Very simple mod concept

[B0rG]

If I knew how to muck about with C++ (Radiant keeps me busy enough) I'd go forth and make a small mod for JK2 that I believe would make saber duels a hell of a lot less chaotic and make a little more sense.

 

It's quick and simple, and I'd be very happy if someone went and did it (because I'm sure it will improve duelling).

 

That is to add one small feature (activated by the challenge function) that auto locks onto a selected target. Once lock is achieved (by pointing crosshair at target and pressing the challenge key), the target remains fixed to the center of your screen. Lets call it 'player lock'.

 

Whilst locked onto a target you will automatically look/turn left, right, up or down - whichever way the target moves. In short, your direction becomes dictated by the targets movements. However, you could still move left, right, forward or backward as desired but no matter what you do, you would always be facing your target.

 

How would this help duels? It would ensure that all of your saber attacks and defensive strikes would always be targeted precicely at your target. Thus, duels would become more about distance, timing and skill than it would button mashing and hopng the target is right in front of you at the same time your swing reaches its apex. The speed of left and right player movement makes it practically impossible to track your opponent (up close where its needed) anywhere near as well as one could do in a real life situation.

 

Right now, saber duelling feels a bit too much like trying to have a Quake axe fight, and it's just too easy to swing left or right of your target. I really think this would help simulate saber play much better.

 

I have actually tested this theory once before in a mod that I was involved with several years ago... Kanonball for Half-Life (which has never been officially released, but is still being developed - http://www.planethalflife.com/kanonball). It was a speedball style game, 1st and 3rd person.

 

We added a ball-tracking feature that worked exactly as I described above, allowing a player to find or center a ball with the press of a button, and it helped gameplay quite a bit.

 

Blade of Darkness uses a similar feature and although that game has one of the worst interfaces in action gaming history, this one feature definately made sword play much easier, particularly with faster moving targets. I can't see any reason why the same wouldn't apply for for JK2.

 

Please some coder type guy, go forth and make this happen.

 

[BloodRiot]

Not a bad idea. I agree on more realistic duels.

 

But the way you are saying it places us with some restrictions as well.

 

What if someone is badly injured and wants to run away for healing? Solution: instead of lock... make it a lock/unlock toggle.

 

What if a player is battling two players? Possible Solution: Automated lock - within a certain radius, if a player is wielding a saber, then they would lock, and if a player gets too far off, it would unlock. When dealing multiple enemies, the lock function locks on to the nearest fighter. Maybe the force defense could be tunned a bit so that level three allows battling against multiple enemies. Also allow Reborn like acrobatics when locked.

 

Whith my lock unlock solution eventually all would degrade back to the present situation of Jedi Outcast Dueling. So I guess that when locked, the autorun feature would be disabled and players move slower. and everything goes back to normal after unlock.

 

For a start it looks good.

 

It's a really nice idea, and I really hope someone will take up on this.

[Orbitäl]

I'm just curious if you are asking for this in 'Challenge mode' or just in general as a new play-feature. I personally would like it to be a bit of both.

 

In 'Challenge mode' make it so you are ALWAYS locked onto your opponent. Unless, of course s/he dies/halts the duel (runs away), falls of a cliff, etc.

Also if this is to be, then perhaps for a "challenge" saber throw should be either disabled completely, or take more mana to use as being locked on could quite possibly result in many-a-cheese victory.

 

In 'Regular mode', have it like you have already described, being able to lockon/lock off of nearby targets, etc.

The only problem(s) I see with this, again is with force. Once you are locked onto a target, you could lightning, grip, push, pull, mind trick them into next week. Again it becomes a cheese-a-thon.

 

I think this would really bring some new strategy to saber combat, but there are a few things that should be well thought out first.

 

Best of luck to you.

[B0rG]

BloodRiot, yes you'd have to make it toggle on or off for simplicity sake. And as for fighting more than one opponent, I'd suggest that you'd only activate it if you were concentrating on one opponent only. If you have two enemies, toggle lock 'off' to default duellling action.

 

And Orbital, my thinking is to make it turn on automatically when you press challenge key and the target is in your sites. So yes, by rights, in challenge mode you'd be locked to your opponent. Once the challenge has begun, however, you could turn it off by pressing the button again.

 

And yes, when you think about how challenge mode works compared with what I've suggested here, you would not need to be engaged in a challenge for this to work. Its more about preparing you for a duel, challenge or not. It wouldn't matter if your challenge was accepted or not, but the player lock would take effect until the target was dead or you toggled it back off.

[Prophet]

I really like this idea. I hope that someone actually does continue it, because I would use it constantly.