Co-op Map Authors Plz Read

[nutmeg 0]

I've noticed some great maps hit the community lately but one thing I can't seem to ignore are the respawns on Co-Op missions.

It's like you get in a tank, drive halfway accross the map, kill a few bad guys, die and your a bird in spectator mode. Then you gotta scratch ass on a server waiting for another half a hour for everyone else to die and the map to end. Granted this is realistic but lots of players wouldn't agree it is very fun. We want to be in the thick of the action as often as possible so PLZ allow us to RESPAWN.

Co-OP missions work well with respawns actually and especially online. I like a wide variety of missions and way the authors have designed them. I realize that some missions need to be the way they are currently but I'd also like to emphasize that some of you give this a shot as well. Respawns keep people on servers, playing for longer period of time and generally make for better multiplayer games online.

Does anyone have any links to some quality Co-Op maps that allow for players to respawn?

I'd like to check em out so please post your links.

Thanks,

nutz

[russin 0]

my coops don't have re-spawn cause i go for the reliasic point of view it make you be more aware of your surroundings as soon as you put re-spawn whats the point every body just go's in gung hoo...

my mission is afganistan (revenge) kick there ass

[Thundercok 0]

What, unlimited respawn?  Play some other mission if that is what you want.

Frankly, I don't build for ded servers online. I build for the way we play, and that is for a group of 2 to 6 buds hooking up online or LAN.

(Edited by Thundercok at 8:17 am on Nov. 23, 2001)

[zovirl 0]

I have to agree with Thundercok that 2-6 local buds is a great way to play this game.  LANs have spoiled me and I can't stand playing online.

However, I like nutmeg's idea.  I'm only learning how to create missions right now, but I have this cool idea I have been thinking of.  I think it will be something new and will make (at least LAN games) amazing.  First some background.  The co-ops I've played have pretty much been something like this:

1.  Everyone playes the mission the first time and doesn't know what is going to happen.  As things happen people have to think on their feet.  The thinking on your feet is fun, but everyone gets shot real fast and you have to start over.

2. You get used to the mission and know what is going to happen.  You can lay mines out in a field because you know *exactly* where that T80 is going to come from.  You still get shot and have to keep restarting.  No one has to think any longer.  You are just following the script.

3.  You finally get through the mission and are sick of it.  You already know everything that will happen and it isn't interesting.

So...of course what would be cool is to have a mission with more random events.  Maybe a T80 comes, maybe it doesn't.  Maybe it comes from a different direction.  Maybe it is night, maybe day.  Maybe you stumble into an enemy camp in the woods that wasn't there last time.  Basically, the players have to stay on their toes.  This would also let you build much longer missions because the mission maker wouldn't have to script everything out.  More stuff could be randomized instead.  So, you have these long, semi-random missions.  The problem then will be when everyone gets shot in the first 5-10 minutes.  

So the solution is to respawn people.  Not Quake-style, with instant respawn.  Not like Counterstrike where the mission is so short you just wait for the next one.  No, I'm thinking you only get to respawn when a certain condition is fulfilled.  A majority of the players die and so the dead ones get to respawn all together as reinforcements that get airdropped in?  The remaining players capture a town and get to rescue a couple POWs that the dead players just respawned into?  There should be some balance between the gung-ho "Don't care if I get shot cause I will respawn anyway" type of respawn and the "Oh nuts now I'm a seagull for 15 minutes" respawn that also manages to be somewhat realistic.

Anyway, I think that would be new and really cool.  I plan on releasing the first good mission like this I manage to build (don't hold yer breath... ).  Of course if someone beats me to it that is great...

(Well that turned out to be long...)

(Edited by zovirl at 11:17 am on Nov. 23, 2001)

[crashdome 3]

I have made several co-op missions for my friends and I, and I have to say that a respawn into your own group of guys is the way to go if you want that sort of thing. It doesn't hamper realism, because you are still careful not to get your own squad nailed. Also, it helps with the sudden "miracle shot" some AI guys may do to you.

 I would go with either, but in long missions that certainly helps. There is nothing like walking thru half a mission and your friend gets nailed by a helicopter or something then starts to whine about starting over. It makes me laugh but after a awhile I need to institute a respawn just to keep his sorry butt happy(Maybe make it delay 30 secs, just to make him sweat).

 I would have liked to have a capture POW's and they join your squad (to replenish lives on those two hour long missions so to speak) but NOOooo!!... OFP doesnt support MP "join" features!!....  

Oh well, it does make for lengthy replayability. Anyways, LAN rocks.. Internet Play sux... blah blah blah and all that jazz! You don't like em? make your own!  

[Guest]

Thats a cool idea Zovirl. It is easy to do too. In the editor you can change the "propability of presence" bar of each unit. You can find this bar in the properties of each unit.

Also i was thinking about respawning into a deathmatch area so the people that die have something to do, somewhere far from the action.

[PlaneShifter 0]

You could have your squadmates respawn in enemy territory as captives (set the respawn marker there, have a trigger remove weapons & set captive state). Just an idea.

- PlaneShifter -

[Jason Alaska 0]

PlaneShifter COOL IDEA! I want to see someone run with it. Reminds me of dodge-ball as a kid.