Concepts that look cool.

[Spekkio]

If you're making a port first, sticking with the normal MT but cutting down the detection radius to FOV, increasing the threshold so that a spy creeping on a diagonal doesn't set it off (not really a nerf, just an annoying "feature" ubi overlooked), and forcing normal post-render quality for that vision only would suffice. The buff it could use is make the box ping quicker like it did in PT (instant there is movement the box pings. In CT, there is a 1/2 - 1 sec delay). Oh, and put the PT ambient sound back in there for the vision.

Still, it took a long time to figure it out, but I really don't think MT is all that bad anymore. There are only a select few maps where an MT whore is very annyoing, but that's the map layout, not the vision. As long as there are objects to hide behind it's fine. The NV part isn't really the worst part of it since the merc has a laser, a flashlight, and EMF to see in the dark anyway. The things I mentioned above are things that most people want, but overall it's very possible to get around the MT whore in most cases. I have more trouble getting past people who can EMF ghost through crazy surfaces like Club ceiling.

If you're going for changes, since you mentioned a "sound vision" mode, how about making it so that your sound reticle only works in normal vision? Or how about making MT so it's still 360 radius like it is now, but you don't get any sound reticle pings or indications? Just throwing out ideas here.

[Lurch]

I liked one idea posted some time ago on the ubi forums about the MT. If the thing detects air turbulence (or something similar) the whole FOV would be screwed if you'd run around as a merc. You could still walk around with it and be able to see movement (not those grey boxes but something like an orange or yellow tint on things that set it up (IE: a spy covered with orange tint). I'm not sure about the 360 alarm though, taking that away too would maybe nerf MT too much.

[Gawain]

heat haze, bloodtrails on the wall/floor for hit spies for mercs to follow (like the footprints from CT) or monitors that show realtime information

i love those ideas, and we could use those awesome effects to get attention from the media, too.

[Overstatement]

Yeah, I want to bring this thread back. I know some of you have been blessed with creativity and not corrupted the knowledge of how rendering works so put anything in here and please, leave the programming for the programmers (don't not post something because YOU think it can't be done on modern hardware). In here, we won't be arguing if something is balanced or not, we're just brain storming up some effects (most of them won't even change gameplay) so just spit them out.

Two things I want to put out there is the change in MT where we use the distance of the surfaces from the player in the calcuations. So that surfaces that are close together appear blended (regardless of lighting) and surfaces that are far part are contrasted. Also, maybe it would be cool to have MT and EMF act like those radar screens with the line scanning around. So both visions will scan have a line that scans from left to right and moving or EM emitting things would be highlighted as the line moves over them. But the line should come frequent enough so that the visions would keep it's original effectiveness.

Addon: Ok, just realized it may not work too well with MT because MT is currently 360 degrees. So what if we had a merc gadget that's like a powerful presence detector. Deploy it on the ground and it will continuously use a laser (it makes a 2d plane or triangle somehow) to scan 360 degrees around it for spies. Spies could easily see this thing (it's bigish) and easily see the laser and therefore easily avoid the laser.

[frvge]

I like it for EMF.

[Gui Brazil]

I don't find MT that annoying as most of you seem to, but yea, I believe it'd be better if it was like the fixed one that was used on UMP Polar and maybe with less detecting radius.

[Overstatement]

Ok, how about a cool but totally unrealistic air displacement wave when the merc is charging. Like the round dome pattern infront of ships when they go fast. If that's too unrealistic, we could just show it to the merc that charging. If that's too unrealistic, we could only do it while the merc is in some kind of smoke.

Also, maybe add some smoke after a merc or spy is shocked? Comical...but needed?

[Gawain]

Also, maybe add some smoke after a merc or spy is shocked? Comical...but needed?

yai, burning clothes XD

vote for ageia physx (software only). but aerodynamics for smoke particles and a rushing merc can't be done in real time

[Overstatement]

leave the programming for the programmers (don't not post something because YOU think it can't be done on modern hardware).

I'm a programmer, I know how many misconceptions people have. Currently, people have "ideas" when other games implement the original idea, it should really be the other way around... This is increasingly important in DirectX 10 games because there aren't any games to draw all your "ideas" from about the capabilities of stuff. So don't constrain yourself and come up with ideas that have never been seen before as oppose to ideas that have already been done. In conclusion, game studios don't just make repetitive gameplay, they make repetitive effects and I don't want that to hide away all your creativity. Just because they don't do it doesn't mean it's undoable.

[Overstatement]

Lets put the flipped version of what a merc sees in MT and EMF on the merc's visor. So if you look in a merc in the eyes while he's in MT, you'll see his red eyes and a yellow box (what colour was it?) around the position he sees you at (and possibility the spy that's sneaking up on you) and same with EMF. Do this on the client computer so it doesn't take up bandwidth. This would probably work better with a CT-like visor rather than the goggles that goodkebab is currently working on. Feels like a next-gen idea to me.

[Gawain]

yeah let's do some cool reflections and semitransparent materials :D

[Overstatement]

It's the idea that counts...but it's not actually reflections (I like to keep the number of times I render a scene to a minimum)...how many games have you seen that you can see the HUD in another player's eyes despite the fact that every FPS and beyond has a HUD. It's a good idea, I think. And a good idea doesn't have to involve crazy math or an insane number of computations, it's what you do with it that counts.

Sorry, no new idea today.

[Gawain]

the idea rulez, but wouldn't one need a very high resolution to actually see it ingame?

[Overstatement]

We'll see how it goes but if you can see the colour of a merc's eyes from distance, you should get a kick out of seeing your merc partner's eyes upclose.

[Overstatement]

Ok, instead of just a colour band around merc grenades, lets put a band of LED lights on it that rotate in lighting so it's easy to tell the difference between a grenade that will kill you and one that won't. And just put different colour bands on the spy nades that will tell you which kind it is from it's colour.

Edit: Did I mention it will be actual lights and probably have some kind of volume like the flashlight? It's not just going to be an animated texture map.