I play the missile war map quite a bit, and the laser players can be an annoyance. Laser can set up to bounce all over the opposing teams base from the comfort and safety of their own base. This takes little skill and involves no risk.
On the surface this would seem to be a map design issue, however, if the CL flag was more powerful, it would enhance play and make it a little more fair. Instead of CL being transparent to the laser, would it be possible to have it refract and/or reflect it?
For instance, a refracting CL player could figure out where the laser was coming into the base and block it. A reflecting CL could, if he set up perfectly, reflect it back to kill the laser player.
Anyway, just an idea.
db
More powerful CL flag
Sure, anything is technically possible. I think you would end up killing your own teammates more often than not. CL is already pretty powerful, especially against noobs (they don't use radar), making it more powerful isn't something that is needed.
There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity. -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." -- Abraham Lincoln
"How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." -- Abraham Lincoln
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Spazzy McGee
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Thanks for the quick responses.
'Complicated' and 'unpredictable' were precisely the effect I imagined it having.
Perhaps 'absorb' is a better word than 'refract' though, where it blocks the laser completely. If you did it, you might have a heat counter build up with repeated hits and have it destroy the CL if it absorbed too much. Maybe even have the CL glow slightly with this heat, making it more vulnerable as well.
Anyway, I see there is resistance to this idea, and there are probably good reasons for it, so I won't pursue it further. I just had to get it out there.
Thanks for the replies, and thanks for your work on this awesome game.
db
'Complicated' and 'unpredictable' were precisely the effect I imagined it having.
Perhaps 'absorb' is a better word than 'refract' though, where it blocks the laser completely. If you did it, you might have a heat counter build up with repeated hits and have it destroy the CL if it absorbed too much. Maybe even have the CL glow slightly with this heat, making it more vulnerable as well.Anyway, I see there is resistance to this idea, and there are probably good reasons for it, so I won't pursue it further. I just had to get it out there.
Thanks for the replies, and thanks for your work on this awesome game.
db
> Plus it gives away the CL's position.
So does the radar. ;-)
In reality, the CL flag is a cloaker. The tank is made so that light can pass through it. A laser is light (amplified by stimulated...). What you're talking about would be more of a "mirror" flag. This would reflect the light, but you can see real-life mirrors, which would make the "hide tank on HUD" useless. This would also make the flag too narrow in scope, and too similar to HUD. Aside from the real-life physics, I could also see a problem with syncing the shots.
So does the radar. ;-)
In reality, the CL flag is a cloaker. The tank is made so that light can pass through it. A laser is light (amplified by stimulated...). What you're talking about would be more of a "mirror" flag. This would reflect the light, but you can see real-life mirrors, which would make the "hide tank on HUD" useless. This would also make the flag too narrow in scope, and too similar to HUD. Aside from the real-life physics, I could also see a problem with syncing the shots.
A 'mirror' flag could absorb laser (and heat up) until the fire key is pressed, then reflect it, allowing the mirror tank to position himself for a strategic reflection shot. Maybe it could also reflect an opponent's image (and shots) on the open field, but only if the mirror tank is facing his opponent.F687/s wrote: What you're talking about would be more of a "mirror" flag. This would reflect the light, but you can see real-life mirrors, which would make the "hide tank on HUD" useless.
db
Now that IS too complicated. BZFlag is a simple game that is hard to master. If a flag takes this much discussion and explanation on how it would work, it probably doesn't make a good flag.
There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity. -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." -- Abraham Lincoln
"How many legs does a dog have if you call his tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." -- Abraham Lincoln
I agree. A new flag is not what I was originally trying to suggest. I simply thought CL would affect the laser in some way other than just being completely transparent.donny_baker wrote:Now that IS too complicated. BZFlag is a simple game that is hard to master. If a flag takes this much discussion and explanation on how it would work, it probably doesn't make a good flag.
If cloaking was a real-world technology, it likely would work by 'bending' light, rather than just magically rendering the tank transparent. This would introduce some distortion. That distortion might be used as a countermeasure to the laser flag.
Just an idea born out of the frustration of being lasered without any way to counter attack.
db
> If cloaking was a real-world technology, it likely would work by 'bending' light, rather than just magically
> rendering the tank transparent.
If jumping tanks were a real-world technology, it likely would work by using hydraulics, rather than just magically propelling the tank upwards with small rockets. ;-)
Assuming you have CL, if somebody's shooting you with laser, you can easily shoot them back. If you have L and are shooting someone with CL, the best thing to do is to drop the flag, execute a wall-rico/spin-jump maneuver, and kill him with style.
> rendering the tank transparent.
If jumping tanks were a real-world technology, it likely would work by using hydraulics, rather than just magically propelling the tank upwards with small rockets. ;-)
Assuming you have CL, if somebody's shooting you with laser, you can easily shoot them back. If you have L and are shooting someone with CL, the best thing to do is to drop the flag, execute a wall-rico/spin-jump maneuver, and kill him with style.