With regards to those wanting to run around the rooftops on the likes of Container City, there’s one major reason why that’s not possible… there are no roofs!
Opinions/Suggestions regarding SMART
wolfnemesis75
(wolfnemesis75)
#22
Being able to jump the wall at Security Spawn as Security would’ve been EPIC win and fix many spawn problems. I am talking climbing to the left of where Security spawns. Just epic. 
DarkangelUK
(DarkangelUK)
#23
Well here’s my opinion of SMART in practice. WALL OF TEXT ALERT!
As I mentioned, SMART as a mechanic does what it set it out to do, it opens up movement across a map and streamlines routes while removing the frustration usually found when you come across anything higher than waist height and can’t get over it. I definitely agree that, as a system, I would love to see it implemented in quite a few shooters I play… either to replace the canned animations they currently have for climbing walls, or to give me the freedom to make it over anything higher than trash can. I also believe it’s definitely an eye opener for console players who have been encumbered with restrictive controller input, or even your average casual PC gamer that rarely ventures beyond the standard movement, and maps go from being a series of navigatable grids and lines to an open area where YOU decide how you want to get from point A to point B, and you’re not restricted by the path the mapper laid out before you.
However, and I’m sure you knew there was a ‘however’ coming… I don’t use a controller, and I’m also not a casual pick up and put down PC gamer either. I’ve been playing shooters for quite a long time, and on top of that, I’ve been tricking in fps games for a long time as well… and it’s when you reach levels beyond the mechanics intentions that you realize just how restrictive SMART can be.
There’s nothing particularly difficult about using SMART, but this has always been intentional. The whole reason for the mechanics development in the 1st place was to open up complex movement to the average gamer, and have them experience the wonders of skipping across the map at lightning speed without having to put the hours in necessary to achieve skill it should normally demand… and this is great for your average joe! Skipping across barriers and fences like a leaf in the wind while never missing a beat brings a sense of accomplishment on it’s own for those not normally fluent in the intricacies of acceleration angles, ramping speeds, edging and ground acceleration.
SMART in itself is an innovation for obvious reasons, the problem however begins when you try and bring your own innovation into the mix and go beyond its intended function. In a sense… you can’t. At the end of the day a movement method is a movement method, regardless if you slap a tag or a snappy acronym on top of it and make it official or not. Strafing is my movement method of choice, and the learning curve that came with it has an almost limitless gradient. I admit that the style alone doesn’t solely contribute to the skill ceiling, but the way the maps are designed to accommodate that movement style also lends to how well the player can apply himself to the mechanic.
For those of us used to the movement mindset who have spent hundreds of hours honing our skills, this also removes the monotonous simplistic jumps and hops and leaves time to concentrate on the more difficult manoeuvres, the problem, there are no more difficult manoeuvres beyond that ceiling. There are no complex movesets to learn, no methods to practice and improve upon, and no gains to be had from experimenting and innovating. Every jump can be done by just about anyone, the skill level required to land what would be classed as an ‘extreme’ jump has been brought down and made accessible to everyone with little effort. Once you hit that level, there’s nothing beyond SMART only takes you so far then stops you dead in your tracks because of the limitation in use confined within the mechanic. If you can’t SMART it, then it can’t be done.
Strafing alone has a skill gap 10 miles wide on its own, and that’s not including plash climbs, rocket jumps, ramping, edging, skipping etc. The only limitation is your imagination and the skill level you’re willing to dedicate in reaching. Watch any Q3 tricking movie on youtube, and I can guarantee that only the hardcore and most dedicated of trickers would be able to land them, and it came to a point that tricking in the likes of Q3 and W:ET were it’s own gametype. Something as simple jumping in a straight had such a diversity in skill, that simply jumping 2 steps varied in skill level. 1 person could reach 500 UPS in a single circlejump, and the next could reach 580 UPS by even as much as having their corsshair at a different angle.
Satisfaction has been removed in the movement, as I mentioned earlier, SMART has simply blended in subtly with the game and mingled like it’s something that has just naturally been there all along. Again a good thing for the average gamer, but for me movement is a skill in itself. I enjoy and embrace the gains brought to you by learning how to move, and I enjoy the satisfaction of reaching areas of maps the others can’t get to, and also areas where the mapper never intended you to get to either, and also feeling smug that my practice paid off and gave me an edge over those not willing to make that dedication. That doesn’t exist with SMART, a tactical layer has been stripped away with Brinks movement, and leaving it as a subtle natural mechanic that everyone uses has been it’s own downfall in un-innovatng its innovation.
Just my opinion (as a tricker, not as a PC gamer)… sorry for waffling on ¬_¬ Kudos if you got this far!
Jimmy_James
(Jimmy James)
#24
OK I got a question: On the PC sometimes I do a sort of diagonal or sideways slide, it’s kind of hard to say as I’m usually trying to kill or avoid being killed at the time. Anyone know what combination of keyboard/mouse input I need to pull off this maneuver? Have console players experienced this?
All good replies btw! Keep them coming.
-JJ
RabidAnubis
(RabidAnubis)
#26
I want more places like on labs.
You know right outside that sumbarine how there is that balcony and a few crates?
That’s what I say is how parkour should be. Hellishly difficult (Okay. It’s not that bad.) but really, I feel like many people that the parkour is WAY too easy. They have down simplicity, which is a good thing, but not making that simplicity into something good for both travel, fighting, and advanced players. Right now it’s skill cap is relatively low, which I dislike.
Oh well. There new maps are improving this though!
Jimmy_James
(Jimmy James)
#27
[QUOTE=RabidAnubis;373080]
Oh well. There new maps are improving this though![/QUOTE]
I say SD calls in American McGee to make a couple maps. Not sure how many multiplayer maps he has made but the single player storyline maps he made for id Software’s games and Alice are amazing and I’d like to see what he could do with the added mechanic of the SMART/parkour aspect of Brink.
-JJ
Tom12121112
(Tom12121112)
#29
ON TOPIC:
tips regarding the smart system.
dear noobs.
i can almost guarantee that every time you try to slide at me and shoot me like it is some kind of jesus/invincibility mode, i WILL send you back to your spawnroom.
also:
dear wallhoppers,
feel free to wall hop around me all you want, but seeing as none of you can claw, and all of you have both aiming and jumping mapped to the same finger, you will end up dead every time you try this because believe it or not, me standing completely still and shooting trumps you wallhopping without firing a single bullet every time.
wolfnemesis75
(wolfnemesis75)
#30
Beauty of SMART is its simplicity. Incorporating it into your attack and style consistently and seamlessly is what makes it so much fun.
nephandys
(nephandys)
#31
[QUOTE=Tom12121112;373171]ON TOPIC:
tips regarding the smart system.
dear noobs.
i can almost guarantee that every time you try to slide at me and shoot me like it is some kind of jesus/invincibility mode, i WILL send you back to your spawnroom.
also:
dear wallhoppers,
feel free to wall hop around me all you want, but seeing as none of you can claw, and all of you have both aiming and jumping mapped to the same finger, you will end up dead every time you try this because believe it or not, me standing completely still and shooting trumps you wallhopping without firing a single bullet every time.[/QUOTE]
I think the value of clawing in this game is underestimated.
wolfnemesis75
(wolfnemesis75)
#32
[QUOTE=nephandys;373220]I think the value of clawing in this game is underestimated.[/QUOTE]Clawing is one of those things that I know works well, but I just stick with what I’ve always done. Old habits break hard! But no matter.
wolfnemesis75
(wolfnemesis75)
#34
[QUOTE=nephandys;373275]Or you can cheat the system and buy an Onza.[/QUOTE]True. At some point. My controllers are old, beat up, and worn out. I may just drop all my coin down on a Kinect Xbox with the 250 HDD. Waiting on the old one to poop the bed first. I can get by with these old controllers for a time. They do get frustrating though; the right analog stick is stuck forward. Rocking the ghetto sticks I guess. lol.
wolfnemesis75
(wolfnemesis75)
#36
[QUOTE=SinDonor;373283]<---- Cheater!
(Thanks to H0RSE for the suggestion).[/QUOTE]If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying! Ha ha!
iezza
(iezza)
#37
[QUOTE=Tom12121112;373171]ON TOPIC:
tips regarding the smart system.
dear noobs.
i can almost guarantee that every time you try to slide at me and shoot me like it is some kind of jesus/invincibility mode, i WILL send you back to your spawnroom.
also:
dear wallhoppers,
feel free to wall hop around me all you want, but seeing as none of you can claw, and all of you have both aiming and jumping mapped to the same finger, you will end up dead every time you try this because believe it or not, me standing completely still and shooting trumps you wallhopping without firing a single bullet every time.[/QUOTE]
I abuse walljump, and i claw. so i guess you will die.