Abe's Suggestions (Items, 'Currency', and perhaps other mechanics)

[AbeBatJes]

I'll be going over several items & things that in my eyes, should be added to the Half Life server, and its possible uses, some or many of which was talked about during the meeting. This is to go more "in-depth" on each of the things.

ARMOR - MECHANICS

• Firstly - remove any and all resistance and armor percentages to ALL clothing items, that way players may have the option to prioritize drip, so that they may feel more unique, without having to wear specific clothing and all blend into one 'generic' uniform.
  • Maybe have a slot for maybe vests/rigs that could be worn with outfits, technically how civil protection has a jacket underneath the Kevlar vest.

• Convert the artifact slot into a plating slot (for protection).
  • There is already a form of code that's been made for clothing to offer resistance and protection, as seen before in MoF, and now more recently with STALKER. So why not have it converted to an item that provides x amount of resistance for every level plating, as well as an amount it can handle.
  • To work with weight, there's already the mechanics for wearable multipliers, so that when it's equipped, the 'weight' goes down. So have it so that wearable has it reduced significantly, but having it on hand makes it very heavy, so that players don't abuse the mechanic of having multiple plates on them.
  • For a roleplay standpoint, it must be mentioned that it requires several combat turns to replace any plating (for example, a turn is roughly 6-10 seconds dependent on the person looking at it. IRL, an experienced individual can replace their platings between one minute, up to five minutes give or take). So if they really want to replace their platings during combat, they must take at LEAST 6 turns without interruption to do so.

ARMOR - ITEMS

• Have the ability to craft body armor.
  • Provides rebels/mischief individuals the ability to have some kind of protection, with starting as something that provides little help, to some 'generic'/better armor.
  • Rebels will only be able to craft the Basic and Advanced Materials Armors, but no higher. Everything else will have to be collected through other means.
  • In addition - plates CAN NOT be collected on corpses. They will be considered not usable.
• From the basic to advanced plates, it will start as [Crappy Basic Material Armor] < [Level II Kevlar] < [Advanced Material Armor] ~ [Level III-A Plates] < [Level III Plates] < [Level III+ Plates] < [Level IV Plates] < [Level IV+ Plates] < [Level V Plates]
• The highest level would be worn by Elite Overwatch, and probably some select suppression units/Wallhammer, while Level IV+ will be worn by regular OTF Soldiers.
  • OTF Plates CAN NOT be removed, as it is considered part of the suit itself as a solid piece via Combine Alloys. While they may be 'retrieved' or 'salvaged', they won't be as strong as the standard issue.
  • [New Suggestion!] Utilize resin and have a machine available to attempt repairs on said armor (as resistance - OTF will be able to have replacements after mission completion).
  • Level II Kevlar would be commonly worn by CCA, which is set to be nearly stab proof, or highly stab resistant, but certain firearm calibers may pierce through.
  • Level III-A would be worn by higher ranked CCA and or leadership.
  • When resistance begin acquiring higher firepower, CCA will upgrade their plates.
• The first basic craftable would be something akin to wood boards, maybe books that are bound together or even ceramic floor plating. The advanced material armor would be more akin to thicker weaves/metals.
  • The basic would be just that - basic. It'd be better against maybe necrotics or potentially being protected from a glob of acid from a Bullsquid, if it's removed fast enough. POTENTIALLY stab resistant, but more than likely won't stop a bullet.
  • Advanced material would only be a step up from the Level II kevlar in terms of combining a mixture of metals and or weaves (could even just be improving the Level II Kevlar), but it'd be the strongest craftable defense armor that could be made.
• There's already repair tool items in the game, so can have these be utilized to repair these things.

ARMOR - S2K/S2RP

• For S2K, it can be set to have the resistance start from the follow:
  • 10 resist - 10 armor
  • 20 resist - 20 armor
  • 25 resist - 25 armor
  • 35 resist - 50 armor
  • 45 resist - 75 armor
  • 55 resist - 100 armor
  • 65 resist - 125 armor
  • 75 Resist - 150 armor
  • 85 Resist - 200 armor
• This is to purely survive against enemies during S2K engagements, allowing for better enjoyment instead of having to cower in a corner and not lose more than half your HP, and begging for admin support to have you healed.
  • In the recent addition for One Shot Head Shots, it should only apply this based on amount of damage done to the head at a certain amount of time, similar to getting shot in the leg. That way, players aren't suddenly getting domed by NPCs super powerful cheats.

• For S2RP, players may respect the engagements 'more' with better understanding on not only what they have equipped, but will also not be able to ass-pull saying "my kevlar saved my life from the .50 shot".
  • Players not following the rules by saying they have 'better' armor (having Level III/III+ when they have Level II or less, will be dealt with - it's nothing short of what's already done as staff anyways).
  • Players who attempt to replace their plating during combat must also be informed (or have it even stated on the plating itself), that it will take roughly six turns at MINIMUM without interruptions to replacing their plates. IRL, it takes "experienced" individuals between one minute, to five minutes to replace their plates. And if every turn order is between six to ten seconds on average, six turns is more than reasonable. Players who don't follow this rule can simply be told no - turn is skipped - continue replacing, or do a different action.
• Much like standard RP, there is to be faith between players during combat engagements. If they get shot at and are hit, they are required to take the hit, and react accordingly.
  • There can be a possibly guide of roughly how many shots/hits you can take for the armors, and what bypasses/goes through.

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STATS - Rework?

• We have Strength, Agility, Perception, and Accuracy. However normally players tend to max out one stat over the other (primarily Agility), and tend to dodge every attack like Neo, especially since every single point is a one to one. This should be changed as such:
  • I place four points into agility. When I do /roll agility, it will use 1d20 +2, rather than 1d20+4. It makes it so that some odds increase in your favor, but not drastically, if roles are to be utilized.

• Add more skills. Players are already using stats during combat, and out of combat. It's literally been a thing, and has constantly been as such. So if we want to continue having skills, then more stats need to be provided.
  • Strength - Keep as is.
  • Perception - Keep as is.
  • Accuracy - Keep as is?
  • Constitution/Endurance - Mostly used when taking a hit in Melee, it can also be utilized when getting shot at (say if you have plating and someone hits you, it might help you negate SOME knockback). Or if you're bleeding out, can utilize these rolls to survive.
  • Intelligence - Everyone has it. Everyone uses it. But some might have a bit more than others. Can be utilized to recall something, or doing things such as medical, survival, maintenance etc.
  • Agility/Dexterity - Keep as is?

• The biggest thing to be stated is changing the stat system so that every two points adds a +1 to said stat.

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CCA - STERILIZED CREDITS

• A separate 'currency' system that units be able to utilize so long as they meet the criteria.
  • Sterilized credits should be provided potentially through rations and or through completely certain tasks. It should regulated in a way that can be obtainable, but not abused, such as AFKing and letting points rack up.
  • SCs should be something that should work both for RP and or OOC.
• Things for it to be used for is the following:
  • Family Cohesion
  • Family Video Calls
  • Better Rations
  • Better Clothing
  • Apartment Status Upgrade
  • Weapon Acquisition From The Field (If a weapon is collected on the field, it provides permission to essentially have it available on the person)
  • Weapon Attachments (I.e., holographic, scopes, maybe grip and or laser sights dependent on the item - ONE TIME PURCHASE)
  • Weapon Acquisition From Armory (Specifically if say you wanted a stronger sidearm, or a stronger primary, and you are at a sufficient rank to acquire it, then you can acquire said weapon. NOTE: It's a one time purchase, just like the attachments)

CITIZENS - "STERILIZED CREDITS"

• Very simple TL;DR, good boy credits. A system that allows citizens to potentially go up in class and receive better benefits. Some things of such are:
  • Better Housing
  • Better Status (Different armbands mean different status'. Provides potentially more 'respect' or leeway with civil protection)
  • Better Rations
  • Exclusive Clothing (After specific status upgrade)
  • Exclusive Invites to Events (dependent)
  • Item Acquisition (Such as a one-way-distress-radio [I can't remember the name], where a citizen can speak into it and be like, "Someone is destroying my apartment/store", or "there's someone with a gun at this location!". [Have it so names don't pop up to keep it anonymous]

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Suggested Mods (Or what's in them)

Steam Workshop::Winnie's Mines

steamcommunity.com

• Have different mines that can be utilized by either party, and provide careful engagements dependent on location.

Steam Workshop::TFA HL:A Weapons

steamcommunity.com

• Specifically the shotgun from here. Although the pulse shotgun that we once had is neat in its own capacity, this one is quite honestly superior.

Steam Workshop::Ballistic Shield [SWEPs]

steamcommunity.com

• Different shields, but all fits the theme of what was suggested before.
  • Needs to be tested in multiplayer.

Steam Workshop::[TFA] AKM - Elysium Model

steamcommunity.com

• A potential weapon for resistance to utilize (like their own equivalent to a pulse rifle). Believe Vecilea tried getting this in before. And it isn't too out of the ordinary.

Steam Workshop::[Unofficial] RTB:R Sniper Rifle

steamcommunity.com

• A weapon for the resistance to potentially finally have - a .50 BMG single shot sniper.
  • Should be just as powerful in S2RP as it is in S2K.
  • For S2RP, just like what's already been stated for doing sniper battles, after taking the time to set up the shot, after firing, you must take a turn to react to the recoil, and reload. Then you need to take another turn to prepare your shot, and then the next turn to officially fire it.
  • THIS WEAPON ISN'T MEANT TO BE EASILY RETRIEVED!!! It's to be special, heavy, and fill its own niche role. Gives resistance an opportunity to have their own cool big boy weapon for once.

Steam Workshop::Battlefield 2142 3-Pack

steamcommunity.com

• Specifically the revolver in the pack, it should be one of the weapons that can be bought through the sterilized credits after you hit a certain rank (i2), and after spending said credits.
  • On the model, it's a .44, and has 8 rounds. And it's a bit more 'unique'. Can perhaps add some flavor text to it to make it 'special'.

 

[Smarmy]

I'll read it thoroughly tomorrow, but armor plating is a really decent idea. I wanted some form of armor degredation on ZRP just like the weapon degradation bar. Will comment on it again after a better read.

 

[Smarmy]

• Maybe have a slot for maybe vests/rigs that could be worn with outfits, technically how civil protection has a jacket underneath the Kevlar vest.

This part is a surprising amount of labor depending on how it's done. We'd have to find a model that's directly a rig and hope it overlays well across broad types of clothing. Have to update the QC files for the base player models. This would also have to account for male and female models too. It would also have to be compatible with our script.

I also want some armor changes myself. I completely agree on this with you. I think an immediate thing we could do is have a public thread stating how powerful each piece of armor is along with capabilities.

CCA - STERILIZED CREDITS

• A separate 'currency' system that units be able to utilize so long as they meet the criteria.
  • Sterilized credits should be provided potentially through rations and or through completely certain tasks. It should regulated in a way that can be obtainable, but not abused, such as AFKing and letting points rack up.
  • SCs should be something that should work both for RP and or OOC.
• Things for it to be used for is the following:
  • Family Cohesion
  • Family Video Calls
  • Better Rations
  • Better Clothing
  • Apartment Status Upgrade
  • Weapon Acquisition From The Field (If a weapon is collected on the field, it provides permission to essentially have it available on the person)
  • Weapon Attachments (I.e., holographic, scopes, maybe grip and or laser sights dependent on the item - ONE TIME PURCHASE)
  • Weapon Acquisition From Armory (Specifically if say you wanted a stronger sidearm, or a stronger primary, and you are at a sufficient rank to acquire it, then you can acquire said weapon. NOTE: It's a one time purchase, just like the attachments)

CITIZENS - "STERILIZED CREDITS"

• Very simple TL;DR, good boy credits. A system that allows citizens to potentially go up in class and receive better benefits. Some things of such are:
  • Better Housing
  • Better Status (Different armbands mean different status'. Provides potentially more 'respect' or leeway with civil protection)
  • Better Rations
  • Exclusive Clothing (After specific status upgrade)
  • Exclusive Invites to Events (dependent)
  • Item Acquisition (Such as a one-way-distress-radio [I can't remember the name], where a citizen can speak into it and be like, "Someone is destroying my apartment/store", or "there's someone with a gun at this location!". [Have it so names don't pop up to keep it anonymous]

I like this credit system a lot. TBH what works best is people getting something they can have on screen and that effects them day to day.

 

[Mickee]

This part is a surprising amount of labor depending on how it's done. We'd have to find a model that's directly a rig and hope it overlays well across broad types of clothing. Have to update the QC files for the base player models. This would also have to account for male and female models too. It would also have to be compatible with our script.

I also want some armor changes myself. I completely agree on this with you. I think an immediate thing we could do is have a public thread stating how powerful each piece of armor is along with capabilities.

He meant just using it as a chance to use the armor with any model.

I do have my worries that it may rip away any sense of being a Veteran if someone in civi-suit can wear the same armor level as someone in a full on armor set.

However I can counteract this by making it so specific SETS of clothing enables you to use the plates/rigging system




Either that or I buck up and get bodygroups added to our clothing of vests...Which would involve alot of money

 

[Smarmy]

He meant just using it as a chance to use the armor with any model.

I do have my worries that it may rip away any sense of being a Veteran if someone in civi-suit can wear the same armor level as someone in a full on armor set.

However I can counteract this by making it so specific SETS of clothing enables you to use the plates/rigging system




Either that or I buck up and get bodygroups added to our clothing of vests...Which would involve alot of money

Oh I misread entirely QC files still haunt me man.

 

[AbeBatJes]

He meant just using it as a chance to use the armor with any model.

I do have my worries that it may rip away any sense of being a Veteran if someone in civi-suit can wear the same armor level as someone in a full on armor set.

However I can counteract this by making it so specific SETS of clothing enables you to use the plates/rigging system




Either that or I buck up and get bodygroups added to our clothing of vests...Which would involve alot of money

The third line with specific sets - honestly could do that now thinking about it.

Someone in a civi outfit would at most have the level 1 armor piece; if it's a thicker jacket or something of the sort, probably have it upped to level 2 or level 3-A (maybe on the 3-A, etc etc.

It'd actually be kind of like Payday. Like the heavier armors you can't wear under your suit.

 

[Mickee]

The third line with specific sets - honestly could do that now thinking about it.

Someone in a civi outfit would at most have the level 1 armor piece; if it's a thicker jacket or something of the sort, probably have it upped to level 2 or level 3-A (maybe on the 3-A, etc etc.

It'd actually be kind of like Payday. Like the heavier armors you can't wear under your suit.

TnB during TRP3 did what I mentioned.

I bet if I pitched it to the modeler he would find it cool.


Its also a GREAT chance to go through our clothing and bring down what we dont want and what we do

 

[AbeBatJes]

Some of these I believe we already HAVE in the prop packs, but some of these we don't. Some of which are perty good.

Steam Workshop::Combine Banners

steamcommunity.com

Steam Workshop::"Swelter" Combine props

steamcommunity.com

Steam Workshop::Combine propaganda posters [ The only force]

steamcommunity.com

Steam Workshop::Combine Flags

steamcommunity.com

Steam Workshop::Half-Life Combine Bio Computer v2 - Synth 3D model

steamcommunity.com

Steam Workshop::Half-Life Combine Super Computer - 3D Model

steamcommunity.com

 

[pants]

Gonna be another long post, this is just my review of Abe's suggestions. I corrected an important typo in his post and highlighted craftable items in his armor tier list for clarity's sake.

ARMOR - MECHANICS

- I like the idea of Armor Plating. I think the server is at its best when it promotes creativity, and in Stalker, we're all wearing the same 3 shirts because they're the only ones with armor, which makes the characters seem less unique and special.

- I don't like the idea of having them be Cosmetics that are viewable on the playermodel, just because that would be a lot of expensive work, and also remove the potential for characters to "conceal" armor-- say, underneath a big coat for example.

- CCA should have a generic uniform because... y'know... the Combine explicitly wants people to conform and become interchangeable non-individuals.

- I think balancing out Armor Plates by making them heavy OR wide in the inventory would prevent people from carrying more than one armor plate, if you think time limits arent enough to fix the "armor swapping" concern. You could have an armor plate be like, 4x4 in the inventory if you really wanted. It might not be ENTIRELY immersive, but, you know, it would prevent the problem.

ARMOR - ITEMS

Crafted body armor was the topic of the world's greatest misunderstanding recently, so I'm just going to try and re-word what Abe said for the sake of convenience.

Abe's suggestion was that rebels should be able to craft TWO types of plates-- one which is weaker than Level II Kevlar, and one that is weaker than Level III-A plates. This means that rebels would not be able to craft any armor that protects against rifles.

I like this suggestion! It allows players to have SOME degree of preparedness without immediately engaging in outright hostility against the Combine, but still motivates players to seek Combine-manufactured alternatives.

Mickee said that he wants OTF to be taken seriously as a threat, and that he wants them to be durable and capable of soaking up a lot of damage. For the record I just want to come out and say that players don't find bullet-sponges to be compelling enemies-- the Wallhammer on the elevator near the Noctis Relay was taking magdumps from at least 6 automatic battle rifles with no effect, and he only died when the player got bored.
That being said, I think they can be formidable and dangerous enemies with only Level IV plates.

The "T" in OTF stands for Transhuman-- more than just their armor and weapons, in my opinion, they should be dangerous because they literally transcend the limits of human capability.

They can react faster, punch harder, run faster. They are DESIGNED with purpose, rather than by genetic lottery. An OTF Soldier could likely beat any olympic athlete at any sport if it wasn't for the weight of their armor.

Bullets should still kill them, of course-- OTF players should not jump into the middle of a rebel squad and expect total invulnerability-- but their enhanced musculature means they can carry thicker armor and more of it.

A rocket or a grenade or a building being dropped on a soldier should still kill him-- as should a headshot from a full-powered rifle. That's just due to physics.
But it should be EXTRAORDINARILY HARD to do those things, because the OTF also undergo memory replacement, meaning they should also be fully aware of their strengths and weaknesses.
An OTF soldier would probably move in a way to minimize opportunities for enemies to succeed in landing headshots or throwing grenades. This means staying mobile, avoiding standing out in the open, and covering each others' backs.

ARMOR - S2K/S2RP

- I really don't like S2K, but I know that others enjoy it, so I'll refrain from trying to influence S2K balance in any way other than fairness. The average S2K involves many more enemies than players-- and current S2K targets deal more damage with more accuracy than players. I think we gotta do something to reduce their damage, or make most S2K events smaller. But that's just my two cents

- We do have the old google sheet made by Slayvori that details the different calibers and their penetration values. I'm curious how the playerbase would react if we made combat more lethal. Definitely a delicate system to re-balance, so maybe we should take some Private Play-Tests before launch to test it out? Run an S2RP with, say, 3 people versus 3 people? See what happens? Or even 3 animated props versus 3 animated props, playing to win.

- God I really want more characters to get injured or killed in S2RP.

STATS - REWORK?

I think before we commit to Reworking stats, we should ask ourselves if we even WANT the stat system at all.

I think Abe is absolutely right when he says that the current stat system causes some issues in S2RP, but without another mechanism to resolve disagreements between two play-to-win players, S2RP becomes very low-stakes with zero casualties or low-effort NLRs.

Does anyone have alternative ideas that could replace dice-rolling?

I'm partly responsible for Agility being used as a "luck" roll against enemy Accuracy rolls. I think this isn't a very good system, even though I pushed it to try and break the old habit of "everybody survives every single combat unless they choose to die".
I still like the idea of stats influencing combat, but having Agility completely negate an enemy's Accuracy is too overpowered.
There has to be some kind of happy medium "everybody is laser-beam accurate" and "everybody misses 90% of the time like the A-Team firing blanks".

Abe mentions having skills effect rolls less-- this is a good idea that solves the "Agility Problem", but it also leaves hit probability as a completely random 1d20 roll.

Here's a potential idea that I came up with in 5 minutes-- it's probably flawed, mostly just serves as a conversation starter.

What if we eliminate all dodging, and gatekeep hits SOLELY based on an Accuracy roll with a higher difficulty class based on distance?

To make this easy and convenient, we would probably want some kind of "rangefinder" swep that allows players to check distances OOCly. If we had a rangefinder tool for OOC use, we could also repurpose Agility to modify how far a player can move each turn in S2RP. Higher agility means slightly further movement.

Like I said, probably a lot of flaws in that idea. I just want to promote more discussion

CCA - STERILIZED CREDITS
- I think if we do this, they should only be obtainable through RP. Stalker has shown us that any system that CAN be grinded, WILL be grinded.

- I think the system could function better as a "credit score" than as a spendable currency. Spending "points" feels too American to me-- oh my god wait, no, that's genius. yes keep it as a spendable currency, we can say it's a test program unique to the American cities.

- I don't feel as enthusiastic about the Weapon Acquisition part of this idea. That feels a little too indulgent in my opinion.

CITIZENS - STERILIZED CREDITS

- I think having Snitch Points is an awesome idea. We should reward loyalists, because otherwise any non-cop would logically just become a rebel or criminal.

- I really, really, really like the idea of having a "trusted" civilian group, because of the roleplay potential of having an Undercover operative in this group, using the special privileges to assist rebels somehow. Maybe the Combine outlaws certain food or drink that could be used to aid resistances: high-ABV alcohol like Vodka might be limited to Loyalists since it could otherwise be made into molotovs, shelf-stable foods might be restricted to Loyalists because they could allow rebels to operate independently of the Ration Distribution Center.

- The Snitch Radio is awesome because who wouldn't want the ability to lure the cops to a specific area? That could be useful in so many different ways.

SUGGESTED MODS

- Winnie's Mines are cool but idk if they can be placed into a player's inventory

- Alyx's shotgun is so cool please please please please

- Ballistic shield could be cool as a Certification for CCA once things get sufficiently hot in the city

- Elysium AK... we've wanted it for so long...

- One-shot .50 Sniper Rifle... might threaten to break OTF balance if we're not careful. But it could be the rebel answer to the CISR, so it could be a lategame item?

- The revolver looks cool. I don't know if cops should be "accessorizing" with their weapon choices to that degree. Maybe lock it to higher ranks of CCA? I dunno.