Deactivating the Battle View (from the psx version)

[doom3r]

I remember that in the psx version of the game you could "deactivate the battle view". This is quite difficult to explain, but i'll try (sorry for my bad english xD)... You could directly take control of the unit, or the group, selected. The view centers into one unit of the group (like in the pc version when you press the spacebar, but without changing randomly to another selected unit): you could "drive" this unit with the directional buttons, while the other units selected follow your movements. The pointer disappeared and a cross hair appeared to target an enemy (which you could select) and make the units of the group attack it. So, you become the "commander" of the group, which follows every movement. For me, this was one of the best features in the game, cos it let you have a better control of a battle.
Here is screenshot of this type of view:

The ahead tank is the one which you directly command (you can zoom in to make it a third person view on the unit, and you can change the "commander" unit with one of the group).
I think that this option should be added to the pc version, too...

[ratarf]

Why not, maybe as a mod or a setting that's turned off by default?

[doom3r]

In the psx version you could do it just by pressing triangle, so it was one of the main features availible, as they decided to assign this command to one of the 12 psx bottons. The "follow" command of the pc version, which is pretty useless, should be changed with this one, which is instead much more useful, I believe.

[Angron]

I too distinctly remember that tool. It was mindlessly useful, especially if you could jump between different units in different areas. You can deactivate battle view in the current releases somehow (I do it accidentally when I'm playing in the dark  :-[), but you still can't control the unit.

It was, for me, one of the main things that put WZ2100 apart from the rest.

~Ang

[Rman Virgil]

I too distinctly remember that tool. It was mindlessly useful, especially if you could jump between different units in different areas. You can deactivate battle view in the current releases somehow (I do it accidentally when I'm playing in the dark  :-[), but you still can't control the unit.

It was, for me, one of the main things that put WZ2100 apart from the rest.

~Ang

* It was the only thing the PSX ver had that I wish the PC ver had gotten fully implented instead of the crippled form it has had since retail release.

* It is a fab feature, I agree, but in its barely controllable state it's useless in serious gameplay.

* I wonder if the Pumpkin Heads had a good reason for not fully working it out for the PC.

* However, even crippled,  I'm able to make good use of it in my machinima shoots.

Cheers, RV

[Serman]

In the PSX version, did you aim the turret yourself?
If so, that's like the coolest thing in the world.

[Deathguise]

In the PSX version, did you aim the turret yourself?
If so, that's like the coolest thing in the world.

No you could not rotate the turret, if i remember correctly turning the vehicle you control would switch between the onscreen targets you then press x to fire at the target and the turret does the rest.

It was a nice feature especially when controlling a commander with units attached during a transport mission - but implementing this feature in the PC version could prove problematic with things like multiplayer.

[doom3r]

Yeah, maybe they removed it from pc wz2100 because of the multiplayer. If so we could just add this feature to single-player.

[Rman Virgil]

No you could not rotate the turret, if i remember correctly turning the vehicle you control would switch between the onscreen targets you then press x to fire at the target and the turret does the rest.

It was a nice feature especially when controlling a commander with units attached during a transport mission - but implementing this feature in the PC version could prove problematic with things like multiplayer.

* Intuitively, I think your onto something with the MP consideration.

* How exactly, I'm not sure.

* Though I wonder if it has anything to do with the min sys HW req, circa '98-'99 ?

* One thing this brings to mind from those days was the strong feelings that came up concerning MP Save Games - the community wanted it really bad but Pumpkin said no-way it was gonna happen.

* It was the only time Pumpkin deleted a thread too (saying they were sick & tired of hearing about MP Save Games) which inturn stirred-up a whole hornet-nest of controversy for weeks - "What ! deleting a thread just because, by gosh it was positively un-democratic, totalitarian even"..... & so on.

* Finally there were public appologies all around and peace prevailed.

- RV

[Watermelon]

* Intuitively, I think your onto something with the MP consideration.

* How exactly, I'm not sure.

* Though I wonder if it has anything to do with the min sys HW req, circa '98-'99 ?

* One thing this brings to mind from those days was the strong feelings that came up concerning MP Save Games - the community wanted it really bad but Pumpkin said no-way it was gonna happen.

* It was the only time Pumpkin deleted a thread too (saying they were sick & tired of hearing about MP Save Games) which inturn stirred-up a whole hornet-nest of controversy for weeks - "What ! deleting a thread just because, by gosh it was positively un-democratic, totalitarian even"..... & so on.

* Finally there were public appologies all around and peace prevailed.

- RV

I guess the mp save is not possible due to the multi-world mp model of wz,which uses minimal amount of resynchronization events to save cpu power and bandwidth.

[doom3r]

I dont have any experience in in modding wz, so i'd like to know if changing the "follow" command with this one is difficult (and obviously if someone can do this!)

[Rman Virgil]

I guess the mp save is not possible due to the multi-world mp model of wz,which uses minimal amount of resynchronization events to save cpu power and bandwidth.

* Makes total sense, thanks.

- RV

[Chojun]

MP Saving should still be possible, though.  It's probably that it was just a whole new can of worms that Pumpkin didn't want to open up.

Where you have data serialization of any kind, you have the possibility of MP save games.  Plus, hashing/checksumming to prevent tampering and provide consistency

[Deus Siddis]

The "follow" command of the pc version, which is pretty useless, should be changed with this one, which is instead much more useful, I believe.

I agree whole heartedly! Those of us who played the PSX version or any action/rts game would really appreciate having this take-command feature replace the useless counterpart which this project inherited from the PC version, sadly.

In the PSX version, did you aim the turret yourself?
If so, that's like the coolest thing in the world.

This would be a massively wonderful addition to build off of the PSX one. Wherever you looked, the turret and aimer would follow, allowing you full control of the vehicle's weapon and allowing to you to issue your orders at things beyond the direction your vehicle is facing.

It is nothing new or untested either, Battlezone and Battlezone II did it, TA Spring is doing it.

[doom3r]

I dunno what developers here are waiting for to add this feature. I think everyone here wants it...