Ok - this idea is fairly simple in concept though will prolly be hard to implement...but i think it's well worth the time:

The idea is to be able to control the lighting of a map - However, it doesn't just affect the map - but it also affects the players! As you probably know, when it's dark outside, it's harder to see people...(duh)... so why should people in soldat be able to see other people very bright in dark maps such as equinox. I'm sure some of you have played the map 'ninja' in which you're expected to have the SSCC (skin color changer) and put everything to black so that you're not seen (and it's an all-knife server). With this new feature, you can just turn down the lighting of the map and play at night.

A further improvement to this suggestion would be to determine the lighting of a map as an option in soldat (rather than in the map). so you could play a map during day-break, dawn, or dusk (or however bright/dark you want it)

Taking it even further, you could have continuous time in a game so that it turns dark at night, and brighter at during the day.


Specs:
few question come up:
1) should polygons also turn darker?
2) should guns turn dark as well?
3) what about the flag?
4) and boxes?
5) jet from shoes?

my answers:
1) only slightly so
2) yes, but slightly not as much
3) only slightly (like 1)
4) also only slightly (like 1)
5) no - it's fire and it's supposed to be bright.


EDIT:
...also, maybe a way to add 'lights' in the map editor (kinda like in doom 3 (but 2-d of course (duh))). the calculations for the lighting effects will be initiated during map loading (particle-defined) ...blocked by all polygons (except for 'light-penetrable' ones...map-defined)...
(also, steady-light (light doesn't get weaker the further from source) and normal-light (brighter closer to light-source, darker further away)

i can already picture some cool realistic games like this...with only certain parts of maps being lit, therefore more stealth required...

that may ruin the purpose of camo-ed map, not to say it isn't a wonderful idea, but should time be sped up? Would this mean our soldat will become a digimon, involving us sending him to get pills, eating food, resting... you know? Soldiers do get tired...

Continuous time may be a bit too hard to program. I'd rather just have areas (which you can select in the map editor) which darken soldaten's gostek.

quote:Originally posted by Keron CystContinuous time may be a bit too hard to program. I'd rather just have areas (which you can select in the map editor) which darken soldaten's gostek.


why have it in the map editor?
maybe you could have a default time (in map editor) but it'd be cooler if you can optionally change time preset to the game - or maybe a "/amb 5" or "/light 5" command making the lighting be 5 on a scale from 1 to 10...

He means so your soldat will darken when you leave the light of a torch, or enter an unlit building... Or even walk under a tree, if you wanted to be so detailed.

you could make nice light effects in maps if soldat would support scenery's with a alpha layer like tga's

quote:Originally posted by YoMammasMammaHe means so your soldat will darken when you leave the light of a torch, or enter an unlit building... Or even walk under a tree, if you wanted to be so detailed.


o ok - but i initially meant this idea to apply everywhere equally on the map.
but lighting in differnet parts of the map is also cool!

in fact, why don't you let me append to my topic...

This is quite possible. I think there should be a global light, which is the default and dictates the background colour and a reduced amount of that colour affects all polygons (and if it's bright/dark enough, scenery and soldiers as well). Then there are placable light/darkness sources. Light sources affect all poly's in a selectable radius to show the colour on the side closest to the source, and darkness sources in a similar way, but just darken the surrounding area.

And all graphics should have an alpha layer, as mentioned, so that these light sources can easily affect them.

This would lag like hell.

I don't think SERIAL KILLeR or person are too familiar with making maps, otherwise they would know that you can already make sceneries transparent. In fact, it's a widely known method to adjust lighting in certain areas.

The only problem is that lighting by scenery isn't very effective because you are able to see the scenery on the map, whereas you can't see actual light unless it's reflecting off of something.

quote:Originally posted by VijchtidoodahI don't think SERIAL KILLeR or person are too familiar with making maps, otherwise they would know that you can already make sceneries transparent. In fact, it's a widely known method to adjust lighting in certain areas.

I don't think Vijchtidoodah is familiar with the concept of sceneries with alpha channel, otherwise he wouldn't pretend to be more knowledgeable than he is.

maybe when u used jets or fired a gun, or something exploded, it would light up around u! maybe u even could have a flashlight as a secondary!

quote:Originally posted by VijchtidoodahI don't think SERIAL KILLeR or person are too familiar with making maps, otherwise they would know that you can already make sceneries transparent. In fact, it's a widely known method to adjust lighting in certain areas.

The only problem is that lighting by scenery isn't very effective because you are able to see the scenery on the map, whereas you can't see actual light unless it's reflecting off of something.

But with an apha layer you can set the transparancy for every pixel from 0 to 255 so you can make a lot better light effects.

Here's an illustrative example: [IMAGE]

Here avarax uses 60-70 different scenerys with different transparencys. With tga's it could be made even better in only one scenery.

^ cool picture ^

quote:Originally posted by The @vengermaybe when u used jets or fired a gun, or something exploded, it would light up around u! maybe u even could have a flashlight as a secondary!


i purposefully tried to stay away from particle-effect lighting (which would create much better lighting) and rather have that alpha-trapsparency layer - its much simpler and achieves its purpose...

this would improve the maps so much. that sun is truly beutiful =0

oO

and if you aim your cursor into the sun, the whole screen turns bright white (cuz ur blinded...)

make that sun a bloody deadly. XD

perhaps using the flamer would light up the darkened areas? and gunflashes too, but they would flicker, whereas flamer would be constant

All MM would have to do is put a colored filter over the whole screen like it does when you get berserker mode. I suggested this before and I even made a night time interface to show it off. I thought it was a good idea. Hope it happens...

actualy mike your on to something, thered still be coding but that is a great idea

with the gunflashes, and so on of course (?)
it would be soo cool to see those gunflashes coming from the grass, and counterattack.
maybe the flashlight would be cool?
you could have maps, or options to make it completely dark, and choose a flashlight stuck to ur gun as a secondary!

quote:Originally posted by Taalactualy mike your on to something, thered still be coding but that is a great idea


actually, that's pretty much exactly what i meant by my topic...