introduce the architect's contribution and static contributions.

Private Holo Chamber

The Private Holo Chamber is reasonably large device that can be dropped inside a player structure. It consists of two circular platforms and a console. To activate and use, the player must stand in the emitting platform and "use" the console. While in this state, the player would not be able to move beyound the platform. This player's name would then be added to a searchable directory of players that are also in such a state. From here, the player would be able to select another player in a Holo Chamber anywhere else in that galaxy and open communications. Upon the other player accepting the transmission, a holo image would appear on the second platform and a chat bubble would be used to represent communications. While also in this state, the player would be able to send a holo chat request to any other player that isn't listed in the serchable directory by using the "/holochat" command. A message would then appear for the target player stating that "You are recieving a holocommuque from <name>. Click accept to recieve transmission" ... if the target player is near a Private or Public chamber or has a droid with a Holo Emitter s/he can accept and begin communications. Once communcations have begun the player would be removed from the searchable list of available holo comms players.

Public Holo Chamber

Exactly the same as a Private Holo Chamber only these are static chambers located throughout player cities.

Holo Emitter Module

The Holo Emitter Modulewould allow a player to send and recieve holo communications in the wild. While the droid's holo emitter module is activated, the player will not be able to move (leaving him open to attack) until the module is deactivated. While in this state the player would be added to the searchable list of available holo comms players. If the player recieves a holo communication, clicking "accept" button while the droid is called will also initiate the holo comms mode and again the player would be frozen in his/her current position until the communication is over.

Holo Recording Module

The Holo Recording Module allows a player to record a short holo message in two formats; to disk or to memory. The droid would require a data module for the message to be stored in the droid's memory. A message stored in it's memory can be played back at any time by any player via the "play holo recording" radial. The message would appear in the droid's datastorage and can be transfered to a player's datapad and/or to another droid's data storage at anytime but CAN NOT be traded.Recording to disk requires the droid to have a storage module. Whenrecording to disk, a disk will be created within the Droid's storage module which can then be traded to any other player. If the person carrying the disk has a droid with a Holo Emitter Module called, s/he can "play" the disk and the droid would playback the recording. Likewise if the player is in a private or public holo chamber the disk can be "played back".

So there you have it. Not only does this open up a new, more "Star Warsy", form of communication in the game but also increases the usefulness of droids to fit a use we know was essential from the Star Wars movies. The two key scenes here being Obi Wan communicating with Windu and Yoda via "R4" in Episode II and R2 playing back Leia's recording in Episode IV.

I realise its a pipe dream and something that will most likely never reach the game, but I believe holo communications is as important to making the game "Star Wars" as including space.

Abandon all hope

TheRealTK421

Fri May 28, 2004 8:48 am

#2

Hoshi,

I don't think we are quite ready to have this high on our list...but someday...

Please keep this info/link handy. I'd really like to have these kinds of posts around when it's time for us to get serious about adding this feature.

....someday...

/bow

Respectfully,

TheRealTK421 a.k.a. "Doughbacca"

SWG DE Correspondent

Co-Founding member of Ahazi DENet & SWG DEA (Droid Engineer Association)

"I think all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. ...I'm certainly not. And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am."

OckVofad

Fri May 28, 2004 10:49 am

#3

Im a relative new DE so i am probably rehashing an old argument. I think this would be a fun and "star warsy" concept. But what would this really add in terms of gameplay? People would still use tells. After the initial "coolness" I predict no one would use them.

Now add a radical concept, eliminate tells (which they will never do), and the value of this concept goes up.

Interesting but probably unusable.

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TheRealTK421

Fri May 28, 2004 1:27 pm

#4

It's a great (and much wanted) idea.

I /ponder about how useful it will be in the face of /tells though...but that could be considered.

I suspect that any such feature addition of this type would represent a herculean amount of work and coding time...but I'll try to see what they Devs' think about such a feature/system.

If it has any 'legs' at all...I'll let you know so we can start to work up proposals.

/bow

Respectfully,

TheRealTK421 a.k.a. "Doughbacca"

SWG DE Correspondent

Co-Founding member of Ahazi DENet & SWG DEA (Droid Engineer Association)

"I think all right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that ordinary, decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. ...I'm certainly not. And I'm sick and tired of being told that I am."

Vampiric_Hoshi

Fri May 28, 2004 4:31 pm

#5

There are many aspects of this game people can question why it exists since there is some other form or version. The point is to give people the tools and abilities to "role play" a person in the Star Wars unirverse ... I would like to believe that is the primary goal of this game, being that its a Star Wars "role play" title. I try to break down all the things I thought were cool in Star Wars, all the things I wanted to do and wanted to see, and then try to fit them to this game. I have to say that its not even hitting 50% of the "cool" things in Star Wars and I think its a real shame, so ideas like this are try and nudge its "wow factor" a few more levels.

As it stands, regardless of whether /tell's are in-game or not this stands to add a lot more into the game. Here are some pointers of why it works AS WELL as /tells:

There is no need to add a command at the begining of each sentence such as /r or /tell etc making the ability to chat simpler.

You are able to see the person you are chatting with, even though they are on the other side of the Galaxy

You are able to see emotes the other person is doing

No miss-tells because someone else interupted you before you was able to reply to the first

The chat generated from these communications could go in its own chat window (much like when a group is formed groupchat becomes available) so you don't miss a message due to spatial spam

You can agree or deny to chat with the other person BEFORE you start chatting

You can potentialy hold a conversation with multiple players on multiple locations (if the private/public platforms allowed more than one person on it)

You can "record" messages that can later be played back

Other people can watch the conversation (if they arnt joining in)

Its more emmersive than /tells

Its "Star Warsy"

Thats just a handful of pluses for it working along side the current /tell system.

On a side note, there is potentialy more things that this could be used for. Such as:

Spying
A spy with a droid containing a Holo Recording Module could take a holo recording of a structure or person and "save it disk" for later viewing. This disk could then be inserted into a playback device and be used for displaying intel. Think of ROTJ and the death star plans being viewed in a mission briefing. How many people wished they could do the same when planning a guild raid on a base or town?

Holographic Vendors
Record your OWN image with your OWN greeting message to act as a holographic vendor. It would still require maintenance like any other vendor since it would be using some kind of holo emiting device and would initialy require a droid with a holo recording module to record the greeting message onto a disk which could then be inserted into the vendor emitter.

I'm sure others can think of other things too, but just image the role play potential of the things listed here alone.

Abandon all hope

LadyLeala

Sat May 29, 2004 12:37 am

#6

OckVofad wrote:

Im a relative new DE so i am probably rehashing an old argument. I think this would be a fun and "star warsy" concept. But what would this really add in terms of gameplay? People would still use tells. After the initial "coolness" I predict no one would use them.

Now add a radical concept, eliminate tells (which they will never do), and the value of this concept goes up.

Interesting but probably unusable.

Why not get rid of tells? They took out stat migration from the player base, afterall... (heehee)

But, on a serious note... I think tihs concept has a lot of potential.

TK-- This particular idea might have some credibility in a more recent update, if you consider its potential impact on the GCW. What if this concept could be expanded to provide a sort of "holo-link terminal" for the commander of an army? And via this terminal, the commander could both see the battlefield (including positions of troops in real time) and send communications to squad leaders, etc?

With the GCW revamp coming, I do think the devs could use even more good ideas like this one to help plan it better.

This could also potentially be an interesting way to integrate further the ground world into the JTL expansion soon to be released...

Anyway, I imagine this would take an immense amount of resources and coding time, so I don't see it coming immediately. But it definitely has a lot of potential.

Wayfarer's Designs

Relocating on CHILASTRA

CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

OckVofad

Sat May 29, 2004 11:27 am

#7

Well here is how i think this could work and possibly get into the game. The devs have said that they would like to let guilds have their own capital ships. Normal tells or chat should not work for capital ship-to-capital ship or capital ship-to-ground communication. You would have to use the holo for that. Otherwise, my opinion has not really changed on the issue.

Unfortunately, most ppl here dont understand the concept of "roll play" a la tabletop games. Approaching the devs with that as ammunition i dont think will work.

Just my two cents.

Visit OckTech DroidWorks on Bloodfin
Theed, Naboo Waypoint -6015, 3346.
Bestine, Tatooine Waypoint -595, -4220

Admin for Bloodfin Droid Engineer Association

I'd like an HTML tag Please

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