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FPSC Classic Product Chat / V1 Feature Suggestion: Area Testing

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SkyCubes
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Joined: 16th Nov 2004
Location: Vancouver, Washington
Posted: 15th Feb 2005 03:13
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OK, by now we've all been here: Your making a complex level that is fairly large. You add a few entities to a particular spot that takes you all of 2 minutes. You want to test it, but you're only option is a complete rebuild of the level test.

What if Lee was able to make a "Marquee Test Game" tool. So, you select just a certain area of your level map with the tool and it loads the test for that portion only. I don't know if it's even possible, but it would sure speed up the testing phase.

What do you guys/gals think?

"Beware of people who try and belittle your ambitions. Small people do that. The really great people are the ones who make you feel that you too can become great" --Mark Twain
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Crelus
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Posted: 15th Feb 2005 03:24
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Couldn't you just make the sections as prefabs and test the basics such as doors, locks, etc.. within there? I'm sure you would have different NPC's and all that would be custom to each complete map, but at least if you could get things like the base scripts for the area functionality, NPC AI scripts, weapons, etc... pretested before you put them in that would leave less that you had to deal with in the big area.

Also, perhaps a better way to achieve this functionality might be to add the ability to move the player between levels via script. Then instead of having to have each area all within the same map you could make smaller, more manageable maps, which are all on the same "level" as each other. That would even be cooler for things like plot control. If you haven't finished the "save the scientist quest" then when you go to the "control center" map load "control center good". If it's after load "control center destroyed".

Sorry, just thinking out loud.

-Thanks
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Logan 5
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Joined: 22nd Apr 2003
Location: Out using my powers for good, not evil
Posted: 15th Feb 2005 03:24 Edited at: 15th Feb 2005 03:24
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I second fdecker's motion.

Basically dark.
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SkyCubes
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Posted: 15th Feb 2005 03:38
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Crelus,

I guess what I was thinking of was more simplistic than all that. I'm just talking about for example you've got a section of your map that has the large detention prefab. You try placing 3-4 goons with uzi's in there and test it. But, after testing it, you decide you don't like the goons with uzi's, you want goons with pistols instead. Easy enough to change, but most of the time will be in waiting for both those tests to load...and there really is no other way of deciding what you like better except play testing both types of goons.

In that scenero, I don't need to test the entire map.

But, I like your idea of the prefab functionality testing. It's a more modular way of looking at level design, so I'll have to change my thinking a little bit.

"Beware of people who try and belittle your ambitions. Small people do that. The really great people are the ones who make you feel that you too can become great" --Mark Twain
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Cellbloc Studios
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Joined: 15th Mar 2004
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posted: 15th Feb 2005 03:39
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Why don't you just move the player start position? I have multiple scripts depending on where the player should be and what weapons they should have by that point.

-This...is my boomstick!
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Ominous
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Joined: 25th Jan 2005
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Posted: 15th Feb 2005 03:51
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Moving the player position doesn't change how much needs to be loaded. Since whenever you test a level it compiles the entire level.

Now is the winter of your discontent.
-Stewie from Family Guy
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Cellbloc Studios
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Posted: 15th Feb 2005 04:06
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Sorry, the longest I had to wait for a level to get built is 15 sec. and that was the WWII demo level.

-This...is my boomstick!
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SkyCubes
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Posted: 15th Feb 2005 04:11
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15 seconds? What, you have an AlienWare with 3.8 Ghz and a Radeon X650 PCI-E video card with 2MB ram?

15 seconds?

Holy %$&^

"Beware of people who try and belittle your ambitions. Small people do that. The really great people are the ones who make you feel that you too can become great" --Mark Twain
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Cellbloc Studios
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Joined: 15th Mar 2004
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Posted: 15th Feb 2005 04:22 Edited at: 15th Feb 2005 04:23
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Close.

http://www.alienware.com/intro_pages/area-51m_7700.aspx

I will post a pix of it later tomorrow. I don't have my cable to copy from my digital camera to the notebook handy.

-This...is my boomstick!
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Chimera
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Joined: 18th Dec 2004
Location: Belgium
Posted: 15th Feb 2005 04:28
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Seems like the lag is still a mistery: processor speed or video card? Or anything else? I just want FPSC to run smooth.

Don't eat yellow snow!
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SkyCubes
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Location: Vancouver, Washington
Posted: 15th Feb 2005 04:30
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Cellbloc,

Nice! Some people are soooo lucky

"Beware of people who try and belittle your ambitions. Small people do that. The really great people are the ones who make you feel that you too can become great" --Mark Twain
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