[Question] Vehicle Fuel System

[CanuckCommander]

Is this possible with the BF2 engine? Perhaps using the afterburner/sprint system from BF2?

A fuel system would greatly improve PR's vehicle gameplay and more assets can be placed on a map without them being over-powered. For example, apaches can be placed on INS maps because not only they have to avoid getting killed, they have to watch their fule and RTB to refuel. Overall, this would lead to more entertaining and realistic gameplay.

[Tim270]

I have always been interested in this idea. Cant really see why it cant be possible using some creative solutions.

[SShadowFox]

Maybe there could be some kind of "weapon" on the vehicles, that gets wasted automatically, if the ammo for it ends, the vehicle stops and can't move again unless it's "refueled".

[Heavy Death]

Is this possible with the BF2 engine? Perhaps using the afterburner/sprint system from BF2?

A fuel system would greatly improve PR's vehicle gameplay and more assets can be placed on a map without them being over-powered. For example, apaches can be placed on INS maps because not only they have to avoid getting killed, they have to watch their fule and RTB to refuel. Overall, this would lead to more entertaining and realistic gameplay.

Idea is nice.

However, apache would have to RTB for ammo earlier and would also die earlier than it would need to refuel.

[Rhino]

However, apache would have to RTB for ammo earlier and would also die earlier than it would need to refuel.

Ye, you don't have the same scale as r/l so fuel isn't a problem, unless we cut down the fuel tank drastically from r/l.


We have looked into this system before and at the end of the day, only real way of doing it is with some rather complex python code, cutting the engine when the vehicle "ran out of fuel", and no simple way of having a "fuel gauge" either, best thing we could really do without a massive amount of work, would be text spamming the player, possibly the entire team every 10% of fuel lost that he has so and so amount of fuel left...

[CanuckCommander]

Ye, you don't have the same scale as r/l so fuel isn't a problem, unless we cut down the fuel tank drastically from r/l.


We have looked into this system before and at the end of the day, only real way of doing it is with some rather complex python code, cutting the engine when the vehicle "ran out of fuel", and no simple way of having a "fuel gauge" either, best thing we could really do without a massive amount of work, would be text spamming the player, possibly the entire team every 10% of fuel lost that he has so and so amount of fuel left...

If we had this system, new maps could be created to utilize this. One type of map I can think of is Afganistan maps where Blufor has to hold a FOB with the help of only air assets that have to fly a long way to the combat zone, sort of like how the Argentinians have to fly a long way to rearm on The Falklands map. Even though the INF combat zone is only a tiny fraction of the map, the aircraft will still have to make the long trip each time and will have limited loitering time. With this system, most aircraft weapons can be buffed as they won't be as overpowered since they can't stay around too long to provide CAS.

[Mineral]

Personally, a maximum of 16km? maps with main base in that area, I don't see the need to spend tons of hours into coding it just to have some probably overly basic and gamey fuel system. In games like arma it works cause the maps are gigantic. But fuel in a 16km area with main bases under 4km? No need for fuel simulation.

[CanuckCommander]

Personally, a maximum of 16km? maps with main base in that area, I don't see the need to spend tons of hours into coding it just to have some probably overly basic and gamey fuel system. In games like arma it works cause the maps are gigantic. But fuel in a 16km area with main bases under 4km? No need for fuel simulation.

Loiter time is extremely dependent on fuel. It's not really too much about the size of the map, it's about how long a vehicle can stay on the battlefield. For example, CAS choppers and jets have to return to main not only for weapons but for flares, which currently acts like a sort of fuel limitation in game.

How can a fuel system be gamey? In fact, the more basic the fuel system the better. It's pretty simple and realistic because you either have fuel or you are out of fuel, that's it. I can't think of any other scenario, such as oil pressure or w.e., that we need to simulate.

If most complicated we want this system to ever is to make fuel consumption proportional to the workload of the engine. For example, if you are always flying at 100% thrust, then you consume fuel faster. Or if you use too much afterburner then you use more fuel. That's about it. And it would give a whole new dimension to dog fighting actually.

[Rhino]

So all you need to do now is code it so it works just like you described it with only using BF2 code and python, somehow figure out a good system of python telling the player how much fuel he has left, then make a bunch of new maps where this system can actually be used on and then profit?

[Mineral]

meanwhile in a parallel universe where time is non-existent and the bf2 editor is made out of candy..

[Heavy Death]

If we had this system, new maps could be created to utilize this. One type of map I can think of is Afganistan maps where Blufor has to hold a FOB with the help of only air assets that have to fly a long way to the combat zone, sort of like how the Argentinians have to fly a long way to rearm on The Falklands map. Even though the INF combat zone is only a tiny fraction of the map, the aircraft will still have to make the long trip each time and will have limited loitering time. With this system, most aircraft weapons can be buffed as they won't be as overpowered since they can't stay around too long to provide CAS.

PR is universal. If one map would have fuel, every map would have fuel.

You are making suggestions out of suggestion forum and now trying so hard to get an idea to implement it. PR is not like that. Hell, even in ArmA i never ran out of fuel on long missions. Its a waste of time.

[CanuckCommander]

So all you need to do now is code it so it works just like you described it with only using BF2 code and python, somehow figure out a good system of python telling the player how much fuel he has left, then make a bunch of new maps where this system can actually be used on and then profit?

Or we can just ask Mosquill? lols

[Rhino]

Or we can just ask Mosquill? lols

I asked him about this many years ago when brain storming ideas with him and a few other devs and this, as I thought before I asked it, was the situation. The only thing he confirmed to me was that yes, if you made a 3D cockpit, you could have the python code, working with a 3rd party .exe to have a fuel gauge needle move as you lost fuel, but since then we have totally abandoned the concept of 3D, working cockpits since for starters, there is a limited amount of moving parts you can have on a vehicle and 2, its too much work with very little gain and causes small issues like zfighting etc, simliar to this in fact, without the zfighting.

If this was something quick and simple to add, we would have added it. The fact is that its a massive amount of work, which unless we made unrealistically small fuel tanks for vehicles, or somehow made massive maps which required 2hrs+ flight time to get to the battle, it would be totally worthless since you would have either been shot down or gone back for reloading/repairs waaay before needing fuel.

You are making suggestions out of suggestion forum and now trying so hard to get an idea to implement it. PR is not like that.

Indeed, if you are actually going to develop this idea then you can make a new WIP topic when you have something to show, until then I'm going to close this topic since this is just a suggestion outside the suggestions forum, which you have clearly indicated in your last post..