Ideas for 2 new defensive elements ::The Wall:: ::The Fog::

[Aldius]

First off, I understand that some people might think these concepts are total crap, but I think they could add somewhat missing elements to the strategy of Nexuiz.

I think that we should try to make up some type of deployable restriction or barrier to motion in the game, it would be especially applicable for ctf ( maybe even race, but this could drastically change race mode as far as multiplayer )

::the wall::
I think we could make something like a deployable wall or energy shield that can be picked up like a special ability can. For example, maybe 2 would be laid out per map in hard-to-reach places, if they are appropriate for that map at all.

These 'walls' or 'shields', w/ev they are, should be w/ev shape or size that we find to fit into the balance best.

Maybe it could be huge, like 20 player's height's wide, 4 tall

Maybe it should be only 2 player's heights wide and 1 tall.

Maybe it should be a spherical shield (size of that in Halo3 maybe but, different whole function)

Maybe it should be a laser wall that expands until it meets boundaries
* for example, you put it in a hallway, it stops at the walls; you put it outside, it goes to map bounds, etc

Maybe it should be a big block instead of thin wall.

Obviously, the shape and size would be important, and would determine how effective the item would be, and wether it would be a casual pick up, or a very important strategic element.

Maybe there could be small weak ones and one big strong one.

I think the reason for this whole item it that there is not alot one can do in anticipation for enemy caps besides getting good weapons and a good personal position to fight from, besides maybe dropping a few electro balls on it for fun. I'm not saying there is no strategy to defense in nexuiz, but i think that with a barrier there could be more dimension to it. It could make a player feel less awkward just waiting for an enemy to walk up and capture the flag.

I think the destructability of these barriers would be a neat element. I think that they should have around 3 seconds of invincibilty once they are employed.
After that, they last until somebody destroys them.
I think that if they are to be a minor element to the game, I'm guessing they should have maybe 750 health. Players are smaller targets and move fast, and we start with much less health/armor.
I think it shouldn't be much more damage, because the gameplay in nexuiz is fast-paced and players don't have time to stand around and shoot a wall all day.

I think another interesting idea for it, is that maybe the walls have a weakness or opposite:
Maybe the nex shouldn't be able to damage the walls at all.
Maybe rockets can't splash it.
Maybe the starting shotgun should kill it in only 10 shots or something just for no reason
or Maybe the electro is a 2 hit KO on it.

Whatever works best, I think differentiating effects of weapon choice on the wall could be a way to bring into action some of the less-used weapons for another small part of the game.

Finally the power of the wall. I think that it would be most effective if only the members of your own team could walk through the wall you put up.
Opposite teams can't pass it at all. They have to destroy it or go around.

This would make most sense if it was for example a translucent energy shield the color of the team that deployed it:
For example, I'm on red team, i put down a shield; its translucent red. red team can walk right through, blue cannot walk through.

A spin off of this could be the idea that a basic laser shot (only that weapon tho) could make the wall disabled for 1 second, then it turns back to normal.
That might balance how strong it is, or it might make it just totally useless; idk we would have to test that out to know.

::the fog::
This one would be good on any game style, not just CTF
My idea for 'the fog' was inspired from memories of MarioKart 64
Oh yeah!
I remembered how it was interesting to go through the grass and stuff and get all slowed down, or i moved through Ice and slipped, and then there's the tar and banana peels etc.
I thought of how weak but negative effects from all over that game wasn't a bad part of the game, it really adds some of the only racing strategy
I realized all the bad things made the game a bit funner.

From this, I think there should be a deployable item like a fog that spreads into a big cloud over a designated area
(possibly the color of the team that deployed it)
I think it could have one or more of these effects on the opposing team:

It could (completely or partially) impair their vision through the cloud
Maybe this means it would blur the vision, darken it, lighten it, or maybe just simply block vision past it at all. (like a secret walk-thru wall in the old Golden-eye game)
It would be used in strategy as is a smoke grenade or smoke bomb on some games. This should be more powerful impairment to vision, and would be more effective in strategy because it would only effect your enemies.

It could partially ( we would have to find the right percentage ) slow down player movement of the opposite team

It could render the armor of the enemy team ineffective while in the fog.
For example, I have 100 hp 100 armor, I stand in enemy fog, I die from 100 dmg; If I walked out, though, my armor would be in effect again.

It could give a small bit of extra weapon damage or armor effect to players on the team of the fog-layer

It could, just as an added effect impair all audio to from the game to the player in the fog. This would just add to the experience; I don't think it could effect the game play a whole lot.

I think that any combination of a few of these effects could make the fog a great part of strategy in Nexuiz.

::::: This is totally off topic, sorry, but I just got another idea: maybe on CTF modes there should be a bind to teleport you back to your own base, only if you are not carrying a flag. Maybe it should have a cool down time though. Maybe there could be a separate one to teleport you to your teammate carrying the enemy flag, for his protection. This would definitely need a cool down or some restriction to it, but anyways::::::

To be honest, I don't know really how to create any of this, so I can't promise I can make anything. All this thread is is a brainstorm for some new elements for Nexuiz I thought of ( Since it is an Open Source game, after all)

Just post here if any of these sound good, or give you guys any ideas for other things alike.
Maybe if enough people get into this, we can make it work and try it out.

[torus]

Fog won't work, Nexuiz doesn't have the ability to do volumetric fog. The shield is interesting- there is already talk of adding a personal shield as a laser secondary fire.

[k0jak]

Fog won't work, Nexuiz doesn't have the ability to do volumetric fog. The shield is interesting- there is already talk of adding a personal shield as a laser secondary fire.

Making the laser even more powerful....


...if thats the case, increase the damage lasering does to one self..the laser would become an all-out speedrunners paradise..imagine what this would be like on CTF...able to zoom away whilst in the air using a shield till you need to laser jump again.

I don't mind the idea but then the primary damaghe it does to one's self when laser jumping will need to be increased very moderately.


And longer weapon respawn time for 1on1 ftw (off-topic )

[Alien]

Yeah, I can't imagine how laser shield should work. We need good and balanced idea here, cause otherwise it might be exploitable. For example, shielding oneself wouldn't be good thing in dm, I suppose.

If we really need shield for secondary, than maybe such things as like:
You are shielded for 3 secs, but you can't neither shoot, nor move for ~ 3 secs (you're stopped completely) - in the air or not does not matter. You might be saved from last blow, but you become a sitting duck (enemy can wait for your shield go off and kill you then). Would make interesting mind-fight, because shooting too early will make your target escape. Shield should have a sane recharge time, like 30 secs or should be auto-recharged on respawn. What do you all think?

[k0jak]

I personally don't think nexuiz needs a shield, but if there was some testing to be done, i'd certainly test it in games before i gave my final oppinions

[Alien]

Personally I don't care what sec laser fire should do (I think I'll make it useful in some situations anyway), but changing to the previously used weapon is annoying, cause you can do it with keybind, so why waste sec fire mode.

[torus]

Nexuiz NEEDS a shield. What would it do? It would provide a counter for the hitscan weapons such as the nex and the mg. OF course, the shield wouldn't protect from everything, and it would only protect you from the front.

This is how I imagined it would work. The laser would have an 'energy bar', which would be slowly used up (and then refill as the laser is not used) when you do anything with the laser. That would include laser-jumping, and having the shield out. HOWEVER, the more damage the shield takes, the faster the energy bar drops- so if you are just camping behind the shield, it will be difficult for you to get away. It would be useful in situations where you need to get past a bunch of camping snipers.

[k0jak]

Ok interesting idea, it'd need be tested really decently though before it could be implemented just to see whether or not / how it changes gameplay mechanics in CTF, TDM, DM, 1on1.

But i see no harm in trying it...I just can see TDM (if the weapon spawn time gets increased) may become too defensive..however i don't think that will be the case because nexuiz is still very fast paced, just not sure if we need the change.

anyway like i said, no harm in testing it.

[torus]

I think it MIGHT slow down Nexuiz just a bit, but it also would make it more strategic.

[Sepelio]

On the wall idea, I remember they had this modded into Tribes 2. Deployable forcefields. They were very useful, but were impervious to both teams passing through them. It was good for slowing down fast movement so it might work well in Nexuiz as well as a tactical aid.