Natural Origin Powerset: Whip Control
By
Col_Blitzkrieger,
Posted on: 2009-01-26 11:33 in Suggestions and Ideas
this seems quite a cool poweset and sounds fun to play, i would like it in the game but won't may be hard to imput the animations of the whip?
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... seeing how these are superheroes and are graced by the Rule of Cool.
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hehe, good line. I like the sound of this set, no idea about balance, but seemed pretty interesting.
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this seems quite a cool poweset and sounds fun to play, i would like it in the game but won't may be hard to imput the animations of the whip?
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Shouldn't be much harder than other powers.
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Shouldn't be much harder than other powers.
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Most powers (swords, arrows, energy blasts) don't change thier shape when used.
I really should do something about this signature.
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Shouldn't be much harder than other powers.
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Most powers (swords, arrows, energy blasts) don't change thier shape when used.
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Hence why I said much harder. I'm picking the guys doing the animations are pretty good, so it shouldn't be beyond their skills.
Edit: And a whip doesn't change shape, it's just not solid.
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Shouldn't be much harder than other powers.
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Most powers (swords, arrows, energy blasts) don't change thier shape when used.
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I'd have gone with: Most weapons don't have to so obviously coordinate with the target models to look any good.
What I mean is, if the whip doesn't actually wrap around the target's ankle for a bit for that trip, it'll look terrible. And then you have things like Council attack robots, which float...
Basically, I think this sounds cool, but probably wouldn't be nearly as good in reality.
Disclaimer: The above may be humerous, or at least may be an attempt at humour. Try reading it that way.
Posts are OOC unless noted to be IC, or in an IC thread.
It's been said before by the devs that whips, grappling hooks, Chain Control and other rope-ish powers are not going to happen anytime soon due to engine limitations.
Unless you want them to look absolutely horrible.
Hmm, I actually had that in mind when I came up with the powers and tried to make the whip attacks either direct hits or make the whip hit the floor instead of wrapping around foes. I used to LARP for a while, and the one girl in our party who insisted on carrying her whip with her, used it only to intimidate after seeing it was virtually impossible to wrap it around people successfully.
For the trip power, I'd just hit the floor with the whip and show the enemy falling down when he jumps to try and avoid the hit.
It does need a bit of Suspension of Disbelief, but have you seen a Shield Defense user? They don't actually block attacks with their shield when they evade a hit, only when it's part of a power animation.
As to animating, the devs have done all those vines for Plant Control. Shouldn't be that much harder, just faster. Whips were the first human invention to surpass the speed of sound. It's meant to be a fast-activating powerset.
The one power where I see a problematic animation is Flagellate, since the character can't keep looping all the time the toggle's on, which is meant to work like Hurricane. I was envisioning some initial animation moves and then just an aura of revolving whip after-images kind of like the Kinetics swirls.
My Claws Stalker never really actually touches the enemies when he lunges, so I don't think it would be that big a problem.
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And a whip doesn't change shape
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Yes, a whip changes shape. It can be long and strieght, or or all coiled up, or anything in between.
As far as animation is concered, thats much harder than keldian shapeshifting.
Also, in the poll we had on "which melee sets would we like" Ball and Chain was tagged onto the end, with the caviat that it would take much longer to do than the other options (the same warning as was on Shields).
I really should do something about this signature.
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And a whip doesn't change shape
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Yes, a whip changes shape. It can be long and strieght, or or all coiled up, or anything in between.
As far as animation is concered, thats much harder than keldian shapeshifting.
Also, in the poll we had on "which melee sets would we like" Ball and Chain was tagged onto the end, with the caviat that it would take much longer to do than the other options (the same warning as was on Shields).
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See, I wouldn't consider that changing shape personally. Thats like saying your arm changes shape because it's bent. From a modelling point of view it's a series of connected verticies that are always connected in the same order. Animating one is easier than animating a person. (and before you ask, yes I have some experience with 3D modelling and animation 
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But if the devs have said it's harder then there are probably issues getting a fluid motion for a weapon into the game engine.
Would be a pain in the tushie (no pun intended) to implement, but having a whip ingame would be so cool 
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Thats like saying your arm changes shape because it's bent. From a modelling point of view it's a series of connected verticies that are always connected in the same order.
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Your arm does change shape when it bends. However it has far fewer places where it can bend than a whip, so its far easier to animate (unless you want to do the muscles in detail).
I really should do something about this signature.
For a whip to look decent, figure you'd need a skeleton of at least 10 joins, preferbly 20+ to make it look good.
Even tho you can copy animations per joint (like to produce a wave in the skeleton is pretty easy to do), i'd seriously dread doing a whip crack animation
>_>
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*cropcrack*
Hi everyone,
I posted this by mistake on the Controller section.
I'm a fairly new player and I've been loving the whole origin->archetype->powersets gig and all the combinations you can make. However, at the moment it's pretty difficult to justify a Natural origin Controller!
This is the European forum and I haven't been allowed to log in to the American one, so I guess my chances of being read by the devs are slim. Regardless, I wanted to present the troller version of Archery and Willpower: Whip Control!
Quoting Wikipedia:
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Because of popularity of whips in film and television, people often want to learn to use the whip as a weapon, though in reality this is seldom practical. Whips when applied against a human adversary are of limited effectiveness, and are primarily psychological. The potential for the infliction of pain and the loud crack produced by long single-tailed whips popularly seen in cinema can scare less resolute opponents into fleeing. However, their ability to defeat an adversary usually stops there.
Short, stiff whips, including crops, are capable of inflicting welts or painful stings, but typically no disabling injuries. Long, single-tailed whips can inflict deep cuts and can wrap around limbs or the neck, but this is extremely difficult even with training and not practical in most environments where there is not adequate space to throw the whip.
So we have the perfect weapon for controlling instead of dealing damage. Of course, there's going to be some damaging powers in the set, seeing how these are superheroes and are graced by the Rule of Cool. The schtick of the set is going to be a short to medium range control powerset, based around fast activating powers that cause fear and confusion in the foes and diminish recharge as the enemy recovers from the surprise whipping.
On to the powers:
Level 1: Trip - You flick your whip at the foe's feet, making him trip and fall over, taking moderate smashing damage and having difficulties standing up. (Medium Ranged, Knockdown, Moderate Smash Dam, -Recharge)
Level 1: Disarm - You can use your whip to knock your foe's weapon out of his hands, leaving him unable to act while he recovers from the shock. (Medium Ranged, Hold, -Recharge, Moderate Lethal Dam)
Level 2: Flog - A series of well placed and painful flicks allow you to force a foe to fight for you. The reduced range makes it difficult to remain unseen while doing this, but it's compensated by the increased damage from the frenzied foe. (Medium Ranged, Foe Confuse, Foe +Dmg)
Level 6: Whiplash - You lash out in full force with your whip, dealing damage to all enemies within a narrow cone with a chance to knock them down or make them loose their concentration. (Cone, High Lethal Damage, Knockdown, -Recharge)
Level 8: Crack Whip - You crack your whip on the floor, the ensuing sonic boom will instill fear into the hearts of your foes. (Medium Ranged, Targetted AoE Fear)
Level 12: Flagellation - In order to stand your ground in melee, you go into a defensive stance, swinging your whip in a circular weave around you that is sure to keep enemies at bay. (Toggle, PBAoE Minor Lethal Damage, Konckdon, -Recharge)
Level 18: Disarming Sweep - You swing your whip around your head in a broad radius, disarming every enemy you hit as they duck for cover. (PBAoE Hold, -Recharge, Moderate Lethal Dam)
Level 26: Cat O' Nine Tails - You go into a whipping frenzy, creating the illusion that your whip is in nine places at once while you hit your foes and pound the ground with loud cracks, leaving them afraid and disoriented. (Cone, Moderate Lethal Damage, AoE Fear, AoE Disorient)
Level 32: Tamed Beast - Your experience taming the wild allow you to summon an animal companion (wolf/tiger/bear) you have trained to aid you in combat. The pet doesn't have notable resistances against the elements, but it has learned to see you as its only master and is thus highly resistant against control effects. (Summon Tamed Beat: Melee Heavy Damage Smashing/Lethal)
As to the graphic depictions, well that's up to the devs, but the Indiana Jones bullwhip, a chain whip, a thorn whip and an energy whip are mandatory.
I'd be very grateful for any input or criticism you have.
Cheers!