Players getting the opportunity to control simplemobs - be it through robotic upgrading, xenobiological dabbling, magical mischief, or admin intervention - is one of the most fun things about this game.
The dynamics of play change entirely when you're something that isn't human. You lack the hands that you need to use most anything onboard, but instead get a variety of interesting abilities which are seldom afforded to other creatures.
The only problem is that most of these creatures don't have a HUD, or tab, or anything. This can make figuring out what you can actually do in your animalistic body a pain. As an example, we had a round earlier where several people were put into the bodies of ED-209 security robots - they can stun with a click (except when they're emagged, in which case they only have a laser), and they can buckle people up by clicking on them directly. But that last part had to be found out through trial and error, or told to the people involved afterwards.
So I'm proposing simple buttons, like the kind that appear in the top-left to toggle common features, partnered up with a short blurb about your different abilities which appears when you spawn into that body... for every creature. Since nearly everything has playable capability, there must be some precedent for this sort of thing, right? The improvement to playability would be massive for simple creatures, and I doubt that we'd need new sprites for such abilities (just toggles between weaponry, click actions, unique emotes and abilities etc.).
Sounds reasonable, right?
Add buttons & descriptions to player-controlled simplemobs
- AnonymousNow
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Add buttons & descriptions to player-controlled simplemobs
Hornygranny wrote:It's not your codebase. It's our codebase. You can imply soft power as much as you want, but you don't have it. Division between the server and project is absolute. I'm not interested in reading dezzmont platitudes for the billionth time and won't be checking back in this thread.


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- Atlanta-Ned
- In-Game Game Master
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Re: Add buttons & descriptions to player-controlled simplemo
Could also put information like that on the wiki...
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- oranges
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Re: Add buttons & descriptions to player-controlled simplemo
the fact that players can be put into a bunch of crap is a side effect mostly, and huds/interactions are only really added to the most commone ones.
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Re: Add buttons & descriptions to player-controlled simplemo
I have been thinking about improving bots for players (you can slot your pAI into them except Security ones), possibly the mining drone as well.
- AnonymousNow
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Re: Add buttons & descriptions to player-controlled simplemo
Getting it written up in some way, shape or form is the first major step.Atlanta-Ned wrote:Could also put information like that on the wiki...
It's one of the best side effects ever, and supporting it further would be radical.oranges wrote:the fact that players can be put into a bunch of crap is a side effect mostly, and huds/interactions are only really added to the most commone ones.
Great place to start.Gun Hog wrote:I have been thinking about improving bots for players (you can slot your pAI into them except Security ones), possibly the mining drone as well.
Hornygranny wrote:It's not your codebase. It's our codebase. You can imply soft power as much as you want, but you don't have it. Division between the server and project is absolute. I'm not interested in reading dezzmont platitudes for the billionth time and won't be checking back in this thread.


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- Ricotez
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- Location: The Netherlands
Re: Add buttons & descriptions to player-controlled simplemo
The entire point if simplemobs is to minimize their overhead. If you add buttons, those are going to be generated and rendered even when no player is in control. Everything you add to simplemobs will detract from their design goal.
A proc that switches a simplemob out with a more complex mob designed for player control and that can be activated by an admin with an admin button would be a much better idea for those very few times when they want to put a player in control of a simplemob.
A proc that switches a simplemob out with a more complex mob designed for player control and that can be activated by an admin with an admin button would be a much better idea for those very few times when they want to put a player in control of a simplemob.
MimicFaux wrote:I remember my first time, full of wonderment and excitement playing this game I had heard so many stories about.
on the arrival shuttle, I saw the iconic toolbox on the ground. I clubbed myself in the head with it trying to figure out the controls.
Setting the tool box, now bloodied, back on the table; I went to heal myself with a medkit. I clubbed myself in the head with that too.
I've come a long ways from asking how to switch hands.
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- Remie Richards
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Re: Add buttons & descriptions to player-controlled simplemo
Yeah, maybe if you implement it like an idiot.Ricotez wrote:The entire point if simplemobs is to minimize their overhead. If you add buttons, those are going to be generated and rendered even when no player is in control.
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