Command Tent - wip

Entry posted by Flexman · June 26, 2010

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We're not trying to re-create Armed Assault, or even build some form of Helicopter MMO. Our plan is to take the old school 2D interfaces of military bases and create 3D analogues. Mission assignment and planning is done in the command tent. This is still exploritory, we have a number of office furniture elements planned, some of which we have tried in the editor to get a feel.

There's more furniture to come. A mil-spec laptop/terminal, interactive map on a board (that's a copy of your personal map - will use the same buffer).

And eventually we hope to have various AI pilots sitting in on briefings that you might want to converse with Wing Commander style. Romeo 1 from the intro mission will be hanging around. Along with WO J Petersan and others from time to time.

I don't have much time to decorate, just placing these objects around my test-map to check how they look and function but it should give you an idea.

With a couple of AI guys and a co-op friend there should be enough room to keep it looking busy. It's possible we might make AI crewman choices ala Gunship 2000 available in this manner if it works.

We need some flooring I think. Hexmesh or some other plastic matting.

Using a projected texture for mission briefings on the OHP. Interacting with a screen set 5 meters away is problematic, once at the projector you'll get to interface which will allow you to view available missions and annotated map, with a "close up" option (position a 3rd person cam up close to the screen).

Like with other parts of the game, such as arming, the player interfacing with the projector will have their data shown to everyone else. Allowing you to give briefings. If there's time we might add a laser pointer for mouse control.

We're using a 1024x1024 buffer for the projector which is a material assigned to a special spot_light entity parented to the OHP model. Objects/avatars walking in front of the projector have the image mapped over them in a realistic manner. So you too can act like a right tit in front of the C/O making shadow puppets with your head.

Additional objects in the command tent will operate on a private level, mission planning and editing will work on a laptop type screen and a wall map will be copy of your pop-up map. There may also be a Sierra Hotel score board, I think that's required by tradition.

So this the the start of the important ground office in Combat-Helo. We tend to have about three different project elements on the go at any one time, rather like making a series like Star Trek, planning, filming and pre-production.

Finally a recent ETADS screen-shot, taking a peek at a sign through the trees some distance away (it's way off to the left out of sight so don't bother trying to spot it). Some folks will be well pleased with the corners. This coming week I'll be working on the event system (delayed due to PC technical problems, see earlier blog posts) and more of the TADS elements.