Oveur
|
Posted - 2005.02.22 09:23:00 -
[1]
Originally by: DigitalCommunist Ok, on the topic of content generation tools.. I saw the complex editor on the early client builds before they took it off, do you think it would be possible to give more people access? Is it only for internal CCP use or do some volunteers fiddle with it?
In a community this big I bet there are hundreds of modders or computer literate people. You'd literally be giving the players the tools to create their own content, and not just watching them use whatever you give them.
The client side editor for Complexes would not be enough, you would need access to the backend systems for the higher level designs. But it's true, community "level editing" would be very kewl, I did it for quake. Mine were crappy looking, but there were levels which were totally awesome.
Originally by: DigitalCommunist The code for area of effect stuff is already in, seeing as how there are mobile warp disruptors and anti-mwd fields for complexes. Just change the effect to deal damage or reduce velocity (or other stats like resistance dropping or say.. explosive dampening gas to increase them) then you'd already have the framework to make environments more tactical. The complex editor could be changed to use stargates or planets/moons as their reference point. With the player-base churning out possible designs with these tools the art department can focus on making new environmental effects, objects and other things for the editor itself.
Even if you somehow made every system in eve unique to the rest, you don't have to keep it static because environments do change afaik
speaking of which.. I need to go shovel snow off my driveway
Yes, like i said, the code is there for area of effect of course, but it's all been done on a case by case basis. Creating a new area of effect module requires programming work, while I was trying to point out that we want to move that from the programming layer into authoring.
That way we could apply an area of effect to a number of area sizes in a Complex as well as an asteroid belt, stargate, station, planet, ship, module or missile for that matter - without any coding involved.
This shortens the time to market considerably since you don't need thorough testing of the new code (since there is no new code involved), you can do faster trial-and-error development, taking your from prototype to beta and release stage without requiring retesting of the code at all and of course reduces the manpower needed to get the feature out, so it's more easily justifiable to put into testing.
Senior Producer EVE Online
|