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Context Sensitive Commands
http://45.55.195.193/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16227		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  DrPayne666 [ Sat Aug 15, 2009 7:14 am ]
Post subject:  Context Sensitive Commands
Hello, Data Realms Forum!

I downloaded the demo, and the game was pretty awesome. The only real flaw was that the strategy aspect was not very refined. Obviously, Data worked very hard on this, and for the most part it is a good game. But what I think would work better than assigning AI routines would be...

Context Sensitive Commands

A streamlined, easy-to-use mechanism that simply requires you to select a soldier and right click upon where you want him to go. The "context" part of this would be to automatically assume, for example, that if you click on an enemy, you want the selected troop to attack the enemy. Possibly, you could also click on a gold node to have him dig the fastest path to that gold node.

Now, a nifty thing to add to this would be "Weapon Sensitive Commands". What this basically does is say, "I have a Sniper Rifle, so I should hang back and, well, snipe!" or "I have an assault rifle, so I should engage the enemy at medium range!". It would decrease the amount of tediousness in micromanaging your units, and increase the pace of battle.

Thank you for reading! Please, give constructive critisism!
Author:  Grif [ Sat Aug 15, 2009 4:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Context Sensitive Commands
You can already add targets to kill, though idk if you can do it directly ingame. Use the goto AI mode and select a specific actor. You can also have secondary units follow your actor, which is useful for getting shot in the back.

Also, adding "this is a sniper rifle" "this is an assault rifle" definitions to weapons would not work out well at all.

Either A: it's calculated by the game using sharplength, firevelocity, etc, which is bound to mess up on just about any mod content
B: it's a specific variable, which means re-doing every weapon mod quite literally ever
C: the path of a bullet is traced out giving a rough estimate of range. Again, what if it's a pistol that just shoots really fast?

Oh and also, since this game is gamepad-compatible, there's not going to be any other menu system besides the current "pie menu". Right click your unit and select goto, it does a lot of what you want.
Author:  CaveCricket48 [ Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Context Sensitive Commands
I like the variable idea, even if you have to add it to every mod. But hey, think of it as another super CC update that breaks every mod, like the one in build 13-14. For the variable, I think there should be 3:

MaxRange is the maximum range the weapon should be used at.
MinRange is the minimum range the weapon should be used at.
FirePower is a scale from 0-1 that states firepower. You could also go oer 1 to state how strong the weapon is.

If a mod weapon doesn't have any of the variables, it will just use the current system by default.
Author:  Contrary [ Sat Aug 15, 2009 7:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Context Sensitive Commands
Listen to grif, he knows some stuff.
You can use the go-to command for attacking, following, and gold digging, just like grif said.

As for the context-specific commands:
I don't really understand. If an enemy goes in range of one of your actor's guns- that actor shoots. To have the AI for a unit to value and actively seek out a good sniping position- that requires a bit of AI. An the AI as-is is notorious for being pad at complicated path-finding.

I really like CraveCricket's idea, and it would really work well for bazooka-ers and such.
Author:  DrPayne666 [ Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Context Sensitive Commands
Thank You, Grif, for your helpful insights! :grin:

Now that I think about the pathfinding, it is pretty bad. Adding tags to the weapons does not seem like an efficient idea, as you say.

However, would it not be nice to not have to switch to the actor you wish to order around? In the fast pace of battle, it is imperative that you are able to give orders swiftly and efficiently. Especially true for sudden threats, such as a dropship landing right on top of your base.

Another point I think is rather important is the AI concerning weapons. They do not share! Let me give you an example:

One game, I was moving to the enemy base, then I bought a shipment of troops and guns to be transported directly to me. Then, as the ship chucked the shipment out, I noticed that only one of my troops had a gun. I switched to him and sure enough, he had 3 guns that were the same kind!

I think it would be rather easy to write something to distribute the weapons you buy among the troops. Or, even better, you can simply pre-equip the soldiers with a specific gun!

Thanks again, Grif and please give more of your insights! :)
Author:  Duh102 [ Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Context Sensitive Commands
You place weapons in each troop by buying them in sequence. Troops are loaded with the weapons under them until the next actor. The only exception is weapons with no actor above them are loaded into the actor below them.
Author:  Grif [ Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Context Sensitive Commands
CC is, overall, more of an action game with RTS thrown in than an RTS with action thrown in, and a lot of the suggestions people make want to make it more of an RTS-like-feel. Data's already removed things that would be more RTS and less action, so I doubt he's going to significantly change the game formula now.
Author:  The Decaying Soldat [ Sun Aug 16, 2009 4:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Context Sensitive Commands
Strategy is not the main game element, but a buff in the AI is always welcomed.

Is it possible to make a variable for weapons to tell the AI 'how to use it', and if weapons doesn't have that value, they are treated as a normal weapon by the AI? So it won't ruin old mods.
Author:  Duh102 [ Sun Aug 16, 2009 4:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Context Sensitive Commands
I think adding a "minimum range" variable for the AI would do the trick. They can use the sharprange for maximum range, no need to add another one, and the AI doesn't really need to know the strength of the weapon it's using. They do plenty of damage now just randomly firing with any weapon they have.
Author:  DrPayne666 [ Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Context Sensitive Commands
@Duh:

Thanks for the tip!

@Grif: Yes, this is a primarily action-oriented game, which is all the more reason to streamline the strategy aspects! :wink:
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