A couple things I want to say, and questions I want to ask. I've posted this all and more on my website, too (www.havocfps.net/), but I find that you guys all give much more and much more valuable feedback than the few site visitors I get! These are just a couple of ideas for Havoc FPS, a game I'm (trying :( ) to develop :P
There's a list of all the planned weapons and attachments on the site, in the blog 'Weapons!'. If you want to check that out, then there's a link to the website at the bottom of THIS blog. Thanks!Now, this is a kind of random feature I'm hoping to add; I've never seen this in a game. Quick lesson in how a lot of weapons work: You pull the trigger, and a bullet is fired. The case is ejected, and a new round is forced into the chamber. If you remove the magazine at the point, there is still (potentially) a bullet in the chamber, ready to fire! So, I was thinking of allowing a player to interrupt a reload to fire that extra bullet. So, for example, you run through the enemies base with your RF Shotgun. Then you begin to reload, but another enemy suddenly appears! So you go BANG, and fire off that last round, killing the enemy. Also, this means that a weapon with a 4 round magazine (such as the Sniper Rifle) could potentially fire 5 rounds before reloading, for example. What do you think?This is the main thing I wanted to direct at the 64digits community, since you guys are programmers: have you done any game development with Java, and what do you think of game development with Java?Cheers!http://www.havocfps.net/
I think that is a good idea, but you will probably have to properly explain yourself so that it doesn't look like a glitch.
The thing I've always thought about while playing shooters is that you can reload at anytime, and even if you still have 8 or so shots left in your clip, when you reload you don't loose any bullets even though you just dropped a halfway full clip.Its a good idea (and realistic), but yeah, you'd have to explain it so people don't know its a glitch. Also, shotguns can be fired mid-reload because they don't use magazines (well, most don't.
As far as programming, the answers are yes, and yes-if-you-know-what-you-are-doing. Java isn't your problem (Java is easy) - your problem is going to be a) writing a solid game engine and b) the graphics/OpenGL The first can be bypassed by finding a good library, and the second can be mitigated slightly the same way, but unless you know 3D graphics programming, you are going to hit a brick wall.I know it was implemented in Crysis 2 and Battlefield 3, not sure about other games though..
Actually, I noticed in Battlefield 3 that if you load in a magazine with no round in the chamber, the game lets you reload again so you can have the extra bullet. also what Ferret said about dropping bullets lolHaving two types of reloading would be neat - i.e. just tapping the reload button does a fast reload but drops semi-full mags on the ground, while holding the reload button does a slow reload that saves the mag…and then the player could have to transfer bullets between partially full magazines manually, but idk if you want to do thatOh man I would love to see that in a game, not only would it make sense but it would be strategic as well. May not be something you want to do in your first game in Java but colseed is certainly on to something here.
I agree with these fine fellows. Not much experience with java myself though.
"explain it so it doesn't look like a glitch"
Of course! I'll definitely include a .txt file with the game that explains everything. I was also thinking of including a Firing Range; a seperate 'game mode' where you can practice your aim. Also, there could be a little 'arcade game' in the level? Trying to get a high score? There'd be targets at different ranges, and moving targets, and so on. What do you think of thatt?"shotguns can be fired mid-reload"Certainly the Pump-Action Shotgun won't have the 'one in the chamber' feature. The revolver, also, wouldn't be capable of such an action, either. Those two have special ammo feed systems. All the other weapons would be magazine fed (except LMG? That may just have a single, MASSIVE ammo stock).Speaking of ammo, should the player have limited ammo for all weapons? And then would ammo come in full magazines, or rounds? So, I'd throw away half a mag of bullets if I reloaded early, thus wasting a fair bit of valuable fire power. I'd prefer such a system, if there was limited ammo…"java"Not too sure about Java anymore. It was just a thought. I've been hitting a couple of brick walls in the development of this game :/"fast reloading"Not too sure what you mean by that colseed?"love to see that in a game?"Clarify please? :S hahaAre you talking about the one in the chamber idea?Also, a couple of other ideas:
The world essentially is made of blocks, and crates. Blocks are indestructable, whereas crates can be destroyed! Players will be able to build crates, as well.Incendiary rounds for the shotguns, and incendiary grenades for equipment! Blocks can be temporarily set on fire, and crates will continue to burn for longer than blocks. Also, players can be set on fire by incendiary rounds and also by the fire lying around the map (as a result of incendiary rounds or grenades).And then, for crates: have HE Grenades that you're not going to use? Or Remote Explosives? (etc) I'm thinking of allowing the player to put explosives IN crates, turning a crate into Ordinance. Ordinance can be shot, exploded, etc :) Good for traps!Fast reloading would mean reloading as fast as possible - that is, dropping the spent magazine regardless of how many rounds are left in it and immediately loading in the new magazine. Versus, say, catching the spent magazine and saving it/whatever number of rounds are left in it for later.
I've been meaning to implement ideas like these in my own games for a while now, but have yet to successfully finish a game that actually involves realistic-ish shooting systems as a major component… :/(and don't get me started on making more realistic melee systems lol)but I am confused…ND4SPD speak of making weapon functioning more realistic, then suggest having magically unlimited ammo stocks and infinite magazine sizes? ._.also, Java would be way more efficient if you're doing this in 3D (or basically anything other than GM lol)"but I am confused…ND4SPD speak of making weapon functioning more realistic, then suggest having magically unlimited ammo stocks and infinite magazine sizes? ._."
Well played :D limited ammunition it is! The LMG would have no 'magazine', so you'd never need to reload. But you'd still have limited ammunition. Imagine the Heavy from TF2, I suppose.lol
LMGs do sort of have magazines though…they're just giant boxes that can be kinda annoying to cart around n' stuff :D…or something like that