Final Frontier - Garry's Mod

Ziks mentioned earlier that the next thing to preview could be the weapons.

Yes, when I left it weapons was almost done. I just needed to test the room selection and add hitscan type weapon classes for lasers etc. However, in the process I had to change some of the underlying ship position code so I'll have to fix some piloting things before we demo it. I'll see if I can get that done later this week when I finish the work I've been allocated. My job finishes in about 4 weeks and I'll hopefully be working on this full time from then until October.

There was an idea i though up where you have a server on someones computer that runs a ship and then there are servers like on someone else computer that run planets and that is ran from a network connecting all the other servers to create a kind of mmo that is not really an mmo but somewhat and when a ship is boarded the ship servers communicate the position of there crew to the clients of all which allows boarding and visual interception as well planet landing and it would make sense for this to be in the standalone

[QUOTE=spartan322;42023562]There was an idea i though up where you have a server on someones computer that runs a ship and then there are servers like on someone else computer that run planets and that is ran from a network connecting all the other servers to create a kind of mmo that is not really an mmo but somewhat and when a ship is boarded the ship servers communicate the position of there crew to the clients of all which allows boarding and visual interception as well planet landing and it would make sense for this to be in the standalone[/QUOTE] 1. Use punctuation 2. Too complicated, not doable and also not really neccessary.

It's not really possible with Garry's Mod, since I can't get at Source's networking code to even try and implement something like that. It would also cause some extreme security issues, with players using hacked servers to do whatever they like and spreading content acquired through cheating to legitimate servers.

[QUOTE] spartan322 posted: There was an idea i though up where you have a server on someones computer that runs a ship and then there are servers like on someone else computer that run planets and that is ran from a network connecting all the other servers to create a kind of mmo that is not really an mmo but somewhat and when a ship is boarded the ship servers communicate the position of there crew to the clients of all which allows boarding and visual interception as well planet landing and it would make sense for this to be in the standalone 1. Use punctuation 2. Too complicated, not doable and also not really neccessary. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE]It's not really possible with Garry's Mod, since I can't get at Source's networking code to even try and implement something like that. It would also cause some extreme security issues, with players using hacked servers to do whatever they like and spreading content acquired through cheating to legitimate servers. [/QUOTE] Just saying first I was meaning if you could get it in standalone and second I wasn't 100% finished coming up with it as it was more of a theory so it was only an idea that would allow more complex and rigorous gameplay with lots of players the biggest issue was security but if you can you would also need to create a security think like how garry's mod does checks for legit servers by going through a site and the this requires some in-depth knowledge of server development if you know how to do that.

Using distributed servers may have some benefits, but I think the main problem from past implementations was that network traffic would become too dense. The amount of connections would be in the order of n^2, where n is the number of players that may interact with each other. A conventional centralised server architecture however only has 2n connections (a pair for each client, for incoming and outgoing). This should be manageable for small amounts of players, but if you had 10 ships flying together you would end up with the same amount of traffic as with 50 ships using a conventional method. However, there may be an intelligent way to optimise the system by promoting players with high bandwidth and low latencies as a local centralised server for nearby players. In all it would take far too much effort to get the performance to be anywhere near as reliable as with a centralised server, and that coupled with the security problems means we'll probably just be conventional.

[QUOTE=Ziks;42043845]It's not really possible with Garry's Mod, since I can't get at Source's networking code to even try and implement something like that. It would also cause some extreme security issues, with players using hacked servers to do whatever they like and spreading content acquired through cheating to legitimate servers.[/QUOTE] You could use sockets for this. But it would still pose a security risk.

Just keep servers separate unless a server owner wants to create a network by connecting databases. That way each game is an original experience.

This idea is for a more player game the biggest issue would be getting the servers to interact with minimal issues but with the right computers and implementation it would be possible at the fullest and best experience but I will think about how to refine the idea into a more practical use as it has potential to lessen the load on individual servers but to fix security there are possible game checks like how minecraft has a META-INF files that for some reason acts as a hack or mod sensor which is what could be used in a server like thing just keep in mind that there will always be successful hacks and mods the only thing you can do is find out how they work and find ways to get rid of it but yea as I said I will refine my idea but thanks for the feedback guys.

[QUOTE=spartan322;42047618]This idea is for a more player game the biggest issue would be getting the servers to interact with minimal issues but with the right computers and implementation it would be possible at the fullest and best experience but I will think about how to refine the idea into a more practical use as it has potential to lessen the load on individual servers but to fix security there are possible game checks like how minecraft has a META-INF files that for some reason acts as a hack or mod sensor which is what could be used in a server like thing just keep in mind that there will always be successful hacks and mods the only thing you can do is find out how they work and find ways to get rid of it but yea as I said I will refine my idea but thanks for the feedback guys.[/QUOTE] Yet again, punctuation.

[QUOTE=NightmareX91;42048782]Yet again, punctuation.[/QUOTE] The punctuation isn't the issue I mean I'm not typing up a college graduation paper or something like that I'm talking about a more theoretical idea of how servers could work if this game or idea of a game went to build a server but I'm going to try and test this idea with proof of concept and see if I can iron out any possible issues in a simple server.

[QUOTE=spartan322;42049706]The punctuation isn't the issue I mean I'm not typing up a college graduation paper or something like that I'm talking about a more theoretical idea of how servers could work if this game or idea of a game went to build a server but I'm going to try and test this idea with proof of concept and see if I can iron out any possible issues in a simple server.[/QUOTE] Without proper punctuation, nobody will read what you're saying, because it's annoying.

This gamemode reminds me of a warcraft 3 custom map called Cruiser Command based on starcraft, where 10 people(5 on each team) command a terran battlercruiser. There are 3 seperate roles: Captain: The captain must lead his crew to victory. He can manually steer the battlecruiser and fire any armed missiles. The captain must ensure each player is pulling his/her weight and instruct new players on what to do; good communication is therefore essential for this role. Pilot: The pilot can fly one of the two launchable vessels within the cruiser. The mining vessel is the most important of the two ships, as the battlecruiser cannot function without a steady mineral income. The fighter vessel is useful for assisting battlecruiser assaults or harassing enemy miners. Engineer: The engineer has access to some of the more advanced battlecruiser technology, including the refinery and the molecular constructor. and other consoles which he can build. An engineer will need to refine any minerals delivered by the mining vessel, and use the product to construct missiles and other equipment. Engineers can reroute power to different areas of the ship to enhance shields, weapons or engine speed. This custom map is really similar to the indev Final Frontier gamemode, you can come and look this up. Source: [url]http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/maps-564/cruiser-command-v0-91d-146437/?prev=extension%3Dw3x%26search%3Dbattlecruiser%26d%3Dlist%26r%3D20[/url]

Okay I am really sorry, I should burn in hell I know But I have to ask When do you remotely think this game might be maybe released (kind of)? I AM SORRY PLEASE DONT HURT ME I am too much of a prick to look for the answer to my question

[QUOTE=KluKluxKid;42051341]Okay I am really sorry, I should burn in hell I know But I have to ask When do you remotely think this game might be maybe released (kind of)? I AM SORRY PLEASE DONT HURT ME I am too much of a prick to look for the answer to my question[/QUOTE] After HL3.

[QUOTE=spartan322;42047618]The punctuation isn't the issue I mean I'm not typing up a college graduation paper or something like[/QUOTE] Punctuation is nothing you only need in college papers. It is THE tool to make other people understand your written language better and get your point. Everybody SHOULD be able to master this art. It is not wrong if you make a mistake or two, but completely leaving it out gets other people severe headaches and brain tumours only by the means of reading your unstructured contribution to the written language. [QUOTE=KluKluxKid;42051341]I am too much of a prick to look for the answer to my question[/QUOTE] Hardly anyone likes pricks. But because I consider myself a tolerant person I will nicely hint you to the OP in which most of the information is stored in form of letters and words. By reading it you should be able to extract the information you seek.

I haven't played Garry's Mod in years but a friend linked me this thread and now I'm sold. You have made tremendous progress I am very excited to see this gamemode evolve and to be able to play it some day. I've been wanting a game along these lines ever since I played FTL for the first time. Here's some ideas that came to me while watching the videos and reading this thread. I've tried to categorize and number them for easier reference. [B]1. TRANSPORTER[/B] [B]1.1 - I dislike how the transporter currently works[/B] Or more precisely I dislike how the incoming traffic is handled. Sure it makes sense that you would need an area where incoming objects are transported to, to get around the problem of things being transported inside one another but this kind of defeats the purpose of the transport pads if you ask me. Yes the pads are used for outgoing traffic but the fact that things just pop into existence at random spots in the transport room kind of ruins the immersion for me. Instead of using pads why not have a transport slab? A medium sized area that handles both incoming and outgoing traffic. Placing a box in the front right corner of the slab and transporting that to another ship causes the box to placed at the exact same location (in relation to the center of the slab) on the other ship. This way you won't have things transporting in at random locations but on the dedicated transport pad. If there already happens to be an object in mostly the same coordinates where you're trying to spawn an object in just nudge the coordinates of the incoming object slightly. It doesn't really matter that much that the object wasn't spawned at the exact location on the slab where it was sent from as long as it prevents things from being inside one another. [B]1.2 - Transport encryption keys[/B] Being able to transport on board a ship that lacks shields around the transport room is fine, but what about having encryption keys that could be broken to allow transport even when the shields are up? Since you already have a simple minigame for overriding consoles the encryption breaking should also be something along the same lines. Hydrophobia (A cool indie game available on Steam) has a really awesome mechanic for hacking consoles: [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL96FC8415C42CC9C8&v=gDcRAw1shfo#t=504[/url] You adjust the red wave with your mouse and try to make it match the white wave. Moving the mouse sideways changes the wavelength and forwards/backwards changes the amplitude. Something like this could also be implemented here and you already have the necessary controls: your ingenious console screens. You could have a horizontal slider for the wavelength and a vertical slider for the amplitude. Although it might be a little too easy to just match the wave visible on the screen. It's supposed to be an [I]encryption key[/I] after all and enemies teleporting on your ship even when your shields are up is kind of a pain. I'm thinking the encryption wave should not be visible and you have visual+auditory clues when you're close to the correct amplitude and the correct wavelength. The values don't have to match exactly of course. That would be way too difficult. There's a problem though. Now that your enemy knows your encryption key they can transport aboard any time they want. Unless you manually change the key. But hold on. Can't you just constantly change the key to prevent enemies from coming in at all? Sure you could. But you're also screwing over your teammates. Not to mention you're trying to change the key whilst there's a small platoon of enemies in the transporter room shooting at you. The encryption key brings a whole new mechanic to the game. When sending over your crew to invade an enemy ship their top priority would be to kill the transport operator if there is one. It is also essential that the invading crew knows their own ship's encryption key (see 1.3) and the encryption key of the ship they're invading. Why? Because if the transport operator has the time to change the encryption key your captain can't send over backup very quickly. If this happens the invading crew can simply override the console and change the key back to what it originally was. Now your captain can send over stuff again. [B]1.3 - No transporting anything unless it's on the transport slab and you cannot "request" transport[/B] Expanding a bit on 1.1. It should not be possible to transport to some random room on a ship because the transport slab is made from pseudoscientific magic dust and only that area allows teleporting. By requesting transport I mean you cannot remotely activate another ship's transport slab and have it transport stuff on it to your ship. In other words you cannot force another ship to send over stuff. All transports must be initiated by the transport console of the ship that the transport slab is on. You can only send stuff. Not ask for stuff to be sent to you. How does this affect gameplay? When you send over crew to invade a ship they must know the encryption key of their own ship in order to return home. You can't have them sit on the enemy transport slab and call home to ask them to beam them back aboard. Doing this sort of defeats the purpose of the encryption keys. When you're leaving the enemy ship your encryption key will be visible on the enemy's transport console because there is nobody to change it to some random one after your whole crew has gone home. This forces your operator to change the key immediately after everyone has returned back. But wait! One guy is missing! You have two options: 1: Change the key back to what it was and hope the guy still aboard the enemy ship learned the key before leaving for the invasion and risking enemies coming aboard. 2: Hope that nobody changed the enemy's encryption key and send some crew back over to look for the missing guy and risk losing some of your crew. Or you could just abandon the guy, but that's not team work! [B]1.4 - Portal gates for ships in space[/B] Some randomly placed gates in space that you use to teleport your ship into the central business and spawn hub. These nodes are also used to teleport your ship from the central hub into the wild if you want to. There should be enough generated nodes that people wouldn't be able to camp on them. These nodes exist purely to prevent people from camping outside the no-fire zone around the central hub. [B]2. TECHNOLOGY AND CONSOLES[/B] [B]2.1 - PDAs[/B] An item in everybody's inventory (or an item that you can go pick up somewhere, but there's enough for everybody) that is used to clone the screen of any console on your ship. When you clone a console screen you will receive the data on that screen in real-time into your portable little screen. You can't control anything using this screen. You can only look at it. Maybe even have a separate graphic for all console screens to be used on PDA screens where the control widgets are removed and some things scaled to make use the screen space properly. The PDA could also be vertical instead of horizontal for no real reason. This makes it possible for engineers to monitor the progress on the room modules, life support personnel to monitor the life support status of all rooms, and maybe the transport operator wants to keep and eye on the console security to make sure enemies aren't trying to access it. [B]2.1 - PDAs on board enemy vessels[/B] It is quite the security leak if an enemy can see your ship's transport console. Maybe have a button somewhere "Kill All Remote Connections" that kills all PDA connections to that console, friend or foe? [B]2.2 - Viruses[/B] (And alert buttons?) Imagine the following scenario: You alone transport aboard an enemy spaceship and quickly kill the transport operator before he can push the (physically separate) general alert button that is next to every system console(?). Nobody knows you're on board. You sneak into the hallway and tinker with the corridor console. You override it, get security access, play a separate hacking minigame, and voilà. You're in the system. Well not exactly since this is a co

1.2 Interesting idea in general. Though I am not sure how this should be handled. In my opinion it would be frustrating to get boarded even while your shields are up. It should be restrained in a way e.g. You have only a limited amount of objects to transport safely or there is a chance to die during the transport depending on how well the encryption was cracked. 1.3 Seems logical to me, should in my opinion be done that way. 1.4 I suggested a similar nodesystem before, which kind of eliminates the camping of the spawnhub. There are Spacestationnodes which represent many different hubs, shops etc. but in reality point towards the same spacestation on the map. It would conflict a little though with the idea of only one-way transports (Would atleast need some kind of workaround, so you can send something from the spacestation to a ship). 2.1 Fully agree. There is no reason why you shouldn't be able to monitor systems from everywhere on the ship. Maybe you could lock a ships network with a password, which you'll need in order to access the monitoring (Which maybe can be cracked). 2.3 Interesting but should be heavily restricted. Maybe such a virus could be obtained on a very rare quest to ensure that it will not inflate. Apart from that it shouldn't be able to pull of that much stuff. Tampering with a few console screens is in my opinion enough to create an interesting situation. 2.4 I love the whole heatsinking idea. It reminds me of Silent Hunter in which you could make yourself less visible by stopping your submarine and going into deep water. This should be pretty much done. It is logical and balanced so I don't see why this shouldn't be in here (genius idea btw :D) 3 Of course this would be great, but I guess it will take some time until that is implemented. 4.1 Fully Agree. No further comment I think most of your ideas are great, don't bother the lot of text^^

Well if you can read it then my only issue is ho the idea would work at a optimum level because unless I was being dumb enough to write something that is physically impossible to read pronunciation doesn't really matter as it is an idea that I had to rush through because I have many other things to do and I can't use all my time on one thing or else I practically waste my time and I have lots to do really. So sorry for any unreadable issues but if you can read there isn't much to apologize for. That should be clear and no intention to be mean so if it sounds that way sorry on me.

[QUOTE=spartan322;42055390]-SNIP-[/QUOTE] You should have learned Punctuation in school, shouldn't you? No further comment, this goes Offtopic. [QUOTE=spartan322;42055390][B]pronunciation[/B] doesn't really matter as it is an idea that I had to rush through because I have many other things to do and I can't use all my time on one thing or else I practically waste my time and I have lots to do really.[/QUOTE] "Pronounciation" (sic)? Nobody asks you to have proper pronounciation on this board. Would you do me the favor of looking this particular word up in a dictionary and tell me the essential difference between [B]PUNCTUATION [/B]and [B]PRONOUNCIATION[/B]?

[QUOTE=spartan322;42055390]...pronunciation doesn't really matter as it is an idea that I had to rush through because I have many other things to do and I can't use all my time on one thing or else I practically waste my time and I have lots to do really. [/QUOTE] What, I don't even...it's not that hard to use proper grammar and what not. And what could keep you so busy to where you can not even fathom to press one little key at the beginning of your sentence, or a small comma here and there. How does one not even remotely have time to just do something as simple as that? Well sorry if I come off as a complete butt, but yeah, I like me some good grammar, keeps the headaches at bay.

hurry the fuck up ! in a friendly way...

[QUOTE='[SG-X]Apophis;42064975']hurry the fuck up ! in a friendly way...[/QUOTE] Final Frontier delayed for another 2 years.

Beuatiful things die too much. Why cancer, why? Why did you kill Warren Zevon? [img]http://imgfox.se/photos/20130911137887379183187.jpg[/img]

It would be pretty cool if we could use Nomads instead of Crowbars. Its like saying ''Hey guys, are you ready to go in a fucking spaceship that can operate in deep space, has full life support, and can house like a crew of 10 and go fight some guys?'' ''Yeah but what will we fight them with?'' ''A construction tool, of course! Also, Nomads have infinite ammo and don't do that much damage, so this should keep fights tactical and based on teamwork rather than best reflexes. I also suggest having a limited amount of these. Also, they shoot purple laser balls. Everybody likes lasers :D And some people like balls

LOVE this project. Also, I just finished watching the Q&A videos, and noticed 2 things. I know you may not want to do these anyway but: 1) When you say there are a limited number of toggleable lights you can have in the Source engine, is that because of the 'too many light styles on a face' issue? If it is, that isn't a limit on the number of lights in the map, that's too many toggleable light sources shining on a single brush. Careful tweaking of the brushes and light sources can allow you to massively increase the number (I had this problem with most of my maps). 2) If you want to have ships with multiple configurations, this is also entirely doable using either large doors which look like walls or func_brush entities which can be toggle on/off. Essentially, build the entire ship with all possible extra rooms on, then block them off/open them when appropriate. With logic_timer or logic_case entities using random numbers, you could have ships with semi-random configurations. Again, you do have to be careful to get this to work correctly and look good, but I've done it myself several times. As I said, just wanted to let you know these things are entirely possible, in case you do want to add these features.

I'm on the edge of my seat and CAN'T WAIT FOR FINAL FRONTIER. I think someone's gonna gut the gamemode and turn it into something it isn't like 'srsRP shipRP u have to write 300 lines to acitvete' rather than something more laidback.

Also, since this is going to be like FTL in G-Mod, it would be cool if there were different races. Like Human = Human Vortignaut = Engie Slug = Combine Advisor (Advisors even have telepathic powers just like slugs, too :D) Rock person = ...burnt guy with the material tool?

[QUOTE=KluKluxKid;42185452]It would be pretty cool if we could use Nomads instead of Crowbars. Its like saying ''Hey guys, are you ready to go in a fucking spaceship that can operate in deep space, has full life support, and can house like a crew of 10 and go fight some guys?'' ''Yeah but what will we fight them with?'' ''A construction tool, of course! Also, Nomads have infinite ammo and don't do that much damage, so this should keep fights tactical and based on teamwork rather than best reflexes. I also suggest having a limited amount of these. Also, they shoot purple laser balls. Everybody likes lasers :D And some people like balls[/QUOTE] If only you listened to their videos they stated there would be weapons