Real-time Mission Editor Thread - Vector Thrust

KnX wrote: Hello guys.
I was wandering if someone saw this new DLC for ARMA3:
Youtube.com
Also a demo from the devs:
Youtube.com

Seems to me like a neat idea. The posiblity of adapting your mission to the players in real time sounds very cool for an rpg veteran like me.
Would that be possible? (yes, i know we still dont have multiplayer...)
Could it work in a fast paced game like this?

This was originally posted on the Desura forum not too long ago. I'm placing the quote here since this is obviously the more active forum.

Woups.
Ok.

To actually state my thoughts on this, I think it would be excellent tool to provide longetivity in warfare-style games that are meant to use tactics in order to complete a strategic goal. On the other hand, the realist in me sees the potential of this concept as a Weapon of Mass Trolling.

SpootKnight wrote: To actually state my thoughts on this, I think it would be excellent tool to provide longetivity in warfare-style games that are meant to use tactics in order to complete a strategic goal. On the other hand, the realist in me sees the potential of this concept as a Weapon of Mass Trolling.

If you play space station 13 on the goon server that's exactly how it's used. One minute you'll be playing a semi-serious game about running or sabotaging a poorly-built space station and the next minute everyone's being attacked by elmo heads.

I think it should better fit on coop styled modes. Especially for role-playing purposes.

Nergal01 wrote: I think it should better fit on coop styled modes. Especially for role-playing purposes.

That's the idea for me. Some traditional RPG mechanics for action at the base and VT for missions.
Maybe, if we have a big enough map, make an open world campaign. Players going around through different bases, taking their own missions, etc.

SpootKnight wrote: On the other hand, the realist in me sees the potential of this concept as a Weapon of Mass Trolling.

The ARMA thing has a range around the players as no spawn area. I guess that prevents cheap spawn ambush tactics from the God. But hell, every videogame in history uses those from time to time.
My main concern would be the speed. ARMA is a tense but slow game, sometimes you have to wait for minutes in the same area wich would give time to God to prepare some stuff.
But with people fliying around at supersonic speeds in different directions things can get messy very fast.

God would need to have list of premade aircraft formations and ground forces he could spawn on the edge of the map.

I would have to agree with KNX's opinion. I mean, even with the ARMA stream video, I could easily imagine things getting difficult to keep track of if the players were allowed to use helicopters to get around if executed the way it is in the video, with objectives and sub objectives. Even with multiple people managing the game, it would be difficult mold an experience around aerial combatants, especially in a less simulation centric environment. After all, the most exciting part of the DLC is bringing tabletop roleplaying aspects into the multiplayer experience (and the mod potential). I mean, the parallels are obvious. At the more simulation oriented branch of military shooters, you'll get a certain degree of roleplaying already on the player's part. Adding someone to complete the illusion with a reactive opposing force and objectives other than just killing the enemy allows for a certain amount of storytelling to take place, because people are taking their roles more seriously than your average ten minute COD match.

Given how many moving parts there are in relatively simple Ace Combat levels, it would probably be unfeasible to create missions and objectives on the fly while you're directing and controlling units. I think the best that could be hoped for would be an RTS style mode with hard baked objectives in a given map.

I guess ill have to fullfill my rpg needs with the standard mission editor.

on the other hand it also depends on how long it takes a plane to fly from one side of the map to the other, as well as, once again, how much the game master can script before launching the game.