Multiple races/species

A little idea I've had for a while now, but I dismissed it as until recently I wouldn't have been able to make decent looking models for each race.

The idea is, when a new player joins, they can select what species they play as, basically means we can have a few alien races, and make the game a little more diverse and interesting. Of course why would anyone choose to be a different species if they played exactly the same? Why should each species have its own set of traits, strengths and flaws?.

It would make the game a little more interesting, and means we don't all have to use steves crappy model, and you could actually play as an owl/robot whatever.

I've drawn up a few examples of races we could use.

1: Human

Your standard Steve, uses players custom skin. Plays the same as Steve

2: Robot

Uses a custom model, all players would be uniform, so no custom skins here.

Doesn't require food, but the hunger bar would be replaced with electric charge, which depletes much slower, but once it runs out, you're dead, can be recharged with batteries, reactors, or even special charging plates you stand on.

Air isn't a problem, but you wouldn't be able to swim, movement would also be slightly slower.

The model would look something along the lines of a smaller version of Omega.

3: Reploid/Android.

Like a human, with a human model, and a players custom skin, but has traits of a robot.


4: Avian

Because we need owls.

Avians would use a custom model, and while skins wouldn't be completely customisable, a few presets of plumage would be available, and the RGB balance would be adjustable, allowing for a little more diversity.

As for traits, Avians would jump higher, and be capable of short flight, but would have reduced health and unarmed melee damage.

The model would probably look like Tiels commission of Tiens (can't find it anywhere) rather than two meter tall owls.

No fire breath.

None.

5: Dragon

You probably think I'm crazy here, but this might not actually be too out of place. Think less like Smaug, more like Spyro. Would use a custom model, but no player skins, would use a RGB balance or colour palette like Avians.

Like Avians, capable of flight, but rather than having reduced health, the hunger bar depletes much faster than normal, meaning anyone playing as a dragon would need to pay more attention to food stocks.

As for why they are in the mod, well there's already the enderdragon, so either some tie in with that, or alternatively, say they were created by genetic medelling by humans, because let's face it, if we are ever capable to creating new species from scratch, somebody is going to make dragons.

I would likely base the model upon Cynder's model in dawn of the dragon



These are only examples, but if we decide to implement different player species, I would also look at adding stuff like Feles and other user created species.



Now regarding modelling, I could do these, however, Manus's shape box function would work well here, and I could request his permission to let us use it. Animations I may be able to handle with some tuition, swearing, and the occasional brick through my monitor.

Thats no fantasy you can't go dragons and owls -.-

Iv121 wrote:

Thats no fantasy you can't go dragons and owls -.-

Dragons were just an example for traits.

Owls, well, if we have multiple species, we are having alien birds, nobody will change that, ACH would murder me if we cut owls out.

Humans, Avians and Reptiles sound great as starting races, but robots and androids would make much more sense if there's some mid- or end-game tech that lets the player transfer/transplant his mind/brain into a robot-body/android, or pack himself with so many implants and augumentations that they essentialy become a cyborg.

Desdenova wrote:

Humans, Avians and Reptiles sound great as starting races, but robots and androids would make much more sense if there's some mid- or end-game tech that lets the player transfer/transplant his mind/brain into a robot-body/androig, or pack himself with so many implants and augumentations that they essentialy become a cyborg.

The starting robots would be very basic, they would be upgraded with mid or end game tech like a human would get implants.

I think there should be another flying race that isn't birds though. Dragons would have filled that quite nicely, but people associate them with fantasy, even though they have been used in science fiction.

https://futurecraft.forumotion.com/t1194-player-species

Beep beep be-beep beep beep.

Though I like your idea better.

Another thing, player species and colour could probably be saved along with player co-ordinates in the world, just as a number. Humans probably wouldn't need anything additional saved, and androids/reploids (don't let me call them Reploids in the actual game), and would only need to say that the player had different traits.
Robots would only require traits and a different model.

If that makes any sense.

Prototype wrote:

Another thing, player species and colour could probably be saved along with player co-ordinates in the world, just as a number. Humans probably wouldn't need anything additional saved, and androids/reploids (don't let me call them Reploids in the actual game), and would only need to say that the player had different traits.
Robots would only require traits and a different model.

If that makes any sense.

Ivan pointed out that in order for it to work you'd need to provide unique and worthwhile bonuses to each race lest one be universally preferred all the other ones.

GAMENIGHT ON SATURDAY.

Tiel+ wrote:

Prototype wrote:

Another thing, player species and colour could probably be saved along with player co-ordinates in the world, just as a number. Humans probably wouldn't need anything additional saved, and androids/reploids (don't let me call them Reploids in the actual game), and would only need to say that the player had different traits.
Robots would only require traits and a different model.

If that makes any sense.

Ivan pointed out that in order for it to work you'd need to provide unique and worthwhile bonuses to each race lest one be universally preferred all the other ones.

GAMENIGHT ON SATURDAY.

Well that's kind of what I'm trying to do, balancing would be the difficult bit.


Did I forget GAMENIGHT?

I don't want to deal with other races. At least not playable ones.  This crap is going to be hard enough with just one.

Programming wise Frost there is really 0 difference if your character looks like a human or Chewbacca (or at least I believe it is) ... Most of the work will be done for you in the form of modelling and texturing.

Animation would be a pain, and the colour select thing

Well that is more of the modeller's problem (though the animations for most species would be quite basic, it is the birds that are the most troublesome ...)

Iv121 wrote:

Well that is more of the modeller's problem (though the animations for most species would be quite basic, it is the birds that are the most troublesome ...)

Birds wouldn't be too bad, anything with a segmented tail would be a pain, but I think I know how that can be done. To be honest I may be able to handle the animation side, by the time we get round to it I would be in university, studying engineering, which requires us to learn programming, so I would be more capable of doing it myself.

But this wouldn't need to be in the initial release, it might be better off being in FutureCraft version 1.1, though if we were to do this I would have the models ready by the time we release the first version.


But we would probably want to borrow the shape box code anyway, as that would be useful for most models.

Iv121 wrote:

Programming wise Frost there is really 0 difference if your character looks like a human or Chewbacca (or at least I believe it is) ... Most of the work will be done for you in the form of modelling and texturing.

Only if it's a superficial change. If we're talking different character traits and changes in gameplay, it can get a lot harder. Players interact with everything, and the system makes a distinction between you and other players and npcs. If you are adding additional types of players, that's one more thing that needs to be hardcoded into everything. Whether it's simple or involved would depend on the sort of interraction taking place. I mean, it can certainly be done, but it's not something I would look forward to maintaining.

What fr0st is trying to say is that it'd be like having six penises.

That is exactly what I was trying to say.  Thank you.

It's like six penises.

Do I need to paint you a picture?

Tiel+ wrote:

Do I need to paint you a picture?

Yes please

Yea I as somewhat expecting that response ... Though I dont get why would you use 6 penises, not as they are nor as an example for something ...

fr0stbyte124 wrote:

That is exactly what I was trying to say.  Thank you.

It's like six penises.

Thanks, I needed sigs.

I don't think that multiple character models would work without a lot of... stuff. The thing is that characters can already change their skins to look like whatever they want. We could remove skins, give each race a set graphic or series of set graphics to choose from, but that removes a customization ability that they've gotten used to.

...

Lets just remove skins, it'll allow us to do a lot of stuff, like make customizable clothing. And nudity. Players could start out with a model with one of the basic [nude] skins, then they can make clothes, which they can design how they please. If we do stuff like cotton [or wool or whatever] clothes, we can also have things like hot and cold, which would damage players if it they aren't wearing the appropriate clothing.

MercurySteam wrote:

fr0stbyte124 wrote:

That is exactly what I was trying to say.  Thank you.

It's like six penises.

Thanks, I needed sigs.

I don't think that multiple character models would work without a lot of... stuff. The thing is that characters can already change their skins to look like whatever they want. We could remove skins, give each race a set graphic or series of set graphics to choose from, but that removes a customization ability that they've gotten used to.

...

Lets just remove skins, it'll allow us to do a lot of stuff, like make customizable clothing. And nudity. Players could start out with a model with one of the basic [nude] skins, then they can make clothes, which they can design how they please. If we do stuff like cotton [or wool or whatever] clothes, we can also have things like hot and cold, which would damage players if it they aren't wearing the appropriate clothing.

I will corner the market on designer avian speedos.

Definitely vetoing this idea.  Not even remotely related to FC.

everyone has the right to be sexy fr0st. even bipedal birds.

don't be hatin.

Tiel+ wrote:

everyone has the right to be sexy fr0st. even bipedal birds.

don't be hatin.

Besides, it could be in FC v1.532.64