Request: Better projectiles(?)

[karthink]

I remember raising this issue around the time of the kickstarter, but here goes:

1. Why are bullets rendered as little white ticks? I assume this is so the player can clearly see the trajectory of the bullet. The realistic case (where you can't see the bullet, just its impact) would be confusing indeed. But! Is it possible to replace the ticks with streaks instead? I mean something like gunfire in this here video.

If not anything that fancy, then just a solid white streak. Somehow a slow moving bullet really kills the immersion. Also, could the projectile be sped up instead?

2. Bullets originate right now from the center of the tile and not the muzzle of the gun. Thanks to the tile system, I don't suppose there's anything that can be done about this, is there?

[Gauddlike]

You can set the projectile speed for each weapon individually in the weapons_gc.xml file.

Look for the lines that specify ammunition details.

E.g the machine gun:

<Ammo name="ammo.ballistic.machinegun" type="kinetic" damage="40" mitigation="15">

<Projectile spectre="projectiles/bullet/bullet" speed="1200"/>

<Impact spectre="particles/bulletplume/bulletplume"/>

</Ammo>

I would like the bullets to be replaced with something like the streaks.

I would also like lasers to be replaced with beams instead of 'laser bullets'.

Don't know how likely that is to happen though

[Gorlom]

I would like the bullets to be replaced with something like the streaks.

I would also like lasers to be replaced with beams instead of 'laser bullets'.

Don't know how likely that is to happen though

Hasn't Chris already answered and said that the engine makes that practically impossible?

Didn't some guy try to mod laser bullets into beams and found all sorts of confusing problems with that?

[Gauddlike]

Practically impossible to do does not mean I wouldn't like to see it done

Using the current method of animation (projectile is generated at source, travels to destination with animations drawn along the way) makes any sort of beam effect look pretty rubbish.

Only way we came up with that sort of worked was to extend the projectile length so it resembled a beam but then the beam did not start at the source tile or end at the destination tile because the whole image has to be displayed, no matter how much longer it is than is currently needed.

My suggestion back then I think was for the previous image to remain in place until the projectile reaches its destination.

You would then have a trail of beam images between the two points which resembles an actual beam.

If the game generated a source and destination then drew a line between them you have a basic beam effect using a different method.

The engine may not be able to handle it, it may involve a lot of work for a purely aesthetic gain, it may not even work.

None of that really effects the fact that I would prefer that over the current method, it just effects how likely it is to be done.

I would say incredibly unlikely at best.

[Gorlom]

Practically impossible to do does not mean I wouldn't like to see it done

Ah true I'd like that as well.

[IceVamp]

Didn't some guy try to mod laser bullets into beams and found all sorts of confusing problems with that?

Yup. It looked awful. Elongating them just a bit, and cranking up the speed so you didn't see too clearly that they didn't start and finish where they should worked somewhat.

If you want to try it karthink, I wrote what I learned in the wiki.

I would definitely like better projectiles, but it seems like one would have to jury rig it out of the engine limitations.