U4 has posted a thread in the FAS Alpha Testing forum about why there has been a lack of Alpha Tester feedback the past couple of weeks. He cites that the FAS Alpha Testing team is reorganizing their testing and that "The reason for our re-tooling is more-or-less because we've generally already broken and fixed all the obvious stuff in the code." The next round of testing will focus on non standard game play bugs that wouldn't come up in normal play testing. BDH, long time community member is currently in charge of this reorganization.
Showing posts with label U4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U4. Show all posts
02 October 2008
21 September 2008
Prone Sha-Mone
The prone feature of past versions will possibly not be included with the first RC of FAS.
In Hitman's 22 September, 2008 developer's journal entry when asked about coding for the prone system which U4 stated here as not implemented, Hitman replies "I wouldn't count on prone being in anytime soon."
Reasons for the prone system not be included are not detailed in any following post. The most likely possibility is that the FAS Team is having trouble finding people to create animations for player models. Various post from FAS Team members and Alpha Testers in the FAS Forums have shown they have had problems finding people to create player models and this could extend to animators as well.
While PFS dose try to put up a smoke screen by stating that lack of prone in FAS may be a feature, U4's earlier comment clearly states that prone will be included at some date; unless features have changed within three days of U4's post.
That aside, it would be interesting to see how FAS plays without prone. Some have stated than prone in previous RCs is a culprit of slowing down game play, while others support it for its strategic and stealth elements. Going back to U4's comments, it seems currently without a prone system machine guns and sniper rifles are having difficulty stooping rushers. How this will be balanced will be tricky, for any changes now to make them effective could presumably make them overly effective when prone is introduced. Furthermore, the inclusion of the prone system in a later RC could turn off some players who were use to machine guns and sniper rifles not being effective, as well as not having to worry about people going prone and thus being a harder target to hit.
In Hitman's 22 September, 2008 developer's journal entry when asked about coding for the prone system which U4 stated here as not implemented, Hitman replies "I wouldn't count on prone being in anytime soon."
Reasons for the prone system not be included are not detailed in any following post. The most likely possibility is that the FAS Team is having trouble finding people to create animations for player models. Various post from FAS Team members and Alpha Testers in the FAS Forums have shown they have had problems finding people to create player models and this could extend to animators as well.
While PFS dose try to put up a smoke screen by stating that lack of prone in FAS may be a feature, U4's earlier comment clearly states that prone will be included at some date; unless features have changed within three days of U4's post.
That aside, it would be interesting to see how FAS plays without prone. Some have stated than prone in previous RCs is a culprit of slowing down game play, while others support it for its strategic and stealth elements. Going back to U4's comments, it seems currently without a prone system machine guns and sniper rifles are having difficulty stooping rushers. How this will be balanced will be tricky, for any changes now to make them effective could presumably make them overly effective when prone is introduced. Furthermore, the inclusion of the prone system in a later RC could turn off some players who were use to machine guns and sniper rifles not being effective, as well as not having to worry about people going prone and thus being a harder target to hit.
07 September 2008
Volunteer!
U4 has posted in the FAS Forums, "We want you, the FA:S community, to make us some 2-D art for us to use in FA:S RC1. 2-D art being anything that you can photoshop, photograph, or even make in MS Paint. Think of this as our signature contests from the Art sub-forum, but without the contest part."
Can't draw? Have the creative talent of a stump? No problem! U4 says the FAS Team is "easily amused". If you can draw a picture of a Firearms: Source in MS Paint, then you're art could be included in the game.
The FAS Team is looking for anything, from custom sprays to posters and textures for maps. How awesome would it be to run around a FAS map and see your poster on the wall, or see someone tag your death with a spray you made.
All artwork must be original and you get bonus points for FAS related material, such as menkys, cows, penguins, pandas, or U4 in a bathing suite. Airwolf has also supplied the FAS logos in PSD format for your use to create FAS related material which you can download here.
Submissions can be attached to the associated FAS Forum Thread.
Can't draw? Have the creative talent of a stump? No problem! U4 says the FAS Team is "easily amused". If you can draw a picture of a Firearms: Source in MS Paint, then you're art could be included in the game.
The FAS Team is looking for anything, from custom sprays to posters and textures for maps. How awesome would it be to run around a FAS map and see your poster on the wall, or see someone tag your death with a spray you made.
All artwork must be original and you get bonus points for FAS related material, such as menkys, cows, penguins, pandas, or U4 in a bathing suite. Airwolf has also supplied the FAS logos in PSD format for your use to create FAS related material which you can download here.
Submissions can be attached to the associated FAS Forum Thread.
15 July 2008
Rollin' Like A Wagon Wheel
U4 writes in the FAS Alpha Tester's Forum, "Things have been progressing rather nicely in the bowels of the FAS development team. Some of the testers might be getting a little tired with our current build, though...we've been testing build 0129 since May 24th. In the year and a half or so since I've been testing, we haven't gone this long without an update."
FAS Build 0129 has been tested for over 40 days! In that time, the FAS Team has been working hard and U4 ensures that FAS Build 0130 is going to be huge. Not only are bug fixed and stability issues resolved, but a lot of content will be added as well. Schmung and racer445 made a G3 which U4 says is amazing. Furthermore, more weapons are being replaced with improved models/skins/animations.
Models and bug fixes aren't the only addition to 0130. Maps have had more bug fixes, lighting and tweaks, as well as new features which U4 doesn't get into detail about. Also, new weapons are being introduced (though they may be cut later on). U4 isn't able to say a lot about them, but did say, "I can tell you that we're going to be one of the first games to implement a few of them. "
U4 also mentions the addition of something which he has edited out along with a lot of other information. Going by what FAS has and needs, it is hard to pin down what it is exactly. Possibly a new player model, as the team and testers have commented many times in much needed player models and animations. Additionally, if you replace [Thing that looks good] with player model, the flow of the paragraph is retained, as U4 continues to talk about replacing models after the semi-colon.
FAS Build 0129 has been tested for over 40 days! In that time, the FAS Team has been working hard and U4 ensures that FAS Build 0130 is going to be huge. Not only are bug fixed and stability issues resolved, but a lot of content will be added as well. Schmung and racer445 made a G3 which U4 says is amazing. Furthermore, more weapons are being replaced with improved models/skins/animations.
Models and bug fixes aren't the only addition to 0130. Maps have had more bug fixes, lighting and tweaks, as well as new features which U4 doesn't get into detail about. Also, new weapons are being introduced (though they may be cut later on). U4 isn't able to say a lot about them, but did say, "I can tell you that we're going to be one of the first games to implement a few of them. "
U4 also mentions the addition of something which he has edited out along with a lot of other information. Going by what FAS has and needs, it is hard to pin down what it is exactly. Possibly a new player model, as the team and testers have commented many times in much needed player models and animations. Additionally, if you replace [Thing that looks good] with player model, the flow of the paragraph is retained, as U4 continues to talk about replacing models after the semi-colon.
27 June 2008
Will the Force Be With Us?
Inveramsay is remaking sd_force.
To that note, it may not be released with the initial RC.
12 June 2008
Lock and Load
The FAS Alpha Tester's Journal on the FAS Forums has a lot of information about the upcoming release of FAS that isn't posted anywhere else. Some of the most insightful comments about the game comes from U4.
I asked how the old weapons compare to the old favorites. U4 responded "The weapons of le olde FA that we've included in FA:S, in my opinion, have been drastically improved, while still maintaining the "feel" they had. The source engine opened doors for us that were previously welded shut inasfar as balance goes."
He uses the FAMAS as an example, the notorious popular AR of old versions of FA. U4 says that the FAMAS of FAS fills like the FAMAS of the older FA, but "it's hard to pull off a 25-round burst with a face full of buckshot."
U4 also added, "One thing we've noticed in testing is that each map has it's own set of weapons that get used the most...but all it takes is one person to push through and hold out for a little bit, and the whole server ends up having to change up their configs to best suit the new contested territory. It's kind of hard to explain, so I'll just let you await with bated breath."
While this is open to interpretation, it seems that maps could work like this:
Areas of the map are suited for some weapons more than others. Some areas would favor long range weapons, other explosives, other CQC weapons. Players who can keep an area will undoubtedly have other players to switch to that preferred weapon style to counter the player in that area.
For example, one player is sniping a larger open area and other players without long range weapons can't do much against him. So they get different weapons and take them out and hold the area. The next area they get to is very CQC friendly, and their long range weapons aren't as powerful, so switching to CQC weapons would be prudent. In this way, all weapons have a use in many maps.
Of course that is just speculation.
When asked about when the amount of weapons start producing redundancies, U4 said, "I think redundancies aren't really an issue with the amount of flexibility we have...although we can only have so many 5.56 assault rifles with a 30 round magazine and a ROF between 600 and 750 rounds per minute."
U4 also says that they are reaching the limit of weapons that would fit into the "feel" of FAS. He explains this by stating, "I even had to start making weapon tweaking recommendations based off of stuff like weapon weight, barrel length, and even chamber pressures of particular weapons based off of the rounds it would be firing in it's native region."
I asked how the old weapons compare to the old favorites. U4 responded "The weapons of le olde FA that we've included in FA:S, in my opinion, have been drastically improved, while still maintaining the "feel" they had. The source engine opened doors for us that were previously welded shut inasfar as balance goes."
He uses the FAMAS as an example, the notorious popular AR of old versions of FA. U4 says that the FAMAS of FAS fills like the FAMAS of the older FA, but "it's hard to pull off a 25-round burst with a face full of buckshot."
U4 also added, "One thing we've noticed in testing is that each map has it's own set of weapons that get used the most...but all it takes is one person to push through and hold out for a little bit, and the whole server ends up having to change up their configs to best suit the new contested territory. It's kind of hard to explain, so I'll just let you await with bated breath."
While this is open to interpretation, it seems that maps could work like this:
Areas of the map are suited for some weapons more than others. Some areas would favor long range weapons, other explosives, other CQC weapons. Players who can keep an area will undoubtedly have other players to switch to that preferred weapon style to counter the player in that area.
For example, one player is sniping a larger open area and other players without long range weapons can't do much against him. So they get different weapons and take them out and hold the area. The next area they get to is very CQC friendly, and their long range weapons aren't as powerful, so switching to CQC weapons would be prudent. In this way, all weapons have a use in many maps.
Of course that is just speculation.
When asked about when the amount of weapons start producing redundancies, U4 said, "I think redundancies aren't really an issue with the amount of flexibility we have...although we can only have so many 5.56 assault rifles with a 30 round magazine and a ROF between 600 and 750 rounds per minute."
U4 also says that they are reaching the limit of weapons that would fit into the "feel" of FAS. He explains this by stating, "I even had to start making weapon tweaking recommendations based off of stuff like weapon weight, barrel length, and even chamber pressures of particular weapons based off of the rounds it would be firing in it's native region."
05 June 2008
The Iron Curtain Starts to Fall
U4, FA:S newly appointed PR rep has opened a new forum within the FA:S Forums: The Alpha Tester's Journal . In the AT Forum, only testers are allowed to make threads, but anyone can reply.
U4 explains that this forum is to allow the Alpha Testers to talk about the game: how weapons behave, their likes/dislikes, skills they use ext. This is not to say they can talk about everything to their hearts content; U4 will screen each testers' post to ensure that it doesn't reveal to much. U4 states, "If you're wondering what "too much" might be, don't worry yourself about it." He goes on to explain that in the testing process, features are tweaked and/or cut. U4 doesn't believe it would be fair to reveal an incomplete feature or mechanic of FA:S, only for it to be cut or radically altered from its original state upon release.
U4 explains that this forum is to allow the Alpha Testers to talk about the game: how weapons behave, their likes/dislikes, skills they use ext. This is not to say they can talk about everything to their hearts content; U4 will screen each testers' post to ensure that it doesn't reveal to much. U4 states, "If you're wondering what "too much" might be, don't worry yourself about it." He goes on to explain that in the testing process, features are tweaked and/or cut. U4 doesn't believe it would be fair to reveal an incomplete feature or mechanic of FA:S, only for it to be cut or radically altered from its original state upon release.
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