GearHead2 v0.400

[Joseph Hewitt]

GearHead-2 v0.400 is now available for download. The big change this time around is a brand new, completely rewritten Arena mode. Hooray!

As of right now, GH2's arena mode can do all the same stuff that GH1's arena mode can. I didn't want to make a release until I could say that at least. In addition, it can do a few things that GH1's arena mode couldn't. You can save the game during battle, and the battles may be fully scripted scenes using all the resources available to the GH2 RPG campaign. Two battles are included in GH2; it should be fairly easy to add more, if you know a bit of scripting.

Oh, yes, there is one more little thing... Tactics mode now works in GH2 as well. Separate preferences are used to set tactics mode for the RPG mode and the Arena mode; by default, the RPG uses clock mode and Arena uses tactics mode.

Why add Arena mode? Becuse it's going to be a while before the RPG mode is fully playable (due to lack of content), but with Arena Mode we can have a complete game right now.

What's next for Arena Mode? I want to add contracts, so that an arena unit will be associated with a specific faction. This will determine the mecha available for purchase and also who your enemies will be while fighting. I also want to make missions selectable; you will have a choice of several missions instead of just being given one at random. Improving your unit's contacts will result in a wider range of missions. I could maybe even add an arena campaign structure of some type or another. There are all kinds of possibilities, and the great thing is most of them wouldn't be too hard to implement.

Here's the complete list of changes:

- Added Shard mecha (design/)
- Added default sprite setting for props (glmap.pp)
- Removed unused GG_Unit definitions (gears.pp)

- Props may have skill values (ability.pp)
- Props are active, they just don't do anything (ability.pp)
 I've decided that a special sub-type of prop will be used for turrets, killer mushrooms, etc.

- Added ArenaRep ASL command (arenascript.pp)
- Training got moved to its own unit (training.pp)
- Added a totally rewritten arena mode (gh2arena.pp)
- Jack of All Trades can now use repair skills (pcaction.pp)
- Separate tactics preferences for RPG and Arena Mode (ui4gh.pp)
- Return ASL command altered to handle arena campaigns (arenascript.pp)
- CombatDisplay will deal with nonexistant gameboard (arenacfe.pp)
- Can save campaign without a gameboard (narration.pp)
- Tactics mode now compiles in GH2 (arenaplay.pp)
- Skill roll history cleared with console history (gearhead.pas)
- Attack roll now made with estimated target of Defense + 2 (effects.pp)
- Awareness and Stealth now use the SkillRoll function (action.pp)
- Element names won't be stored in adventure megalist (randmaps.pp)
- Line attack type now has a cone shape (effects.pp)

- Added computer, software gears (ghsensor.pp)
 These exist for mecha now; unfortunately I forgot to add any examples to the PC_Equipment files, nor did I add any computer stores. Oops.

- Gyros no longer provide MV bonus (gearutil.pp)
- Sensors and ECM must now be same scale as mecha to function (gearutil.pp)
- Removed targeting computers (ghsensor.pp)
- SeekActiveIntrinsic requires other gears be same scale as master (gearutil.pp)
- Fixed a bug with line attack (effects.pp)
- Fixed the telephone react score bug (interact.pp)
- Burn status effect now has constant rate of diminishment (arenacfe.pp)
- Tech Vulture can't remove integral modules (arenascript.pp)

- Attacking drones should not give villainous reputation (locale.pp)
 This is done, but needs to be expanded so that there are certain gears which are always expendable.

- Area effect weapons do full damage against metaterrain, props (action.pp)
- Fixed return from root scene bug (arenascript.pp)
- Fixed shift gears at edge of map bug (pcaction.pp)
- Fixed bug with burst value not affecting accuracy (effects.pp)

- Added "One Hand Free" weapon encumberance rule (effects.pp)
 If using a heavy weapon, there's often a penalty unless you have at least one hand free.

- New weight calculator counts all out of scale gears (gearutil.pp)

Wow, that's a long list. I feel like I may have actually accomplished something. Try it out, let me know what you think, and feel free to submit wish lists for the new Arena mode. Oh, and I know about the "Assign Pilot For Mecha" bug; I encountered that one while uploading. Just assign mecha for pilots from the pilot menu and you'll be fine.

[SharkD]

I'm at a loss as to what the difference between RPG and Arena modes are. What do these two terms mean, exactly?

[draconuszero]

As far as I can tell, arena mode is like it was in gh1.  Basically you just fight in an arena.  Strange thing for me though is that i kept on getting Destroy the Enemy base missions only.

[Anticheese]

Quoting: SharkD

I'm at a loss as to what the difference between RPG and Arena modes are. What do these two terms mean, exactly?

RPG Mode = Normal game

Arena mode = Just plain straight battling. It had loads of potential but in GHI it was poorly executed..

Here's hoping it will be better in GH2..*nudge* *nudge*

[Joseph Hewitt]

The two great things about arena mode, from a pure programming point of view (why do I always speak with alliteration? Am I channeling Stan Lee?) are that it allows me to implement and test changes to the combat engine, and it will also force me off my lazy ass to get tactics mode working. I've been trying it out these past few days and I have to say that it needs improvement.

Here's what I have planned for tactics mode:
- Don't just switch between characters with no warning, show a message to let the player know that the active character is being changed.
- Some kind of action points remaining display is needed; I'm thinking I can do this by just using the amount of "round time" remaining for each PC's turn.
- The active character must be indicated. Right now, when fielding a bunch of BuruBurus together, it's easy to get confused. The tactics mode active mecha indicator can display some extra information, such as AP Remaining, movement status, and so on. Also, the movement mode of each mecha ought to be indicated but isn't.
- More mecha are needed. Right now I spend all my time destroying BuruBurus and Wraiths.
- The shot animations don't use all three dimensions. That has to be fixed.
- The "aiming at model that's left the map" bug still exists.
- There should be shadows on the ground beneath mecha, just like in GH1.
- There should be separate perspective/isometric prefs for both modes.

Most of this stuff will have carryover benefit to the RPG campaign, so that's good.

[macksting]

Mrrf. Forgot to complete and post that mech.

[SharkD]

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

- Don't just switch between characters with no warning, show a message to let the player know that the active character is being changed.

Most "tactics" games have an "end turn" button. This way, players know exactly when their turn ends. Active characters could be indicated by displaying their movement radius as a series of colored tiles. Or, they could blink (but this would look kind of crappy in 3D). Also, you could recenter the camera on the active character (but I don't necessarily like it when the camera jumps around, either).

[draconuszero]

or you can have some glowing sillouette around them...  go = go and red = turn complete?  yellow = not up yet?

[Joseph Hewitt]

Movement radius would be nice, but I don't think it's possible. Calculating all the move times to every tile in range would be a PITA and probably slow to boot.

Right now when the turn changes, the view smoothly scrolls over to recenter on the newly activated unit. I think it looks very good. As SharkD said, there should also be an end of turn indicator.

I plan on indicating the active unit with a box, similar to how it's done in GH1, only have the box contain extra information. I need icons for all the movemodes. Glowing silouettes to indicate status is a good idea, but I'm not sure off hand how to go about that in OpenGL.

I've been playing the GH2 tactics mode every night these days, and have already made some significant improvements to what was featured in v0.400. Is anybody else enjoying this?

[Epsilon]

I'd be testing GH2 right now... but my power supply died. And this Pentium 3 can't run GH1 in ASCII mode, much less any version of GH2. Sorrrrrry...

[Anticheese]

At least this means that Inititive will now have a tangible effect.

Will it work like it does in D&D when using tactics mode? (Players move in order of inititive rolls)

[Joseph Hewitt]

Initiative affects how many times you can attack per round. Most characters without the skill can get about two attacks per round; with the skill you can get a lot more. In GH2, having a good reaction time also helps when trying to pilot a fast mecha. If you have low initiative, your mecha might move two or three spaces before your character has a chance to change directions or anything else.

[SharkD]

Quoting: Joseph Hewitt

Is anybody else enjoying this?

I'm kind of waiting for it to reach a more finished state before trying it.

Also, I kind of like the D&D style initiative more. What you're describing sounds like it should be based more off of a character's speed or agility.

[Joseph Hewitt]

This is the way the Initiative skill has always worked; it's just more obvious in Tactics mode.

[SharkD]

Hmmm.. regarding indicating the active character...

How about this: give pilots NPC portraits. When a character is active, make their portrait appear on the screen, along with the occasional battle taunt. Or, do like it is in ToEE: have an array of NPC portraits lined up at the top of the screen and highlight (or enlarge) the active one.