jetpack clipping.. maybe?

[Mr. Bougo]

Well, it seems America is going through a bad case of radio-bogenitis.

It will cure on its own, eventually... Don't let that affect your attachment to the game.

[Grasshopper]

thanks mr buogo for the wise words . thanks div for the heads up on the clipp . i will test it out and see if can set an entire field around any map i make and clearly state jetpack null and void . reason being is that anyone using jetpack shouldnt be able to skip the good parts unless the map is specifically made for it

[divVerent]

In that case, rather set g_jetpack to 0 in your mapinfo.

The whole point of the jetpack is getting to places to which you otherwise can't or not that easily. If you don't like it, don't enable it. If you do such a workaround, your map simply won't end up on that server at all.

A less insane option would be using the mapinfo to set a higher fuel consumption and slower regeneration. Then you will have chances to actually play your map.

[MaKR]

I have heard some discussion that I would be in favor of - making the jetpack an item. This would prevent abuse of it and place it where it was intended. Past that I will just not lay servers that allow the jetpack to work like this.

[divVerent]

It already works like that, but the only maps that currently contain it are mikeeusa's.

Once the item is placed on like 10% of the maps, the mutator option will lose interest.

[Flying Steel]

If we have a problem with a growing wave of (non-default, unofficial) (nearly-)unlimited fuel jetpack usage, then it is just that- our problem.

Why? Because we have stuck with too many movement "features" that look a hell of a lot like exploits or bugs outright, or when used in combination. For instance, while not really realistic, ramp jumping is fun, useful and not really imbalancing as is bunny hopping to a lesser extent; but then you have some extreme weapon jumping wherein folks who've developed its trick can move through maps very, very fast, as well as so-called "strafe-jumping" which is just a pure exploit in (very shabby) feature's clothing.

There are two problems with this combination of things. One is that a veteran player well practiced in all these tricks can do a really good job of being extremely difficult to hit and nearly impossible to keep up with or kill, by anyone who doesn't have veteran aiming and weapon usage skills. The other problem is that playing the game in this super-mobility fashion offers kind of odd gameplay (shooting walls to bounce off them all the time, using complex motions and key-combos to simply move forward faster, rarely ever being able to look in the direction you are going in, etc.) that most newer FPS players don't like, when and if they actually come to understand it, so they don't really have any of the motivation needed to get good with it and 'join the club'.

Thus the masses, initially attracted by a free game with high quality graphics, tend to want to get around these nitchy, elitist mobility gameplay mechanics. This can be done either by removing them outright for some servers, or much better, adding a flashy, easy to use/understand and even faster way of getting around- the unlimited (or nearly so) jetpack!

One imbalancing hack deserves another.

[divVerent]

Well, I am just against UNLIMITED jetpack. By default, g_jetpack already is nearly unlimited if you use it right. 100 fuel divided by 8 fuel per second = 12.5 seconds of jetpacking. If you just use it in short bursts to get insane speeds after changing direction and losing speed, this lasts nearly forever. If you just go full throttle forward or upward, the speed limit of the jetpack kicks in and fuel usage sinks to about 5 fuel per second = 20 seconds of "noob flying".

Why that server admin reduced fuel usage is beyond me. But also, IMHO it does not break the game much.

[tundramagi]

Thus the masses, initially attracted by a free game with high quality graphics, tend to want to get around these nitchy, elitist mobility gameplay mechanics. This can be done either by removing them outright for some servers, or much better, adding a flashy, easy to use/understand and even faster way of getting around- the unlimited (or nearly so) jetpack!

Yea, the jetpack rocks .
When it's enabled on a server it really gets rid of frustration "I want to go there... oops I fsced up and am back on the ground gotta try again for another 5 min" to "once I get more fuel (or it regens) I can get there".

Ofcourse, not every map is good with jetpack, but alot are (It doesn't really break many (or any) of my maps) (I learned a long time ago that to "protect" an area tall walls don't suffice: you need it totally enclosed).

[Flying Steel]

Well, I am just against UNLIMITED jetpack.

I know, and I too prefer the jetpack with the current settings; obviously I liked them so much I wanted to see them in the GH as well.

I was just giving what I feel is one of the big and legitimate motivations for why folks choose such a crazy setting- as a way of marginalizing almost over the top and even more gimmicky and oddly difficult available means of getting around at highest available speed while being highly evasive. So folks who want to get rid of one should also want to get rid of the other, or else it is probably just their own personal bias at work, imo.

By default, g_jetpack already is nearly unlimited if you use it right. 100 fuel divided by 8 fuel per second = 12.5 seconds of jetpacking. If you just use it in short bursts to get insane speeds after changing direction and losing speed, this lasts nearly forever. If you just go full throttle forward or upward, the speed limit of the jetpack kicks in and fuel usage sinks to about 5 fuel per second = 20 seconds of "noob flying".

Why that server admin reduced fuel usage is beyond me. But also, IMHO it does not break the game much.

I far as I see it and use it, the JP is air cover. It takes the fight to the enemy faster, for longer (greater survivability through becoming a faster, smaller target) and in some cases more effectively (example- grenade launcher works much better when used from above).

Ofcourse, not every map is good with jetpack, but alot are (It doesn't really break many (or any) of my maps) (I learned a long time ago that to "protect" an area tall walls don't suffice: you need it totally enclosed).

Yeah, what I said above actually applies the most to larger open maps like most of yours.

[AnArKiSt]

Here is my view on the jetpack.

I constantly see the jetpack being used as a way for newbies to bail out when they take too much damage. If they screw up in a manner that would normally get them killed, let them die. How are they going to learn, if they do not suffer from their mistakes? Many people on Nexican don't even bunny hop, as they let the jet pack do it for them, and some of them don't even laser jump, because they have a trusty jetpack to help them out.

For now, I'll call the the Jetpack "Nexuiz training wheels for movement newbies".

The jetpack is sadly taking away a reason for newbies to learn how to move, bunny hop, strafe jump, laser jump, and other very useful movement techniques; because they have a single button to do it for them.

I strongly encourage mappers to nerf or disallow the jetpack in their maps (or areas in them) where they feel it would be abused or become detrimental to the experience of the map.