Ask A Dev - Melissa "War Witch" Bianco - Answers!
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3dent,
Posted on: 2010-03-12 24:03 in Developers' Corner
Good read. My questions were pretty much covered in the answers to others. I just want more costumes and animations.
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I was just wondering the other day when we'd see the follow up to this. It's always fun to hear your perspective on things. One thing I've noticed is that players and developers don't always have the same things in mind when they use the same words.
For example, when you talk about revamping a zone, you mean starting a brand new zone from scratch, with no connection to the old zone except the name. When players talk about revamping Dark Astoria, I don't think that's what we mean at all. The geography or geometry or whatever you call it is just fine. Dark Astoria is a very cool zone. The problem is that there isn't enough to do there. The only world building the zone needs is a first aid hospital wedged in by the front door.
What I mean when I talk about a Dark Astoria revamp, and I think most people would agree with me, is missions. Add a set of contacts with a connected set of stories, like in the Hollows and Striga and Croatoa. Have a special Dark Astoria task force. Add in an NPC to give repeating missions, and a trainer, and a vendor of some sort. Maybe a secret back door to the Midnight Club, just for fun and to make the zone more accessible. Maybe clone the zone so villains can access their own version of it, like you do with Ouroboros. The villains might enter through a hidden tunnel from a crypt or something, and the War Wall door to Talos would just be closed and inaccessible. They could have their own set of contacts and a new strike force. If anyone asks why the villains never see any heroes there, and vice versa, you just say "Well it's really foggy."
It would be minimal resources as far as the art department is concerned. Most of the work would be mission writing.
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Originally Posted by peterpeter
What I mean when I talk about a Dark Astoria revamp, and I think most people would agree with me, is missions. Add a set of contacts with a connected set of stories, like in the Hollows and Striga and Croatoa. Have a special Dark Astoria task force. Add in an NPC to give repeating missions, and a trainer, and a vendor of some sort. Maybe a secret back door to the Midnight Club, just for fun and to make the zone more accessible. Maybe clone the zone so villains can access their own version of it, like you do with Ouroboros. The villains might enter through a hidden tunnel from a crypt or something, and the War Wall door to Talos would just be closed and inaccessible. They could have their own set of contacts and a new strike force. If anyone asks why the villains never see any heroes there, and vice versa, you just say "Well it's really foggy." It would be minimal resources as far as the art department is concerned. Most of the work would be mission writing. |
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Suggestions? Go to the Base Construction forum and read, I don't know, everything in the "Decorative Base Items We'd Like To See" thread.|
Originally Posted by Niviene
Back in January we kicked off the "Ask a Dev" series by Re-Introducing [URL="http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=206472"]MrHassenpheffer - What does the future hold for base editing?
Certain restrictions in base building are being adjusted and/or removed so with that comes some freedom and more options, from an editor perspective, the degree of control and fine-tuning you have in placing items. So thats one thing. Ive seen a lot of creativity with the way players use one object (or hundreds of them) to act as another so my other plan is to provide more base objects, more textures, and more themed sets. Suggestions? [B] |
Personally, I'd like to see:
1) Tech walkways (similar to the balconies, walkways, and platforms available under the arcane tab).
2) More steampunk-related items. (I'm using a lot of the sewer items, and some of the retro-tech stuff already, but dang....)
3) Large floor panels that have visible undersides. (For those who don't know, there are tech panels that can be used as flooring, but if you view them from underneath, you see right through them.) These should be available in several different styles. This would severely cut down on the number of items in a lot of bases as we wouldn't have to use dozens-hundreds of desks to make second and third story floors in the bases. (Heck, if there was one and only one thing to add, this would be it.)
4) The ability to rotate things at multiples of 45 degree angles, instead of the current limitation of multiples of 90 degrees.
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While I agree with you, let me try to put a dev hat on and answer you as I think they would.|
Originally Posted by peterpeter
I was just wondering the other day when we'd see the follow up to this. It's always fun to hear your perspective on things. One thing I've noticed is that players and developers don't always have the same things in mind when they use the same words.
For example, when you talk about revamping a zone, you mean starting a brand new zone from scratch, with no connection to the old zone except the name. When players talk about revamping Dark Astoria, I don't think that's what we mean at all. The geography or geometry or whatever you call it is just fine. Dark Astoria is a very cool zone. The problem is that there isn't enough to do there. The only world building the zone needs is a first aid hospital wedged in by the front door. What I mean when I talk about a Dark Astoria revamp, and I think most people would agree with me, is missions. Add a set of contacts with a connected set of stories, like in the Hollows and Striga and Croatoa. Have a special Dark Astoria task force. Add in an NPC to give repeating missions, and a trainer, and a vendor of some sort. Maybe a secret back door to the Midnight Club, just for fun and to make the zone more accessible. Maybe clone the zone so villains can access their own version of it, like you do with Ouroboros. The villains might enter through a hidden tunnel from a crypt or something, and the War Wall door to Talos would just be closed and inaccessible. They could have their own set of contacts and a new strike force. If anyone asks why the villains never see any heroes there, and vice versa, you just say "Well it's really foggy." It would be minimal resources as far as the art department is concerned. Most of the work would be mission writing. |
Basic game design dictates that new content preferably contains new art. When you plan for any new project, one of the boxes you check is the one for art; it's seen as an essential, integral feature that you must begin working on at the start. There should also preferably be some sort of boss / mechanic that is special, like the hydra head, generators, and guns you use in the sewer trial, and perhaps special rewards (which may require a little badge art).
Now, you and I know that this type of thinking isn't strictly required in CoH / CoV. Yet, as I understand it, this is generally the way game designers approach their work. In this sort of scenario, new zone / map art, new mechanics, new boss art and powers ... these are all planned out largely in advance of the story, so they can be distributed out to the various departments and completed on schedule. Pretty much the LAST thing anyone ever works on or pays attention to, I believe, is the actual story. The story may be outlined, but they wait till the end, to see what has actually been accomplished in terms of art, code, etc., and then the story is quickly slapped together around that.
Let me add that when I work in MA/AE, I have to go through something of the same procedure. I may have a story idea in mind, but then I have to rummage through the maps and other assets, create my custom NPCs, and see what I can actually accomplish within my limitations. While I may have had an original idea for my story, the final version of the story may differ considerably in the details as a consequence of what I was able to do and not do in Mission Architect.
Anyway, the long and the short of it is ... while I agree it would be good to have new content in DA that makes use of existing art, there is going to be a tendency for the devs to want just a little bit more to set the DA content apart from the rest of the game. Nobody wants to just, say, fight CoT ghosts in DA on the old familiar maps.
Also, as for dev-written content that doesn't use new art, the devs did a bit of that with the Mercedes Sheldon contact. Was that successful? I'm not saying it was or it wasn't, but I suspect any movement by the devs to create new content without new art will fare about the same as the Sheldon arcs. Imagine the Sheldon missions attached to doors in DA, featuring Banished Pantheon instead of Warriors, Carnies, or whatever. Does that work for you?
(Here's a related content question: would people play the Montague arc if it didn't give the Midnighter badge?)
Taking off my borrowed dev hat, I would like to see the devs make some sort of commitment to a steady stream of new content, and assign someone to revamp the empty zones (Perez Park, Boomtown, Skyway, Independence Port, Dark Astoria, Terra Volta). I would also like to see someone assigned to revamping content in general.
In addition, I think the devs need to develop a new map making tool, preferably one that facilitates incorporation of indoor and outdoor instances (like what we see in the mayhem / safeguard maps). They need to update their transitions as well; in CoH, in particular, I'd like to see greater use of vans, helicopters, and specific building doors.
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I'd like to see a way to create a wall or a raised floor that's directly stretchable by clicking and dragging "handles" on the object.|
Originally Posted by Niviene
MrHassenpheffer - What does the future hold for base editing? Ive seen a lot of creativity with the way players use one object (or hundreds of them) to act as another so my other plan is to provide more base objects, more textures, and more themed sets. Suggestions? |
A lot of base builders stack dozens or hundreds of copies of an object (desks or big file cabinets) to create raised floors and walls. I'd like to see a single object that's a wall section that can be stretched horizontally or vertically to fit the desired area. The texture on the wall would be replicated. This would allow us to replace literally hundreds of objects with just one. This would save space in the database and be much more efficient.
Similarly, I'd like to see floor areas to be stretchable horizontally in both directions, and directly placeable vertically. Instead of having to stack desks or lamps and then put a floor object on top of those, you should just be able to indicate the vertical location of flooring directly, or by some kind of slider. The texture should replicate appropriately for the final size of the object. Floor objects would also need to have textures on both the top and bottom so that they work as ceilings.
This would also eliminate some of the interference patters you sometimes get when two desks or file cabinets overlap.
Another request on the "would be cool" list is doors like those used to enter missions. This could be placed in the wall mentioned above. If you click on the door it opens and you go through, like you do to enter a mission. As an extra-credit project, you should be able to set permissions on a door the same way you can set permissions on a storage object. That would allow you to cordon off sections of the base. In raids these would have hit points and be targetable by opponents. Different qualities of doors could have different hit points.
Finally, we should have "apartment doors" that lead to a private room for individual players. Similar to the base portal, this would be a door inside the base that leads to a private room for the character. This would be editable by the character only, and if you change SGs the room goes with you. You could have enhancement and storage racks just like in bases, but these would be for the character. Members of your team can enter the apartment if you have the appropriate permission set.
InfamousBrad and peterpeter make good points while konshu makes an interesting counterpoint. However, on that counterpoint I offer up my own experiences. There are times when I can't pull off an idea the way I want to due to the resources available. However, there's an interesting amount you can get with small changes (recolors, creative map use, etc). Horatio's comments on the Barracuda SF and the Khan TF seem to show that konshu is on point that things are developed as outline -> mechanics -> actual story.
Thing is, I think that the concept of "low hanging fruit" has sizable merit and Dark Astoria may be the crux of the argument in favor of that. The zone is already quite atmospheric so the design at its base doesn't need changing. A dedicated TF or even a Jim Temblor style contact who doesn't require a prior introduction that takes places 100% inside DA with only one "made from scratch" map for the finale would be good for the zone. While it's easy to understand why we don't have maps like Skyway and Baumton's airports, it seems odd not to have more reskinned versions of the offices with more wallpaper textures or warehouses with evil factory equipment.
Not addressing this feels like a missed opportunity to build upon the lore of the game. A lot of the overworld is ripe for further expansion and exploration.
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Can't speak for "the people", naturally but... Personal "yes" to both questions. My levelling in high teens is always Montague->Faultline->Mercedes Sheldon(first two arcs, anyway. 3rd is fine, but Atta's cave is way too big for casual soloing.)->Doc Delilah->Agent G. It's the best content in the entire game, and my only problem with it is that there aren't couple more arcs for 15-19. |
Originally Posted by konshu
Also, as for dev-written content that doesn't use new art, the devs did a bit of that with the Mercedes Sheldon contact. Was that successful? I'm not saying it was or it wasn't, but I suspect any movement by the devs to create new content without new art will fare about the same as the Sheldon arcs. Imagine the Sheldon missions attached to doors in DA, featuring Banished Pantheon instead of Warriors, Carnies, or whatever. Does that work for you?
(Here's a related content question: would people play the Montague arc if it didn't give the Midnighter badge?) |
By the way, WWTF (and yes, there definitely should be one.) could be fun as a sub-30 TF, because everything we have now in that level range is designed like that Monty Python "spam" sketch. Council, Council, Council, baked beans and Council. (or Freaks, or CW.) Comic book WW fought pretty much every prominent villain group there is, so it would be easy to design a story for her TF that isn't quite as monotonous. (then again, that sort of variety didn't save Posi TF... )
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Some relatively significant mid-level enemy groups that don't currently appear in task forces include: Warriors, Tsoo, Family, and Banished Pantheon. It seems to me any of these could be included in a WW TF.|
Originally Posted by 3dent
By the way, WWTF (and yes, there definitely should be one.) could be fun as a sub-30 TF, because everything we have now in that level range is designed like that Monty Python "spam" sketch. Council, Council, Council, baked beans and Council. (or Freaks, or CW.) Comic book WW fought pretty much every prominent villain group there is, so it would be easy to design a story for her TF that isn't quite as monotonous. (then again, that sort of variety didn't save Posi TF... )
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Oh, and the AV should be Snaptooth. (Jus' kiddin'!)
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Nice sum of wanna haves. Totallee agreeying here!|
Originally Posted by Kierthos
Suggestions? Go to the Base Construction forum and read, I don't know, everything in the "Decorative Base Items We'd Like To See" thread.
Personally, I'd like to see: 1) Tech walkways (similar to the balconies, walkways, and platforms available under the arcane tab). 2) More steampunk-related items. (I'm using a lot of the sewer items, and some of the retro-tech stuff already, but dang....) 3) Large floor panels that have visible undersides. (For those who don't know, there are tech panels that can be used as flooring, but if you view them from underneath, you see right through them.) These should be available in several different styles. This would severely cut down on the number of items in a lot of bases as we wouldn't have to use dozens-hundreds of desks to make second and third story floors in the bases. (Heck, if there was one and only one thing to add, this would be it.) 4) The ability to rotate things at multiples of 45 degree angles, instead of the current limitation of multiples of 90 degrees. |
And a War Witch TF... ? Ofcourse!
Also.. revamping old zones is really needed. Even if they need a lot of work. The old zones should be able to use the new Ultra Mode tech just as specificlt well as Praetoria. Layout needs to be redone etc.
And we miss an EU event like Omega... I had a lot of fun there.
ps. There are still too many missions where the location door/loadscreen/mission map do not match. We talked about it'back then if you remember. Maybe I should start to play all and make a list..?
- The Italian Job: The Godfather Returns #1151
Beginner - Encounter a renewed age for the Mook and the Family when Emile Marcone escapes from the Zig!
- Along Came a... Bug!? #528482
Average - A new race of aliens arrives on Earth. And Vanguard has you investigate them!
- The Court of the Blood Countess: The Rise of the Blood Countess #3805
Advanced - Go back in time and witness the birth of a vampire. Follow her to key moments in her life in order to stop her! A story of intrigue, drama and horror! Blood & Violence... not recommend to solo!
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WELL! Let me ask for this. Let us break the continuity of the base while editing!!!!|
Originally Posted by Niviene
Certain restrictions in base building are being adjusted and/or removed so with that comes some freedom and more options, from an editor perspective, the degree of control and fine-tuning you have in placing items. So thats one thing. Ive seen a lot of creativity with the way players use one object (or hundreds of them) to act as another so my other plan is to provide more base objects, more textures, and more themed sets. Suggestions? |
Let me move a room off to the side and such while I delete a big room in the middle of the base and have it replaced by the time I am done!
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/Signed|
Originally Posted by Ravenous33
WELL! Let me ask for this. Let us break the continuity of the base while editing!!!!
Let me move a room off to the side and such while I delete a big room in the middle of the base and have it replaced by the time I am done! |
Major, major hinderance. Some sort of storage area for crafted items would be nice, instead of having to delete them and then re-make them.
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.
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I want a WW TF with Horus and Apex |
Originally Posted by Shellback
I want a War Witch Task Force with Horus and Apex involved!
-MC |
Like a dog chassing cars...
J'ai pass� toute ma journ�e, assis sur les WC!
Genibus Nitito Canis
Wrestling Attitude
Bienvenue a la Pizza des Chats
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Er, Horus (the human part) is dead and who knows where the Peacebringer part has gotten off to, and Apex advertised himself as 15th level at the end of the Blue King Studios comic run. (Which is patently silly, as he was fighting Carnival of Shadows, Crey, and oh yeah... Requiem.)|
Originally Posted by DestinyDemon
I want a WW TF with Horus and Apex
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That aside, yes, a WWTF would be nice.
While I'm here, another base question: Are there any plans to revise the Inf->Prestige conversion ratio to make it more favorable for us? (To be fair, GunTharr asked the question in the Base Construction forum, I'm just repeating it here.)
Definitely a WW TF. Horus and Apex a big plus.
Also, would prefer effort spent on upgrading/enhancing/expanding/randomizing existing mission art to just adding entirely new tilesets. Don't get me wrong; I'd love new tilesets, but I think the normal mission maps are really showing their age at this point. New development that can also be harnessed into making the old maps more varied, so that we don't just go "oh, this map again" every mission, would be a really, really good thing.
Virtue
Angel Witch II - Chord of Souls - Storm Witch II - Princess of the Dawn - Standing Horse - Witch of Xymox
Silent Scream - Shadow Witch II - Liquid Serenade - Nebulous Dawn - Ghost Witch II -Xiberia
Angel Witch II - Chord of Souls - Storm Witch II - Princess of the Dawn - Standing Horse - Witch of Xymox
Silent Scream - Shadow Witch II - Liquid Serenade - Nebulous Dawn - Ghost Witch II -Xiberia
Great suggestions for base editing...
Let me say that more of the items that we see in maps and the rest of the world would be fabulous!
Color tintable furniture would be amazing.
NPCs would be... probably asking too much (But my VG's Casino/Hotel Base could use dealers, staff and other patrons!).
Anyway, you know... I didn't notice this entirely (Or didn't remember it):
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That is so great... I was going to say, specifically, that allowing a finer control for object placement would be great. Often times, you just cannot center certain objects in relation to other objects... do to the way they snap on the placement grid. Making a more finely tuned placement grid (Or however it really works under the hood) would be just great.| Certain restrictions in base building are being adjusted and/or removed so with that comes some freedom and more options, from an editor perspective, the degree of control and fine-tuning you have in placing items. |
Allowing free vertical movement, of course, would be absolutely super.
Oh... and while we're here.. reflections and shadows in bases would be sweet
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
Would the ability to save and load edited and decorated bases/individual-rooms (Like saving costume files) be a pie in the sky sort of desire??
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
I think new TF/SFs are a good idea. However, only add them if they are in the caliber of the ITF. We got Reichsman after and that one is not so good. Weak story, repetitive villain group (we see them all over the game already) and just not as fun.
I also hope by new systems they mean a change on how/what we do for missions. The get a contact, get mish, go to door and do it is old. Add to that the same maps over and over...yes, it is time for a change.
So, yes, a well done WW TF would be great. Oh, and thanks for answering my question!
I want her to check her pms. :P
Also, how about some back details? IE Sword scabbards, sheaths, quivers, backbacks, jetpacks and such.
Need help making your own CoH comics or read other's comics at cohcomicindex.com
www.jkcomics.com for Justice-Knights comics series and more!
Storylines:
Introductions, Obey,
Hmm... War Witch Task Force?
They don't have one "in the works" yet?
Well, it won't be "official" content, but why browbeat the whole dev team into doing something when you could just browbeat one?
Harass Dr. Aeon until he does a "Devs' Choice" contest for the "War Witch Task Force." If you can't get an "official" task force in a timely manner, you could have 20-30 unofficial ones instead!
Good responses. /signed for WW TF.
My suggestion would be for them to focus on a zone every issue and add new contacts to it, using groups that may not be featured that much. Also the final map of an arc could be the unique one (as someone else mentioned above).
You don't have to revamp a zone completely all the time to add new "stories" or arcs to it.
Glad to see that a focus on story content is the agenda. 
Blazara Aura LVL 50 Fire/Psi Dom (with 125% recharge)
Flameboxer Aura LVL 50 SS/Fire Brute
Ice 'Em Aura LVL 50 Ice Tank
Darq Widow Fortune LVL 50 Fortunata (200% rech/Night Widow 192.5% rech)--thanks issue 19!
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Quite agree!|
Originally Posted by Shellback
I want a War Witch Task Force with Horus and Apex involved!
-MC |
And certainly seconded on another meet over here in the EU, I'll bring my top hat and everything!
I am the Blaster, I have filled the role of Tank, Controller and Defender
Sometimes all at once.
Union EU player! Pip pip, tally ho, top hats and tea etc etc
*Sigh* 
[color=gold][b][size=5]♪ Sometimes you feel like a Tank, Sometimes you don't! ♪[/size][/color][/b]
[url=http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=114726][color=black][b][size=5]Moon [color=red]Hazard [color=black]Zone![/size][/color][/color][/color][/b][/url]
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I know.
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Originally Posted by Golden_Ace
*Sigh*
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Don�t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. - R.W. Emerson |
YUMMY Low-Hanging Fruit for BASE LUV
A WWTF would be great.
And thanks for the answers. It's nice to get to know more about the devs and get some insight into the game creation process.