Scout Archive
Thread: Scouts, Rangers and their Environment
Every time I play and a storm comes up on whatever planet I'm on, sandstorm on Tatooine, Rain/lightning on Theed and Dathomir, (hopefully snow on hoth one day in the future), I always throw on my helmet and body coverings. I mean, thats what you do in real life right? You protect your body from the elements because they either hinder you or hurt you.
I was hoping to actually have interactive environments in this game. Why not make a sandstorm damage you slightly with all of the high speed sand particles? Why not make some of the planets have acid rain that can hurt your bare skin or go through normal clothing? Have snowstorms cause cold damage over time while you are out in them?
Some armors could negate the effects such as full body covering ones (mainly composite), things like sunguards, and most especially CAMPS! Yes, make scout and ranger camps more functional! The advancedranger camps are impressive with their canopies, able to house many people underneath it for shelter from a fierce acid rain storm. Their large tents also able to fit many people inside of them in case of a snow or sand storm. The same can be done with scout camps, you cansqueeze 2-4 people inside of a tent in case an emergency arises like a sudden sand or snow storm.
I know this is only hoping, but one day, I hope that this game will have this extra bit of reality thrown in. I think it would really add to the overall feeling that there really is an environment to these planets.
Every time I play and a storm comes up on whatever planet I'm on, sandstorm on Tatooine, Rain/lightning on Theed and Dathomir, (hopefully snow on hoth one day in the future), I always throw on my helmet and body coverings. I mean, thats what you do in real life right? You protect your body from the elements because they either hinder you or hurt you.
I was hoping to actually have interactive environments in this game. Why not make a sandstorm damage you slightly with all of the high speed sand particles? Why not make some of the planets have acid rain that can hurt your bare skin or go through normal clothing? Have snowstorms cause cold damage over time while you are out in them?
Some armors could negate the effects such as full body covering ones (mainly composite), things like sunguards, and most especially CAMPS! Yes, make scout and ranger camps more functional! The advancedranger camps are impressive with their canopies, able to house many people underneath it for shelter from a fierce acid rain storm. Their large tents also able to fit many people inside of them in case of a snow or sand storm. The same can be done with scout camps, you cansqueeze 2-4 people inside of a tent in case an emergency arises like a sudden sand or snow storm.
I know this is only hoping, but one day, I hope that this game will have this extra bit of reality thrown in. I think it would really add to the overall feeling that there really is an environment to these planets..
Hmm, I'd like the game to have more "connection" between your character and thevirtual world.Of course, I was one of the few people lament the lose of the "ecology" coding in Ultima Online's creature AI, most didn't even notice and this was during the Beta. That said we really have it better than some other games I've played (i.e. Everquest), for example I can't count the times luring a predator into a certian non-agressive creatures has saved my character trip to the cloning center (because the creatures reconize the predator as an enemy).
I guessthat little touchesthat makesome of us want more. Things like more realistic physics, NPC's are both more active and interactive, and weather effects are things I would appreciate.I'd like to dropitems on the floor or flat surfaces, not have them hover at their own specific altitude (do chef's and artisians attach repulsorlifts to their wares?:tongue
But I can live with things the way they are until we get playercontroled Z-axisin buildings, I don't want to ruin all the neat "sculptures" people have done in game. Another minor, but annoying thing about the physics is having to run around to the other side of a building to get on a walkway it looks like I could just step up on.
Another area involves NPCs. Obviously we can't ask for NPCs that can pass the Turring Test but there is room for improvement. Right now, we have NPCs that do some occasionalanimations and some that wonder around. Although some NPCs seem like manikins, I wouldn't want to increase the occurace of animations too much, that could get messy.However specific animations forspecificcircumstances would be nice, for example if a Chef trainer is by a crafting station every once and a while the train could look like he is using it. The flip side of this is making sure certian NPCs don't do animations that don't fit them. On Naboo,I once saw a whole camp of Royal Security Force NPCs do that slithery dance animation at the same time. Maybe this was intentional to show that the RSF is not the most professional police force in the galaxy (like the some of their quests would lead you to believe), but I doubt it.
You did a good job outlining some possibleweather effects ideas,and maybe we might see a few of them in the game some day. However, one man's trash is another man's treasure. While you and I might like weather that affects your stats or HAM pool, others might just see it as an annoyance. Still it's nice to ponder what could be....
This idea has precedence in the movies. In the Empire Strikes Back the Hoth nights were too cold to survive outdoors and in the Phantom Menace young Anakin said that sandstorms can be dangerous.
Taylors could make protective gear. Imagine "storm coats" being as necessary as backpacks and everybody owning one. Damaging storms might also cause an increase in the use of foods that buff stats for a short time, giving some true usefulness to chefs (on a side note, I think players should be required to eat to maintain normal stat regeneration, in the same spirit of keeping battle fatigue low; this would also promote restaurants where people can socialize while healing their hunger while the cantinas will be where you can heal the mind, but I digress).
I like the idea of protective camps. We could either have only Ranger camps be protection against the elements or with each level of camping up the Scout and Ranger trees the more advanced camps will offer more protection.
Thoughts off the top of my head.
Zingonia
I recall during Beta this topic came up.
- I got the impression the Developers did not want to injure players with a game mechanic that the players themselves could not avoid or even be forewarned about.
I do like the idea of damaging the clothing though...
- However I see a future where players simply go naked to avoid the decay, and that is adisturbing future indeed. =P
"Quick!A Sandstorm is approaching, everyone take off your clothes!" =)
NRaas wrote:
I got the impression the Developers did not want to injure players with a game mechanic that the players themselves could not avoid or even be forewarned about.
Wish they still believed this. Last I looked, they were all in favor of this concept with respect to item decay. 1% unavoidable decay on death, which cannot be mitigated by insurance. I heard they'd removed weapons from the decay problems, but that still leaves EVERYTHING ELSE.
"Last I looked, they were all in favor of this concept with respect to item decay."
But the players are forewarned about it, and it can be avoided by not dying. =P
- As compared to say a virtually random Sandstorm that would inflict damage on all non-combatants as well.
Mind you... I have never tried to run from a Sandstorm, but I don't think it is possible.
Developers did not want to injure players with a game mechanic that the players themselves could not avoid or even be forewarned about? What about the spawns that appear out of nowhere and go aggro on you? 
Seriously, if that's the case, put in a system warning a minute or two before a storm hits that says "The wind begins to pick up as a storm approaches." And the damage can be avoided by giving Tailors the ability to make storm coats and people have the choice of either buying them or not.
I'm sure people would complain about rain storms causing damage and I tend to agree with that. But I think sand storms or, later, ice storms or possibly volcanic (hot) winds should cause some minor damage. The storm damage should not be crippling by any means, but enough to remind players the environment is alive and interactive. If you're caught in a storm while hunting in the wilds, well, that's the risk you take and you'll just have to endure the extra damage. Make a campsite for protection, throw on your storm coat and eat some food.
I see two types of players: those who play by the intent and those who play by the rules. With no offense intended to either party, those who play by the intent are into SWG for the experience, while those who play by the rules are into SWG for the game. You're never going to make one side or the other completely happy.
Zingonia
Sorry, a little clarification. In my last paragraph about intent vs rules I was thinking about the statement that people would avoid the clothing decay by running around naked. In simplistic terms, those who played by the intent would put up with the clothing decay as part of the realism, while those who play by the rules would run around naked because there's no reason why they can't. Anyway, that was the thought going through my head when I wrote it.
Zingonia
"What about the spawns that appear out of nowhere and go aggro on you?"
I don't believe that is intentional, and will eventually be fixed. =)
"put in a system warning a minute or two before a storm hits that says "The wind begins to pick up as a storm approaches.""
Agreed. There are many game elements that can be added to mitigate the problem.
- However none of them exist right now, so adding damage without such mechanics would be... shall we say... stormy. =P
This system becomes a full blown module with all the adjustments required.
- Perhaps when the developers have a wee bit more time... =)
I agree totally with this whole concept, planets should definitely have more of a real environment feel to them. Desert planets should already have this effect, and you know one day a snow planet will be added, though probably not Hoth. As it is a player of any skill will be able to walk barefooted in their underwear all over the planet in question. This sort of thing should definitely be discouraged This is probably why there isn't already a snowy planet to visit... to hard to implement
Bal Rozguul
Master Ranger
Master Pikeman
Naritus
Raihn,
I like those ideas. I think I'll throw 'em up on the Correspondent's forum.
B