BRINK suggestions forum

(BioSnark) #181

Alright, when I said story I meant immersion. The two may go hand in hand but I’ll admit they’re hardly the same. Reincarnation, reinforcements or magic pixie dust are all fine depending on implementation. My point is, no singleplayer gamer’s going to be attracted to a singleplayer game mode the feels like tacked on trainingwheels for multiplayer.

(KylHu) #182

Just cover up the respawn in single player with a game over screen and “load checkpoint” button after the player dies and no-one will notice a thing!

(tokamak) #183

I would like it optional. That way people can pretend they’re playing ‘singleplayer’ or ‘multiplayer’.

Maybe it would be an idea to rethink other options that belong to single and multiplayer as well, that way you can create ‘multiplayer’ and ‘singleplayer’ (next to custom and default) templates in the options menu.

For example, multiplayers might want to turn off the cut-scenes while singleplayers might not want to know who is a bot and who isn’t, or don’t want to read chat. Or maybe even have names replaced! If someone wants to be immersed in the game, then he doesn’t want to know that ‘L33t H@xx0r’ planted an objective somewhere.

Actually I think it would be a good idea to only allow letters and no symbols in names altogether, and only a capital letter at the start of a name. Most MMORPG’s already have that so they don’t ruin the experience of other players.

But it’s a nice subject, the cosmetics of multiplayer vs singleplayer could use allot of brainstorming if you want to cater to both audiences.

(deadlights) #184

optional is a good idea, IMO

I think numbers and letters allowed. And allow for numbers to be first in a name. Also allow for . - _ or other symbols that may be important for breaking names apart.

dead-Lights
dead_Lights
dead.Lights

or course I roll with deadLights :wink:

(DarkangelUK) #185

Wasn’t the that it would be completely seamless? Making the 2 modes totally destinguishable kinda defeats the point. You’re on your own, someone joins and it turns into coop, then you jump to MP, are you gonna be fiddling with options to suit each game mode which is just gonna get annoying?

(tokamak) #186

Your own options yes, you’re not going to change that of others. And whether you want to play a seamless multiplayer or a seamless singleplayer experience should be totally be up to the gamer. SD should make the choices easier by making it able for the player to switch to different templates on the fly.

The game should already come with ‘story mode’ ‘arcade mode’ ‘co-op mode’ and 'multiplayer mode templates and leave the option open to customize your own templates. These templates can then be toggled using F-buttons (or any other button you like really).

You’re playing on an evening trough the story, the game doesn’t show a hint of multiplayer shenanigans, then your friend joins, you might want to keep the singleplayer character or if it’s the competitive type of friend, you can turn on some options that will track statistics in the hud so you can see who’s doing best. You two decided to go fully online and with a simple click you get your full multiplayer interface to show those other bastards who’s boss.

(murka) #187

The more things that are optional/customizable the better(now think about it, setting each gui element where you want with the color you want and not to forget the size you want).

(DarkangelUK) #188

It should come with those options… if that’s what SD wants. They have a specific direction in mind that they want to go, and adding too many options that steer the experience in a completely different direction is utterly pointless. Maybe SD don’t want it split into story mode, arcade mode and co-op mode… as has been said, the game is the same on all fronts and it’s meant to be seamless… those suggestions don’t make it seamless. Options are good yes, but too many detach the player from the intended experience and ultimately SD’s vision.

(tokamak) #189

The game stays the same! We’re talking about the amount of information that comes through to the player. A singleplayer minded player might not want to see a constant stream of kill information streaming in his hud because no other single player has this. And it would break the immersion to see the same names getting killed again and again like that.

That’s why we’re suggesting templates for that filter information fitter to the mindset of the player. This way we can have story-minded gamers and ‘pub’ and ‘comp’ minded players playing together in the same server without encroaching on each other’s experience.

For the story minded player, all other players are just the usual enemy players he usually encounters in his games only with extremely sophisticated AI’s, for multiplayer minded players the story minded players are just the usual pub noobs he can shout and scream, and brag about his kills as much as he wants without them noticing it.

You could also let the game help a hand in making the right choice. Start with a singleplayer mode, then when they start to bribe you to go online and play multiplayer they might also ask you if you want to turn on the multiplayer template.

(DarkangelUK) #190

Nah sorry, you’re not going to convince me. SD may think it’s great and adopt it, but I think Brink is gonna have enough to keep a new players mind active without throwing further, quite frankly unnecessary options into the mix.

(tokamak) #191

Well the point is to actually reduce the amount of stuff you throw at a beginning player’s mind while still catering to the multiplayer veterans at the same time.

(DarkangelUK) #192

Add more options to reduce stuff? Keep a common field throughout reduces the amount of stuff thrown at beginners and keeps the game easier to grasp. I’m not exactly sure how vets will be confused by the kill text in any form. In fact the only argument i saw was it makes SP look ‘tacked on’.

(tokamak) #193

The beginning players won’t even know the options exist until the game tells them so. They’ll end up starting like any other singleplayer until the game asks them if they want to try online games, and while they’re at it, if they also want to enable a multiplayer info filter.

Are you just trying not to understand this on purpose?

(DarkangelUK) #194

Are trying not to understand simplicity? You’re ADDING THINGS that’s sprung on them when they join MP. How can that possibly make it easier for them?! That’s like having a test drive around a racing track, then when it comes to the actual race, saying “btw here’s a rev limiter, it’s quite handy to have that there”… why wasn’t it there in the 1st place?? Sure make kill text removable by cvar so the ‘vets’ can remove it via console, but throwing an option, or in fact hiding an option and springing it on them as they decide to try MP is just dumb.

Kill text is a handy thing to learn to read. On the surface it’s just player killed player, but underneath it gives tactical info. In most team games, Q3 TDM, ETQW, W:ET you have team mate locations, when that player dies in the kill text then you know where they were when they died, that tells you there’s enemies at that location… more than likely weakened enemies cos they were just in a fire fight. Keeping a new player blind to this info won’t help them one bit.

You’re not changing my mind, so stop trying :slight_smile:

(tokamak) #195

I’m not attempting to change your mind, it’s just that your arguments don’t hold any ground.

You’re trying to impose multiplayer on something that can be singleplayer game, you’ve clearly got the ‘right way™’ in your head that should apply to everyone. This simply doesn’t work if you want to cater to both the singleplayer and multiplayer audience (or people who want to play their mutliplayer as if they played a singleplayer).

People can enter this game with different mindsets, some care about the story more and some people, like you pick this game up like any other multiplayer, which is fine as well, but at least understand that with different mindsets come different preferences come different templates people want to pick from.

(DarkangelUK) #196

Which again detracts from the ‘seamless’ overview… they’ve always said it’s a game that blurs the lines between SP and MP, and this will just make that line more visible.

(tokamak) #197

You’re not blurring the lines at all by imposing a multiplayer template on it, then it becomes just a multiplayer game with an offline mode, just like Quake Wars.

And there will be visible lines between Brink, always. They player can always decide whether he wants to play singleplayer, co-op or full multiplayer, it’s just the core game that stay the same, everything else should be adaptable to the right mode.

You might as well say that the singleplayer mode also needs internet connection because otherwise the line would be too visible.

Besides, these templates should be completely optional (i’m starting to sound like a broken record here). Newbies will be reminded of them when they’re ready for it and veterans will have found them the moment they click on the options menu which is the firs thing they will do anyway.

(DarkangelUK) #198

Yes you are sounding like a broken record, feel free to stop the nonsensical when ever you want.

then it becomes just a multiplayer game with an offline mode, just like Quake Wars.

your record skipped a beat there

(BioSnark) #199

Why don’t you both suggest ideas in this thread and let Splash Damage decide how they make their game?

I like the way this guy thinks :smiley:

(tokamak) #200

Because usually a discussion with both pros and cons put against each other really helps refining the suggestion, that is, if someone ever comes up with real cons against this suggestion.