Level Up!
Started by themuffinator
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themuffinator Rep. 1044
#1   05 Jan 2021
Got an idea to create a community brainstorm mod!
The idea is that folks can comment here with crazy ideas for what they'd like to see in the game, and if the ideas are feasible in a mod and don't require a ton of development time to implement (or if someone is willing to put in the time), it goes in the mod!

Right now I've created a baseq3e fork here: github.com/themuffinator/levelup
Any takers?

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Tig Rep. 1622
#2   05 Jan 2021
In game entity editing. So, you can grab a weapon or ammo or power up and move it. You can also add a new item if you like or remove them too.
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Takkie Rep. 1798
#3   05 Jan 2021
+1 fot Tig's idea. And that you can save the level as a .bsp so you can play it (without the mod) in other mods like TA or cpma.
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T1) NoTeam ctf.
Your objective is to obtain both flags as a player.
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T2) As a player you can only carry one weapon.
The weapons stay on the map after pickup (delay time for respawn weapons = 0).
You can drop the weapon you carry to pickup an other (better) weapon.
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Both ideas above can be in the same mod as Tig's idea because for both a different item layout can be important.
Edited 5.1 days after the original posting.
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themuffinator Rep. 1044
#4   05 Jan 2021
Entity Editor:
That one's been on my to-do list for a while now. It's a big project to get working intuitively in-game and probably involves a modded source port. It would rely on dumping and loading entity overrides, which can already be done with my source port I mentioned in another thread. (which supports most mods): www.dropbox.com/s/...nlqk/ioq3pp.zip
Use:
sv_entlist_dump 2
sv_entlist_load 1
You can then edit the .ent ascii file created in your maps folder. You can simply map_restart while in-game to instantly apply any changes. I'll still have a crack at the in-game editor but there's no guarantees it's going to work.
No Team CTF, weapon carry limit, weapons stay, weapon dropping
Easy, will be done
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raspatan Rep. 4510
#5   05 Jan 2021
I once sent an email to ID Software (naively) with ideas for the next Quake. I copy them below:

Two new guns:

  • a teledirected rocket launcher. Same as current rocket launcher, but adding a new firing mode: right click mouse allows for directing the rocket moving the mouse. A camera follows the rocket in first person. The player cannot move in the meantime, and a sign above the player head indicates she is directing the rocket.
  • mines stuck to some places. Low damage but can be placed for instance to protect a key item.
Gameplay innovations:
  • a must innovation is the possibility for wall jumping. That is, jump into a wall and though some special movement, jump upwards or sideways. This is very simple but will add so much mobility to the game. Defrag and CPMA people will be delighted too!
  • fired ammo are real objects that can be countered with other ammo. For instance, you can shoot a rocket or grenade and made it explode before it reaches target.
  • a portable teleport, like in the game Portal. It takes you to random map location. Cool for escaping. The key however is that it lasts some seconds open so you can be followed. That is the key difference with the T item currently available.
  • a special mode where there is no up or down. There is gravity but essentially every wall is a floor! The dynamic added by this, with custom maps designed purposely for it, would be so huge....
  • AI that learns. Forget classic, static AI. That's the past. Now AI must learn from players.
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themuffinator Rep. 1044
#6   06 Jan 2021
Added a functional No-Team CTF (g_gametype 5): github.com/themuff...7eaed437d8b212c

For the sake of versioning and not releasing a new build every time something is added, we'll go on a 10 ideas per version rule. So this is 1/10.

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themuffinator Rep. 1044
#7   06 Jan 2021
New Weapons
First one sounds very Unreal Tournament ala-Redeemer! An interesting idea, I'll see what I can do.
Second one is the Prox mine launcher from Team Arena?

Innovations

  • Wall jumping... I'll probably be lazy and port code from Unvanquished.
  • Shootable projectiles... also very Unreal-like! Alright.
  • So essentially it's the unused Portal item from Team Arena?
  • the bot AI technically does learn, although it isn't really stored/archived to continually improve across matches etc.. It's bound to involve source port modding and I'm probably not nearly skilled enough to attempt dabbling in AI. That would be interesting to see though, especially if its learning is stored in a cloud from many different players/servers.
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Takkie Rep. 1798
#8   06 Jan 2021
deepmind.com/blog/...he-flag-science

Hack deepmind and steal their bots?
Shootable projectiles are in the SlugRock mod: github.com/Takkie/SlugRock
1/10 cool 😊

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themuffinator Rep. 1044
#9   06 Jan 2021
The staple of old-school FFA - weapons stay mode (dmflags & 4) added: github.com/themuff...becf164db664fbe
2/10
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themuffinator Rep. 1044
#10   06 Jan 2021
Weapon Carry Limit: github.com/themuff...1d9c82d51a6125b
3/10
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themuffinator Rep. 1044
#11   06 Jan 2021
Added cvar to change starting weapons, which is bound to come in handy alongside the other changes: github.com/themuff...68cc1750398a080
4/10
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Takkie Rep. 1798
#12   06 Jan 2021
T3) A 'minimode' where the players (and weapons) are 1/3 of their normal size (including the hitbox). Game physics are the same as if the players were normal sized except for the players speed: x1. 5 (x2).
A certain sense of hysteria might be appropriate in this mode.
Might be cool, especially as instagib with the railgun reload time halved...
With everything smaller and quicker, jumping around like tiny supermen is good for target practice and you can have more players/bots in a level. Might even be needed to expand the bot selection menu.
Edited 2.38 hours after the original posting.
Edited 2.39 hours after the original posting.
Edited 4.7 days after the original posting.
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Takkie Rep. 1798
#13   06 Jan 2021
Another idea for TDM and CTF.
T4) I call it 'soulmates'.
When a player of a team picks up a weapon or item, all players of that team automatically receive the item/weapon too.
This goes for weapons, health, armour and also power ups. By picking up health, you can heal your teammates. A megahealth is so much more valuable. And for powerups if 1 player of the blue team picks up the quad, all players on the blue team have the quad. In order to take over control of the quad the red team needs to frag the player that picked up the original quad. Then it will be dropped as a single quad. If another player of the blue team with the quad gets fragged nothing will drop.
This works the same in ctf, except for the flag. There will only be one flag per team and there is only one flag carrier per team.
This should be doable and it just might change tactics for TDM and ctf significantly.
Edited 4.6 days after the original posting.
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Takkie Rep. 1798
#14   07 Jan 2021
A different idea:
T5) The 'survey' mode. With this setting you can only play vanilla q3 but while playing (and/or at the end of a match) you can answer a few questions about the map (or rate a few characteristics of the map)
These answers will be stored in a small file wich you can upload to ..::LvL and it will 'automatically' added to the map information on ..::LvL. (perhaps if you play with an internet connection you can send the info ingame to ..::LvL firectly).
It is just a brainstorm idea and you'll need Tig at your side... but by doing this it might be possible to quickly 'rate' a map on a few characteristics like: atmosphere, detail layout, texturing, item placement, replay value and keeper (y/n).
Edited 3.87 days after the original posting.
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Tig Rep. 1622
#15   07 Jan 2021
We could support the survey mode if someone want to code it up. Would need the BSP name, a user name and the comment in JSON. If the comment is the be linked to a members ..::LvL account, we would need another value to be passed too.
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EmeraldTiger Rep. 2561
#16   07 Jan 2021
CTF with Neutral Team: This isn't my own idea, but rather is taken from the Dissolution of Eternity mission pack for the original Quake. In DOE there were three CTF modes included for multiplayer - classic CTF, one flag CTF, and a 3-team CTF mode. However, unlike some takes on 3-team CTF, where the third team operates exactly like the others with their own base and needing different maps, this type of 3-team CTF takes place on regular 2-team CTF maps. The third "team" is a "neutral team" consisting of player using regular player skins rather than team skins, and they spawn in at the respawn points of either team. The neutral team has no flag of their own, but they can grab either flag, and in order to capture they must bring whatever flag they have to the opposite team's flag base (so if a neutral player grabs the red flag, they take it to the blue flag stand, and vice versa). Blue and Red teams still play by their usual rules, except now they have to fight off a third team as well.

Boss Battle: A round-based game mode like Clan Arena, with no items and starting with all weapons, except it's one overpowered player, the "boss", versus multiple, regular-strength players. The boss's starting health is equal to 100 x the number of players opposing them, and they may have other additions to give them an edge against being outnumbered, such as greater speed, higher damage output, etc. Would need quite a bit of fine-tuning to be balanced, but would also be quite fun too.

Follow the Leader: A round-based, team game mode that's sort of an assisted duel. One player on each team is designated the "leader" (exact mechanics behind who gets chosen are left to the reader). A team only scores if their leader frags the other team's leader - a non-leader player fragging the opposing team's leader doesn't count, and neither does the leader fragging a non-leader player on the other team. This encourages teams to stick closely together with their leader and ensure their survival, while also requiring the leader to actively seek the other leader so they can score.

Timeskip: A trollsy idea for a power-up that basically makes lag into a game mechanic (sort of). From the perspective of the player using this power-up, the game will operate normally and smoothly. From the perspective of other players, however, it will look like the power-up wielder is warping/lagging due to high ping, causing them to "skip" over the place and making them harder to hit.

Some of these ideas we discussed on Discord (wonder if that was the inspiration, hehe) too.

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themuffinator Rep. 1044
#17   07 Jan 2021
A lot of interesting ideas and most would be fairly simple to add.

Uploading to LvL likely involves a modded source port as I can't think of any system call that would serve that function.

I'd imagine minimode would let you jump as height as you do regularly? Otherwise there would be some serious struggles getting around the map... unless everyone had a jetpack!

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Takkie Rep. 1798
#18   07 Jan 2021
@muffinator minimode with regular jump
height, yes. Those miniature players have superpowers :)
And neutral ctf, that is an amazing idea.
Edited 1.42 minutes after the original posting.
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themuffinator Rep. 1044
#19   08 Jan 2021
Alright alright!

Added wall jumping (use pmove_wallJump 1 to enable), works consistently but could use tweaking/balancing.
Added very basic framework for Redeemer weapon... right now just an OP RL.
Added shootable projectiles (thanks Takkie and original code guy), but I'm not entirely happy with it... can't seem to use direct hits/hitscan to detonate projectiles, only splash damage so far.

7/10, kinda.
Edited 4.42 minutes after the original posting.

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Takkie Rep. 1798
#20   08 Jan 2021
@themuffinator can't wait to test it out but no rush we're hardly going anywhere.
So without any pressure here is a new idea ;)
T6) It's a game mode and it could work for all gametypes (ffa, tourney, team and ctf)
I call it 'AlterEgo'.
Before a match you select an alterego. Example your normal look is Crash and as alterego you select Anarki.
In game you can switch between crash and anarki. Their item inventory, health and armour are not connected. Only powerups like quad, regen and the flag stay when you switch between ego's. (does this make sense?) Example:
You enter the arena as crash, you pick up a plasma gun and after a small combat your health has dropped to 50. With the press of a button you become anarki. As anarki you still only have the machine gun but your health is 100. On your way through the arena you pick up a railgun as anarki and right there you find 50 health so quickly you switch to crash pick up 50 health (your crash ego is 100 health now) and switch back to anarki ready with the railgun.
If one of your ego's gets fragged you automatically switch to the other one and have to play that with that one until it is fragged too. Then you can play both of them again.
The switching between the ego's can be visualized with the teleport effect.
In this gamemode you can immediately take revenge as your alter ego, or when your alterego is also on low health it gets fragged right away...
As mentioned earlier when you carry a flag or quad it will be dropped when you get fragged but your alterego will immediately pick it up when it spawns in.
When you fall in the void or die in lava it will cost you one ego and you will respawn with the alterego, or if your alterego was already fragged you have both of them again...
Perhaps it can be nice to display the health and armour count of your alterego (in a smaller font) in the hud. Or maybe not and you just need to use your memory or switch to find out if you forgot...
Edited 2.56 days after the original posting.

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