Harvesting

[Alderan]

I was sitting there harvesting, and I thought about how it's kinda weird how you can sit there with a pickaxe in your lap and the resource just magically appears in your inventory. So I though maybe when you click a resource to harvest it, it would look like it does when you attack something, so your actually hitting the resource with your pickaxe. I have no idea how hard it would be to program this, but I think it would be really cool and make harvesting look more realistic.

[ttlanhil]

you have to be able to orient the player right, be within armsreach (sound bad already?), know the exact distance to the item (and height... ouch), and then dynamically create the animation action

 

as nice as it'd be, it's eye candy. if anyone wants to try to do it, they're welcome to start hacking on the client... but I'm pretty sure it won't be a priority

 

(yes, I'd like this too, you might be able to tell that I've considered it before)

[Placid]

Err, IMO all you'll need is a crouch+hack animation for harvestables that require a pickaxe. For those that don't, just have a crouch and hand movement animation. Then, when you start harvesting, the server sends the relevant animation ID and you start hacking away.

 

Most resources are at crouch level anyway, so there will be no real need for others.

[scarr]

then also change alhemy.manu,crafting.potion etc etc

 

for potion could be a animation that u mixing potions

 

and manu, a hammer and anvil

crafting a ring with some crafting tool

 

would be tight 4 sure =)

[Ghrae]

And when people are sitting facing each other while harvesting (in mines or at veggie/fruits)?

 

I have a feeling that such animations, while comical, would be inappropriate.

 

Can you imagine crouching down hitting each other with pick axes in the head?

 

(All goes back to proper orientation that was mentioned previously)

[Placid]

And when people are sitting facing each other while harvesting (in mines or at veggie/fruits)?

 

I have a feeling that such animations, while comical, would be inappropriate.

 

Can you imagine crouching down hitting each other with pick axes in the head?

 

(All goes back to proper orientation that was mentioned previously)

192532[/snapback]

When you click a harvestable, you know its position and location. The same way when you click to attack something, you turn to face it. This same method would be applied to harvesting.

[Zaer]

why would it be inappropriate? lmao ur only hitting eat other w/ pickaxe.

[Brom]

Its possible, but there are other priorites first.

 

Kit has a point too, those animations can cause some major trouble

[trollson]

This game isn't just about fighting, so for balance we really need animations for the other activities. It may add atmosphere to see what other characters around you are doing, rather than just a lot of folk standing or sitting around.

 

It would help spot bagjumpers lurking in the mines for instance. It is suspicious (and somewhat threatening) to see a character standing around near a bag party. If we knew that they were actually mining or doing something it would ease tensions.

 

A sleeping animation for no-activity and AFK would be nice to see as well. If we could then step over sleepers it would avoid some blocking problems.

 

Mining and harvesting should be conductable standing or sitting (though crouching is a good compromise). Maybe a high and low target animation?

 

As Placid says, the character can turn to face the deposite, there wouldn't be as much pick-ax-in-the-face as you might expect. Though the mining range would probably be decreased to fit the animations, which may cause conjestion at the ore-face.

 

Would you have to put away your weapons to harvest (veg, fruit, flowers)? If the animation for these used hand actions to gather the crop, then still having a sword in hand would just look like eco-vandalism!

[Placid]

Kit has a point too, those animations can cause some major trouble

192588[/snapback]

In my opinoin its not an issue. You just use the same method that is used to rotate the player towards what its attacking/being attacked by. There is no problem there.

 

The issue is, whether it is a priority and whether its worth doing.

[Aislinn]

I think it sounds fun. And even if it caused some comical scenarios, those could be worked out as they came up. Or even left if they are harmless. A little extra humor is never a bad thing

 

I also wonder if everybody could move like that, could it cause more lag at crowded areas such as storage and beam?

 

As to whether it's a priority or not, sometimes it is the little things that add so much.

[Ghrae]

It's not just facing a resource (like Titanium Ore), but proximity.

 

Do you want to be BEHIND someone who is also mining? And then it looks like you're going pick-axe psycho on their back? So how do we resolve this? Got to be 1 square away to harvest? Then certain spots (titanium mines, fruit stand in Portland, sulfer cave in DP, iron deposits in DP) would be fight zones as people got close enough to be just one square away.

 

And Aislinn... it might be funny, but then you couldn't sit facing Soldus anymore.

[Placid]

Do you want to be BEHIND someone who is also mining?  And then it looks like you're going pick-axe psycho on their back?  So how do we resolve this?  Got to be 1 square away to harvest?  Then certain spots (titanium mines, fruit stand in Portland, sulfer cave in DP, iron deposits in DP) would be fight zones as people got close enough to be just one square away.

192739[/snapback]

Your making it a problem. Those are issues that are never fussed about, whatever game you play. You could have 'innapropriate' things like this in Anarchy Online (a high budget game), however they haven't bothered - Its just not worth it.

 

It would be absurd to code against such a situation

 

[EDIT; some additions]

[Ghrae]

Those are issues that are never fussed about, whatever game you play.

192742[/snapback]

 

You're wrong of course. Even if it's a conscious decision to allow it, they will have thought about it and discussed it.

 

And remember who will be getting the #abuse calls because "PlayerX is stabbing me in teh back in Crystal Cavers and moves when I do " *sigh*

[Placid]

You're wrong of course.  Even if it's a conscious decision to allow it, they will have thought about it and discussed it.

Your misreading me, fussed as in fussed with code - hours spent providing a solution for a small problem; read the lines, not between them.

 

And remember who will be getting the #abuse calls because "PlayerX is stabbing me in teh back in Crystal Cavers and moves when I do " *sigh*

192752[/snapback]

That is absolutely no reason to not implement something. Its not a concern for the players, and it has its own solutions.

[Aislinn]

It's not just facing a resource (like Titanium Ore), but proximity.

 

Do you want to be BEHIND someone who is also mining?  And then it looks like you're going pick-axe psycho on their back?  So how do we resolve this?  Got to be 1 square away to harvest?  Then certain spots (titanium mines, fruit stand in Portland, sulfer cave in DP, iron deposits in DP) would be fight zones as people got close enough to be just one square away.

 

And Aislinn... it might be funny, but then you couldn't sit facing Soldus anymore.

192739[/snapback]

I don't sit facing him when i harvest anyway

 

I don't think it is this huge an issue...for example the fruit stand in portland you don't even use a pickaxe, same with sulfur

 

Maybe the range could be extended a tile to make up for it...I would imagine that players would learn how to arrange themselves and some would probably even get a kick out of it. I can't imagine there will be many complaints since nobody would actually lose any health from it.

 

The thing about this animation is that if it is and can be done at all, it can be used in other ways than just harvesting/mining. We could wave and nod our heads, shake hands, all sorts of little things that really would breathe life into our characters. That would make up for all the little oddities.

[Brom]

A sleeping animation for no-activity and AFK would be nice to see as well. If we could then step over sleepers it would avoid some blocking problems.

Ha ha ha! Ohh the screenies we will get posted. Aisilnn goes afk and Shivar trying to be funny, goes afk next to her and takes a screenie ;P

But I have to agree a sleeping animation might do well. Perhaps regenerate HP faster (not a whole lot faster) And have a penalty if attacked while sleeping. As all hostile monsters would wake you up.

 

The thing about this animation is that if it is and can be done at all, it can be used in other ways than just harvesting/mining. We could wave and nod our heads, shake hands, all sorts of little things that really would breathe life into our characters. That would make up for all the little oddities.

Im fairly sure this is in the works, Read the thread on Cal3d in the programming section.

[pennifuin]

sounds like a great plan.

 

something to think about, is eating/drinking animations.

 

i think its silly to think that people would complain because somone *looks* like they're getting stabbed at...i see no problem with it at all.

 

potion making animation could be somone playing with vial and mortar and pestle.

 

essence making, could just have somone look like they;re mixing something with their hands...

 

smelting could just be a bright light (paticle effect?) in the hands...

 

another thought is opening doors...could we have it so that you actually open a door when you walk there?

 

also picking up bags, it would be handy to see if people are actually looking in bags, rather than sitting on bags (death bags etc)

 

i like the sleeping idea, but lying down might take up too much room...maybe just have somone cross legged with 'z z Z Z'? floating up, another way is having so you must go afk against something, so you lean on it?? would look quite novel walking around looking at all the hobos hunched up against walls and in door ways... ^_^

[ttlanhil]

all skills except harvesting could work as-is. for harvesting, you'd need to change from set items to harvest to areas (like sitting in a feild of flowers, then you can harvest where you are)

being able to mine deposits like we have now would require there to be only a few people able to mine at once... and that's abuse waiting to happen

let's have anims for potions, alch, manu, etc first, because those are simpler and will provide the basis of harv anims if we get them later

[pennifuin]

all skills except harvesting could work as-is. for harvesting, you'd need to change from set items to harvest to areas (like sitting in a feild of flowers, then you can harvest where you are)

being able to mine deposits like we have now would require there to be only a few people able to mine at once... and that's abuse waiting to happen

let's have anims for potions, alch, manu, etc first, because those are simpler and will provide the basis of harv anims if we get them later

192849[/snapback]

 

good idea man, we should start a thread for animation ideas ^_^

[ttlanhil]

ooh, and another problem, mapbugs. as in, can someone sit on the resource?

#abuse I was siting here picking flowers and this guy came along and started groping me!

 

I stand by my first answer in the thread

Edited September 2, 2005 by ttlanhil

[pennifuin]

as i said, its unrealistic to think that people will report for people groping their pixelated selves.

[ttlanhil]

as i said, its unrealistic to think that people will report for people groping their pixelated selves.

192858[/snapback]

you're kidding, right? people love to complain, and in this case they'd have a real reason. their char is getting molestered (think especially female chars sitting, and what's at the height of ore deposits...)

[Benvolio]

LOL Your right, I think this has been suggested a few times before, at least add the mining thing, it could be a pretty simple animation however the flowers one would be much more difficult, in places especially like VOTD lilacs where 10 people are crammed into 10 tiny grid squares all grabbing the same flowers

[Aislinn]

you're kidding, right? people love to complain, and in this case they'd have a real reason. their char is getting molestered (think especially female chars sitting, and what's at the height of ore deposits...)

192876[/snapback]

No, their char would not be getting molested. And because an animation happens to look odd from one angle in one position, it's hardly something that is a legitimate complaint. One could complain about a few "positions" already available if one wanted. This is definitely no reason to scrap it.

 

Like you said, people love to complain and some will look for anything to complain about. If we didn't do everything that one or more people complained about, there would be no game.