Interface discussion

[Baron Hurlothrumbo IIX 0]

I know I've used PRR a couple of times.

[Drill Sergeant 0]

Things that must be in OFP2.

#1 Swimming

#2 Jumping

#3 Hand signals. (Use a activation similar to Tribes 2)

#4 When looking at the map or menu the player will look like that's what he's doing instead of just standing thier.

#5 Taunts. (Use a activation similar to Tribes 2)

In case any one is wondering in tribes two you hit the g key and it opens a sub menu than you can still play and have a taunt/ command ready like g/g/a is a taunt that says someting and showes a action with it.

[metto 0]

Why would we need jumping? The result would be that players would begin jumping like in CS, which is unrealistic. Climbing would be better idea.

[MuDoIn 0]

I agree with SnypaUK, most of the vocal features will be too complex for a computer.

I'd like just to see a more simple command interface, just like to see on the AI icons below the position of the men (standing, on the knees,...) and pressing "M" a drag & drop system to link men, guns, roles (2, gunner, get in BMP). When I play resistance I hate to waste lot of time to charge the arms in trucks and to collect the "special" items.

In reality, I don't care so much about the way to talk with my men, i just care they do exactly what I want.

ciao

[SnypaUK 0]

Oh god yeah hand signals would be kickass there are hand signals in Ghost Recon. but i do think at close range or for specific commands shouting would be better like "2 go destroy that truck. which brings me onto how units target a specific unit BIS should change the engine so that the soldier doesnt go running off getting killed they should just fire from where they are in formation or if they cant see the target at least make it subtle by using trees

[SnypaUK 0]

Jumping and swimming are for quakers and it would feel a bit tacky to have taunts, taunts are for quakers

[Jinef 2]

most definately, taunts in game?

If i shoot just above my team mate's head just to see him scurry around and hear him yell "Under fire" over TeamSpeak at me my taunt will come automatically, such as "Just keeping you on your toes m8, anyway it serves you right for living in Manchester" or whatever. Taunts are definately tacky.

Maybe the soldiers could get a bit emotional when reporting kills such as "got the bugger!" or "enemy down!" instead of completely uniform "I have got one enemy soldier at 4 O'clock range 203.5 SIR!"

Adding this would add immersion, although gratuitous comments are unneccessary, remember soldiers need to be seen as very professional, let's maintain the image to a certain extent. OFP is too clean, one side is right, one is wrong, and they kill with a professional monotone voice...??

[Winters 1]

I would love to see a command that makes entire squad fully re-arm instead of the current send one man at a time to get one mag at a time.

[ABsintheminded 0]

Jumping doesn't have to be jumping. It could be a button dedicated to the obvious action of climbing fences, hopping onto short ledges or stone walls, or doing any simple motion that brings you above ground level like that... using your legs. You know. None of this jumping to avoid bullets crap. No rocket-jumping, no platform-jumping, no- well, maybe stepping (while walking) or hopping (while running) over trip wires would be neat. Like in Behind Enemy Lines.

Look at AA for a decent example of a way to do jumping without being unrealistic. Jump when you don't absolutely have to, and you get tired and slowed down. It doesn't make you harder to hit, it just lengthens your time in the open. So unless you've come to a barrier that needs a quick hop over, or a muddy ditch to leap across to keep your speed up, jumping will only get you shot up.

Swimming shouldn't carry the stigma of being a "quaker" (society of friends? crappy term) feature in a game. Because, well, people can swim. In certain settings it'd be a very reasonable thing to expect in a mission, and with the ability to swim, that's just one more simple thing that can be taken into account when designing them.

[Phleep 0]

Swimming shouldn't carry the stigma of being a "quaker" (society of friends? crappy term) feature in a game. Because, well, people can swim. In certain settings it'd be a very reasonable thing to expect in a mission, and with the ability to swim, that's just one more simple thing that can be taken into account when designing them.

Only problem with swimming is they'll have to give the underwater world some objects (ie. seaweed, rocks, etc).

[Baron Hurlothrumbo IIX 0]

The same rocks could work, and I'd see the viewdistance being very limited.... most water, especially coastal water, is very turbulent and difficult to see in. I'd see the underwater view being very blurry and ill defined anyway.

[SpecOp9 0]

How do I want the interface to be?

Magic words = Customizable!

I don't know about you guys, but most of those damn radio messages I don't even use.

I want to make my own shortcuts to my own orders.

That's how I think it should be done.

[WhoCares 0]

Apropos customizable,

it would be nice to have more influence on the squad micro-management.

E.g. custom formations (cloud or chicken farm comes in mind ).

The ability to assign positions to roles, different for each formation. E.g. in (staggered) column Maschinegunner ahead, Squad Leader, Radio Operator, some newbies and medic(s) and an experienced soldier as rear guard. I don't want to mess around with the weapon assignment everytime I switch the formation.

Also nice would be to assign a 'covering area' depending on the position in the formation, rear guard often checking the back, others covering flanks etc. I am not so sure about the 'Watch direction' and 'Scan horizon' commands already available, especially if you change formations...

[Tibby595 0]

i read somewhere:

"i wish ofp was more vocal"

visit my idea

[crassus 0]

Perhaps this has been covered:

I would like to see an object-specific menu become available whenever you, after selecting a soldier or soldiers, place the movement cursor over say ammo crates, vehicle(s), or a patch of terrain, then right click your mouse. Some object-specific commands could include: '"rearm"; "mount" (get in as cargo), "man" (get in as a crew); "destroy", or "breach"; "suppress", "smoke", etc..

[SnypaUK 0]

I dont know how many people have said this but the AI HAS GOT TO USE COVER!! it should also use suppressive fire there should be an option where you draw a square over an area then get your LMG men to suppress it. AI has to react to withering fire as well ducking behind rocks or jumping in ditches and cowering or running away anything as long as they dont return fire cooly like theyre on a firing range also formations should be a bit less perfect in a firefight

[mooncaine 0]

#3 Hand signals. (Use a activation similar to Tribes 2)

In case any one is wondering in tribes two you hit the g key and it opens a sub menu than you can still play and have a taunt/ command ready like g/g/a is a taunt that says someting and showes a action with it.

Yeah, in general BIS should take a close look at how Tribes 2 plays ... those guys already worked out a lot of the teamwork and commo challenges we face in OFP and did a decent job of it. Like the menu of preset voice commands. Sure, the menus get pretty deep, but you actually find yourself only using certain ones most of the time and, like he says, you just eventually learn the quick keystrokes for them, like vvs for "sorry!", which I learned to say a lot because I had a bad habit of shooting the wrong team in Tribes 2.

Some of those preset voice commands have actions assigned to them, and some don't. You learn right quick not to do a taunt when you might be exposed to enemy fire -- and that's how it ought to be.

[bn880 5]

I do not know if this has been suggested or if this is exactly the right thread but:

It would be good to have a random slot assignemnt in the MP player assignemnt screen. That way whoever wants can hit the "random" button to place all the waiting players into random sides and soldiers, preferrably filling groups from officer down.

[Snypa UK 0]

God i love it in gmaes with taunting i remember someone taunting from the top of the building i put a bullet between their eyes and laughed. just imagine "HAHA you missed me losers!..you suck you are... SPLAT!!"

[cornhelium 0]

A little interface suggestion for the map screen - I'd like the map background to be a few shades darker, maybe like my old & musty map of Dartmoor, complete with peat stains and rain smudges!

Seriously, just making the background beige or sepia instead of white would make night missions a little easier on the eye. I'm playing with the lights off, just spent a tense 40 mins moving my SpecOps team inland, my face is moving closer & closer to the monitor screen,  Oh no, contact! Can't see the enemy - have a quick look at the map - EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I don't know if Army maps use colour to denote contours like some of mine do, but that would be one way to make the map easier on the eye as well as adding functionality.

Either way, I'd definitely like the map screen to be easier on the eye.

Cheers,

Cornhelium

[Snypa UK 0]

sorry military maps are white with yellow contours but you could put some detail in it like creases and have map unfolding animation in 1st person view

[TheManWithManyIdeas 0]

First of all, the system used in VietCong is merely a watered down squad interface version of OFP.

It seems easier to use because there are less commands available.

One exciting idea to explore could be use of voice recognition build into the game.

There may be set phrases like:

1) Contact!

2) Cease Fire!

3) "Bravo" attack APC!

Unfortunately this would be a huge project. Although VR sounds like a simple concept, it is very difficult to design it to high efficiently.

[SnypaUK 0]

There is a big problem with Voice recognition...

You look like a prat imagine your girlfriend coming in to find you sitting at a computer screaming

CONTACT!! COVERING FIRE SHIFT FIRE RIGHT MAN DOWN MAN DOWN!!

[Gollum1 0]

I dont know how many people have said this but the AI HAS GOT TO USE COVER!! it should also use suppressive fire there should be an option where you draw a square over an area then get your LMG men to suppress it. AI has to react to withering fire as well ducking behind rocks or jumping in ditches and cowering or running away anything as long as they dont return fire cooly like theyre on a firing range also formations should be a bit less perfect in a firefight

Yes, this should definitely be included.

[SnypaUK 0]

I was just thinking about this the other day and i think you could have preplanned fire and maneuver procedures assigned to number keys. You could have a preplan section in your personal options. so you plan what each member of your section does and assign waypoints and arcs of fire then assign it to a number. this means you could program something in then whenever you get a contact in a mission you press one and your lot conduct a full withdrawal right flanking maneuver with cover and move while you do it. Perhaps you could have different programs so if youre squad is in an APC and you press one your squad getss out and performs a maneuver such as they hotpot in the direction theyre facing while if youre in a helo they get out and form an all round defence. Indeed you could oeven plan different plans for different squad sizes