Droid Structures

[Norfenstein]

Ideas for droid structures. Firstly, basic defenses, divided into three categories. Below each category are possible effects for the defense.

Point - Small devices affixed to floors or walls. These can be tiny enough to totally miss, large enough to step on, or in other more creative forms (like a trip wire)
   Once/Multiple - One time use or self replenishing
   Proximity/Exact - Area effect or touching only
   Triggered/Permanent/Periodic - Permanent is always active and periodic is active at set intervals

   Blind - Either partially obscure vision or total white-out, varying duration
   Deafen - Same as blind, only applied to audio input
   Damage/Poison - Direct damage, or damage that stays with you
   Alert - Makes a noise for droids to hear, possibly telling them (maybe just the builder who made this structure) where the human that triggered it is

Field - Visible but easily missed areas on floors.
   Set/Growth - Set is for fixed areas, growth is for fields that expand over time

   Slick - Almost negates friction for humans, best when used in conjunction with another defense
   Slow - Impedes human movement
   Damage/Poison

Shooter - Easily recognized floor fixtures that actively affect targets. There could be much variance as to how these shoot. They could fire salvos, be rapid fire, or single shots. Projectiles could bounce, home in, or be affected by gravity, etc.

   Blind
   Damage/Poison
   Slow


Not too creative, but they allow for more variety. Mix and match and come up with minor numerical details and few good things could results. Any other ideas people?

[ This Message was edited by: Norfenstein on 2001-05-19 11:30 ]

[Cybernetsam]

Acidic Bolt; Droid Structure
This small mushroom-shaped device sits on the floor. When a human steps on it, it releases a burt of acid. This acid either degrades the protective quality of armor (if any is present), or if the human is lacking armor, severely wounds him/her.

IR Pulse Detonation Node; Droid Structure
A node structure, placed on any smooth surface, which sends out heavy IR pulses every few seconds. Any human caught within the pulse experiences random detonation of ammunition. Only a few rounds go off every pulse, but this can add up if the human remains within range for too long. The human takes half damage from each round that goes off, and some rounds may fly out from the human randomly. Weapons that don't carry ammo may overheat.

[Carcinogen]

Norfenstein: hidden buildable "triggers" are a great idea, good enough to be mentioned next time we have a brainstorming session.

For some of the abilities, the "alert" is the most intriguing. Since droids are connected with the hivemind, a trigger could go off, droids here an audible noise through the hivemind, while the human sneaks on, not hearing a thing. A good idea, if you make some games based around stealth (in which I would like to do).

The slick field would absolutely rock. The only problem, is how long will it last? I would say indefinite, unless destroyed, but how would you destroy it? Possibly the slick field is combustible, so it just takes a spark to ignite it. Mmm, humans burning :wink:

For the shooter, no new ideas are coming. There IS the sawblade launcher, which I would assume to fit that role.

Cybernetsam: The Acidic Bolt could be easily avoided, unless rather small. Sounds more like an obstacle in a certain mod :smile:

The damage to armor is interesting, although I would just stick to normal damage (why a helmet would lose some protective quality is beyond me). The idea is good, but needs a little more refining.

The IR Pulse is a great idea. I would say, grenades and explosive rounds only explode (should be in rapid succession). Wouldn't make much sense for non-explosive stuff to explode :wink: And overheating... hrmmm... I very much hate overheating to be honest, but it could work.

[ This Message was edited by: Carcinogen on 2001-06-10 14:48 ]

[Cybernetsam]

Note: NOT AN OBSTACLE
It's a one-time thing, like a mine. Only with acid. And it degrades armor. (Acid eats through armor, thus weakening it.)
Certain forms of armor could be immune to the effect.

Inertia Accelerator; Team Structure
Ok, I though of a maybe workable gravity well thingie. This pad-looking thing (Which sits on the floor), doesn't have a really far range. But if you get right next to it, you are pulled in it's direction at high speeds. (Thus, slingshotting you across the room) It doesn't "trap" you, but it can be used to throw you over cliffs, into hazards, ect.
It would be fairly easy to see and destroy, unless hidden in a dark room, or the player is preocupied, like in a fight or something.


Sound Amplifier; Human Equipment[/i]
This device is installed into a helmet, and points to the direction of a sound, when made by a player/structure. Not quite sure how it points, I guess a small compass on the HUD would be easiest. Basically a round circle, marked with (F),(B), (L), and (R). When a sound is made, a small line appears, and points in the correct direction. The line lasts untill another sound is made, and the line points in the direction of the new sound. So it would be useless in a large scale battle, but helpful when creeping along a dark corridor.

[ This Message was edited by: Cybernetsam on 2001-06-10 21:50 ]

[ghost]

The sound amplifier would be a great idea.
Maybe it would be a toggleable peice of equipment, I.E turn it on while sneaking around, but turn it off in a gun fight, else you may be deafened :grin:

[Carcinogen]

not.. a... bad idea...

I like.

[Lazysam]

i was just thinking do any of you guys play flf, u know how they mark the capture point wiht that green rectangle thinggie on ur screen, well if a human steps on a alarm than all the droids should get that rectangle thingie guiding em to the where the alarm was set off

[Stannum]

Acid doesnt do shit againts armour. Its not like the stuff in aliens

[ValouR]

sound amplifier == this little knob on my speakers?

[Stannum]

Ghost, of course not. A sound ampilfier would be a high tech piece of equipment, you wouldnt get deafend when in a gunfight. It would filter out and dampen those sound waves.

[DarkStorm]

...you have a little knob on your speakers that amplifies sound?!  Where I don't see one on mine... all's I see is some 'presence' (which is basically "tone") and some weird 'volume' thingy but I don't know what that does...

[Carcinogen]

bah, just stick to the scanner

amplifying sound is a bad idea, but a helmet that shows the direction of a sounds would work...

but we have a scanner...

[Cybernetsam]

Satannum, I never said "Acid that degrades armor, just like in real life".

[ComeToFragy]

Perhaps a barrier?  A little seemingly harmless scrap of metal, which continues to unfold itself, til it fill a given space?  It would serve to block/protect from spam, but would deal no harm, death, destruction, or pain.

Team teleporters?  You're average teleporter, but a construction, which moves you from point a, to point b fast.  Yes, these could be evil, but i'm just brain storming..

[ComeToFragy]

Still brainstorming
Perhaps the ability to 'forward' structures without destroying and rebuilding them.  Warping them over to new locations would be nice, but the distance should be limited.  Similar to StarCraft, how the probes 'warp' structures in, yet totally different as the structures have to be built by the builders for warpage to occur.

[Sandy]

As far as i know the droid team in tremulous has a 'creep' base system, where new structures can only be built onto the adjacent creep.  or something.