If you use an offscreen method you would increase detection speed by a lot, remove unit slowdown, and you could hotkey the zergling. The only drawback is having to hotkey it in the beginning, which isn't that bad.
I also don't see what's appealing about having different screens center viewed, it's not like you'd decrease any locations for location grids, but just have annoying screen flickers when you move the mouse to the side.
You're missing the point. It's appealing because center screen adds a certain atmosphere that a free-vision gameplay does not. It also opens up a lot of possibilities for puzzles / fight scenes to be made more challenging to the player. If you can't appreciate that, then get out.
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"If you use an offscreen method you would increase detection speed by a lot, remove unit slowdown, and you could hotkey the zergling. The only drawback is having to hotkey it in the beginning, which isn't that bad." - I notice you didn't reply to this part.
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Sorry, I haven't read much in this topic.
I just had to say to you that qPK was working on something -very- similar and already has a demo up. It uses EUD (AFIR).
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Quote from name:TassadarZeratul
"If you use an offscreen method you would increase detection speed by a lot, remove unit slowdown, and you could hotkey the zergling. The only drawback is having to hotkey it in the beginning, which isn't that bad." - I notice you didn't reply to this part.
1. The speed of bringing up the menu will be negligible. Worst case scenario, it takes the player ~3 seconds to access it. It should normally take a little less than 2 seconds to access.
2. The unit slow down is not significant because the burrowed unit is only moved there once every 13 DC's. Plus, since any given area of gameplay is only 1 screen big, fast travel speed isn't really needed.
3. You can hotkey this unit as well, you just have to do it again after you access the menu, but the game does not require frequent use of the menu so it's not a big deal.
4. I don't want them to EVER have vision outside of the active screen. This includes at the very start.
Anything else?
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The center screen will cause a lot of problems if you don't manage it right. Make sure there are no situations when you're fighting enemies right on the border of the screen, because if it changes then, you might misclick and lose control. It will generally feel annoying. If, however, you get the 'room' feel when each screen presents a new and somehow original situation/setup, it'll work well.
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What's with the hostility? Is that what I get for trying to help? I think you're missing the point that an offscreen method would be more good than bad. If you don't care for having the best systems (even though the better system in this case is really easy to implement) then I guess it's fine how it is. I think a little green dot in the corner which would make a really small portion of vision that doesn't matter is better than seeing a zergling unburrow on the main screen. But, my opinion differs from him so I guess I shouldn't bother and 'get out'.
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Guys, enough with the bashing. Norm already knows about Fallen Memories (he posted in the thread; I don't know if he's actually played it), so he KNOWS that a menu system has been done before -- you don't need to keep pointing out maps where it's been done already.
This system is DIFFERENT from existing systems because he wants to limit the number of hotkeys a player needs to use. As he has STATED already, only 2 hotkeys should be required for optimal play.
In addition, a map like Fallen Memories uses EUD to switch players to and from menu. Norm probably does not want to use EUD. Deep Six uses a burrowed ling, but it requires 3 hotkeys. Given what Norm wants, this could very well be the the only option.
@Norm - I played the demo you attached and there are a few things you need to fix. First of all, your hero can wander off the screen while you're in the menu. Maybe put a trigger in there to keep that sucker from moving while you're in menu mode. Secondly, the world screen transitions are buggy. Sometimes my character will go from one screen to the next, but my vision will not follow him to the other screen. I'm sure it's only a rough demo, so you'll probably work these things out later. Anyway, it looks promising. Keep on truckin'
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Thank you, yeah what I put up on here was a very crude thing just to show you what the interface is like, It doesn't include anything past that. I have a production thread up now though if you want to know what this is goin toward.
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Even if the purpose is to use 2 hotkeys, the ling can still be somewhere unseen. (maybe 1 1x1 block in the inventory; top right, like the "X" on a window.).
1) Slowing is slightly* annoying.
2) not very pretty
3) more original than standard methods
The idea seems more original, but the overall implementation of it is less efficient (including aesthetic values) than an off screen ling.
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Having played the demo, I can say that I would much rather hotkey an offscreen ling at the start.
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