equiping more than one type of item?

[Kellzz]

I would like to see the ability to configure up to three different armor/weapon sets.

Explanation: In WoW the biggest gripe is having to change armor/weapon loadouts depending on the scenario. Now, they made it so you can have set 1, and set 2, BUT this did not address the issue that nearly an entire bag (up to 24 slots) needs to be filled with this extra gear.
Instead of having to keep this gear in your bag, just allow people to equip it as normal.
Diablo 2 has something similar, except you can only do it with weapons. There were 2 tabs. You could have mele in one tab, and ranged in another.

Also allow them to be hot-swappable. Being able to press Shift+whatever key, and you instantly equip the items for that load out.
(This would work a lot better with pictures... Trying to explain this is proving tough)

No items in your inventory taking up space, since they are already "equipped"

Yes, this could be abused, people using the extra tabs as more inventory space, but i don't see an issue with that. So they can carry a tad bit more, whatever.
But, place a limit on it in combat. Cannot swap armor during combat or for 15 seconds after combat.

[Sturm Kintaro]

Or you could just make it so that weapons and armor do not take up inventory slots.  I could see swapping weapons in the middle of a firefight... I can't see you stripping out of your power suit to get into another powersuit in the same situation, unless you want to be riddled with holes...

[Hamilton]

I do know what can be carried in games is a pain to do the same in real-life.  At the first Star Wars Galaxies Fan Fest, my outfit comprised of the following:
- Boba Fett Helmet w/voice speaker system (painted black)
- Motorcycle Leather Pants and Jacket (black)
- Metal Breast Plates (painted black) over the jacket
- Cape
- Knee High Steel Toe Leather Boots
- Two Belts (one pistol belt and a utility belt)
- Three Pistols (belt holster, shoulder holster and last one held between the belts)
- One Long Sword (made as the one from the movie Blade, which has a sci-fi look to it)
- One Bren WW2 Machine Gun (nonfunctional and at 25lbs)

And just wearing that, I think I lost 2 lbs of water weight for each day.  I didn't wear a backpack loaded with additional equipment or gear as my character would have in the game.  To wear a backpack and then whip things out of it? well that would be difficult.  But that is real life and not a virtual game.

Changing out weapons:
1.   For the fastest hot swap, the held weapon is considered dropped and is no longer available until a given time or combat ends.  Making a successful quick draw skill check will allow for the drawn weapon to be used immediately.
2.   For the next quickest swap, the held weapon is dropped and another weapon is drawn or a failed quick draw skill check.
3.   The third fastest, the held weapon is put but into a holster or slung.  A Quick Draw Skill check to drawn the next weapon.
4.   Pretty much that same as the third but without a quick skill check or a failed checked.
5.   Exceptions? there will be a number of them I believe.  For one, being Ambidextrous would allow for the fastest swap out as one weapon can be put away and another drawn, pistols or small weapons anyways.  Rifles or heavy weapons will have longer times to become ready.  Thus giving small/light weapons an edge when speed/reaction over damage counts.

The end effect for the user would be the amount of time the swapping is taking.  If seeking for instantaneous swapping, build up the Quick Draw skill and use compact weapons (a bullpup assault rifle would be a good example).

Changing Armor:
Changing out armor will take time, but not in minutes as that would be a boring thing to do while waiting in real life for your character to spend minutes changing out each piece of armor.  Most like for changing armor, will be done like this:
-   Getting out of armor or dropping a piece of armor will be quick.
-   Putting on armor or a piece of armor will take 15+ seconds (depends on the part).  So this would cause exposure during combat.
Fortunately, there are only three kinds of non-powered armor (more if you count mixed up combos).  The differences of the three are the amount of protection at the cost of agility and weight.  As of this time there is no other special types of armor (ie: Energy Weapon Protection, Ballistic Protection, Fire Resistant, etc).  So changing out armor for a given mission should be minimal and armor should be good enough to survive at least one combat.  Not certain at this time if body armor should have decay or take damage and requiring repairs.



I do agree with equipped items not taking up space in inventory.
There will be a weight limitation based on the character?s strength and may cause encumbrance.  However, being mechanized and all during this time, the backpack of gear and equipment should be stored in the vehicle or Mech as the character goes off to do things.  So weight problems should be minimal and the loads of stuff would be somewhere nearby.

[Kellzz]

Or you could just make it so that weapons and armor do not take up inventory slots.  I could see swapping weapons in the middle of a firefight... I can't see you stripping out of your power suit to get into another powersuit in the same situation, unless you want to be riddled with holes...

Taking what i suggested and making it even simpler...
I LIKE IT! 

And Hamilton, I dont get it.

Changing out weapons:
1.   For the fastest hot swap, the held weapon is considered dropped and is no longer available until a given time or combat ends.  Making a successful quick draw skill check will allow for the drawn weapon to be used immediately.
2.   For the next quickest swap, the held weapon is dropped and another weapon is drawn or a failed quick draw skill check.
3.   The third fastest, the held weapon is put but into a holster or slung.  A Quick Draw Skill check to drawn the next weapon.
4.   Pretty much that same as the third but without a quick skill check or a failed checked.
5.   Exceptions? there will be a number of them I believe.  For one, being Ambidextrous would allow for the fastest swap out as one weapon can be put away and another drawn, pistols or small weapons anyways.  Rifles or heavy weapons will have longer times to become ready.  Thus giving small/light weapons an edge when speed/reaction over damage counts.

The end effect for the user would be the amount of time the swapping is taking.  If seeking for instantaneous swapping, build up the Quick Draw skill and use compact weapons (a bullpup assault rifle would be a good example).

Why do we need stat checks just to change weapons? Why can't it be Holster weapon A, and pull Weapon B off your back? (Mass Effect players will understand this). If you can fit three weapons on your person (pistol on your hip, shotgun on your back, knife/sword on your thigh/back/hip) then why not just allow the player to swap between them?
To make it less FPS-like, have them wait 2-3 seconds while they put weapon A away to bring out weapon C (represented by an animation. Again, similar to Mass Effect). This prevents some abuse/griefing and forces the player to think "Do i really have the time to put this away and pull out the other weapon?"

Changing Armor:
Changing out armor will take time, but not in minutes as that would be a boring thing to do while waiting in real life for your character to spend minutes changing out each piece of armor.  Most like for changing armor, will be done like this:
-   Getting out of armor or dropping a piece of armor will be quick.
-   Putting on armor or a piece of armor will take 15+ seconds (depends on the part).  So this would cause exposure during combat.
Fortunately, there are only three kinds of non-powered armor (more if you count mixed up combos).  The differences of the three are the amount of protection at the cost of agility and weight.  As of this time there is no other special types of armor (ie: Energy Weapon Protection, Ballistic Protection, Fire Resistant, etc).  So changing out armor for a given mission should be minimal and armor should be good enough to survive at least one combat.  Not certain at this time if body armor should have decay or take damage and requiring repairs.

This made more sense.
I can see the player stripping down similar to the finale in Iron Man. But remember there is a balance between simulation and game. Players want more game than simulation.

[Hamilton]

Why do we need stat checks just to change weapons? Why can't it be Holster weapon A, and pull Weapon B off your back? (Mass Effect players will understand this). If you can fit three weapons on your person (pistol on your hip, shotgun on your back, knife/sword on your thigh/back/hip) then why not just allow the player to swap between them?
To make it less FPS-like, have them wait 2-3 seconds while they put weapon A away to bring out weapon C (represented by an animation. Again, similar to Mass Effect). This prevents some abuse/griefing and forces the player to think "Do i really have the time to put this away and pull out the other weapon?"

I think we are thinking the same thing but saying it differently.  The delay of "2-3" seconds was what I was trying to get at.  This amount of delay can be shortened down if making a successful Quick Draw skill check.  When weapons are being changed, the system will automatically assume a Quick Draw will be used.  Fail, normal delay is in effect, succeed, then instant or near instant change out.

So why go through the trouble of putting in a Quick Draw skill? 
Mostly as a Skill Point Sink.

[Kellzz]

I think we are thinking the same thing but saying it differently.  The delay of "2-3" seconds was what I was trying to get at.  This amount of delay can be shortened down if making a successful Quick Draw skill check.  When weapons are being changed, the system will automatically assume a Quick Draw will be used.  Fail, normal delay is in effect, succeed, then instant or near instant change out.

So why go through the trouble of putting in a Quick Draw skill? 
Mostly as a Skill Point Sink.

That makes sense.

But i still question the need for such a check. If the majority of people do not invest in this skill, then the server will be doing checks for no reason therefore wasting resources.

Something else to hammer out in testing.

[Kellzz]

To add on to what i posted...

After having some time to process the information given, i say no to the quick draw skill point. I think its a waste of resources (both in programming and in server resources) and a waste of space as i see no one utilizing it.

Now, if the swapping of weapons took in the minute range, then it might be feasible to have it there, but i can tell you in my gaming experience, during a fight i pick one weapon that i think will prove most useful and i use that weapon until the ammo runs out or i die. Very seldom do i switch weapons mid-fight. UNLESS there is some benefit to leading with one weapon and finishing off with another. Case in point, the Axetinguisher in Team Fortress 2. Light someone on fire, switch to the axe and get 100% crit bonuses as they burn (essentially a one-hit kill after that). So unless FOA will have conditional weapons, i just dont see the need for it.

Instead of a stat check, what about an active reload system? The same that Gears of War uses? press a button during reload/weapon swap at a specified time and they get a bonus to reload speed/quick draw.

hell, to just blatantly steal from GOW, just use a timer bar with an area within the bar that represents the area the player has to press the button to get the bonus.
To add your own spin on it, the higher dexterity the more time the player has to push the button. (gonna add pictures later to make more sense)
(or does FOA use the S.P.E.C.I.A.L system? cant remember. But if so, whatever acts as Dexterity within the special system)

[Hamilton]

The timing bar would be frowned upon due to letting the client do the processing, which leads to exploitation (a Zero Second Reload bot for example).

But can see it being used on the server as follows:
Reload Time = Base Weapon Reload Time * Quick Draw Skill Mod
With the Quick Draw Skill Mod based on DEX and the Skill.

There isn't much to code that in. 
And yeah I myself won't see people spending points into a Quick Draw Skill, due to the need to get a weapon out or reloaded quickly rarely happens.  Usually have the weapon already drawn out before the need, or behind cover while reloading.


For changing weapons, you are about right.  There should be little need for changing weapons during a fight.  There are three damage properties: Kinetic, Energy and Special (not really damage, more of an effect such as Gas or Stun).  I don't expect the situation of, people changing out weapons based on what armor a threat is wearing (Reflective Armor, ok so I need to use a slug-thrower). 

I would expect though people changing weapons based on combat ranges or environments.  For example, carrying a rifle and an auto-pistol.  The rifle for long range combat and the pistol for close-combat.

[XoRys]

I consider that it will be correct have possibility of change only the weapons during fight.
I think of a picture: mech removes one of elements of equipment and dresses another... But I can't see it! Mechs are not so mobile and flexible in my opinion! I think to change armor elements it is possible only in stationary or mobile hangars.

[teufelich]

I consider that it will be correct have possibility of change only the weapons during fight.
I think of a picture: mech removes one of elements of equipment and dresses another... But I can't see it! Mechs are not so mobile and flexible in my opinion! I think to change armor elements it is possible only in stationary or mobile hangars.

I do not think changing weapons on a mech out in field would be optional for many reasons of course

Think this quickdraw concept is for character out of mech. 

[XoRys]

I apologise for my awful English. Could you explain what is quickdraw?

[Hamilton]

Right, this is about characters using hand weapons and not Mechs... or you would be very correct.

The Quick Draw Skill is used in the Hero System (as well as other game systems) to allow a character to draw a weapon and attack with it instantly (as in one action).  Otherwise, a character would spend one action to draw a weapon, and then another action to attack with it.

An example would be of a person to quick draw a six-shooter and fire the pistol in under a second. (In those Cowboy Western movies of two cowboy facing off at High Noon to gun each other down.  The fastest draw wins (assuming the bullet hits).)