Suggestions, Comments, Concerns on 1.4

[Xaran]

I've downloaded the unofficial svn version about a week or two ago and have updated it since. I for the most part am psyched about 1.4 Elara, but I do have some suggestions, comments, and concerns I'd like to have sorted out before it's released. And I'm aware that according the the submission deadline and release target that this post is a bit last minute so I'll keep my suggestions relatively simple for the developers.

Comments:
1. Well done with the mines, lot of opportunity for expansion since the step to add a completely new weapon slot has already been taken
2. The props allow for a more custom look, but can we please try to go overboard (the tophats, afro, and mustache are a bit overboard. the propeller and glassy monocle are small so i guess they're not too much, the rest fit in nicley, I see the nightvision, bionic monocle, brain, wings, and raptors having the potential to be more than just accesories)

Suggestions:
1. Keep the grunts' name as "grunt" and give the name "drone" to the new enemy AIs instead.
2. I don't know if changing the flak variables names from "flak" to "frag" is really necessary, but if it isn't please keep them the same for the sake of simplicity and us weapon makers.
3. And put the "campaign" option back in the game so that those of us who are interested can still work on ways to improve upon it.

Concerns:
What bugs are there?
Weapon sounds. after updating it last Thursday I found the change in sound for weapons were unnecessary and in some cases negative
1. the spawn sounds don't need to be changed
2. the switching sounds were already good so why they were changed to their "charging" sound I don't know
3. the pistol sounded worse than the original BF pistols, there was a glitch in the rocket firing sound, and the mine primary sounded like a steaming pipe

I'll be able to update this Monday so the list of concerns may change or diminish

Any other questions, comments, concerns out there?

[Evropi]

Comments:
1. The bottom section of the Frag Vault map is still controversial. I do not have a definite solution, but it should definitely be looked at and thought about.
2. The new 'spawn queue' can be very irritating when you're playing with lots of bots and all the players are dead. They take ages to kill each other. There is no definite solution to this... but honestly, I'd like to know the reasons for which the spawn queue was introduced so perhaps we can come up with a solution for the problem of having too much idle time between deaths.

Concerns:
1. I believe the current mine animation and holding in general should be overhauled. Very greatly. The fact it goes through your hand right now when you switch to it simply doesn't cut it for release.
2. The third-person models look a lot better now when you hold various guns, as they have a pose specific to them... but for most of them, one of the two arms is actually detached from the character's body. This should somehow be corrected, as it's rather ugly and really apparent in some situations.

Suggestions:
1. Remove drones altogether from onslaught and perhaps allow for more grunts to have weapons instead. Drones are simply too powerful and detract greatly from the ongoing goal, whatever that may be. Additionally, I find it very difficult to distinguish between drones and human players as both of them appear the same. I'd simply go for the outlandish-looking grunts as before.

I may add to this list as I'm reminded of different things.

[qreeves]

I don't know if changing the flak variables names from "flak" to "frag" is really necessary, but if it isn't please keep them the same for the sake of simplicity and us weapon makers.

Yes, it was. "frag" are only variables that control what "flak" is created. The split has allowed almost any variable that applied to a weapon to be changed independently for each flak variant too (mine frags into green rifle flak); really, you have more opportunity for configuration this way, so I'd stop complaining.

And put the "campaign" option back in the game so that those of us who are interested can still work on ways to improve upon it.

No. The fact of the matter is I am not going to keep something none of us on the core team are working on, it is unfinished, sloppy, and makes the project look like some tech demo.

Concerns:
What bugs are there?
Weapon sounds. after updating it last Thursday I found the change in sound for weapons were unnecessary and in some cases negative
1. the spawn sounds don't need to be changed
2. the switching sounds were already good so why they were changed to their "charging" sound I don't know
3. the pistol sounded worse than the original BF pistols, there was a glitch in the rocket firing sound, and the mine primary sounded like a steaming pipe

How about you "make clean"?

[Xaran]

Yes, it was. "frag" are only variables that control what "flak" is created. The split has allowed almost any variable that applied to a weapon to be changed independently for each flak variant too (mine frags into green rifle flak); really, you have more opportunity for configuration this way, so I'd stop complaining.

look sorry if I sound misinformed about certain details in the svn. The computer(s) I can access it from are only available to me an hour a day on average

And put the "campaign" option back in the game so that those of us who are interested can still work on ways to improve upon it.

No. The fact of the matter is I am not going to keep something none of us on the core team are working on, it is unfinished, sloppy, and makes the project look like some tech demo.

So what if some other members got together and came out with an acceptable version of the campaign?

Concerns:
What bugs are there?
Weapon sounds. after updating it last Thursday I found the change in sound for weapons were unnecessary and in some cases negative
1. the spawn sounds don't need to be changed
2. the switching sounds were already good so why they were changed to their "charging" sound I don't know
3. the pistol sounded worse than the original BF pistols, there was a glitch in the rocket firing sound, and the mine primary sounded like a steaming pipe

How about you "make clean"?

sorry if I came across as critical.

[qreeves]

So what if some other members got together and came out with an acceptable version of the campaign?

Well that is the point, Campaign has always been nothing more than "what if" from everyone. Too much musing, positing, story telling, and not much of anything useful actually being done. If someone actually works on it, I will be happy to review this situation, but until then I have better things to do; like making the game look polished.

Don't take it too hard, I am in release mode and have very little patience for misinformation. I expect those offering feedback to actually understand the subject matter properly first, and attempt to resolve issues before palming them off on me as "bugs". It is not my job to tell you to rebuild the source properly, it is implied when using SVN. Had you done this at any other time in a version cycle you probably would not have received such a critical response, but this is crunch time, and I need to work swiftly to stay on top of everything.