TimeSplitters 4/Miscellaneous

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|-|Generic Code=
*Cloaking
*Picking up
*Throwing
*Melee
*Elements
*Leaping
*Fire Extinguisher Propulsion (FEP)
*Exaggerated physics
*Jump pads
*Element dispensers
*Knockback of characters by explosions, etc.
|-|Good Gun List=
*Tommy gun (x2) 
*Homing rocket launcher
*Rocket launcher 
*Electro tool
*Laser gun – lame – shield good
*Silenced Pistol (x2)
*LX-18 (x2)
*Garret Revolver (x2)
*Crossbow
*Vintage Rifle
*Flamethrower (if done properly)
*Shotgun (x2)
*Tactical 12-Gauge / Assault shotgun
*Soviet S47 (x2)
*Sci-Fi Handgun
*Plasma Autorifle (alternate fire of plasma grenades)
*SBP90 Machinegun (x2)
*Minigun
*Grenade Launcher 
*Proximity Mine
*Remote Mine
*TNT
*Fire Extinguisher (Blind enemies?)
*Brick
*HL2 Overwatch pulse rifle plus bouncing disintegrator sphere alternate fire
*HL2 Crossbow
*HL2 Magnum
*M-16
*Phasers
*Futuristic pistol
*Assault rifle with underslung grenade launcher e.g. BF2
*BF2142 Support weapon (becomes more accurate as you fire it, very inaccurate when moving)
*Harpoon gun
*Baseball bat
*Chainsaw
*Dart Gun (x2)
*Flare gun (x2)
*HL1 small creatures that swarm and attack enemy
*HL1 Needle gun – semi-seeking, autoregenerates ammo
*Cat
*Boomerang
*Counter-Strike Elephant Gun (Huge sniper rifle audible throughout the level – BOOM!)
Ancient
*Automatic crossbow
*Ancient harpoon gun
*Phosphorous bomb 
*Torch style flamer thrower – (has bellows)
*Boomerang
Past
*Cyberpunk chainsaw
*Automatic Flintlock pirate pistol
*Pirate handheld cannon – equivalent to rocket launcher (unguided) 
Contemporary
*Pistol 
*Assault shotgun
*Sniper rifle 
*Chainsaw gun
*Machine gun
*Minigun
*Flame thrower
*Brick
*Universal Object Thrower (Universal TOSSER) 
Retro Future
*Star Trek phaser 
*Phaser blaster
*Ice gun
Future
*Homing Rocket Launcher
*Sci-Fi sniper 
*Sticky plasma grenade
|-|HUD Requirements=
*Robot HUD – think The Terminator, highlighting threats in the 3 vision modes, etc. 
*It’s Alive – HUD to show level of completion of the monster. To show if you have the glowing limb.
*Wife Swap – to show what wife you have.
*Weapon select.
*Ammo.
*Any object being carried.
*Prompt to pick up an object plus icon to show what it is.
*Health
*Armour
*Timesplitter HUD – organic style
*Human HUD – could be time-period-specific…
*Any elements affecting the player, e.g. acid, gas, etc.
*I am the Predator
*I am cloaked (cloaking/decloaking)
*I am on the “colour” team
*I have the soap! (icon for bag in Capture the Bag games)
*Number sequence for Add it Up
*Score
*Lives
*Weapon held
*Missile lock detected (for robots)
*Shield activated (for robots)
*Power-up active, e.g. sprint, shrink, etc.
*I am the Medusa! (probably its own vision mode) 
*Electricity disrupting robot HUD
*Countdowns, e.g. till football explodes
*Pies made / curries served
*COMPASS!!!
|-|Schedule=
50 man-months
*1 artist fulltime - 8 mm
*3 programmers - 3x8=24 mm
*1 project lead - 10 mm
*1 game designer - 8 mm
*½ character artist / concept character art - 4 mm
PR Assets – Concept Art
Problems – Guns
Main coding focus
*Programmer 1 – Animation 
*Programmer 2 – A.I./Scripting 
*Programmer 3 - Graphics, Physics, Destructibility
General Setup Project and Demo
*Directory and TS project
*Extensive profiling code.
*Gun code – shotgun
*Places of interest (hints control setup – Gears of War).
Player Code - Player generic pick-up and throw mechanics. Will have problems with holding objects – need 3 or so grip sizes for 1ˢᵗ-person animations. All pick-up-able and throwable objects would have to fit with these predetermined grip sizes.
Character Code - Limb removal / re-attaching. Visual editing of joint attaching. Mask joint connections.
Animated characters <-> ragdoll <-> animated characters. 
Physics / Rigid Body - Simple soft-body physics (2 joints) for brains. Slippery physics. Quivering gibs.
Optimized physics meshes. One optimized mesh for the level will work best. 
Destructible props.
Picking up and throwing physics objects – can put all physics objects into a single room! This will be handled by destroying/ fading away excessive objects based on an importance priority.
Vehicle physics – not really vehicles, but cats and wheelchairs.
AI and Scripting - General zombie AI behaviour and classes. Scripting game modes – logic for game modes driven by data scripts (VM).
Graphical Effects - The particle editor should help for some of these (BF team are coding this).
Bubbling liquids. Dripping rain. Pools of water and ice. Ice effect.
It is important that the effect apply to any prop/shape of prop. Shattering of any frozen object. Acidic meltdown of any object. Electricity effect.
HUD code.
Performance stats/limits – textures, polys, etc.
|-|Tech Plan=
*Get an executable building that uses the minimal framework resources. This will involve creating an alternative main.cpp where game-specific initialization is moved into a game-specific path within the code base. The executable will build, initialize the engine and minimal framework, and exit.
*Get an asset build system in place. This will probably require a TS4 “Igor” machine.
*Loading a level.
*A character in the level, rendering with no animation.
*Player controls.
*Simple props with physics.
*Shooting.
*Basic front end with the ability to create and join multiplayer LAN games.
*Multiplayer play. Initially without split screen.
*Simple game rules.
*Object pick-ups.
*Object throwing.
*Elements.
*Use VM for game rules.
|-|Pre-Production Plans=
TS4 Pre-Production – now to year ending 2007
An outline of the tech/plans that will be in place by the end of the pre-production stage.
Background Art
For each of the 20 multiplayer maps:
*Concept Art + Reference material. 
*Blocked out level. Built in GTK Radiant or Maya.
*Poly / Prop budget placed in level. 
Fast Lighting Preview + Lighting model finalized.
Multiplayer block out levels to be multiplayer playtested. (player v. player only)
Character Editor integrated with the World Editor.
Snatch ‘n’ Stitch system implemented.
Full character list finalized – balanced number of character types, e.g. zombies, robots, etc. (10 or so free slots for character requests during game development))
Universal prop rules – fully implemented even if graphical feedback is weak or non-existent.
Character effects required for gamemodes 
Colours 
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==References==
*generic_code.doc (15/05/2007)
*good_gun_list.doc (23/05/2007)
*hud_requirements.doc (13/06/2007)
*schedule.doc (03/05/2007)
*tech_plan.doc (03/05/2007)
*ts4_pre_production_plans.doc (16/04/2007)
Category:TimeSplitters 4