[.::Tin Can::.]

This is something a friend and myself thought of as a really, really, really neat idea. What if: We had 5 players, each in charge of a post on  a capial ship. One player would fly, which the others managed tasks. One would control the anti-cap ship beams, and could switch inbetween all the beam weapons on that ship. Another two would manage flak and turrets, and the last one would manage anti-fighter beams. If you only have 4, then put the ship on a waypoint course and have only 4 players play it. That way, if you wanted, you could put 4 or 5 guys in a Deimos who act as their own escorts... think of the NEAT STUFF you could do with that? Eh? Can it be done?

[aldo_14]

Not without code changes.

[Bobboau]

yeah that would be realy fun, you get to sit there and not controle what's happening, fireing a weapon once every 9 seconds, woot...

[LAW ENFORCER]

lol

if only I was good at codeing

(or perhpas its more, if only I could understand the FS2 code... or soemthing )

anyway ... how old its THAT idea! man!

[Gregster2k]

How I would sooooo love to be a beam gunner aboard an NTD Orion in mortal combat with an enemy GTD Hecate in multiplayer!!!

What you suggest sounds VERY similar like how BF1942 works for controlling vehicles: in BF1942 you can have 10 "positions" on an aircraft carrier, one of which controls the driving, the rest are all flak guns that you can aim and shoot. You switch between the positions by pressing 1 thru 0 on the keyboard. Each position can be different. (aka, flak gun, bridge/navigation, beam cannon, etc.)

What you're saying is that each player controls a different TYPE of turret. However, this won't work well, because if one player suddenly goes AFK then his fellow teammates aboard won't be able to access the turret types assigned to the now-AFK guy, and the capship will be limited to AI control of those turret types until the AFKer returns.

What we need is the BF1942 model: the ability for any player "aboard" to control any turret on the ship, and the ship's bridge, too. Switching between turrets could be done with "next" and "previous" keys, and you'd be able to switch only if a player isn't already controlling a turret.

I look forward to the day someone develops such a thing

[Fractux]

Originally posted by Gregster2k
What you suggest sounds EXACTLY like how BF1942 works for controlling vehicles: you can have 10 "positions" on an aircraft carrier, one of which controls the driving, the rest are all flak guns that you can aim and shoot.

How I would sooooo love to be a beam gunner aboard an NTD Orion in mortal combat with an enemy GTD Hecate in multiplayer!!!

I look forward to the day someone develops such a thing

\

If you ever played Allegiance, you can already [ not beams cannons, but you can guns on bombers, and capital ships. ]

I haven't played that game in ages (used to be addicted), but you can get it for free now. In fact MS even just recently released the source code for that game.

Cheers!

[.::Tin Can::.]

It was just an idea I had, and I really think it would be a good one. So then, who DOES code around here?

[Taristin]

...well, for one thing, if you're bugging for coding, you're in the wrong forum.

I also couldn't picture it in the FS world. It'd be worse than what Bob said.

Edit: Bugger me, I can't spell.

[.::Tin Can::.]

who says you gotta control the beam cannons? The guys with the flak and the turrets and the anti fighter beams, will have a hell of a time hitting bombers and fighters. I personally think it would add new possible mission objectives for the game, like defending your ship until you arrive to a designated location.

[Gregster2k]

As far as the 9 second thing goes (Bobboau)...
Set reload time for all *BEAM* cannons players are using to 1 second. AI would have normal limits.
You'll see why I'm saying this later on: the two models of firing for beam cannons will take care of delay of cannonfire.

Flak guns be real-time fired...fully movable, and behave like normal weapons with mouselook style turret control; would need flak shells, but perhaps have a slowly regenerative ammo supply per turret. Or, to add a new dimension, give flak a HUGE universal ammo count for all flak guns of all flak types, and the Captain can call in support ships when needed to rearm the flak (but i think simpler regen ammo is better).

Laser turrets would behave as usual, using more or less power for heavier or lighter turrets. Yes, the refire will suck. But who fits lasers to their capships these days, unless they WANT to get killed?

The capital ship's energy reserves for weapons would be displayed on all the pilots' HUDs, including the main bridge's.

limits of the whole system:
- Turrets or the main bridge not under human control will revert to AI control.
- Only the Bridge has authority to divert power from weapons to shield or back, or modify gun/shield/engine power distribution for the ship.
- Super-beam cannons, eg. BFGreen, MjolnirBeam, generally can't rotate while firing (firing freezes the position of the cannon until the beam shuts down), and use ludicrous amounts of weapons energy. Strategic use would be necessary to avoid draining so much power that no energy is left for anything else.
- Standard beam cannons are able to rotate while firing but greatly slowed down.
- Slash-beam cannons are able to rotate very fast while they fire, but they usually either A) don't do much damage or B) take a long time to reload.
- Anti-fighter beams fire with a pulsing beam just like the AI ones and can rotate faster than any other turret type, but you have to time your mouse movements carefully.

About the 1 second refire...
that's the base refire time. The longer you fire a beam, the longer it takes to fire it again. And there would be ceilings for how long you can fire, of course.

Three models of firing, all unique:

--- Delayed Reaction Firing
This would be best for super-beams and standard beams, since they shouldn't be able to turn quickly while firing like a Slash or AA beam can...Firing goes like this: Point, hold button for beam duration, and let go. Your next shot from that turret is allowed ONLY AFTER the beam shuts down. Due to the enormous energy a super beam would consume, this type of firing adds a level of strategy to the game --- once you let go of the button there's no turning back. You cannot abort the beam's "discharge", and it won't shut down prematurely unless the ship's weapon energy levels go critical/zero.

Slash beams could use delayed reaction firing, if firing time delays (see next firing mode) doesn't seem to be realistic/balanced/whatever.

--- Firing Time Delays
This one is the opposite: the delay between shots is proportional to the amount of time you SPENT continuously firing. Might be best for AA, and maybe slash beams.

--- Real Time
What we're all used to. You press the button and you fire. Simple as that, no changes. The only weapon types suited to this firing mode are Flak Guns, Missile Launchers, and Laser Turrets.

......................anyway...
Boring? I don't think so.
Too bad its only an idea so far.

[.::Tin Can::.]

Now THAT is what I am talking about. Finally someone agrees with me. Great plan dude!

[Gregster2k]

heh. there is a loophole --- ppl could just rapidly push the button to get quick bursts of BFGreen every second forever.

of course, the starting 1 second wait time was an example. Technically, you should start with like 5 seconds for BFGreen-class beam cannons, and DECREASE the delay to a maximum of HALF A SECOND if the beam is sustained for, say, 10 seconds.

of course, just because you're all ready to fire again because your lengthy BFG shot gave you shorter delay, doesn't mean you haven't just depleted your cruiser's ENTIRE energy supply with your precious BFGreen.

And trust me, with a super beam cannon system with backwards delay control like I've just suggested, it would consume energy reserves like monkeys in a banana factory.

Having a backwards system like that, where the longer you fire a super beam cannon the shorter time it takes to fire it again, would be nice to simulate the panic attack of a cruiser that is dying...it lashes out with long powerful beams for extended periods of time then somehow manages to fire shorter bursts afterwards from the power it has left. a reversed delay for super beam cannons only would allow for that.

So yeah, give a super-B.C. a 5 second delay starting, for players' super beam cannons, to encourage strategic usage of the cannons.

[.::Tin Can::.]

That way you can ***** at the guy who is controling the beams:

"Stop wasting all the ****ing energy you dickwad! What the hell do you think this is?!"

[Gregster2k]

Yeah really. i can see myself now...

NTCv Madman
Captain: "WHOSE THE IDIOT AT BFGREEN 01 WHO JUST MADE US A DERELICT?"

Lieutenant on bridge: "Sir, the PA system doesn't work. Not even the coffee maker works. The reactor is offline from the strain of BFGreen 01 continuing to fire using our emergency reserves..."

Captain: "Well get down there and abort the beam."

Lieutenant: "That's impossible, sir. The beam duration is preset. It won't disengage until it's done firing."

Captain: "that... dumb .... MORON!!!!!!"

Security Officer: "Shall I bring you his head, sir?"

Captain: "No, that's too kind. Throw him out the airlock."

Tech: "Sir! Sensors are back online! Sensors are detec--...oh ****."

[.::Tin Can::.]

LOL! Awesome. But you know what would be REALLY cool? FREESPACE 2 FIRST PERSON SHOOTER!

[Solatar]

Now learn to code and do it...

[.::Tin Can::.]

Now learn I can only FRED work, and then...

[Solatar]

That post didn't make any sense. Could you rephrase?

[.::Tin Can::.]

I am a wimpy 14 year old FRED'er with no idea what EVERYONE around here does because EVERYONE seems to be over the age of 18 and even MARRIED! I can't do so much all at once. Hell, I cant even work with 3D Max! I give out ideas, and I wonder what people think of them. It is something me and my friend have been hoping we could do on Capships, because he came up with an idea where you played as Admiral Boche after being taken away by the Shivans and you get to do really neat stuff, but he really wanted to take control of some nice weaponry on those capships.

[Unknown Target]

You just need to work on your community skills. Do a search on the forums, and you'll find everything you've suggested so far has already been suggested, disected, and layed to rest numerous times