The ai Frontier - My ups and downs

[Dokujisan]

hmm, the really bulky part is the lower part of the stem. If the flag could be detached at the mid-section of the stem, where it starts to curve, then it might look okay for the player to carry just that part.

I guess then the lower part of the stem would need to remain in place when someone grabs the flag, otherwise it would seem to just disappear. I dunno how much complexity that adds to the process.

I was also wondering about the flag sticking so far behind the player. If the FC were standing against a wall, the flag would stick out through the wall?

[ai]

You know what I'll do, I'll release a beta version of the flag. The reason is that I played with it online and sometimes it's hard to see the player actually having the flag. So I want to know what you guys think.
Detaching would work, but that would make the flag even smaller and harder to notice the person who has it. But maybe you guys will think of something.

Download the .pk. As always just put this inside your 'Nexuiz/data' folder: http://ai.planetnexuiz.de/Models/z_aiFl ... E_V0.3.pk3

BTW. If you want to play online with this flag model, from what I tried, only Greens server will work. I haven't tried that many though. It won't work on Lazy Dog and possibly some others as well. But Greens for sure will work.

[Alien]

I think flag shoud change direction according to the players position. Lasers should go off when carrying the flag and turn on when flag is dropped to keep flag in vertical position.




I think this can be achieved by attaching flag to the backbone.

[ai]

Let's focus on one problem at the time. First of, what should I do about the size of the flag when carried? I have no idea how the game works or how the code is made, if there is a special event when the flag is picked up or not. Which I do believe there should be otherwise turning of the lasers won't work as people suggested to just have a model without the lasers.

So if I do take away the lasers on the model and what that to be visible when it's carried, changing size, or splitting the model up would work. But I need to know what to to with those models later on, where to put them, what to name them and such. So that it co-exists with the code.

@Alien:
Change direction how? As it is now, as seen in the screens. It does change direction with the player. The 'cloth' is always facing outwards from the back. Which I think is a good result already, but of course closer to the body and possibly not so big.
How do you mean for it to change direction according to players position?

[Alien]

Hmm. Model can have animation (different frame groups) so coder can reference those in his code if model has them defined inside. I suppose process is similar to making animated character.

Change direction how? As it is now, as seen in the screens. It does change direction with the player. The 'cloth' is always facing outwards from the back. Which I think is a good result already, but of course closer to the body and possibly not so big.
How do you mean for it to change direction according to players position?

Now the flag is glued to the player (placed at position). Flag position does not change whether the player is ducking or running. It is always placed vertically downwards, which looks bad. I should fix the %$^%$$ picture of mine cause it can't be seen here.

http://pics.nexuizninjaz.com/files/3xqw ... 7hjwg2.png

[ai]

Ok, I understand now.
But before I can go on playing with bones and such I need to know if there's a special event that plays when a player picks up the flag and if it is possible to change that 'carried' flag to something else? Cause if so, I can break up the model like Doku suggested, making the stand stay at base while the flag carrier only have the 'bow' so to speak.

How the flag should look like and the size of it must first be decided before I can go on with animation or bones.

[Alien]

But before I can go on playing with bones and such I need to know if there's a special event that plays when a player picks up the flag and if it is possible to change that 'carried' flag to something else?

Players get broadcast message that somebody picked the flag.

Cause if so, I can break up the model like Doku suggested, making the stand stay at base while the flag carrier only have the 'bow' so to speak.

Yeah, but the stand is required when player drops the flag. Or not?

[ai]

Players get broadcast message that somebody picked the flag.

Indeed, but those a special event take place which says which model should be shown once it is picked up? Meaning: Event playing, player picked up flag, use <thisModel>.
Something like that.

Yeah, but the stand is required when player drops the flag. Or not?

That's a good point, then I suppose Doku's solution has a flaw. Well I suppose scaled down then?

However, I took some liberties and made some changes to the flag, expanded if you want. Now it's a lot easier to spot the flag carrier, and I think it's still open for some solutions if people think it's too big. I took screens from close up, far away and when people was standing next to it so you get a good representation of how it looks like.
I think it looks both better when carried and when it stands in the base. It looked so empty with just one 'cloth bow'.
The polys are more but when I played online with 10-12 people it didn't seem to affect the gameplay with lags or anything.
It's tris is now: 4238

[Alien]

Indeed, but those a special event take place which says which model should be shown once it is picked up? Meaning: Event playing, player picked up flag, use <thisModel>.
Something like that.

Imo, it shouldn't hard to be code.

[ai]

For people who want to try them out: http://ai.planetnexuiz.de/Models/z_aiFl ... E_V0.4.pk3

Remember, Greens server allows custom flag models (i.e. these to be shown), other servers might not.