Day to Night?

Alpha=Sniper Wolf · Post by **Alpha=Sniper Wolf** » 2005-09-22 23:29

Im not sure if this would be possiable but i think it would be amazingly cool if you stared the map at dawn (sunrise, low light) then moved to day, then to dusk. if it were possiable even full nighttime, im not sure about night cuz it would prob be hard to add night vision and that sounds like a lot of work but i think it would make reality mod truly realistic.

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » 2005-09-22 23:42

The only way that could be realistic is if you played the map for 12 hours, assuming you mean real time. Having said that I know what you mean. I'm not sure if real time day-night cycles are supported by the engine (I'm sure EA will bless us with that for £20 in a future addon pack), if so then it'd be good to at least have part of your idea, ie to start at dusk as you suggest, then it gets progressively lighter (as dusk to quite bright isn't THAT long really, and should have at least had some noticable change from the map start to finish in a typical round).

This is something we've been thinking about over at Silent Thunder, but as we're not yet focussing in depth on maps (due to the tools being pretty crappy more than anything) we've not gone into too much detail, or even seen if its possible. I'm sure it will be, if not then it may be able to work some other way like having light sources on a timer that move accross the sky as a sort of work around.

Artnez · Post by **Artnez** » 2005-09-23 00:27

This would be great for tournaments, as their battles are often 12 hours straight.

DAWG · Post by **DAWG** » 2005-09-23 00:35

Now that would be sweet. A 50,000 ticket game played out on the biggest map available, sure it may take 10 mins by jeep to get from one point to another, but it is certainly the best way to experience the ebb and flow of a drawn out battle between 2 matched forces. It also brings light condition and visibilty into the mix when considering attacks etc. I don't know how practicle it would be as an every week occurence, but it's something I'd like to try at least once in my BF career. Better put the cofee on now and start brewing it strong, it's likely going to be a long night.

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » 2005-09-23 00:43

I wonder if it's possible to carry the time over to the next round or map? Now that would be interesting. You could start at say 5am at dusk with enough light to get around properly without needing lights or night vision, then as each round goes on it'll get later and later and then carry on in the next map in the list. It'd make it more tactical too, as you could have night and day tactics on each map then depending on what comes up in the rotation and the time you could put them into force! (more useful on clan servers in tourey's really)

DAWG · Post by **DAWG** » 2005-09-23 01:04

It would definately be possible to have the same map created with different light levels. Then all you need to do is rotate to the next logical time frame until finished. Dawn/ Early Morning - Midday - Early Evening - Late Evening. It's not perfect but it would certainly add something to a battle and allows us to simulate the changing times until someone figures out how to carry the rounds.

Artnez · Post by **Artnez** » 2005-09-23 01:06

Even better... ( I know I'm already dreaming at this point )

It would be freakin awesome if you could have a WW2 Online type battle.

It's completely consistent and never ends. Have a large terroritory consist of multiple maps.

If a team wins, they advance. If they lose, they must fall back. Just like Mad Max suggested, day/night cycles would be persistent throughout these map switches.

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » 2005-09-23 02:03

I don't think that'd be possible... not in a dynamic way anyway. The best way of doing that would be to have two versions of each map, one with team a at a forward pos and team b in a retreated pos or something, then maybe somehow set up to server to load map a if team a wins, so it'll seem consistent. I'm not sure if giving the map rotation an "if" variable is possble as they're pre-selected by the admin. I'm sure it'll be possible somehow, although within legal limits (ie not editing source code) it may be iffy.

worst 3 · Post by **worst 3** » 2005-09-23 02:17

there is a night mod so it is possible to get night and they have dawn and dusk it might not be a fluid change.

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » 2005-09-23 11:47

The thing is that night mod looks pretty ****, no offence to the guy/s making it. It's not really their fault as I think DICE/EA took the night shaders out for the simple reason they knew they were releasing Special Forces with night maps. The lighting doesn't work properly in that night map mod, it looks wrong. Even old games like Operation Flashpoint have more editable and impressive features in it and its over 4 years old.

gnwbumblino · Post by **gnwbumblino** » 2005-09-23 12:37

Mad Max wrote:Even old games like Operation Flashpoint have more editable and impressive features in it and its over 4 years old.

It amazing how much fun you can still have in flashpoint... I played it the other night... apart from the slightly plain looking textures and clunky physics, it's a lot closer to where most of us on this forum are hoping to be.
- immobilised if shot
- no god-like medics
- MASSIVE maps
- realistic vehicle damage systems

I've really got my fingers crossed for Flashpoint 2, I think it's going to whoop the hind off BF2.

Here's a few tasters that I have heard about FP2:
- Totally destructable environments
- Ultra real physics, where you can destroy buildings by structural damage.
- Sea Tidal & Wave system
- Weather systems, where wind and rain effect the environment...

Tasty!!!!!

Post by **Wolfmaster** » 2005-09-23 12:47

yeah that sound like a pr-lover's dream... *drool*

Post by **BrokenArrow** » 2005-09-23 18:50

yeah ill have to check it out.

DAWG · Post by **DAWG** » 2005-09-23 21:21

gnwbumblino wrote:It amazing how much fun you can still have in flashpoint... I played it the other night... apart from the slightly plain looking textures and clunky physics, it's a lot closer to where most of us on this forum are hoping to be.
- immobilised if shot
- no god-like medics
- MASSIVE maps
- realistic vehicle damage systems

Flashpoint was an excellent game and far ahead of it's time, which is why it probably didn't get the respect or following it should have. If PR can incorporate some of the features found in FP with the free flowing battles of BF, then I think I could die happy. In FP you really did have to learn to fly, not so much as a sim, but it was considerably more challenging and rewarding than any of the BF franchise have managed, even armor was a challenge, you had to learn the ballistics and abilities of your vehicle for full effect. If Flashpoint 2 is given anywhere near the attention it deserves by its creators, then it will without doubt piss all over BF2 vanilla. I had such high hopes for the Battlefield franchise, BF42 was great and promised so much for the future, which ultimately EA failed to reach in their quest for the almighty dollar. I really believe that this mod is the best hope to see BF2 as it should have been from the beggining.

gnwbumblino · Post by **gnwbumblino** » 2005-09-23 23:08

DAWG wrote:I really believe that this mod is the best hope to see BF2 as it should have been from the beggining.

Me too, the minimod on it's own transforms the game!

I just wish all the servers were all VOIP and people used it!

I've had some amazingly cooperative games just recently - a completely new experience compared to Vanilla BF2.

REALLY looking forward to .02!!!!

Artnez · Post by **Artnez** » 2005-09-24 00:14

The problem with BF2 is not that the gameplay is bad. The problem is that EA and DICE lie.

They make false claims, don't follow up on their own promises.. and no one says a word because "hey, its just a game".

FP2 is going to be amazing.
PR is going to be amazing.
FH2 (mod for bf2) is going to be amazing.

All 3 of the game projects i mentioned above include a team of developers who believe that if they stick to a certain genre of gaming the games will gain popularity and be alot more fun to play.

Notice how BF2 gradually reduces its gameplay to more "Quake" or "Unreal" style. It's turned into a run-and-gun game. I garauntee that this was not intended when bf1942 was released and gain popularity.

It's just that EA & Dice agreed that games like Quake, Unreal and Half Life are alot more popular because they attract the "casual" gamer who just wants to run around aimlessly and blow stuff up. This is the majority of gamers.

I look at vanilla BF2 is a fart. The fart has some affect for a few seconds, but goes away -- ready for another fart sometime in the future.

All of the **** they added in BF2 (ragdolls, graphics, commanders, UAVs) completely don't hold my attention. For some reason, I had much more fun playing DC for bf1942 --- and it didnt have half of those "enhancements"

Maybe I'm just the only one who thinks that way. I like to immerse myself in the environment. I want to feel like I'm actually there. No, not because I think was is "cool" ... its the same reason we watch movie. Except with a mod like PR and a game like FP(2), you feel like you are actually in the movie.

Dont know any other way to explain it.

eddie · Post by **eddie** » 2005-09-25 21:26

How about a Grand theft auto time scale (don't start booing yet), where it takes one minute to go through a virtual hour, well how about making this two or three minutes? (48 minutes for a day in 2min mode.) This could be a possible idea, i haven't put much thought into this as you can tell!

Acidcrash · Post by **Acidcrash** » 2005-09-25 22:23

I think it would need to be abit longer than a few minutes per hour, but on those lines yeh... if any of you tried Joint Operations, they had a fairly decent balance for day/night cycles

gnwbumblino · Post by **gnwbumblino** » 2005-09-25 23:24

Acidcrash wrote:I think it would need to be abit longer than a few minutes per hour, but on those lines yeh... if any of you tried Joint Operations, they had a fairly decent balance for day/night cycles

Joint ops is another game that has some really amazing features... some of the weapons systems like the wire guided missile look life like & feel great to use...
although the vehicle physics & collision mapping suck in JO.

If only we could combine the best of these game features!!!

I really like the idea of an accelerated day/night cycle, moving shadows alone would force a change in strategy mid-game which is always welcome!