Iris Update (Just future progress discussion)

[PSmonkey]

*Just a note, This is more discussion, Less news post. No need to post this as news on other sites*

Ok anyways last night I was having trouble sleeping so I got to start thinking about the next iris (specialy after sniper showed me shots of his new map).

I realise I really need to get a new build out because alot of moders are waiting on me before they can post their mods. So I think I will probably get cracking soon as i get back from break and put lesser time into money64 (like maybe 4 days iris, 2 days monkey, 1 day for me).

While up thinking, I was going over what I feel are big problems to iris that need to be upgraded. The two major ones are Controlls & AI. There are a few more things but thies two need to be solved the most.

So on the controll front. I realised last night that iris needs to evolve into more then doom like it is now. It needs to allow people to see all over so they can shoot people above & below with ease. Yet I am not sure what is the best setup. So I've desided to try getting some help from a few designer friends to hammer out 1-2 of the best controll setups that not only work well on the psp but also can make iris great. Sadly I've also desided to go against allowing custom controlls (if there is, its minimul and not full custom controlls). I know this sucks but the psp is limited on buttons and this would mean the difference between iris becoming coded arms (ok with alot of bad controlls) or Syphon filter (great controlls that fit the game). Once we figure something out we will post it up so people can see & maybe I will make a small modified demo of iris 0.1 so we can see them in action.

The second biggest problem with iris atm is AI. It's discussingly stupid. I know but it was the best i could do in like 3 hours i had. I have been thinking of new methods that would work but there are drawbacks to all. The first is to use quake3 bot setup files but the problem is they are a little over bearing and complex which will probably hurt the performace. The next idea was to install waypoints in every map and a few guide nodes to let the bot navigate the amp. This is very posibly what i might do but it means that map editors must plop thies in but if not there, the ai wont work on the map. So this as well kind of sucks. The best method is to somehow parse out waypoints or some map info from quake 3 bot files but this is hard to do because I dont think there is any solid documentation other then checking though the quake 3 source (which is a bit complicated to read).

So pretty much thoes are the two main things i need to fix. I also have though about doing a few more things to help improve iris as a whole that I will probably do. First being a real menu system (in external tga images so mods can customise the look) with fonts so the game will look better. I'm heavly leaning on the idea of going with the doom/quake style menu (not complex with simple buttons to get though everything). It sure as hell wont be anything complex like unreal2k4. Another thing on the list is fixing clipping & posibly throwing lightmaps back in and droping the use of vertex colors. Lightmaps look 200 million times better even tho they are a little costly. Yet to do lightmaps, map editors will have to run the maps though a tool i will write to make them compatible. I also am thinking to rewrite the weapons setup. So the game uses a 3d weapon, a 3d projectile and a 3d animated explosion. Thies will be specific for each weapon so a moder can make different ones for each. I probably wont add much in the way of extern weapon custumization tho (like to change how it fires and etc). I am also thinking to do some wifi but not sure since I still have problems getting my psp & router to work together.

So that is about it at the moment. The only last thing is I am posibly going to rename the version and consider this 0.2 since there will be alot of changes made & just make the ps2dev compo entry 0.3 (still planning to do this).

So thats about it for my late night thoughts. Any comments or sudgestions people wish to add?

As for a release date. I have no idea. Depends how things go starting next week.

[coo]

man, someone got out on the wrong side of the bed this morning

so fuc* you. I like Iris

[Timale-Kun]

[sarcasm mode ON]
Very useful thought, it keeps us going forward
[sarcasm mode OFF]
Let guys doing work as they want to and showing a lil bit more respect will be appreciated^^

[DPyro]

Just ignore byerlyct. He posted from his public school and is just a little kid.

[PSmonkey]

guys no off topic stuff. From this point on. if its not about iris at all. the post is removed (please keep to that sniper).

--edit--
Repeat offenders will have their accounts banned.

--edit2--
If people piss me off on this. There wont be a m64 picture easter egg hunt this weekend

[Demolition49]

First of all i would like to say i admire your work and think you have done a great job with all of your progressive projects for the psp so far.

I think iris is a good game but, maybe you should design a menu, like story mode and battle... this is once u get a few things fixed, i think you should also focus on one aim at a time, like M64 your tryed to handle too many things .

You probably had that in mind already... but anyway cant hurt.

P.S I think you should spend 3 days M64 and 3 days iris because M64 is a good project and if your sucessfull you will enable many games to be played not just once custom made game, but i can understand you must enjoy making your own 3d game for the psp.

And how are you feeling?

[Accordion]

not that you asked me, but I think the best setup for controls would be like I use for playing PSPQuake
eg.
anolog nub= look/aim(much easier than buttons)
left trigger= jump/maybe hold to duck.
right trigger= shoot
triangle= forward
cross= backward
square= left
circle= right

the directional buttons can be for actions such as weapon change/item?/zoom?/online hotkey chat functions(in my dreams). this way you can keep moving while able to do anything

basically lefthand fps on pc

anyway can't wait for a release

[DPyro]

Ok heres my control scheme. Push down twice to crouch, push up twice to jump.

[Demolition49]

Nice But im not so sure about the change weap, may be a lil awkward.

But its good.

[Accordion]

seriously "my" method for down to change weapon is easy as you can still aim and run, wouldnt want to be stuck in one place trying to equip something better than a frying pan, axe, etc

maybe use select to taunt as it isnt easy to reach but shortly disables controls, so not a major feature

what do you think of the hotkey chat function, i know it's a long way off to wifi but it would be great to be able to quickly chat to online player. you could probably make a system to change the messages for each hotkey in a config file .

sniper, trouble with that method is you cant move and jump at same time, also in a panic you might try to run away but end up just jumping on the spot

go psmonkey