NaturalPoint's TrackIr and Vector System for ET:QW??

(dinky658) #1

I posted this in the wish list but I wanted to make sure that everyone read it, and to see if people would buy TrackIr/Vector if this was capable in ET:QW via a forum Poll.

I really think Splash should look into this.

Here’s the post in quote and a link to the wishlist page:

http://www.splashdamage.com/index.php?name=pnPHPbb2&file=viewtopic&t=13106&start=240
[b]"I think that NaturalPoint’s TrackIr should have support in this game.

If you don’t already know what this is, check out this webpage and read my following explanation. http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir

TrackIr is well known in the area of Flight Sim and Racing sim games. It’s an Infrared camera that you set up on your desk or monitor, you put on a hat (and the Vector clip if you have that as well) and the Infrared tracks the reflective surfaces on the hat/vector.

From the way it tracks the movement of your head it imitates your movement, on the in-game cockpit view.

I noticed in one of the render screenshots for a vehicle that will be in ET:QW that it is a completely 3d cockpit. If you were to use NaturalPoint’s TrackIr system, you could have players (who have TrackIr and Vector) move and look around inside of that 3d cockpit smiply by moving their head.

Without VectorPro you are limited to the rotating axis of X and Y, but with Vector you have the movement and rotation of XYZ and you can roll your head in the cockpit (when it comes to games that support it, or other wise, have a completely 3d cockpit).

If you’re skeptical of how this system works, check out this video. http://media.naturalpoint.com/video/games/LockOn-BlackShark-6DOF-Demo.wmv
That video was recorded while someone was using the Vector Pro AND TrackIr camera.

If you want to see what it’s like for the user, check out this video (though no Vector is being used).
http://media.naturalpoint.com/video/games/np-lomac1_web.wmv

If you guys at Splash damage were to pick this up, you guys would be the FIRST development team to use TrackIr in works with a FPS game (though what I’m suggesting is only inside a vehicle cockpit).

I play Flight sims often, and I also play BF2. And what really irritates me is that BF2 doesn’t support TrackIr for when I’m in the aircraft. I’ll be flying around in the jet and I try moving my head around to look and find an enemy only to become mad at myself because I forgot that I’m in BF2 rather than in a Flight sim with my TrackIr.

I think this would be something that people would really find an interest in and would get more people looking at ET:QW.

I’m going to see about making a seperate thread on this, to make sure everyone reads it :)."[/b]

By the way, I didn’t use /quote because that stuff makes Links hard to find.

(kamikazee) #2

I’m asking myself: what does this thing do that a joystick can’t do in some way? Can’t it be possible to use this thing through a normal joystick driver if you bind the functions well?

(dinky658) #3

Huh???

You’re not moving the vehicle with your head. You’re moving your prespective with your head. You look around.

This thing isn’t a joystick, that’s just what the guy on the vid says as sort of a metaphor. It works like a joystick because it’s continually updated and looking at your head for updates or something…

Either way this is a PERSPECTIVE changer. Basically, you look a little bit up, it looks up in-game. Not move up.

But if your saying that you would get a seperate joystick just to move your perspective around… Well that sounds weird and difficult… So you would have one joystick to control the vehicle and one joystick to look around?? … Weird.

With TrackIr you don’t even need to think about using a controller or the top POV hat on a joystick to look around, and it’s as fast as you are. You just move your head and you look around, just like real life.

Except the sensitivity is different… I don’t know why people automatically assume (like the guy says in the video) that you have to break your neck just to look behind you. Or that you won’t be able to see the monitor if you are trying to look behind you.

You can even adjust the sensitivity if you want to! It’s programmable like a mouse.

Here’s an image for people who are concerned about this… And I hope you can understand what it means…

(kamikazee) #4

Well, you got those joysticks with that “POV stick”.
I believe this thing can be treated the same way as a joystick with only such a stick, can’t it?

(dinky658) #5

No those things are very SLOW and innacurate. Why spend time with your thumb on the POV stick THINKING about how you should move this innacurate thing when you can have your head doing the moving for you. It’s fast, you don’t have to think about it and your thumb is on the weapons buttons where it needs to be.

Not only that, but it really makes you feel like you’re ACTUALLY flying the aircraft!!!

(kamikazee) #6

Ok, I was a little too fast.
I’m not talking about how this thing handles, just how to get it to work in-game. The problem with the POV stick is not what you’re saying, my idea just doesn’t allow your device’s driver to sync your head position with the in-game head quite well.

I believe this needs some special code, like you said.

(KAGE) #7

lol the last thing i need is a bunch of ‘flyboys’ who pwn everything in teh air…
but yeah… there is a huge demographic into that stuff and they are not affaid of making themselves known.

i would say too much money for the Trackir… but the idea is ok…
sey… ctrl + mouse for free look… yeah?
would be a good option for the perspective thing… as many use the ‘exterior’ view of vehicals to look around corners.

(dinky658) #8

I don’t understand what you mean Kamikazee??

And KAGE, in BF2 I avoid doing that as much as possible. When you push CRTL+Mouse you lose all control of the vehicle, the vehicle doesn’t automatically stabilize or anything while you look around, it can smash into the ground or something. And especially if you use a Joystick/Throttle. You have to let go of the joystick and/or throttle hold onto control them move your mouse around. Too much hassle, you get yourself killed, NO one attempts that stuff in a fast moving aircraft. And the Exterier view turns off all your aiming stuff, I don’t know of anyone that does that just to see around a corner when they could just move a little bit…

You may be right about the jet pilots flying around eliminating everyone, but we haven’t even played the game yet. We don’t know what the balance is between the aircraft and infantry with or without TrackIr is yet.

I just think it would be an awesome idea, and again it could get some serious attention to ET: QW, and Natural Point.

(fattakin) #9

Its sounds crazy, my fiancee would probabaly board up the door to my gaming room if she seen me putting on my special hat to play wolfenstein… she thinks im bad enough as it is!!!

But the idea sounds interesting!

(iwound) #10

simply doesnt work. i have a helmet which does just this, its collecting dust somewhere.
After only a few minutes my neck was in serious pain, the problem being you look directly at the screen, but you have too move your head to change your view, so your for ever trying to fix your eyes on the screen, while trying too move your head slowly enough for the screen to sit still . if someone makes me an offer they can have it.

(SniperSteve) #11

Hmmm. Not for FPS games. Only Flight/Driving sims.

(ParanoiD) #12

Yep not for me, ill just keep it at my keyboard and beloved mouse :slight_smile:

(EB) #13

::wonders how much $ he makes for trying to pimp this idea to SD::

(Jaquboss) #14

[]v[] has a point, with 17’ CRT monitor i can forget about this…
it would be best to combine with some kind of googles projecting your view or getting more monitors
note that rendering more will also result in FPS drop
Anyway this sounds like propaganda :nag:

(carnage) #15

sounds like the idea could pwn some time in the suture when we all wear headsets with two slighly differnt images so we stimulate the depth perseption part of the brain then this would go great with it

but i think it could be quite unfair as many players cant afford the kit and large monitors to run this kind of system… the idea does apeal to me though and your video looking around the cockpit being able to actuly move the head left and right as well as trurning real gave more of an impresion of being inside the plane

(Snipeydope) #16

Surely if you turning you head to look to the side then you can’t see your monitor.

(B0rsuk) #17

He’d repply by saying that you can increase sensitivity of that thing… so a small movement moves the view quite a bit.

Which in turn forces you to sit very straight. It’s a lose-lose situation, and topic starter is probably a shill.

(kamikazee) #18

I wonder what someone spectating someone using this thing sees. Especially if the view goes crazy when that player is just going crazy.

(dinky658) #19

Ok the sensitivity is always higher at a default setting so that it doesn’t do that, but you can modify your settings depending on the game that you’re playing.

But this is much better than some “Helmet”. This is the first product I’ve ever tried and had for flight sims for things of this nature. It’s amazing, and it doesn’t hurt your neck while or after play. You’re only wearing a baseball cap for one (or you could use the Stickers that come with it when you buy it).

As for it not being fair to the people who can’t afford it… So what? Not every Flight simulator player can afford this thing, and yet they still play multiplayer and they still do well. Not every FPSer can afford a Copperhead, or… That uhh Logitech mouse :P. Not every gamer can afford a 1900xtx, and they get a much lower framerate.

Believe me, if you could just try it you would know that it works great, it doesn’t hurt it’s easy to use. It NEVER loses track of the hat and you can blame that on the awesome Infrared, though you can also blame the price on the infrared too.

I think if Splash Damage did put this in as an option… It would be awesome… Because I have one :).

(NaturalPoint-Warren) #20

oh ho, cool.
I was just looking into how to officially get in touch with Splash Damage, and see the TrackIR debate already raging.

I’d like to chime in too, if you don’t mind, Dr. Dinky. Probably not the best time since everyone is now calling you a “shill” (sorry dude, this seems to be what happens when anyone preaches the joys of TrackIR, or any new input device), but i’d like clarify where NaturalPoint stands on all this:

  • We don’t think TrackIR would offer much to footsoldier FPS modes in a battlefield-style game like this, because you generally want your game-eyes glued to where your game-gun is aimed. Maybe there are times when the action will slow down and you’ll want to look around, but we doubt anyone would want our system for that tiny perk.

  • Our interest is support for planes/vehicles (and maybe ground guns). being able to look around naturally while flying is TrackIR’s big thing. So you can look around the cockpit struts to keep an eye on an enemy, Or watch your back while unloading from a big ground gun. I only expect flyers and drivers to care about TrackIR at this point.

All in all, the big question in my head is : what do people want from this game?
It’s not a hardcore sim, so people tend to be afraid of adding something that can make the control scheme more realistic.
Most people here seem to be arguing over running speed, or how much xp you earn with kills, or spawnraping.

I think adding support for TrackIR is as necessary as having support for a joystick. Not everyone will use it, but those that do will be extremely grateful. I’d suggest leaving the footsoldier mode alone (although i pine for it too. sniff).