So I'm just going to throw out a few things that came to my mind while making my own set of weapons. Other ideas occured to me, but I want to the keep this limited to suggestions that I believe to be, code-wise, fairly simple to work in while also allowing for meaningful usage.
Tracer Function.
If you're not familiar with what I mean, it's a function that exists in a few other games, such as Cortex Command, and allows you to get a lot more of a single weapon.
Basically, you add two new variables, more or less depending on preference, the first being the tracer projectile and the second being a simple number that dictates how often, measured in either shots or bursts fired to your preference, the tracer projectile is fired instead of the standard projectile.
For it's namesake, it's main purpose is to allow the weapon's projectiles to be harder to see with the exception of every 3rd or 4th shot being a tracer round that's quite plain to see, as is a little more realistic.
It also allows you to easily fake secondary firing functions, simply by having the secondary fire's projectile firing every 5th shot, or if it's more powerful, maybe every 10th. I've seen modders get pretty creative with simple but malleable functions like this.
True Shotguns
Multiple projectiles without using bursts. So current shotguns, both your own and Project Armory's merely look like shotguns, they're still only firing a single projectile. For standard shotguns, this is pretty much okay, not perfect, but okay because realistically shotgun shells don't have that much spread.
However, for larger shotguns or sci-fi shotgun-like weapons, you may want a true spread (multiple projectiles) and to my knowledge this is only currently accomplished by using bursts with a minimum ticks-between-shots-in-burst. It's not really ideal because even at 0, the projectiles leaving the weapon is still obviously delayed, and you must use a very simple sound (shotminigun works) to prevent it sounding very unpleasant.
Wider Variable Ranges
As somewhat alluded to in my other points, I'll just sum it up as: I feel the basic vars are too restrictive.
0-10 Accuracy doesn't really let you have a terribly inaccurate, nor an exceptionally accurate weapon. This is okay for most weapons, relying more on the colonist's skill is good for gameplay, but for some specialist items, it's awkward.
Warm-up ticks basically works, but it's not quite perfect. Would it be feasible for you to rework this function slightly so that there's a warm-up from a non-firing stance, and a warm-up for follow-up shots? Say I've modding in a machine gun and I want it to have a high-rate of fire because, well, it's a machine gun. I can make the warm-up ticks quite low but now it's a great reactive CQC weapon... exactly what it shouldn't be. So if I could make the initial warm-up slow, but then the follow-up warm-up fast... I think you'll get what I'm asking for.
Heavy Weapons
Somewhat following from that last bit, a variable that makes a weapon 'heavy' or 'static'. Concept you may have seen used more in RTS. Basically, a boolean that says that a stable firing position is required, such as sand-bags or the Embrasures from the mod of the same name. Ideal for heavy machine guns, very long-range snipers or even the minigun. It's description even says it's not meant to be held and fired. :P
Alternatives: Weapon can be fired without a stable position, but at a reduced accuracy value.
Multiple variables; 0 equals normal functionality, 1 equals possible to fire inaccurately without being static, 2 equal impossible to fire without being static.
Randomized Graphics
Now this one is probably the least 'important' in my eyes, but still fairly simple and can be used well. Essentially, you just allow an index for the texture path variable. That way the same weapon can appear with a few different graphics, ideally with them saved in memory so that it remains constant.
This can be used in a few different ways. For example, Project Armory adds several assault rifles, most of which are fairly similar to Core's M16. If you or the modder wanted that variety but without players wondering which one has better stats or just to reduce the amount of different items (such as for mods that use them in crafting) you could have a weapon entry for 'Assault Rifle' that uses the graphics from the M16, M4, Famas and so on randomly, giving the illusion or variety without the micromanagement.
If you don't like cutting down on variety that much, it could still even be used with an 'M16' entry that uses graphics such as the standard M16, an M16 with various attachments, the M4, M4 with different attachments... etc.
It came to mind for me personally because I considered making textures for the UT weapons from later games, but I didn't want duplicate weapons just for graphic variety.
Alright, that's all I got. Hope you like some of the ideas for changes or that they at least inspire you to do your own thing. I know that weapon detailing isn't meant to be a major feature for this game, hence my keeping the suggestions simple, or trying to anyway. A little bit of extra weapon functionality can help bring the combat into a more tactical light, possibly allowing for more enemy intelligence/creativity.
Thanks for you time.
Hoping it's not an issue for me to bump this. Not even looking for a 'Yes, I'll do this right now' so much as a 'This does/does not fit with my design plans.'
These are some nice ideas
Maybe for the shot gun you could modify the current shot gun to shoot like 12 shots, but make the timing in between shots incredibly small so it seems like all the shots are coming out at the same time. The shoots would naturally scatter due to the variable accuracy of the weapon.
As I said, that's what I've been doing currently, but it's not perfect for the reasons listed.
Quote from: Austupaio on May 26, 2014, 08:28:14 PM
As I said, that's what I've been doing currently, but it's not perfect for the reasons listed.
Well darn, I should have read the 2nd paragraph about shotguns :P
I tried to make the time negative instead of 0, but I didn't notice any difference.
I hadn't considered that, but yeah as you tested, I don't think the engine does anything with negative values other than default them to 0.
Tynan is currently away on Vacation I believe, but he seems to have forgotten a key aspect of vacations; The having fun part. He keeps showing up to help everyone when he should be relaxing.
Also, it seems that the only kind of bullets my colonists fire ARE tracers, no wonder they're doing so little damage!
I'd love to see these in game, it'd make modding a lot more interesting.
I'd also like to add:
Stun mechanics
Weapons in game already stun sometimes.
I'd like to be able to set stun chance on weapons, and stun duration. That way you could make a taser, or sci-fi stun guns, concussion grenades, (small radius, long stun) flash bangs (large radius, short stun), etc.
Fear Mechanics
Again, enemies sometimes flee from the map after getting shot.
I'd like to be able to have some variable fear stats to change around. A flamethrower would "fear" enemies a lot more than throwing rocks, for example.
RANDOM DAMAGE
Meaning each gun does a range of damage to simulate glancing vs deep hits.
The Lower bound is increased a little for each point of accuracy, You hit things more often and hit more vitals with high accuracy.