Em8er with a top-down view option.

[VRK9]

Suggestion/question:

Could Em8er have some frames or vehicles that could be played as a top-down view, like MOBAS or other RTS games?

This view could be achieved by using drones or satellites to look the field, and the abilities could be big AOE buffs, debuffs, damage, healing…

In this way, players that aren’t good at shooters games (or doesn’t like them) could still enjoy Em8er with a new perspective.

What do you think?

 

[Pandagnome]

That would be very interesting would that be easy to implement?
If it isn't, i recall something about a mini game before could this be that?

Example if the drone gets damaged or satellites go offline for reasons such as hacking or direct attacks could this reduce the amount of what is shown in the birds eye view until those get resolved?

It could be like a class specialism Reaper Strategist where you can learn a new way to see the zone in real time.

The disadvantages of this is that if these below:

- Mobile Comms station / vehicle
- Satellites
- Drones
- Towers
- Specific Npc's

get affected damaged / reduced in efficiency for some reason that could affect the Reaper Strategist information display and could cause some blind spots even loss of vital information / targeting acquisition.

Not only that the strategist can help those for logistic resource distribution where and when it is required!
Truckers are going to find this handy if one area is too dangerous to go into the strategist can advice alternate routes.

Saying that the Reaper pilots on the ground would still have ways to go about just with 1 less set of super vision and we will need all the help we can get.


I also wonder if the graphics detail would be good compared to the 1st/3rd person?
If not why would it be less detailed could it be these factors e.g.

- Weather Environmental conditions
- Device e.g. Emp
- Hacks /Hijacking
- Damage
- Technology such as cloak generator

I can imagine that the A.I will be helpful to this kind of play as an example when we think of search and rescue i'd imagine that if the A.I e.g. a recon type with the right mods could link with the drone and zoom a particular target while the other area out of its focus is not as detailed.


This could show as an example the target is taken Npc 22 and that a concealed bomb is strapped on the npc :O
So having this information would help us approach the situation better.

Btw i'd love to see in a birds eye view such as when playing the tank, and the hovercopter and more oh and just imagine seeing your mounts or motorbike too just like in micro machines open world!!!

 

[VRK9]

I was thinking about some hybrid games, and since we could choose between first person or third person view, the game could have more views for more kinds of players.
I remember a moba where one of the players could manage the base, upgrading builds, assigning minio
I was thinking about some hybrid games, and since we could choose between first person or third person view, the game could have more views for more kinds of players.

I remember a moba where one of the players could manage the base, upgrading builds, assigning minions to heroes, controlling minions’ waves to do other things like jungling… while the other 4 players only control their hero. I also remember a shooter game (that I can´t find now its name) where players could switch between the shooter view and the top-down view to call aerial support, control some of the teams npcs…

In this case for Em8er, I think in frames that could be played like a top-down view MOBA or vehicles like tanks that could be played far way from the fight to support other players.

 

[Sy]

I think it makes sense and is doable.

A top-down view is impersonal. An RTS uses it out of necessity because the player needs to switch between interactive items while not losing the general view of the play field.

An MMO or FPS type game needs to anchor the player to their character.

Having said that, I totally get the top-down perspective for vehicles and that makes total sense. It would certainly be useful for a better understanding of the landscape and better route planning. Exploring that..

I just don't see how that view can exist with the constraint to have the player tethered to their character. A monitor the player could pan down to seems terrible.

While there are display concepts within a cockpit, there's a mental link between the character and their frame which could also justify augmented reality. Extending that further could replace the character's vision with satellite data. That would be an in-lore justification for that perspective.

Totally doable.

 

[Wyntyr]

Perhaps not just satellite but drone footage as well...

 

[Pandagnome]

Perhaps not just satellite but drone footage as well...

Even through your cybernetic pets / hybrid pets?


Because if it doesn't then one skeleton has danced for nothing!

 

[Thorp]

Savage 2 allowed siege units controlled by players to adjust their camera angles so they could perform better. (I tried to find a vid but I have to convey it in text).

Savage 2 was a combination of top down RTS and first/third person RTS. Players that controlled siege units struggled to target buildings that were behind other buildings due to the player's camera being behind the shoulder. The siege player could press a hotkey and it would lift their camera "above the tree line" so they could target and angle their mouse cursor for a better view and lineup.

 

[liandri]

Because if it doesn't then one skeleton has danced for nothing!

And this would be a waste of a perfectly good skeleton.

I don't know about top-down view outside of a tactical overview map (like the UWU I posted about years ago). Peripheral view issues with larger vehicles can be rectified by zooming out from the vehicle further, and allowing the player to set their level of zoom according to the situation. You likely won't be engaging in artillery-like combat, and will probably need line of sight for most things.

Further, how would aiming work with a 3D environment if you're looking at it as a 2D plane? Does the game adjust elevation based on what you're targeting? If it's just to view the surrounds, it's basically just a map, right?

 

[Pandagnome]

Further, how would aiming work with a 3D environment if you're looking at it as a 2D plane? Does the game adjust elevation based on what you're targeting? If it's just to view the surrounds, it's basically just a map, right?

What if the Plane can shoot where ever you point too but if we are considering different elevations could a small camera feed be set somewhere on the screen to aim.

E.g.

Movement would be done using W,A,S,D the aiming is with the mouse the only difference is the camera feed will be your eyes to target specific elevation target.

Turning will be done with the mouse too so perhaps there could be a hotkey to switch and then go back to aim mode.

Although if there was 2 people in the plane couldn't one do the steering and alternate weapon while the other has control of the main weapons and aim for the camera feed.

So that makes me think would the co-pilot have a different camera feed to the main pilot if it was to use the auxiliary weapon.

If its just dropping a bomb / package or some AOE then the aiming wouldn't be much of an issue unless the energy/blast radius doesn't fit in the circle.

Yes its a map too just with a better view!

Not forgetting that you can use this to help friendlies and save them by picking them up using some lift or it opens up for them to go inside. Then wooosh and go and drop them to the nearest safe zones / base!

 

[Sy]

Perhaps not just satellite but drone footage as well...

Their light frame has climbed up above the rest, being sure to not poke a sniping rifle outside the medic's cloaking field. Heavy is fiddling with a package as large as the engineer helping.

Medium gets impatient and skates off to one side, forcing a timer onto the group.

The engineer panics and tags the medium with a drone, enhancing frame sensors. The heavy gets the data and kicks a leg out on the box to point it in that direction.

The medium's sensors flash; it's an ambush. The light pivots and pulls up the new landscape data. The cloak unnecessary, the medic leaps and boosts in that direction. With the new data, the sniper drops the illusion of frailty and locks mini missiles that can now arc over terrain.

Boom. The heavy's siege cannon sends a shell over the hills. It's right on top of the medium, but it's not friendly fire because the two are linked and the medium can bait enemies into the splash and dodge out of the way at the last moment.

The engineer is already skimming away as the second shell is launched.

(No satellites, characters-only)

 

[Wyntyr]

Interesting concept for sure.

 

[Pandagnome]

(No satellites, characters-only)

I could imagine that satellites would be for other things and if we need to go to the satellite as a gateway event we have to use our ships to stop things attacking the satellite.

Also near the satellite there could be space tsihu trying to take over our satellite and that could mean the tsihu could ease drop and take over our com network. It may even send friendly npc's the wrong way to be captured etc.

If such thing could not really be done i'd at least like to see a small pet satellite floating around and sending a beam to nearby com towers etc when in proximity.