FreeGameDev

I've been playing a while now, and I'm really loving it.
There are some things that I think would greatly improve the gameplay...

1. Spawning. It is impossible to know when a player is invincible vs not when they are spawning. Sometimes it seems I can shoot right through them 2 or 3 times (instagib) and then boom - they shoot and kill me. But when I am spawning, it seems like just as the screen comes up from darkness - BOOM, I'm dead. I find that "waking up" effect makes it difficult to deal with. I just can't seem to figure it out consistently, and when the server has a lot of players or on smaller maps, it just gets very very frustrating.

2. Reload. I like playing instagib, and the constant reloading is very annoying. I know that there is a way to "turn off" reloading - there was one server that had it like that for a day or two. It would be nice if this were an option, or at least an obvious option, for servers or in the voting system as a mutator.

3. Voting. The voting system seems to be broken a lot, where I either can't bring up the voting screen, or no matter what I choose picks something else. It seems to have gotten better with the new release, but I've still seen some problems with it.

4. Zooming. I would really like it if I could jump or reload while zoomed in. If I see someone shooting at me, it's harder to evade if jumping makes me zoom out. Again, only affects the rifle - but instagib is popular.

bovineuniversity {l Wrote}:I've been playing a while now, and I'm really loving it.
There are some things that I think would greatly improve the gameplay...

4. Zooming. I would really like it if I could jump or reload while zoomed in. If I see someone shooting at me, it's harder to evade if jumping makes me zoom out. Again, only affects the rifle - but instagib is popular.

Actually, I would like to second his statement. This was very popular for me in the Blood Frontier beta (the game that spawned the FPS we know as Red Eclipse. No i'm not a COD or Halo fanboy. I just think it would be helpful to be in midair while zoomed in. Therefore, when scoping up targets, you can still jump and dodge while trying to aim down your enemy. You shouldnt have to always "no-scope" when in midair. The whole reloading while zoomed in i don't get but i would agree with jumping while zoomed in. And he is right. There is that instagib server that is very popular.

What sucks is that you have to be server admin to change that. I'm thinking it should be changed for the whole game. In all servers. Unfortunately I dont have a server and I dont have the know-how to set up a server (i've tried and failed). I've pretty just resorted to letting someone Teamview me and do it for me (if there were a person on the forums that was so kind).

Kitsune {l Wrote}:You can set that if your a server admin, its /zoomlock 0, as for the spawn protect, you can tell they have it as they are transparent while protected (pay attention)

Well, the way a player zooms seems like it should be configurable per player, not at the server level.

And I *know* they are transparent while protected... but it's really not all that obvious during gameplay when they're protected or not. It's really odd, because they can shoot but are protected. There've just been many times where a) I get killed because I'm not protected and they are - so my shots go right through them, and I get killed or b) I seem to get killed very soon after spawning. I don' t like the "fade from black" when spawning either. How do I know how long I'm protected when spawning?

I see others complaining about it in-game. I don't think a constructive suggestion for improvement should be shrugged off, and I hope others who don't like it will visit this forum and speak up about it.
If it's just me, then so be it. I still think that it needs improvement.

Okay, I'm willing to open the zooming question to the public for their input, see this poll.

The reloading thing has my curiosity piqued. I'm thinking something along the lines of a "relaxed" mutator, where game rules are toned down. Is there anything other than reloading that would be good to pack in with this idea?

As for spawn protection, your arms should be transparent, and the fade-in effect is timed to the protection period. It lasts 3 seconds in most modes, but only 1 second in instagib variants. Nobody has really ever said anything to me about it, so I always just assumed it was obvious. What would you suggest?

qreeves {l Wrote}:Okay, I'm willing to open the zooming question to the public for their input, see this poll.

Thanks. Although it was posted back in March, you mentioned "secondary fire" for the rifle. Were you referring to zooming, or is there another firing option I haven't realized yet for the rifle? I'll admit, I haven't read up much on how to play, I've just been playing. So if the answer is simply RTFM I'm OK w/that.

qreeves {l Wrote}:The reloading thing has my curiosity piqued. I'm thinking something along the lines of a "relaxed" mutator, where game rules are toned down. Is there anything other than reloading that would be good to pack in with this idea?

The only problem I see with a relaxed mutator is that you might not remember what rules are relaxed if you didn't play it much.
Is it easier to bundle them, or to add new mutators?
I think a no-reload would make for a very nice mutator.
Back in the Quake MegaTF days, I always enjoyed playing some of the "low gravity" maps. I know it's a server setting, but maybe there could be a low-grav mutator.
I think a Kung-fu mutator, where there are no weapons (only grenades?) would be interesting. That could get ugly though. haha

qreeves {l Wrote}:As for spawn protection, your arms should be transparent, and the fade-in effect is timed to the protection period. It lasts 3 seconds in most modes, but only 1 second in instagib variants. Nobody has really ever said anything to me about it, so I always just assumed it was obvious. What would you suggest?

I see two perspectives:
ME SPAWNING: I always feel like I'm waking up in the morning, and I hate that feeling. A "countdown timer" might be too obtrusive... maybe the word FIGHT flashes on the screen? I think it's really only an issue because (as you mentioned) on instagib it's only 1 second. Maybe it's the fade-in that is the problem... because sometimes I can barely see what's going on by the time I'm killed. Getting rid of the "fade from black" might just do the trick. I will keep an eye out when playing, but it seems that sometimes the protection lasts longer than 1 sec in insta. But it could be that the server admins have changed it.

EVERYONE ELSE SPAWNING: I think it should be something really obvious. Bright pink outline/glow? (wouldn't work for pink players) A star (like the talk bubble) above their head? Make them sparkle? I'm not sure what's really possible.

Thank you for entertaining the conversation though, I do appreciate it.

qreeves {l Wrote}:Okay, I'm willing to open the zooming question to the public for their input, see this poll.

The reloading thing has my curiosity piqued. I'm thinking something along the lines of a "relaxed" mutator, where game rules are toned down. Is there anything other than reloading that would be good to pack in with this idea?

As for spawn protection, your arms should be transparent, and the fade-in effect is timed to the protection period. It lasts 3 seconds in most modes, but only 1 second in instagib variants. Nobody has really ever said anything to me about it, so I always just assumed it was obvious. What would you suggest?

For the "relaxed" mutator: remove grenades from instagib.
Also 3 seconds spawn protection for instagib, just enough to scare the spawn-camper-killaz

bovineuniversity {l Wrote}:EVERYONE ELSE SPAWNING: I think it should be something really obvious. Bright pink outline/glow? (wouldn't work for pink players) A star (like the talk bubble) above their head? Make them sparkle? I'm not sure what's really possible.

What, you want a "Princess" mutator?

fluxord {l Wrote}:

bovineuniversity {l Wrote}:EVERYONE ELSE SPAWNING: I think it should be something really obvious. Bright pink outline/glow? (wouldn't work for pink players) A star (like the talk bubble) above their head? Make them sparkle? I'm not sure what's really possible.

What, you want a "Princess" mutator?

LOL
I actually thought of it from SuperTux, when you get the star and are invincible for a short time. But I do have a daughter in 1st grade, so who knows maybe it's rubbing off on me.

I've got a rather silly idea for improvement: Put a massive "PRESS Q TO MELEE, NO SERIOUSLY PRESS Q" message somewhere very prominent, like on a loading screen or something. I've heard it asked in games so many times

Or it could say "kick = melee, so check your key bindings". Since people could change it.

I haven't landed a kick or melee, or whatever you want to call it since the game was in beta. I'm more of a "move around while i continuously fire at your head" kind of guy. Just ask InstantMegaDeath aka super-expert-Sword-guy

Lol, I saw a tip at the top of the main menu that described how to melee, so I guess I spoke too soon.

Stiva {l Wrote}:Lol, I saw a tip at the top of the main menu that described how to melee, so I guess I spoke too soon.

I was gonna say!

Stiva {l Wrote}:Lol, I saw a tip at the top of the main menu that described how to melee, so I guess I spoke too soon.

You can always look at the tips in 'red eclipse/data/tips.cfg' if you can look around the colors.