Spawning options for Multi Player

[CanisDEK 1]

What spawn options will exist for multi player?

1. Spawn at Squad leader?

2. Spawn at a forward base that players can set up?

3. Spawn at a mobile spawn vehicle?

4. Spawn at controlled "flags"?

I am just wondering, because even though BF2 is a rather bland and arcade experience I really like the spawn at SL and what it adds to gameplay.

I just hope there will be made gameplay mechanics that reward playing in a squad (like SL spawning promotes squad play in BF2).

While team work can be great in OFP, I believe teamwork could be incredible in ARMA is some gameplay mechanic were in place to actively promote being in a squad.

[Big Dawg KS 6]

Spawning is really up to the mission creator, so it will be whatever is appropriate for the mission.

[CouchMonkey 0]

I agree. THose who want a faster pase game can appreciate spawning on the squad leader where as spawning back at the base is more realistic.

Spawn times fall in the same category.

[zigzag 0]

im not sure that spawning at base is the most realistic way

i think spawn depends on what kind of mission you play

[meyamoti 0]

What about if you spawned from the air via airborne or so? Depending on the branch you are in it could be possible to vary...and airdropping in sounds a bit more realistic than just popping up on the ground at a flag if ya ask me.

Or if you were Army you would respawn in a chinook that would make frequent visits to the drop off point. Leave and arrive shortly again. Problem is this opens up a big opportunity for camping and I don't think there would be three helicopters to put you into the zones..

[DarkOmen 0]

Judging from OFP you can spawn by a vehicle, by a camp, by a flag, or even the ocean. It's up to the mission designer.

[frederf 0]

I just hope the spawning code is flexible enough that the community can make whatever they like.

[bravo 6 0]

Spawning is really up to the mission creator, so it will be whatever is appropriate for the mission.

Spawn?! No thanks!

Ill try not to use it, ever!

Since we have possibilities for massive battles and thousands of units in same map at same time whats the porpose of using spawn?

NO NO NO NO!

edit:

maybe ill use spawn for one porpose: JIP

[Cpt Viper 0]

Same here, I(/we) don't like respawning just for realism's sake.

How realistic is it to come back to life after you have been shot ?

The only way to properly use respawn is like using an air drop, or a visit by a choppers. Other than that, nah, no thanks.

[bravo 6 0]

Same here, I(/we) don't like respawning just for realism's sake.

How realistic is it to come back to life after you have been shot ?

The only way to properly use respawn is like using an air drop, or a visit by a choppers. Other than that, nah, no thanks.

I did not mentioned Respawn - Respawn NO (never)!

Enemy Spawn - NO - But Maybe if JIP needs.

[meyamoti 0]

Only for the smaller missions in small area's or CTI,that kinda thing. Not every mission.

[sirex 0]

i dont see a problem with respawn if it has a long timer (10-15) mintues, and i did like BF2 spawn on SL to keep your clan mates together, however for OFP maybe it would be better if you could just set up a forward assembly point, so in effect have a forward spawn point.

[whisper 0]

Any option can be done. This is the key thing, the cornerstone of why OFP is so great

Do what the hell you prefer.

Want spawn @ squad leader? No problem at all.

[Goeth 0]

Any option can be done. This is the key thing, the cornerstone of why OFP is so great

Do what the hell you prefer.

Want spawn @ squad leader? No problem at all.

That is the thing that people seems to forget. Ofp and Armed Assault has huge potential in mission editor, virtually anything is possible.

[CanisDEK 1]

lol the ever so funny debate about respawn being unrealistic. It's just a silly argument. To be realistic you should only play the game once in MP... you die and you're dead. It doesn't really matter if you die and can't respawn in the round or if you have to wait 45 minutes and THEN respawn (other than it being a completely waste of time waiting for the game to end).

It's just a matter of perspective. Respawning is not the same soldier comming back to life... it's reinforcements. In any case... it has nothing to do with realism, considering the other things that logically have to be unrealistic for the game to be fun.

It is also unrealistic that you can't feel pain, won't be truly affraid to die at times. That morale don't play a role in the battle. Also it is really unrealistic that you control the game with a mouse and keyboard!

There are so many unrealistic things which is needed for the game to work. And in my oppinion respawning (or reinforcements) is needed, for the sake of preventing boredom.

The only thing you can talk about in a video game is wether things are believable enough to SEEM realistic. So the job at hand is making respawning (reinforcements) work so it is believable and ADDS to gameplay. Because gameplay is everything...

Realism is a matter of believing... nothing else. Real realism is only found in the real world.

[NeMeSiS 11]

lol the ever so funny debate about respawn being unrealistic. It's just a silly argument. To be realistic you should only play the game once in MP... you die and you're dead. It doesn't really matter if you die and can't respawn in the round or if you have to wait 45 minutes and THEN respawn (other than it being a completely waste of time waiting for the game to end).

People tend to play VERY differently when they cant respawn

There are no rambos in the real world, and there are no rambos in a mission without respawn

[mcpxxl 2]

Or using a RESP like our MAPFACT RESP3.0 so if there are Rambos, the TEAMMATES can decide to let the Rambos wait a little bit longer before they help them ...

Beside this, you have "search and rescue" MINI-Missions in your Mission

[NeMeSiS 11]

Or using a RESP like our MAPFACT RESP3.0 so if there are Rambos, the TEAMMATES can decide to let the Rambos wait a little bit longer before they help them ...

Thats the great thing about OFP, any kind of respawn can be made. And now we can switch unittypes in ArmA the options are even bigger!

[coderdfox 0]

I had a cool script in the works for OFP-R.

The americans - would spawn in a cargo plane or heli and this aircraft would fly in to the base drop off and fly back out again (Loop).

The russians - The same way

The resistant - Would spawn at a random towns close to the main camp

Just some Ideads

[DarkOmen 0]

lol the ever so funny debate about respawn being unrealistic. It's just a silly argument. To be realistic you should only play the game once in MP... you die and you're dead. It doesn't really matter if you die and can't respawn in the round or if you have to wait 45 minutes and THEN respawn (other than it being a completely waste of time waiting for the game to end).

People tend to play VERY differently when they cant respawn

There are no rambos in the real world, and there are no rambos in a mission without respawn

I have to agree with you. When there is respawn I seem to unconsciously act more careless. Weird.

[XCess 0]

I believe there are only two good kinds of respawn, th Mapfact style, where a team mate revies you, and respawning at reguar intervals with the rest of your team mates, and any other joiners.

Thesee respawn places should also be far from the battle zone so they have to be ferried in by a dedicated logisitcal team, Chinook, or IFVs. Then it would actually seem like real reinforcements

[paragraphic l 2]

I agree with the above

But, don't have that much knowledge of warfare, shouldn't there be one DEFENDER and one other ATTACKER?

and wouldn't it be realistic if the ones defending a base or something be able to respawn in a barrack or something? This being limited and then goes to an other base and than getting transfered back to the action as reÄnforcement?

this all offcourse does not really have to do anything with ArmA but more with the mission design

[Commando84 0]

anything goes but respawning time above 30 seconds makes me go crazy also ofp and arma can be made to whatever you imagine so i think there will be missions with respawn and missions without respawn.

[coderdfox 0]

anything goes but respawning time above 30 seconds makes me go crazy also ofp and arma can be made to whatever you imagine so i think there will be missions with respawn and missions without respawn.

PRMM (bf2 mod) servers that had spawn times at 30-45 min were some of the best servers. Kept all the bad players out. It was great to hear "What I have to wait 45 sec, I'm out of here". Yeah it sucks to die and wait 45 sec, but I bet you wont do anything stupid (like run out of cover or fire early)

[madrussian 347]

I personally have very strong opinions regarding respawns.    So strong, in fact, that I have created my own respawn system for OFP (see below for more info).

In my experience, there are usually two predominant respawn types that games in general go with.

First off, there’s “respawn-o-maticâ€, where you keep respawning over and over again.  I, for one, tend to get extremely bored very quickly with this, especially in cases where you (and the enemy) spawn close to one another (sometimes, even in view of one another).  There is certainly no sense of self-preservation here, and most folks quickly devolve into gun-blazin rambos.    Heck, with a new life available moments away, why wouldn’t they?    Definitely not the kind of game I want to play.

[EDIT - As I reread my paragraph above, and the previous post, I should clarify my thoughts a bit.  Respawn over and over is not so bad in certain cases with OFP, provided that the huge distances offered are taken advantage of with respect to respawn location.  That and using long durations between respawns really can put the fear of death in you.  Heck CTI uses repeating respawn!  What I'm really referring to in the above paragraph is quick respawns close to the enemy.  END EDIT]

The other extreme is “perma-deathâ€, which is great for single player but lousy IMO for any MP other than very short sessions.  The reason I say lousy is because, when you get eliminated and have to sit there and watch your buddy for the rest of the session with no hope of returning to play, due to the length of typical OFP missions, it's probably going to be a while.

Fortunately, OFP and a handful of other games allow “Group†type respawn, which is a step in the right direction.  With a limited number of soldiers available, the smart players tend to preserve themselves and their squads (in stark contrast to the alternative rambo style game play).  IMO, "Group" respawn allows for an exhilarating game-play experience that is quite realistic, in terms of how players must go about accomplishing their objectives… that is to say, very carefully!  

On the downside, “Group†respawn in OFP limits shared respawns to the max group size, 12.  (The “Side†respawn option in OFP would address this, but unfortunately it does not work and instead functions just like “Groupâ€.)  That and I happen to hate ever becoming a bird.

I still need to try out the Mapfact respawn system, which sounds quite interesting, with the revives and so on.  The only problem is, I recall over on the Coin2 thread hearing that Mapfact respawn strips out all the player’s AI soldiers at initiation.  Can anyone confirm this?  Player led AI squads are one of the main reasons I play OFP to begin with.  

For those who might be interested, here’s some brief info on my upcoming respawn system, tentatively titled MadRussian’s Group Linked Respawn and Reinforcements system.  

1. True “Side†respawn (like group respawn only the groups are linked)

2. Coop and Versus multiplayer supported

2. Integrated spectator script (When there’s no one left to take over as, you enter the Death Cam)

3. Return to play - As actual existing reinforcements via dialog from the Death Cam (Reinforcement groups are applied by the mission designer, as desired, via a single function call.  All you guys wanting reinforcements flown in via chopper, here's your support)

4. Easy to apply - Everything is in one dir, initiated by a single line, etc

5. Versatile – System can be applied only to the desired groups.

6. Works with all vehicle stations - (Believe me, once you try to code something like this up, you realize this is a feature.)

7. No restrictions on AIs in the player groups (Again, the biggie for me)

Release for OFP is pending some permissions and additional testing/polishing.  I do intend to port to ArmA as soon as possible.

In any event, IMO it’s great that OFP allows all sorts of respawn… that way everyone can be happy (even if you have to build your own system)!!!