Thread: The class system

Well, you'd need someone to program you a database, and you'd need to know how much you could do with netty things in crysis - for instance, you can probably output server logs to a remote server (see www.hidden-stats.co.uk - set up as a stats tracker for the Source project "Hidden: Source"... I know that was source engine and this is crysis, but the point is it's probably a feature not unique to that engine), but could you *receive* info from said server? I have a feeling most games don't support the "handshake" method of communications to "foreign" (ie. not game clients) servers, only the push-based method which could be used for logging.

That said, there's no reason you couldn't have the server read this info from a text file stored in the game directory, which was updated by your helper app - "serverhelper.exe"... serverhelper.exe would work as follows:

Code:

GameServer produces a text file listing the playerID's of all players # These can be CDkeys/whatever - any unique identifier
serverhelper.exe periodically scans said text file and gets the list of players
serverhelper.exe queries stats server and downloads playerInfo
serverhelper.exe outputs playerInfo into a second text file # playerInfo being a list of their unlock/commander points/squad points/whatevre
GameServer reads the second text file on round start, and assigns correct unlocks

Of course, the GameServer could be set to update the stats log every 5 minutes instead of on round start, and serverhelper.exe could be made to grab the appropriate stats with similar frequency (allows for new players joining). To reduce server load though, it might only request stats for newly joined players, and every 5 or 6 rounds - this would have the disadvantage that you don't get to chose your unlocks in real time, but would lessen the burden on our database host.

I don't know why you'd really bother with a global system though - a local, encrypted stats file (encrypted along with CDkey and Player Name info as well, to avoid stats-sharing) would do the job just as well, but cost nothing. The only real advantage of a global system is that players wouldn't lose their stats upon a re-install (stats files could be preserved between updates) and the gloat factor; something I'm not sure you'd want to encourage (having witnessed the change in community feel when hidden-stats went live; most of the veterans who'd been playing since near the beginning stopped playing, because for so many it just became about showing off your cool score. The scoring system is a little different - along with the gameplay - in TW, but the same principle could apply

It would be something we would have to considered very carefully, having a permanent rank system would increase the long-term interest of the game as you strive for a better rank, but it also opens the doors to stats-padding and other unpleasantness. Overall I think the advantages out weight the disadvantages although I think we could avoid some of the troubles by making teamwork the fastest way of getting points for ranks. We should people work together if they want to progress.

If we ignore the local vs. global argument for now (as the player isn't even going to be aware of the difference) what do people think about stats and rankings? Unlocks are fun to collect, but with the current system proposed you would end up unlocking weapons which you wouldn't necessarily use in a game.

I propose the following:

As you play, you collect points
After a certain number of points, your side earns an unlock (for the commander to assign to a squad as she sees fit)
These unlocks that you've earnt are recorded
You have a "rank" based upon how many unlocks you've earnt for your team - but these unlocks don't necessarily carry over into every game (since you earn the unlock for the TEAM rather than yourself)
At the start of each round, both sides are given a certain number of unlocks to assign before (or shortly following, depending on the haste of the commander) the game starts. This number is based upon BUT NOT EQUAL TO the number of unlocks earnt by the players on the team over their careers.

A sensible way of deciding the teams' starting unlocks would be to:

Code:

Add up the number of unlocks earnt by each player on each team
Assign that team some function of that number # something like ln or log base 1.5, then round to the nearest integer
If one team has significantly more than the other:*  #say, one team is greater than 1.5 times the other in unlocks
* * half the difference

Using a logarithmic function makes the first few make a real difference, but as people keep playing they have to do much more to earn a permanent unlock for the side they join. (ie. they'd have to earn 3-4 temporary ones for every 1 the had to earn before in order to give every team they ever join an extra unlock at the start of the round).

That would make some players more valuable than others to the teams - it would be worth playing as a clan or similar ability, and it would make any ranks actually mean something (but not enough to really swing the game in one team's favour from the beginning)

That's a good idea, and would kind of work with what I was thinking of...

You earn points in the game just like normal Crysis, except you also earn teamwork points. These points can only be earned if your in a squad though, so lone wolves can earn combat points, but they aren't competing for the "best on server" as this would be calculated using teamwork points as well. These teamwork points feed directly into the earlier proposed systems of commander unlocked weapons.

Permanent ranks are calculated based on the number teamwork points and combat points however so you need to join a squad and work with the squad if you want to progress in rank at any speed other than slug speed. (As you would progress at least twice as fast in a squad)

Another feature could be that you could only earn teamwork points if your within X metres of your Squad Leader or within X metres of your order marker. If your within these areas you get teamwork points as well as combat points for kills. If your outside the radius then you only get combat points. Your rank is not only a show of your teamwork in the game (and therefore a very rough measure of nice a person you are to play with) but also used to decide who is commander when more than one person applies at the same time as well as assigning the Squad Leader in the proposed "automatic" squads attached to artillery and combat aerial vehicles.

Halfdark's proposed unlock system could work along side of this calculating the initial number of teamwork points available for the commander to spend on unlocks for his squad.

^ Very good idea. Proximity to the squad leader in order to score more points is excellent. That is also how Americas Army works if I'm not mistaken.

Going back to an early post about unlock points. If you want the game to progress like an RTS where the first 5 minutes are all infantry, then light vehicles ----> heavy vehicles ----> air support, then unlock points would be great. A certain number of "points" generated. either by capturing territory or other methods could unlock halftracks, tanks, artillery. The only problem I see with this is it doesn't provide the losing team any chance to come back, since they would have very little points, they would be done for. So the system would have to be balanced very carefully.

I play Company of Heroes, a WW2 RTS, so I base all my logic and thinking off of that game and apply it to a 1st person shooter. I view the 1st person shooters as another angle or view on the RTS. Personally I think it would be cool if battles progressed so that it is all infantry for a bit and then armor arrives ect. But that could be difficult to do.

Very hard indeed I imagine to implement a system such as that Personally I think it would get too complicated with upgrades with points. It also adds too much emphasis on a good commanding officer. If you have a new commander (which has to happen sometimes) then your basically stuffed and as you say a loosing team would be cannon fodder. Which would be very boring indeed if your on that team.

What you could do though is have on some maps a change of style after X time or event. So for example after one team has captured "X" strategic points then armour starts to spawn in the base. The map could be designed that after the strategic points after "X" have heavier defences and armour would be required to break through them.

Thats a very good idea. I was thinking along the lines of time, but yes capturing points to unlock vehicles sounds interesting. I guess it would all depend on the map. In some maps it would be good to have everything ready to go and start of with a huuuge battle, with tanks and arty.

Agreed, it would be suitable only for certain maps such as those concerning Operation Market Garden. Start the game as a Paratrooper dropped from a C47 and end the game as a Sherman driver

Heh. Nice. Does the team plan to include American weapons and skins as well, or will they all be Tommys?

Both Stens and Tommys will make an appearance. American weapons which weren't part of the lease-lend won't be in first release that is certain. We hope to add the Americans in full in a later release.