Let me know if any of you are sick of my posts yet.
Mech Hangers
Here are a few ideas on how mech hangers might work. There is a bit more information in the posts below, but I thought a dedicated thread and elaboration made sense.
Clans/Factions
http://www.forceofarms.com/msgbbs/index.php?topic=485.0 Multiple Mechs
http://www.forceofarms.com/msgbbs/index.php?topic=675.0 All about the Mechs
http://www.forceofarms.com/msgbbs/index.php?topic=663.0 I am not sure if anyone here player Earth Siege or Star Siege, but they had a very simple mech hanger system that I think would be very easy to build upon. At the same time, it would allow for the eventual deployment of player created additions to the game map. So away we go.
1) Initial game setup --
To keep things simple hangers would be an instanced place where you could see your mech bays. And choose and customize your mechs with the items you have bought or found or stolen etc. Also here would be a storage area for items that you want to hang on to, a nice weapon, extra ammo, etc. This space can either be a Myst type interaction where you click on items in the room, or a sims type thing where the avatar can walk in the enviorment from place to place. To keep the world simple for at least the beta. All the mech bays could be in a communal underground bunker that has several entrance. Once your mech walked into the entrance you and the mech would be instanced in to the hanger bay. This would allow for an unlimited number of hangers from the players.
2) Hanger advancement --
Most likely new player hangers would only be able to store a limited amount of mech bays and over flow storage, and repair equipment, but larger spaces would be up for sale. Eventually (depending on memory storage and what seem reasonable) players could have a 5-6 mech bays, for what ever situation they are going into and a huge capacity for extra ammo and weapons and armors. Also for those engineering types a communal smelting, processing plant, engineering lab, chemical lab, etc would be a separate instanced space. Whether this is a sims, communal space where you have to wait your turn or not I don't know, but eventually these engineering services would be available to buy and attach to your hanger.
3) Enviorment Placed-Player Created Hanger Areas --
I do not think we would want it, but it would be possible for players to create estates that have their own base in the world enviorment. This would probably make the world a little hectic and might bog the server. Instead, clan/faction based "Citadels" would be a better way to go, these again would start with a certain number of mech hangers, and could go from there. These would be in the world and clans/factions could have multiple citadels on other areas or worlds as the game expands.
They could be added onto like the hangers but clans/factions could add their own engineering labs and factories to help their players there is even the possibility for these citadels to make money if players are since of waiting in line for the communal engineering services. Citadels could also be outfitted with bars/lounges that would either make money or be used as a means of generating Karma for the clan. Again the interiors of the Citadels would be instanced to keep it server friendly, but these buildings might change as things are added. Depending on how the game is run, citadels might only exist in non-pvp areas, or there is the possibility for citadels to be armored outposts in the game enviorment where players can build recharging stations, armaments, and so one. These could even be conquerable if we decide to go that way.
4) Conclusions -- By keeping things simple at first and building I think that these hanger types would be relatively simple to code into the game. Pull-down/pop-up menus could be used to sort storage or outfit the mech and most importantly they would be easy to code and use.
Citadels would not be a clan requirement, but instead would be a way for higher level clans to establish them selves. Also since interiors would be instanced.. It would feasible for clans to model their own citadels and have a the admins. use their model and texturing. Only prereq. would be for an entrance that makes sense for mech to enter.
Eventually, citadels could be used as spawn points for your clone after death or your new incarnation. It would even be possible for citadels to buy and manage their own cloning stations that might be better than the one that the corporations provide for the masses.
I might add a few more items to this but comment away.
