Shotgun Idea: internal magazine

[xyblor]

Here's an idea for a tweak to the shotgun reload system:

Make the shotgun magazine internal, so it holds the same number of shells, but you load shells into it one at a time. Loading a single shell would have to be much faster than the standard clip load (which is 2 seconds I think), but the total time to reload completely would be longer than that.

I'm NOT proposing to change the rate of fire, total ammo load, damage, spread, or anything else.

*edit*: I'm now in favor of a slight reduction to the total ammo load.

The player would get the benefit of a more flexible reload system and a quicker way to make his empty gun "shootable", at the cost of more overall reload time required. It would also mean no more wasting shells by discarding non-empty clips.

I like this idea because it would add more complexity to the game by letting shotgun-wielders decide how much time to spend reloading, which could lead to some interesting conundrums in the midst of combat.

It kind of irks me that, while all of the weapons are unique, the reloadable ones all use the same clip-based paradigm (and their reload times are all identical too). This would help rectify that situation.

PS you could extend this idea to the pulse rifle to give it an internal "capacitor" that you charge up by holding down the right mouse button.

[n00b pl0x]

its only 150 creds if you want it to be able to pick how long it takes to reload why dont you give it a second barrel set up to snipe

[Ceaser342]

Becuase that doesn't make sense.  The shotgun in Halo and Half Life 2 both use this and I think its a very good idea.

[n00b pl0x]

i think its a retarded idea. if anything shotty should be nerfed

[Ceaser342]

How so?  Shotty is balanced fine.  Humans need an effective goon killer at S1 nerfing it will make s1 even more alien biased.  The problem with the shotty is you waste ammo when you reload.  I think this is a very very good idea ad makes alot more sense.

[n00b pl0x]

you only waste ammo if you reload in the middle of a clip...just dont do it.

shotty is unbalanced because in its current state it is very effective in killing every type of alien and is the 3rd cheapest weapon...

idk why im wasting my breath on an idiot, but im just floored by your lack of understanding

[Ceaser342]

And I'm floored by your lack of tactical thinking.  Say you only have three rounds left.  I would reload because I might run into a goon.  To wait till I run out of ammo and then reload is suicide.  I suggested something like this earlier and got some support for it.

[David]

Tactically its a big benefit as you can use all your ammo.
So therefore would need a lot of balance testing.
It would be offset by the longer total reload time, but not enough to not have an effect.

[Ceaser342]

Maybe if you have to shoot before you finish reloading you *Drop a round* and lose a little ammo?

[TriedtoDestroyMetal]

instead of metal pellets, lets put alien (or armoury, one of the two) seeking rockets in the shells. That ought to even things up a bit.

[Ceaser342]

instead of metal pellets, lets put alien (or armoury, one of the two) seeking rockets in the shells. That ought to even things up a bit.

That Sarcasm phails.  Granted this would need a balance but I don't see it being a huge mind blowing change that will completely rock Trem.

[David]

Maybe 5 less shells max?

[Ceaser342]

Meaning we only get 3 shells per load o.o  Then we hand s1 completely to aliens you couldn't kill a goon if they weren't afk.

[benmachine]

Meaning we only get 3 shells per load o.o  Then we hand s1 completely to aliens you couldn't kill a goon if they weren't afk.

I think he meant altogether :P
i.e. 27 down from 32 (8clip, 3 spare clips)

The hardest part of this would be the animations - you'd probably need some new ones and clever new handling of them, and very few people can animate very well.

[kozak6]

Meh.

Seems fine the way it is.

[n00b pl0x]

And I'm floored by your lack of tactical thinking.  Say you only have three rounds left.  I would reload because I might run into a goon.  To wait till I run out of ammo and then reload is suicide.  I suggested something like this earlier and got some support for it.

either reload your ammo, or risk it. stop whining and go die please.

i like to risk it, whats the fun of fighting with shotty if you dont reload in the middle of the fight anyways?

[xyblor]

Thanks for the comments.

@ ceaser: Yay, now I just have to convince a programmer to share your enthusiasm. I wonder if this change could be implemented as a server-side revision, rather than require new client downloads for everyone.

@ benmachine: I don't think the animation is much of an issue - it wouldn't affect the gameplay, and besides, the existing reload animation (player lowers gun) is pretty lame and non-descript, but that doesn't seem to bother people much. But yeah, a suitable animation for shell loading would be a nice touch.

@ David: I agree that lessening the total ammo load a bit would compensate for the elimination of shell loss due to clip reloading.

@ Noob Plox: I'm not at all trying to make the shotgun more powerful, just more complicated and skillful, and I agree that coping with reloading during hectic fights is fun; I think this proposed change would make the reloading issue even MORE of a pain by taking up more of your time, and add another subtle parameter to combat: having to spend more time and effort "feeding" your gun. Maybe there are good reasons why the idea is "retarded". If so, it would be useful to know what they are.

Addendum: Now that I think of it, using right mouse button to reload this proposed shotgun would probably be necessary, since holding down R for over two seconds would be really annoying - you wouldn't be able to strafe right during that time.

[Henners]

And I'm floored by your lack of tactical thinking.  Say you only have three rounds left.  I would reload because I might run into a goon.  To wait till I run out of ammo and then reload is suicide.  I suggested something like this earlier and got some support for it.

That pretty much is the point. You have to decide when you think it is best to reload. If anything this idea would remove a tactical element rather than create one.

However I'm not completely against it - I just agree it would require some balance testing first.

[benmachine]

@ benmachine: I don't think the animation is much of an issue - it wouldn't affect the gameplay, and besides, the existing reload animation (player points gun upward) is pretty lame and non-descript, but that doesn't seem to bother people much. But yeah, a suitable animation for shell loading would be a nice touch.

I'm talking about what other people see (which is actually what you see, but anyway). We would need both a shorter animation for only one shell load, and some way of making it extensible for each new shell that we decided to load. Even if it would be a simple animation, it would be another animation, and I don't know where that would come from.

[Plague Bringer]

Xyblor, you mean we'll have to hold it down to continue reloading shells? Why not just tap it once and click to toss a shell and stop reloading. What about tapping it as many times as you want shells?

[Caveman]

Did anyone think a bit farther than the nose needed to sniff a fish?

This reload system is an integral part of the game.
_ALL_ weapons have this setback when you foolishly decide to reload at the wrong time.

And why the F* do those shitty comparisons to half-arsed FPS crop up everytime someone decides to "tweak" any weapon?

[Ceaser342]

Maybe it takes a stamina bar if you shoot during reload?

You still have to choose when you reload.  Your in a fire fight and run out you can either reload and shoot every time you get a round in the chamber or wait a second to load 2 or 3 rounds.  With the over all longer reload time it's also going to make the human find a good hiding spot or cover to reload his gun to full.

Caveman those "Have Arsed FPSes" are considered some of the best Shooters of all time.  They must have done something right.  This is not about those games however this is about a suggestion to make the shotgun more realistic and fun to use.

[Bajsefar]

Caveman those "Have Arsed FPSes" are considered some of the best Shooters of all time.  They must have done something right.  This is not about those games however this is about a suggestion to make the shotgun more realistic and fun to use.

+1 I have to admit Half-Life rocks balls, and Halo isn't bad either.

I'm not so sure about this...

Personally i'd like the Shottie to have a lesser spread and higher damage and somewhat lower shooting speed. Not much, just a mariginal change to change the feel of it.

[AKAnotu]

gravity gun lol
go half life!

[Plague Bringer]

I r want purtal guhn.

Srsly.

[Steely Ann]

Alrighty.  Ahem:

The gravity gun is overrated.  Really, Tribes 1's ELF guns were more useful.  It's less a weapon and more of a toy, methinks.
The Halo series, while above-average, is also overrated.
Half-life 1 kicked ass, though Barney was unforgivably dumb.
HL2 was also a fun playthrough, though it seemed I never had enough grenades.  I was a bit surprised that it didn't bring my compy anywhere near to its knees, also.
No, Ceaser, things that are popular should not automatically be considered "well-done."  Look at Counter-Strike, N*Sync, and countless other examples.
The manual loading idea I kind of like; sounds like a win-win for both teams to me.  Humies don't have to waste their rather pitiful stock of shells and goons get overall easier targets, so shotgun ambushes/rushes won't be endgame.

[Ceaser342]

Your right about popular stuff not always being good however I think I have a little proof that Half Life and Halo were very good shooters.

[Steely Ann]

You can prove an opinion?

That's hawt.

[Ceaser342]

35 game of the year awards can O.o

[Steely Ann]

35 opinions do not a fact make.  You're basically saying "Hey, everybody else likes it."  Stop making me start to agree with pl0x on something.